Why couldent I pull the trigger? ( more in details section).?

Question

I just got back from shooting with my dad and this was my first time shooting a gun and when my dad asked me if i wanted to i said no and i just couldent pull hte trigger. Can anyone tell me why? It was only a revolver and some .38 special ammo. Im so made at my self please help me. And give me some tips on how to shoot next time so i can shoot and not be a whimp.

And i dont think guns are bad.

Miss wong thanks for the answer but i realy want to shoot a gun. Please help me!!!!!!

The trigger wasent hard to pull, i just couldent get my self to pull it. The gun is a double action, im 15.

Answer 1

First off - don't get down on yourself for that happening. Just accept it for what it is and move on. A .38 isn't the best starter round, but its not something to be afraid of either. The recoil from a 38 is nothing to fear. All firearms, including any .22, will have some kind of recoil. Its inherrent to all weapons and just part of life with any gun. Don't worry about the recoil hurting you - it is only a .38 and it won't bruise you or break your hand. Especially with handguns, recoil is part of the game. Don't be afraid of it because it won't hurt you. You need to realize that shooting any firearm is a controlled explosion and that creates energy (recoil) that WILL push into your hand. However, its not going to hurt you. I promise! The best thing to do is the proverbial 'get back on the horse', and go back out and shoot that pistol. Conquering your fear now will make the future better for you. Getting hung-up on that fear will only make it worse. Just think of it as - You are in control of that pistol - not the other way around. When you grab it and think "I can't do this." - Tell yourself that you can and will do this. It's only a pistol. It's only a .38. Just shoot it. Just squeeeze the trigger for that first time and the rest will be easy. When you grab that pistol - Look at it and tell it (I know this sounds stupid, but it will help) - "I'm in charge......not you." A pistol is just a tool, and is worthless without a human being being in charge of it. So grab it and get a firm hold with all your fingers, except your trigger finger. Thats the finger that still needs to be nice to the pistol. The rest of your fingers are there to be in charge and in control of the pistol. Your trigger finger is there to gently squeeze the trigger at the right time and put one round down range. Then aim, with a firm grip, but easy on the trigger, and touch off that first round. I promise you, after that it will be smooth sailing and you may very well fall in love with shooting. The first step is always the hardest. Good luck.

Answer 2

How old are you?? Could you hold the gun comfortably in your hand?? Was the trigger just too hard to pull back?? Were you just unable to make yourself pull the trigger??

Do you know if the gun was a single action or a double action revolver??

First thing you want to do is become aquainted with the revolver. Ask your dad to let you hold and dry fire it a few times, so that you are more confortable with the gun. The VERY FIRST thing you and your dad do is make sure the GUN IS EMPTY. Put the gun in your hand move it around until you feel you have a comfortable, firm grip. Note, I said firm grip, do not choke the gun to death. Point the gun in a safe direction and pull the trigger. If this is a single action gun, nothing will happen. To make a single action work, you must pull the hammer back, then pull the trigger. If this is a double action gun, when you pull the trigger, the hammer will come back on its own. As you continue to pull the trigger, the hammer will continue to come back until it locks in place, and then the trigger will release the hammer and it will fall. If you cann't pull the trigger, it may be that the trigger pull weight is too heavy. Some triggers might take as much a 15 pounds of pressure to work. If that is the case. Stop pulling the trigger, take your finger off the trigger, and pull the hammer back with your thumb. Notice that the trigger will come back as well. Once you lock the hammer to the rear, try pulling the trigger again. It should release very easily.
Continue to dry fire the weapon until you are comfortable with how the gun works. "Dry fire" means you are pulling the trigger on an empty gun.

If you were unable to make yourself pull the trigger; that happened because your anxiety level got too high. What happen is, as you were trying to pull the trigger, your brain is screaming that the noise was going to be real loud, and the recoil was going to hurt bad, and the gun was going to fly out of your hands, etc. The more you pulled the more the brain panicked and finally, you can not pull the trigger. This is common with all shooters. Not too long ago a friend of mine handed me his new S&W, four inch barreled, .500 magnum to shoot. This is a massive and very powerful gun. However, I have been shooting for over 45 years and I am not recoil senitive. I pointed the weapon downrange and began to pull the trigger. My hand started shaking, and the more I pulled on the trigger the more I shook, and I could not stop the shaking. I put the weapon down, took a deep breath, brought the weapon back up, ****** the hammer, and fired the gun. The noise and recoil were substanical, but nothing I could not handle. The shaking came from my anxiety level and I overcame it with a quick shot. After that, since nothing bad happened, I fired off the remaining four rounds in the gun with no problems.

After aquainting yourself with the gun, go back to the range with your dad. Dry fire a couple more times at the range. Have dad load ONE round in gun. Put on eye and ear protection (you really want to protect your hearing). Bring the gun up, pull the trigger. If you can't, take your finger off the trigger, cock the hammer to the rear, point down range and quickly pull the trigger (don't worry about hitting anything, yet).

