Double Actio Only Autos

[jimmyj]

Users of Double Action Only Auto Pistols:

1. Manufactures and Models ?

2. Calibers ?

3. Is the accuracy better or worst that a DA/SA Model ?

Thanks,
Jimmy

[federali]

I shoot both a Kahr P9 and a T9. Kahrs are DAO but are unique in that the trigger pull is much easier than more common DAOs. I can shoot them quite accurately and actually prefer them to the DA/SA transition after the first shot of the more common double action semi-autos.

[robertrwalsh]

Both Smith and Beretta have made them in 9mm and .40. I am pretty sure Smith made them in .45ACP also. I suspect the accuracy thing is mostly a user training issue and not inherent to the weapon.

[pawncop]

Many years ago I qualified with a Beretta 96D (40 S&W) and carried it as my duty sidearm on patrol for about a year.

I found I did not shoot as well with it and switched back to my 4506.

I still have my Beretta and shoot it on occasion.

I think it shoots fine and accuracy is good for a service sidearm. I think the issue was mine and not the gun.

[swsig]

I have a SIG Sauer P250 .380 subcompact that I bought for Mrs. swsig, because it is the easiest-racking semi-auto I've ever encountered. It is also remarkably accurate once you master its long, but extremely smooth DAO trigger. On a good day, out to 15 yards, it is as accurate as my excellent striker-fired SIG P320 9mm/.357 SIG. It is not as accurate as my DA/SA FN FNX-45 Tactical. But the FNX is a very different kettle of fish with its 16 round .45 acp capacity, 5.25" barrel, and Vortex Venom red dot sight.

[LVSteve]

Another vote for the Sig P250 and even the P290RS in .380. Smooth trigger is rather long, so practice is required. A Kahr trigger is far shorter.

[g8rb8]

Jimmy,
My only experience with a double action only auto is the Kahr CM9 and PM9 which are basically the same gun, a subcompact, single stack, 9 mm. I shoot it as accurately, quickly, and reliably as other similar size pistols and revolvers. I compared compact and subcompact .380's, 9 mm's, .38 specials, and .357's, pistols and revolvers about 3-4 years ago and the Kahr CM9 worked best for me. I recently tried to convince myself I needed a SIG P365 to replace the Kahr but after trying out the P365 I could not convince myself to get it to replace the Kahr.

[Ματθιας]

I have a SiG220R DAK in .45 and SiG229DAO in .40.

Since, they are not my first choices, I don't practice with them and the trigger pulls so my accuracy suffers. I'd be better with practice, I think.

[KarmannGhia]

My only DAO is the CS9D. I love it and qualify yearly to carry it off duty. I consistently score in the high 90s. The trigger pull is like a magazine fed revolver.

[HOUSTON RICK]

Once you familiarize yourself (practice) with the gun, it does not make any difference in terms of accuracy. The type of action, as long as it works properly, is a non-issue for me. Maybe I am just not sensitive enough to these things.

[robvious]

I have my father's Kahr... great gun...
BUT I am a huge fan of the Sig P250.. heard one person refer to them as square revolvers... would have to agree...

[URIT]

I have 9 DAO Smith & Wesson pistols. Three 3953, one 4046, two 4053, two 4054, and one 6946.

I spent my entire 33 year LE career carrying S&W revolvers so that smooth half-cocked DA trigger was a natural thing for me to transition to, and that’s a big part of why I chose double action guns.

A model 3953 and a 4053 are two of my three carry guns.

I don't know if they're more accurate because I'm a good shot with TDAs too.

[BB57]

Browning followed up on the Hi Power with the Browning BDM and the HP-DA/BDA and HP-DAO/BDAO pistols.

The BDM (top) is unique in that it has a rotating selector switch that lets you switch between normal DA/SA operation and a DA only "revolver" mode, with the BDM referencing the dual modes.

The BDM came in two other variants without the switch,the BRM (Browning Revolver Mode) operating in full time DAO mode, and model BPM-D (Browning Pistol Mode Decocker) operating in full time DA/SA mode with a decocking lever.

The HP-DA came in both standard and HP-DAO versions and was also known as the BDA and BDAO in those separate versions.

The pistol on the bottom is an SFS Hi Power, with the "Safety Fast Shooting" hammer and safety. This allowed the pistol to be carried fully cokced and locked, but with the hammer in a lowered position and resting on a hammer block, further improving drop safety and making it less scary to the citizenry.



The "pistol" and "revolver" switch on the BDM is more evident here:



The BDM is also remarkably thin for a 9mm double stack magazine pistol.

[gdogs]

Seecamp 32, CZ45 25, RM380 380, Sig P290RS 9mm, Sig P239DAK 40S&W, Beretta 96D 40S&W. With the exception of the Beretta and possibly the P239 (and techinically speaking the DAK isn't exactly a DAO) we're talking about little pistols that were meant for close in use. Accuracy, other than practical accuracy isn't much of a concern for me. These are all guns that I might carry (the RM380 being my main carry gun), again with the exception of the Beretta, which is the house gun. I prefer to have any gun that I might have to use in self defense to be DAO. The manual of arms is the same for all of them, making training across the different guns very instinctive. While I own many other handguns, I think it better to keep a consistent type of action for any gun that might be used in a high stress situation.

[TAROMAN]

There's also the much under-appreciated Beretta PX4 Storm Type D:

Not to mention the Type C SAO that fires from the half-cock, similar to the 3953.

