The thread on thumb-triggered rifles got me to wondering.

If using the thumb-trigger approach produces the claimed-for benefit of more accuracy than regular triggers, due to no pulling and thus (supposedly) less disruption of aiming while taking the shot, have there been rifle designs done where shooters could use a hand to squeeze something to release the firing pin and take the shot?

Imagine something located between thumb and the rest of the hand - for purposes of discussion could be either hand - right where you are otherwise putting them while aiming the rifle, This 'something' you could squeeze slowly with potentially even less disruption of the sight picture than the thumb approach. Link the 'something' to the sear and we're in business.

Would have to have some ingenious safety features, wouldn't want to fire it accidentally by picking it up wrong and squeezing the 'something'. Maybe that's the Achilles heel of the idea.

Am I nuts? Was this ever done/tried?

The USAF M6 survival rifle had a "squeeze trigger".




And there were some prototype 1800s revolver designs that used squeeze triggers:



Along with some more widely produced 1800s palm pistol designs that had a squeeze trigger at the rear, which it sounds like is closest to what you're envisioning.







But clearly, the idea never caught on in the larger firearms world.

HK P7. Hold the trigger before squeezing the front strap. Not recommended though.

Thanks for the historical background!

The M6 Survival rifle is sort of the idea, but I'd put the 'squeezer' bit out forward for the off-hand to grip/trigger with. Thinking more about maybe helping accuracy than saving cost or space as those designs seemed to focus on.