The origin of the Name Double Action

dobe · #1 08-31-2009, 06:01 PM

I am curious. Did the term double action derive from the two distinct modes of firing (SA vs pulling the trigger only), or that pulling an uncocked revolver's trigger 1. cocks the revolver and 2. fires the revolver?

handejector · #2 08-31-2009, 06:14 PM

The trigger performs the double action of both cocking and releasing the hammer/striker.

RonJ · #3 08-31-2009, 06:17 PM

I would tend to think the latter, since some double actions cannot be used in single action mode. Just a guess.

mjr · #4 08-31-2009, 06:21 PM

I believe the term first referred to a revolver which could be either thumb-cocked or trigger-cocked. Some earlier revolvers (chiefly Adams) could be trigger-cocked only. Today we'd call those DAO; I dunno what they were called back when.

Centenniel · #5 08-31-2009, 07:41 PM

Lee has it right. (naturally)