When I first got back into hunting one of the biggest obstacles I needed to figure out was how I was going to pull the trigger on whichever weapon I wanted to shoot. My accident in 1994 left me a C 4-5 quadriplegic. That means that I do not have any finger movement, I have a little wrist movement on my left, no wrist movement on the right side but I do have use of my elbows. So knowing this I needed to figure out how to pull the trigger without using finger dexterity.
I started hunting again in 1998 but was using only a crossbow and the trigger needed for that particular weapon was a lot simpler than it would be on a rifle. I received my rifle mount for my wheelchair in 2005 from a friend. We had talked and had looked on the Internet for different types of wheelchair rifle mounts and one day I was surprised by my friend Dustin with this awesome gift. Now we just needed to figure out how to mount it to my wheelchair, because nothing is simple. All wheelchairs are not made with the same dimensions. There was going to be a need for some farming ingenuity. It actually did not take long for my dad Roger to figure out how to attach the rifle mount to my wheelchair.
Getting a trigger to work that I could use was going to be difficult. First we tried putting a hook made of heavy gauge wire on my wrist splint, having me reach up and pull the trigger. This actually worked a little bit but I could not get the hook off the trigger by myself, so that wasn't very safe. I didn't have enough control. Next we tried putting a string around the trigger and having it hang down far enough so that I could hook it and pull back. This also worked but was not very reliable.
In 2009 came the eye-opening, voilà moment. My uncle Gary, brother-in-law Brad, friend Don B, my dad, my friend Lawrence and myself were trying to come up with a solution for the trigger. Uncle Gary mentioned having some type of lever that would trip the trigger and then my dad said we could attach it to the trigger guard and then Don B said I have an idea. Within a couple days Don B had the trigger machined out and it was ready for a test run. I couldn't believe how easy the trigger worked the first time I tried it and I was glad I had it on video. The design is so easy and simple, yet it works perfectly. It took us 4 years to figure it out but it was well worth it.
Since the first design of the trigger we really haven't had to change much about it. Depending on what gun it is going to get mounted on, sometimes the gap where it attaches to the trigger guard needs to be made a little bigger. With a fine file this can be done quickly. But one of the best things about this trigger mechanism is that it is pretty universal. I can switch it from my Ruger 22 to my Remington Model 7400 and then to my Weatherby shotgun with just a simple allen wrench. No adjustments need to be made. This trigger mechanism even works on my Carbon Express Intercept crossbow. This trigger mechanism has fit on every rifle I have tried it on. The only guns it does not fit on are some shotguns. The reason is because some shotgun trigger guards are rounded. For this trigger mechanism to work the trigger guard needs to be flat below the trigger.
In 2018 we got the trigger mechanism fine-tuned, I decided to post a video on my YouTube channel. After a while this video started getting more views and shares and I learned from the comments that there was a need for this trigger. It didn't take long and I had a list of about 10 disabled shooters that were interested if I could make more. The problem was where I could get more made. Then someone suggested asking one of the trade schools in the state. So I looked up the machinist instructor at North Dakota State College of Science in Wahpeton, Steve Johnson. Johnson is an Associate Professor/Chair for the Precision Machining Technology and Welding Technology Departments at the college. As soon as I brought the idea to Johnson, he was very interested and said his spring semester class would use it for one of their class projects. Once I got the specs to Steve, the wheels were set in motion. I received the 20 triggers made from his class that May. The next week we had them tested and they were ready to be shipped. I can't thank Johnson and his class enough for what they have done for me and my fellow disabled shooters throughout the nation. We are indebted.
Before I send out one of the triggers I make sure that the individual actually needs the mechanism. Once I find this out I send them a waiver to have them sign. Once the waiver is signed and returned to me, I send them one of the triggers Johnson's class made. There is no charge for the trigger.
It took about two years to find enough people to take the first 20 triggers. Starting in the spring of 2020 I started getting more requests but I had to turn people down. I kept their names on the list just in case I got enough requests. Now that there was enough interest, I contacted Instructor Johnson again about making more triggers. When I talked to Steve about mid-summer of this year, he told me with the Coronavirus going on to get a hold of him sometime in September. So that is what I did and Steve and his class 30 more triggers. Yesterday I sent out seven triggers including one going to Canada and a couple to Louisiana. Now more people will be enjoying the shooting sports because of what Steve Johnson and his machining class from North Dakota State College of Science has provided for them.
Thanks for reading, Clint.
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