[Leonard]

Para LDA in 45 acp light smooth trigger longer pull than SA very compact accurate and easy to carry.

[Ziggy2525]

I have a P250 Gen 2 sub-compact 9mm. Size wise, between a G26 and a G19. 12 round mags. Only use it occasionally, but I like it. Trigger is a lot like my centenial j-frame. It’s very accurate.

Had a P290RS .380, sold it. Very accurate, nice sights and super easy to rack the slide. But the trigger wasn’t as nice as as the P250. Too easy to short stroke the trigger on the P290RS.

[white cloud]

I used to own two SIG P224s. I never really cared for them and sold them off. I have a Kahr CM9. If I could draw it as quickly and easily as a J frame, I would carry it. It has been totally reliable.

[kthom]

I personally have no use for the DA/SA type of action. Several reasons, but mostly because I want my trigger pull to be same everytime I pull it, what ever the action type. I also dislike the various hammer drop mechanisms that are involved with them. Striker fired is OK with me. Single action is OK too, but I'm most comfortable with my revolvers!

[JayFramer]

Beretta 92D.

Don’t have one, but my hometown PD of St. Louis used them for years and just recently got rid of them. Interesting and sleek pistols. I couldn’t imagine a simpler auto to learn on, not necessarily to shoot on though. The D models have a lighter, smoother trigger pull than a standard 92FS thanks to a lightened hammer’s spring.

[mikerjf]

CZ45 and SCCY CPX2. Neither struck me as revolver-like, I always wind up pulling, pulling, pulling, and wondering if the d* thing is ever going to go off! But the SCCY is a fine truck gun if you practice with it.

FWIW I have no problem with J frames DA. Doesn't seem the same to me at all.

[foxy320]

I'll 2nd the Para Ordnance lda models. Sweet trigger & plenty combat accurate. I've carried several different guns & a C7.45 lda is my only EDC now.

[stansdds]

I have carried either a S&W 640-1 or a 6946 for two decades now. I prefer the DAO because it is a safe trigger, no safety to fumble, and the trigger pull is the same with every pull.



As for accuracy, most people are not Jerry Miculek, so the same firearm designs will be more accurate with a single action pull, but from a machine rest there would be no difference. With practice, the DAO trigger can be mastered and it can be a wonderful thing.

[diyj98]

I used to have a 5953 and 3953. I liked the DAO feature, but never could get the accuracy off the bench of the DA/SA comparable S&W's due to the longer required trigger pull. Not that any third gen S&W was ever a target gun in my experience, but the DAO guns were accurate enough for their intended role.

[loc n load]

If you can shoot a DA revolver, you can certainly shoot a DAO pistol, although some folk’s have issues operating the slides to chamber a round.
I trained hundreds of Officers to shoot revolvers, then DA/SA pistols, and hundred’s more to shoot the DAO.
From an instructor standpoint, I much prefer the DAO for the average officer / shooter. No decock, no putting the lever back into position for the first DA/SA round ( per agency policy). No transition for a long heavy DA to SA trigger pull. The DA/SA is a more training intensive weapon system.
My agency made the complete transition to DAO pistols in 95, our SWAT / Spec Op’s troops had been carrying the DA/SA pistols since 87. The officers carrying the DA/SA pistols stayed with them, new hires and regular line officers were issued the DAO, smith’s, then Berettas.
Regular line officers qualified annually, SWAT / Spec. Op’s every quarter, plus they shot a lot during monthly training.
So initially we had thousands ( nation wide)of officers transitioning from the revolver to a pistol, anybody hiring on after 95 never saw a revolver.
I saw no issues with across the board qualifications, if you have the hand strength to shoot DA, you are good to go. Some of the people who had upper body strength issues to begin with had issues with chambering a round, but they were in the vast minority.
All of our pistols were 9mm. IMO the average officer trained on a DAO shot better having a consistent trigger pull from shot to shot.

[Tadeus67]

I own a SIG P250 in .380 acp (Mexican laws nonsense). It is a very accurate handgun, if you train with it in order to master the trigger pull.

As I been most of my adult life, a Revolver shooter, the trigger on the P250 has been easy for me.

It is my main home defense handgun along with my trusted S&W model 67-4

[The_Truth]

Pretty sure the Kahr trigger is not technically a double action. The trigger pull does not cock the gun at the same time and will not fire the gun unless the slide is racked.

[kscharlie]

My first CC gun was a SIG P250 Compact, 9mm, double action only, hammer fired auto. Sweetest double action trigger I have ever pulled. As previously stated, it is loooooong, but smooth and light. It has been put aside in favor of other guns. I never had any issues with accuracy, it shoots as good as my single action autos. But even as small as it is, it is still larger than others.

The primary reasons this gun was my first conceal carry weapon was because of the long double action trigger pull. My thought was that it would be much more difficult to prematurely pull the trigger while having a large adrenaline rush. Plus it did not have a manual safety. Plus if it did not go bang when I pulled the trigger, in the case of a failure to fire, all I had to do was pull the trigger again for a second strike of the firing pin.

I later obtained the "kit" sold by SIG to make it a sub-compact. Other kits were/are available to change calibers to .40 S&W and .45 ACP and (I think) .357 SIG. This gun has a removable FCU (Fire Control Unit) which is the serial numbered gun, and can be moved from one frame to another. It really was an ingenious system.