A few tips for new self defense revolver carriers; fwiw

[Becket]

1) Just a heads up from a guy that used to do it WAY too much back when. Hitting paper by cocking the hammer and shooting your carry revolver to make nice perfect groups, is not going to cut it in a dirty situation for the most part. Unless you practice pulling the trigger in double action in quick repeat shots at center mass, just sell your double action. Go get a single action with a short barrel; because that is what you are "training" with.
Save the hammer cocking for the fun of shooting groups; and slow aimed hunting fire practice.
2) Prosecutors LOVE the trigger cockers! They spin it into a thing called 'intent' . That is not good for you lawful self defense case. I still love trigger cocking at tiny distant things; but don't think you are preparing for that terrible day I pray never comes for any of you. Learn your trigger and revolver in double action, practice moving safely while firing, and You have practiced two important basics.
3) I wish I remembered the biography this was in! Credit this to one of the old lawmen in the Jordan, Hamer, and Cirillo eras; all of which survived and won several dozens of gunfights between them. It is harder for the body to turn against the direction to the back of the gun hand, than in towards it It is science also that humans take a few 100ths of time to react. Even a step that way, away from the back of their gun hand, instead of toward the bad guys palm facing direction, can buy you that tiny bit of time to catch them shooting where you just were, and getting that first shot on target. Will you remember that last one in the quick and dirty? Dunno, probably not. But if you train it you have a much better chance of just doing it on autopilot.

 

[Old cop]

Went to the range today w/a older Model 60 & 340PD. Paper plates @ three, five & seven yards shooting double action as fast as I can hit. Empty the gun, reload w/a speedstrip & repeat. My objective is to keep all ten hits on the plate. Tight groups are unimportant.

 

[Univibe]

Best tip I can give for new EDC revolver carriers is to trade it in on a M&P9C or a G19.

 

[Becket]

My father started me out (after learning the rifle (bb/pellet then .22) with 4" and 6" revolvers on paper plates; and I use them to this day. Same thing you said; "if you can hit that paper plate, you have them going where they need to."
Then when I eventually got that basically down well enough for a newbie, out to 10yds, he drew & colored in a 3" circle with a magic marker.
"Now. Practice getting them in the black part."

 

[sikacz]

I don't agree. Carry whatever you're confident shooting, revolver or semi-automatic. There are plus and minus points to both. Semi you have more shots, but screwed if close up or the gun in concealed. Revolver your shots are limited, but shoot from your pocket if you have to. Personally I'm not looking to engage, but to get away. I like people to have a choice and evaluate their own needs. I'd carry whatever gun I have semi or revolver that I felt comfortable with. I'm pretty comfortable with all my guns, but some are just simple to conceal and there's always a round in the chamber.

 

[biku324]

Oddly, I've carried a revolver on duty and off since 1978 until the 90s and have no idea what a 'trigger cocker' might be. And I've never heard a prosecutor even say those words. No agency I've ever worked for trained to fire revolvers single action. in 43 years.

I've just got to start reading up on gunfighting to learn all I've missed.

 

[Univibe]

Oddly, I've carried a revolver on duty and off since 1978 until the 90s and have no idea what a 'trigger cocker' might be. And I've never heard a prosecutor even say those words. No agency I've ever worked for trained to fire revolvers single action. in 43 years.

I've just got to start reading up on gunfighting to learn all I've missed.

This. If a defense shot is good, it doesn't matter whether it was fired single or double action. Does a striker fired gun show "intent?"


And how would anybody ever know.?

Another "if you you use handloads, you're going to prison for 40 years" thing.

 

[K Frame Keith]

Well, back in the day we fired our revolvers single action… from the 50 yard line. Everything closer was DA.

 

[Radny97]

Best tip I can give for new EDC revolver carriers is to trade it in on a M&P9C or a G19.

Spoken like a true neophyte


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Sistema1927]

I believe strongly in DA revolver shooting for all defensive purposes, but for different reasons than those given at the beginning of this discussion.

I find it difficult to believe that any prosecutor has ever made an issue of revolver firing technique. A good shoot is a good shoot, period.

