Modern firearms are as diverse as ever. As SHOT Show comes and goes every year, new manufacturers and models are introduced en masse with various options and variations. Despite all this diversity, all firearms have at least one thing in common — a trigger. While most triggers appear the same, they can vary significantly depending on the firearm’s design and purpose.
While this topic may seem introductory to some, many newcomers to the gun world are confused by the terminology and operation of firearm triggers. Depending on the firearm’s action and design, there are hundreds of slight trigger variations. However, most of those variations easily condense into some basic categories. Whether you’re a subject matter expert or just stepping into the gun world, here’s a crash course on the basic handgun and rifle trigger types that can hopefully serve as a future reference.
Handgun Trigger Types
Most modern handgun actions are either revolvers or semi-automatic. Revolvers use a cylinder that rotates within the firearm’s action while semi-automatics feed from a spring-loaded magazine. When it comes to triggers, there’s a significant amount of overlap between trigger types that aren’t exactly unique to semi-automatic handguns or revolvers.
