Single vs. double action

[snubbyfan]

I was at the range shooting revolvers in double action. Went to shoot my wife's 4" 66-3 and decided to try thumbing the hammer back for single action.
I was glad that I'm so ocd about safety. I had my finger off the trigger and kept the gun pointed downrange. I thought I was just resting my finger on the trigger when, Bang! The gun went off. I'm so used to the double action trigger pull that the broadsides of barns are safe when I try to shoot single action.

 

[snubbyfan]

Does anybody have any experience shooting (dry firing) at laser training devices indoors, to improve shooting skills?

I have a laser on my 442 that I use for dry fire practice at home. I put the red dot on something across the room and keep it there as I pull the trigger. Really helps with trigger control.

 

[bpeddicord]

I haven't cocked the hammer on one of my S&W revolvers in 20 years. I always shoot double action. USPSA, Steel challenge, IDPA, hunting deer and hogs, I always shoot double action. Many of my revolvers have been modified to fire double action only. Some still have the hammer spur (mostly to fit in my shoulder holsters and thumb snap holsters) and some have the hammer spur removed. The only revolver I shoot single action is my Blackhawk 357. With practice you can become very adept at shooting double action.

 

[Mastiff37]

Thanks for all the replies. I have to say that I'm still skeptical. I've got a few nice 1911's for example with very light triggers. Would anyone in their right mind claim they could shoot better if the triggers were modified to 15 pounds with 3/4" of pull? Likewise with quality rifles, or even scoped high caliber S&W revolvers. I can't believe you aren't paying a price to work through all that pull.

Having said that, I can believe that for law enforcement people you may be ahead to have a consistent groove and simply remove from your mind the option of ever cocking the hammer. And, I do intend to practice and get better...

 

[bluegrassarms]

I shoot almost exclusively DA. Largely for the reason given that in a SD situation I'm very likely to be shooting DA, but also b/c my non-revolver carry guns are DAO semis, and there's no option to avoid their long trigger pull so best to practice with long trigger pull on them all.

For the times I'm just distance/accuracy shooting at the range I still shoot DA on my revolvers, but mostly I shoot a Ruger Standard of late and don't really shoot my revolvers at all in that capacity. I'll got 25 yards with them but never had much desire to do 3" groups with my J frames. Mostly I practice putting all 5 in the 5x on a B-21 target at 7 to 15 yards in a quick, proficient manner.

 

[66Park]

Thanks for all the replies. I have to say that I'm still skeptical. I've got a few nice 1911's for example with very light triggers. Would anyone in their right mind claim they could shoot better if the triggers were modified to 15 pounds with 3/4" of pull? Likewise with quality rifles, or even scoped high caliber S&W revolvers. I can't believe you aren't paying a price to work through all that pull.

Having said that, I can believe that for law enforcement people you may be ahead to have a consistent groove and simply remove from your mind the option of ever cocking the hammer. And, I do intend to practice and get better...

If you are going to defend yourself with a revolver, double action is a must. In a self defense situation, you will most likely need to shoot more than once. I am not capable of shooting a double action revolver any where near as fast in single action as double action. Nobody else I know of is either. I am capable of nearly the same accuracy in double action as single action on any target that is within self defense range. Milliseconds count in a self defense situation. A double action revolver can be shot very fast and very accurately. It takes dedicated practice. Save the single action for target shooting or hunting. Just my opinion. It's your life and your decision, but don't make that decision based on the fact that shooting double action will take some work. If you are having a lot of trouble with it, find a good instructor, and there are plenty of good books to get tips from.

 

[walkin' trails]

Two of my three J-frame .38s are DAO, and I haven't spent much time shooting SA for quite a while. When I entered LE, I was taught DA for everything but the 50-yard line, back when we still qualified from that distance.

