I was recently looking through a November 2004 American Rifleman in the second shots section and noticed two rifles with what is described as thumb-triggers. Could anyone shed more light on this set-up? Its a new one on me.

Winchester made a youth 22 rifle that had a thumb release trigger, I believe it was a single shot don't remember the model.

Ralph G. Packard first invented a mechanism for converting rifles like the 1903 Springfield to a “Thumb Trigger†patent No. 1,202,416 Oct. 24, 1916. He next patented a complete rifle that incorporated a thumb trigger patent No. 1,582,533 June 1, 1922. For more information on Packard and his rifle get a copy of his book “Rifles That I have Used and Designed†circa 1939 (date and publisher unknown).

There were also some German double barrel shotguns made with a thumb trigger. These triggers are discussed in detail in “Jagdwaffen†by Preuss 1930, the problem is the book is written in Old German text and I just can’t read it.