Revolver- just point and shoot

[Rich Richardson]

I watch YT shooting videos and I find two things annoying to watch.
#1. A majority of revolver shooters seem to use single action most of the time. They seem to shy away from double action.
#2. I practice point and shoot with my 629 as it's a woods gun. The majority of the shooters on YT seem to aim for an exceptionally long time.

That's it, thanks for listening.

 

[NYlakesider]

I watch YT shooting videos and I find two things annoying to watch.
#1. A majority of revolver shooters seem to use single action most of the time. They seem to shy away from double action.
#2. I practice point and shoot with my 629 as it's a woods gun. The majority of the shooters on YT seem to aim for an exceptionally long time.

That's it, thanks for listening.

Back in the 70s-80s I did a lot of PPC shooting. The revolver was still king in those times and most matches were for revolvers.

It did not take me long to figure out it was far better to learn one trigger pull well. Of course that is a DA pull. Even shot a couple deer using a DA pull on my .44M Smith 29.

I did my own revolver work and I made the trigger pull more manageable. I still do most of my revolver shooting DA today, old habits die hard!

 

[Farmer17]

It's possible to shoot very accurately with a double action revolver if it's had the trigger tuned to a very smooth 8lbs or less. Most factory double action triggers though, are not very light or smooth so it makes it more necessary for cocked single action precise shooting.

 

[VaTom]

I watch YT shooting videos and I find two things annoying to watch.
#1. A majority of revolver shooters seem to use single action most of the time. They seem to shy away from double action.
#2. I practice point and shoot with my 629 as it's a woods gun. The majority of the shooters on YT seem to aim for an exceptionally long time.

That's it, thanks for listening.

Went through LEO basic in 1976. We carried S&W Model 10s. Our training and qualification was all double action. From 7 yards in it was point and shoot. 15-25 yards was aiming but still double action. The 18 rounds from 25 yards were from behind a barricade.6 strong hand kneeling from side. 6 strong hand standing over the top, 6 weak hand (left for me) kneeling from side. If I recall the total qualification rounds was 60.in a CQC gunfight aiming with sights is often not an option. Just be quick draw point shoot.

 

[RetCapt]

Agree with NYlakesider. As I progressed in PPC competition I observed a trend of using DA only throughout a match, even at 50 yards.

I decided to convert. It took me 3k rounds of concentrated practice, not just firing rounds, until I got it. But then there was no turning back.

When I started teaching defensive handgun shooting, which at the time was long before the proliferation and take-over of semi-auto pistols in LE, I taught only DA shooting.

To this day I only shoot my DA revolvers DA.

 

[TJm15.38]

In a defensive situation there really is no time for single action. When I practice with the Smith 65-5 or the 638-3, it is all double action at relatively short ranges, between 5-10 yards. These are short-barrel guns for up close and personal engagements. Here's hoping it never comes to that.

 

[DR505]

In my first academy I carried a 4" Model 27-3 and all shooting was double action. Thankfully that revolver has one of the best triggers I have used (still have it).

 

[H Richard]

Most younger shooters today grew up with the Semi-Auto's with single action triggers of 4-5 lbs. They pick up a revolver in factory condition and find a 10-12 lb trigger, they don't know how to handle it. If they would get some minimal training they could find how accurate they are. But most just go back to their semi-auto's.

 

[329]

My 19 carry comp only gets shot double action...and it is a joy to shoot. Took about .015 off the strain screw an it breaks at a smooth 9-9.5 lbs. I was suprised how well the trigger over travel screw helps. My 629 and 27-2 seem to drop off a cliff after the break but the carry comp trigger movement stopped almost immediately after the trigger break. Shooting a 3" 257 in single action is really kind of a waste of time and ammo.

 

[rct269]

At a point in time, not all that long ago, I (a dyed in the wool, long time single action only Bullseye shooter) decided it would be worth my while to learn how to use a double action revolver---double action---perhaps not with the very precise results I was accustomed to; but a damn sight better than I could do at the time---which was basically worthless---much as it pains me to admit it.

The gun I chose to use was not part of my collection, but my father-in law's 4" M&P, bought new in 1920 and carried daily in the hip pocket of his overalls---for 50-60 years, It was not pretty. It also had the very worst D.A. trigger pull you can imagine (22 lbs.)---having had its rebound slide spring replaced somewhere along the line by Bubba---apparently selected based only upon the fact the spring would fit in the hole.

