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611 Nail Gun Safety
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Contact Trigger

A nail gun with a contact trigger will drive a nail whenever both the contact safety tip and the trigger are depressed in any order.

Contact safety tips must be pushed into the work before the gun will fire.

Framers and roofers prefer using the contact trigger because it allows the tool to be used to rapidly drive nails by holding the trigger pulled and repeatedly "bumping" the safety contact tip (also called a safety tip, touch trip, or work contact element) against the work after each recoil.

You can push the safety contact tip into the work first and then squeeze the trigger, or you can squeeze the trigger first and then push the safety contact tip: either way works.

If the trigger is kept squeezed, a nail will be driven each time the safety contact tip is pushed in. All nails can be bump fired. The contact trigger has many other names: bump trigger, multi-shot trigger, successive trigger, dual-action, touch trip, contact trip, and bottom fire.

Bump Firing or Bounce Nailing is used commonly by framers and roofers.

Bump firing or bounce nailing is using a nail gun with a contact firing trigger held squeezed and bumping or bouncing the tool along the work piece to fire nails. Red dots in the image show path of motion of the nail gun. Each time the gun contacts the surface, a nail is fired.

  • Single nail: Push the safety contact, then squeeze the trigger, or squeeze the trigger, then push the safety contact tip.
  • Multiple nails: Squeeze and hold the trigger, then push the safety contact to fire one nail, move and push the safety contact tip again to fire additional nails.

Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.

1-4. Which type of trigger is used when bump firing or bounce nailing?