Once you have fired that first round. You will wonder what all the fuss was about.

Good luck.

Answer 3

You mean you couldn't bring yourself to do it, or you couldn't physically pull it?

If it's the former, I don't know what to say. Maybe start shooting with smaller firearms and work your way up? I know I was nervous the first time I fired a handgun.

If it's the latter, it's because revolvers are almost exclusively double action. What this means is that one pull of the trigger actually brings the hammer back (action 1) and drops the hammer (action 2). Single action handguns only drop the hammer. In a autoloader, such as your standard 1911 variant, they are often single action b/c the slide re-cocks the hammer for you as it eject the spent casing. Single action revolvers don't have that happening (no slide to kick back the hammer), so you actually have to physically cock the hammer w/ each shot. That's why cowboy movies show the gun fanning his gun as he shoots, b/c he HAS TO cock the hammer manually before each single action trigger pull. Double action has a heavier (more difficult) trigger pull b/c of the action of cocking the hammer being much harder than just releasing it to strike.

Solutions for this part are a few. First, you could use it like a single action. Grip the firearm in both hands firmly, and use your thumb(s) to cock the hammer, then pull. The pull is single action now, and thus lighter and easier. Second, you could ask to fire a autoloader, as they are almost exclusively single action. That only works if one is available. Third, you could do wrist and forearm excercises.

I encourage you greatly in your attempts. Just don't get discouraged. If it really is the first thing I mentioned, then I really think working your way up is the way to go. Get started w/ a .22 rifle and work your way up till you are comfortable with the revolver.

Answer 4

The .38 Special can appear big and intimidating to a beginner. There is no reason to be mad at yourself. You were NOT ready and you are NOT a whimp.

Is this your first shooting experience? Have you shot an airgun or a .22? TIPS: Make sure you are wearing hearing protection. The .38 is not especially loud but hearing protection will help the first time shooter. Wearing shooting glasses too. It is just good practice when target shooting. Finally, ask you dad to load wadcutters or other low-power .38 Special practice rounds for your first time shooting his .38 revolver.

Good luck. I applaud you for being polite to Miss Wong. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

To Yoy Y: Modern .38 Special revolvers do NOT have safeties.

H

Answer 5

Ask your Dad for help ~I recommend being personally shown by an educated person such as a saftey instructor before this weapon is handled and know all the saftey features.~




My first pistol was a 22 single action revolver, Start with something like that they are safe and have little recoil.

If you insist on shooting that pistol its probably a double action revolver . It can be ****** (the hammer drawn back to the fire/ locked open position ). ITS READY TO FIRE in that position though you just touch the trigger and it goes off. So saftey is the issue .


The trigger pull can be harder in a large caliber and can be set to a lighter pull by a knowledgeable gunsmith.

Answer 6

Well, only if and when you are ready will you be able to pull that trigger.

If you are not scared of it, or don't have some phobia about guns, you will figure out how to make yourself do it someday.

If you can do it safely, put one round in the chamber, point it in a safe direction, did I mention a SAFE direction, have your dad next to you, maybe helping you keep it pointed in a safe direction, turn your head, close your eyes, and go for it.

Once you do it, you may figure out that it wasn't so bad and that you want to try it again with -your eyes open. Or you may just want to clear the weapon, and hand it back to dad and wait to try again the next time you are ready.

Fear. It can overcome us in the most bizzare ways sometimes. Ask dad if he's got a .22, those are like cap guns. Start small and work up to bigger, and louder artillery.

Answer 7

Scara-mouch, Scara-mouch. Will you do the Fan-dang-o? Its from the song Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen. Written by Freddy Mercury. From the Album A Night at the Opera. 1975. By-the-way, just for good measure. This is the rest of that stanza: Mama, life has just begun But now I've gone and thrown it all away Mama, ooh Didn't mean to make you cry If I'm not back again this time tomorrow Carry on, carry on as if nothing really matters.

Answer 8

I chickened out on my first chance to shoot as well. Except, a friend of my dad handed me a 12 gauge and said I could shoot it, I chose not too. He unloads the gun and it had 3.5 inch magnums in it. To this day, I don't care if I ever shoot one of those.
You are probably being cautious like I was. .38 special isn't bad in the recoil department, but it would probably help to shoot something easier first. Perhaps a 9mm if your dad has one.

Answer 9

Maybe you should start with a smaller caliber gun first and work you way up to that gun. That way you won't have to worry about the kick of the gun and you will have the experience under your belt. Then work you way up. That is how I started when I was younger.

Answer 10

You were scared of the kick of the gun? Maybe you think guns are bad? Take the gun hold it, aim and squeeze the trigger it is very simple.