Enter Jerry Miculek's trigger spring kit--one that allows you to dial in your desired trigger pull with ease---with the only proviso you don't go below 7 lbs.---lest your gun won't go bang.

I set it at 7 lbs. It goes bang---even with WW ammo because I didn't have any Federal (that which was recommended for use at 7 lbs).

Okay, so much for that. I started off shooting at large targets at very close range (10 yards +/-)---point and shoot---no aiming allowed. I was properly amazed at the results! I could hit these large targets at close range with no problems at all----shooting rather rapidly.

Then I started paying attention to the results achieved by others-----aiming---and at the distances encountered in a Bullseye match. Achieving that level of skill is going to take awhile longer---if I live long enough---which ain't likely.

Ralph Tremaine

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

No you don't need to "tune" a carbon steel S&W trigger to shoot it well double action. You just have to shoot it D/A a lot. It will polish itself.

Like the other guys above I learned D/A shooting the old fashioned way, by shooting many thousands of rounds. Police Academy 50 yards S/A was allowed. 25 and in DAO. By the time I made sergeant and was sent to firearms instructors school I was fully DAO ready and shot D/A at 50 as did most of the others.

BTW, as police officers you really didn't want to have a revolver that could be shown to have a trigger modified to 8lb. or less. And DIY was downright stupid. Sorry to be so blunt but I've spent a lot of time in court. As the department armourer as well as FA instructor this is something you stayed well far away from.

Civilian use for the range is a different story. But for carry, you've been warned.

 

[Shoebox1.1]

In my opinion the DA guys vs the SA guys shows who's the real revolver nuts! A revolver man needs to MASTER double action trigger no matter the pounds of pull. When you see the guys do the coin on barrel— you have a achieved "grasshopper" status.

 

[Shoebox1.1]

And counting rounds. I HAVE GOT To START counting rounds dang it! I hate going click after the 6 are gone.

 

[Rich Richardson]

And counting rounds. I HAVE GOT To START countingh rounds dang it! I hate going click after the 6 are gone.

I don't count. It lets me see how bad I've been flinching.

 

[Heinz]

I shoot my revolvers that are capable of single and double action both ways.
I shoot the single actions the only way they work

To my eyes and trigger finger, the single action is more precise and potentially more accurate. This may only show up in slow fire bulls-eye matches.

Your results may vary, but for me, and I have been shooting at bullseye paper targets for 60 years, the tightest groups come with single action. Those S&W single action trigger pulls are amazing.

I am not saying you cannot get good results with double actions and practice, and the revolver shooter needs to do that. But I cannot get the the same result SA and DA on an olympic target. When you have bigger scoring rings it may not make a difference. If a better trigger pull does not make a difference, why bother tuning a double action?

The only proviso I would make is that if the revolver has sights not designed for target work, or sights designed for rapid target acquisition, your radius of error may remain the same.

 

[Pisgah]

If this is all you have to complain about in YouTube videos, you just haven't been paying attention...

 

[sodacan]

I shoot revolvers almost exclusively in double action. It makes shooting a single action semi-auto almost too easy.

 

[Sgt. Buzzard]

And counting rounds. I HAVE GOT To START counting rounds dang it! I hate going click after the 6 are gone.

Here's something else. Count your rounds to pace yourself, firing after you say 1, 2, 3... A slower pace at 15yds. and pick it up as you move in. You may be surprised how tight you can group and how much faster you become. My count/pace is the signal to trip the trigger beyond the stage.

Practice this while dry firing, you should both feel and hear that cylinder lock up, now 1 bam,,,

Heinz. I believe by point and shoot the OP was refering to combat shooting
S/A has no significant use in the police or self defense world. You have target guns and carry guns. While both can be used on a range it's a different world and mindset.

 

[rwsmith]

I think there is some value......

....to point and shoot practice. Develops an instinct. It might even come in handy one day.

 

[Heinz]

Sgt Buzzard, I agree with you completely. I, however, cannot endorse the inference some others have made that the DA is just as accurate as the SA in a given revolver. I almost never shoot my 4" Model 66 in SA. It is a "Point and Shoot" kind of gun with 5 more rounds than you should need. My M19-3 in SA will hold a tighter group for me, especially on hostile paper at 50 yards.