TRIGGER-PULL
Very few people pay attention to the strength of the trigger-pull of their pistols.
They accept whatever trigger-pull it has when they buy it.
They do not know that trigger-pull can vary from a hair trigger up to many pounds weight.
First-class gunmakers make the “weight,” as it is called, of their trigger as light and smooth as possible subject to its being safe to handle.
The subject of safe trigger-pull is a variable quantity.
An expert shot can be trusted with a trigger-pull so light that in the hands of a less skilful or careful shot there would be great danger of the pistol being discharged accidentally. The automatic pistol is put to full-cock automatically with violence, by the discharge. Therefore the trigger-pull has to be made much heavier than the trigger-pull of a single-shot pistol, where the shooter cocks it gently with his own hand.
A typical example of how men, even after a lifetime of shooting, pay no attention to the weight of their trigger-pulls occurs to me.
An old gentleman, belonging to one of the learned professions, who had been an enthusiastic but very bad shot all his life, asked me to try his shotgun at some clay pigeons.
He was one of those men who always pride themselves on getting things cheaper than any one else.