Do you fire double action?

I agree that shooting DA can make you a better shooter, once I develop the DA rhythm it's easier for me to stabilize the front sight and stay on target. I pretty much only shoot SA when sighting in a new gun or maybe a longer shot when hunting. I too like the DA speed shooting sports.

20 year old video but I can still do it.

t9MJWof.gif
 
Last edited:
I shoot my double-action revolvers almost exclusively in single action mode. I do so for two reasons, first is for accuracy sake and secondly I know that it puts less wear on cylinder locking notches and other components. I have to add to this that all of my shooting is casual target and plinking shooting. If I were to use my revolvers for home defense and personal protection I would need to add double action shooting to my shooting regimen.
 
Last edited:
Like Steelslaver, I practically wore out a Model 18 in my early LE days and it greatly improved my shooting. Now I still shoot a Model 34 & 63 J frame in practice since I mostly carry J frame 38s and I close out my practice by firing them.

Practice makes perfect and the more the better. I tell my students in training that finishing the class is the start not the finish of their firearms
preparation.
 
I shoot everything D/A. Even Metallic Silhouette from 50 to 200 meters with a 44 mag. If your gun has a good D/A trigger (all of mine do), it's actually easier to shoot well that way than S/A, once you get used to it.

If I try to shoot S/A, or stage the trigger on D/A, I'm more likely to pull the shot slightly than with just a smooth, controlled, D/A pull right through. On S/A, I tend to pull too hard, being used to D/A, and hit to the right. If staging the D/A pull, I find it is harder to get the trigger moving again once it stops. Everyone has their own way of doing things that they are comfortable with. This is my way. I don't think badly of anyone else for doing it their way.
 
Almost never. Ancient injury in my index finger makes it tough. But I trained it, and can do it if the need arises.
 
reccpd101 said:
BTW, If any one has a shooter grade Model 18 to let go, I'm in the market and appearance is not an issue. :D
Click to expand...

I haven't looked for a Model 18 in a long time but there should be a lot of these around as they were made for many years. I like all the S&W and Colt .22 revolvers and the Model 18 will shoot at least as well as any of them including the Model 17 with its longer barrel.
 
I have a model 10-5 smith, trigger breaks at 1.7 lbs only double action. ppc special no thumb rest on hammer. wicked shooting pistol.. love taking it out
 
DA Most out to 15 yards, then SA at distance. Here's a DA drill I use for my 340PD (EDC): Using a standard paper plate @ three, five & seven yards empty the gun as fast as possible, reload w/a speedloader or speedstrip and repeat. The goal is to keep all ten rounds on the plate, tight groups are unimportant.
 
Last edited:
As a kid in the 1950s I learned to shoot SA only - Hi Standard Sentinel and then a K22, sometimes a family friend's I-frame 22/32 (which I remember as having a longer-than-4" barrel but it was a long time ago.) For all of 'em the policy was that DA was inaccurate and wasted valuable ammunition. (Remington green box std vel was $0.50/box, $5/brick - sigh. I think I still have one box.)

When I began carrying a J frame, and shooting a K frame in IDPA matches, I started to learn DA shooting. My daily carry guns have been hammerless J frames (mostly) for years now, a 442 then a 640 and most recently a 632. But I still like the humpbacks (49 and 638) and would pay a LOT for a humpback 32 Magnum without a lock if they'd ever made one. Just because their SA mode makes it easier for me to hit steel reliably past 25-30 yards at the range - you know, to amaze my friends and mystify my enemies.
 
I do both DA and SA

Mostly double action. I like to keep familiar with how light my S&W revolvers single action is...just in case. I wouldn't want a situation portrayed in "Pulp Fiction", where a negligent discharge kills someone.

Plus, single action is just plain fun ;)

I LOVE my S&W revolvers in SA!!
 
Single action for sighting in a new gun or after adding a red dot or scope, it makes the process less time consuming.

Once I am satisfied I switch to double action and then do any adjustments to the sights or scopes needed. I am not a young man, there is a small POI difference between single action and double action, there shouldn't be but I haven't been able to completely eliminate those couple of inches. So, I don't beat myself up over it, life is too short to sweat it.

From then on, double action only.
 
I shoot my single action revolvers in single action, and my double action (and DAO) revolvers in double action.

Every once in a great while while I'll thumb cock one of my DA revolvers to shoot out SA at 75-100yds, but the bulk of my practice drills nowadays are kept at 50yds and closer.
 
Double Action Only

All my qualification fire and practice before we transitioned to autoloaders was fired double action. I can share two things for double action competence: The revolver's action must be smooth for its entire travel, not necessarily light as the gun must fire every time. And, in his book, "Fast and Fancy Revolver Shooting," The late Ed McGivern said that the trigger must travel forward at the same speed it travels rearward. This was probably the single most valuable piece of information in his book. Once I grasped that concept, I proceeded to shoot perfect scores, right or left handed, and never went back to single action fire except for sighting in and accuracy testing.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

T
Idea to create a new revolver with a modified action
2
Replies
25
Views
1K
RebCop
R
cremaley
She Finally Arrived Today
2
Replies
21
Views
1K
Buckeye 142
B
S
Modern Mystery: no-dash 52
Replies
17
Views
671
gmborkovic
G
T
S&W 459 Double action trigger help
Replies
3
Views
252
easymoney72
E
Chrisj357
Double Action with .357 Magnum
2 3 4
Replies
60
Views
4K
SWFan27
S

Latest posts

Back
Top