However, shooting single-action might result in turning an otherwise good situation into a bad shoot, and here is why. The defender cocks his revolver, and is possibly covering the attacker. Whereas just the presentation of the weapon might have been sufficient to defuse the attack, now you are pointing a weapon requiring just a fraction of effort to discharge it. The person who was previously attacking makes a move, possibly not even in a threatening manner, and the defender ends up discharging his weapon due to nervousness. He also has to decock the revolver if not firing, and that requires manipulation of the trigger in a high stress situation.

There was no attack taking place, the situation was resolved, until the person who was previously the defender has now taken on the role of attacker by firing his weapon when it wasn't warranted, even if inadvertently.

Now you have a bad shoot, and will pay the legal consequences. Better to train DA 100% of the time, and avoid the "hair trigger" discharge that will turn you from righteous to criminal. Another reason why one should always keep the finger off the trigger, especially with striker fired or SA semi-auto pistols with light triggers as well as with single-action revolvers that require only a fraction of the amount of effort that they do in DA mode.

 

[3rdgeargrndrr]

I would say carry a weapon that is an extension of you. Pulling your ccw in a fight is not the time ask yourself if you can hit the target or even possibly take life.
" owning a gun doesn't make you armed any more than owning a piano makes you a musician"- Jeff Cooper

 

[biku324]

Well, back in the day we fired our revolvers single action… from the 50 yard line. Everything closer was DA.

Our pistol team was allowed SA for PPC matches for the 18 rds at the 50. They mostly had modified revolvers for match only.

 

[BC38]

1)It is harder for the body to turn against the direction to the back of the gun hand, than in towards it It is science also that humans take a few 100ths of time to react. Even a step that way, away from the back of their gun hand, instead of toward the bad guys palm facing direction, can buy you that tiny bit of time to catch them shooting where you just were, and getting that first shot on target. Will you remember that last one in the quick and dirty? Dunno, probably not. But if you train it you have a much better chance of just doing it on autopilot.

So you are saying that facing a right handed attacker pointing a gun at you, take a step to your left? Because that will be moving the direction that they are slower to be able to turn and take a bead on you? But if you are also right handed, wouldn't that be the equivalent of them moving to their left - in the direction that you are going to be slower to be able to pivot and take a bead on them?

I guess that because you are the one moving it will be easier for you to adjust and turn towards your own backhand than it will be for them to do the same - assuming they are stationary.

Or am I just confused?

 

[sikacz]

If you choose a revolver regardless of it being able to shoot SA or DA, train to hit DA. It's your technique that matters in the end.

 

[murphydog]

Moved to Concealed Carry/Self Defense subforum. And let's keep this discussion civil and on topic.

 

[ejr10mm]

My dad came on the job during the revolver era. S&W model 65's. He said they only shot single action firing prone at 50 yrds. Everything else was double action. I came on much later and started with a Glock 37. I carry revolvers for the most part off duty and shoot mostly double action. Some I have to, M&P340. I will sometimes shoot single action but thats just to see how tight I can make a group and thats slow fire.

 

[StrawHat]

Sorry, I had to laugh at the OP when I read it.

I am a revolver shooter. It appears he is confusing his own terms. Cocking the hammer allows you to shoot single action. Using the trigger to cock the hammer is double action shooting. And the idea of using single action to shoot tiny groups? Apparently he has not seen a PPC shooter use a revolver!

Kevin

 

[CH4]

Best tip I can give for new EDC revolver carriers is to trade it in on a M&P9C or a G19.

Or 640, 296, etc. Nothing to cock.

 

[sikacz]

Or 640, 296, etc. Nothing to cock.

Those would be nice guns to have. Might have a bit more work to do, practice, if I was to carry a 296! LoL.

 

[rogerwnuss]

Best tip I can give for new EDC revolver carriers is to trade it in on a M&P9C or a G19.

Fiend! Scoundrel! Apostate! Get thee hence!
G19.......a pistol with the grip angle of a Luger, no safety and a 3.5 lb. trigger....what could go wrong.....
Ok, full disclosure....this little auto is my warm weather front pocket gun, but as soon as coat weather gets here, it's a J frame in right coat pocket and two speedloaders in the left.......