DA only for defensive situations is not hard to learn. All you really need to do is dedicate some time each day to dry fire drills. Just be sure to keep the ammo far away from the revolver, and check it twice before beginning practice. Dry firing will go along way to mastering the DA action. The standard is to NOT disturb the front sight picture when pressing the trigger and dropping the hammer. Don't train to "stage" the trigger as this may be a hinderence. Once you feel pretty good with DA, then go to the range and shoot some ball and dummy drills (load three rounds at random. Spin cylinder and get six trigger presses. see where you dip when the gun goes click instead of bang. fill remaining charge holes with three rounds and get six trigger presses. Repeat).

 

[66Park]

When hunting and shooting single action, does the "click" of cocking the hammer scare off the game?

I have scared off deer many times with the "click" of taking off the safety.

It seems that one would be better off hunting, using a double action trigger pull.

I don't hunt and know absolutely nothing about it, but it seems to me that single action would come in handy for long range shots - you know, Elmer Keith style.

 

[SMSgt]

When hunting and shooting single action, does the "click" of cocking the hammer scare off the game?

I have scared off deer many times with the "click" of taking off the safety.
QUOTE]

You've really got to work on shooting deer at ranges beyond 10 feet.

 

[BaaBaa]

SA seems weird to me

Good thing I own a DAO revolver. The few times I've tried a SA revolver it felt jumpy and odd. I know my hands didn't fit well but I sure didn't like the hair trigger feel of the SA mode. DA for me is still slower than I'd like, I'm working on getting faster for the follow up shots but I'm fairly accurate out to 25 yards for 3 shots in a row. Quite good at SD distances now. IDPA practice has helped a lot.

 

[hotrod150]

I have a laser on my 442 that I use for dry fire practice at home. I put the red dot on something across the room and keep it there as I pull the trigger. Really helps with trigger control.

Me too. I think this can really improve yur DA work, even for guns with iron sights only.
I do 99% of my shooting with my j-frames DA only at 7 yards. I don't think shooting a DA revolver in SA mode is appropriate for self-defense, unless you're trying to shoot the gun out of the bad guy's hand or similar..

 

[TACC1]

Having decided to carry the 442 and 642 Centemmials,
all practice is done in DA. Like a previous poster(s), my
SA work is lousy. I now shoot only DA. Trying to shoot
other firearms SA, gives a "hair-trigger" experience.
I went with 442/642, since they're designed for DA, just
point and shoot. SD with SA seems awfully dangerous to me.
JMHO, TACC1.

 

[KKECK5]

Having retired just before my department went to automatics, i can say that every in-service session, range or even FBI course i went through with REVOLVERS, we shot exclusively DA. Most range sessions were timed, with no time for SA. Whether you were shooting from a barricade at 25-35 yards, strong hand or weak hand, upright or prone, drawing from the holster 7-10 feet away. It was DA. Having said that, now-a-days when i go to the indoor range, i shoot both ways. I start off with SA with my J frame and end with DA.

 

[Donn]

Is 30 feet the new 21 feet?

I'm not sure about the "new 21 feet." My question is this. Granted, Mr. Bad Guy's not supposed to be in your house. Does this mean you commence firing as soon as the glass breaks? 30 feet, at night, when you've just been roused from sleep. Are any friendlies within that 30 feet, (Sleeping on the couch, using the rest room, other rooms in between),? If you wear glasses, did you put them on, or just grab your piece? A lot comes into play here, stuff a prosecutor or defense attorney could have a field day with. Just thinking out loud......

 

[sac-gunslinger]

Double action only! EVER!

When I was instructing, I started my students out double action on the first shot, never let them use single action. The possibility of an accidental discharge is far too great with a cocked revolver.

Most of my students learned DA quickly and successfully. The ones that struggled were the "cowboys" who had misspent their youth firing 22 single actions. ;=}

 

[sac-gunslinger]

Are any friendlies within that 30 feet?.....If you wear glasses, did you put them on, or just grab your piece?

I keep a pair of electronic ear protectors next to my bed stocked with fresh batteries. I can turn them up to hear faint sounds in the other end of the house. And I do not want to fire a round or two in a closed hallway without the ear protection.