Broge5 wrote:I am not aware of any revolvers automatically re-cocking either. I was actually referring to the way srothstein automatically (reflexively) recocked the hammer, and then lowered it again.
OK Excaliber, so the double action firing is more or less "old school" training given the weapons of the time, yet some agencies still adhere to it by issuing DA only weapons. That makes sense. I do see a DA firing being thought of as being necessarily more deliberate, where SA offers more room for AD. (at least for the newbie)
Actually, when choosing my first CHL weapon, I did choose a DA only for that reason, and it gave me as a newbie a little extra comfort. But later, ScubaSigGuy introduced me to the 1911 and I decided to change my attitude.
Thanks for the input.
Double action is not just old school - it's also the fastest and most efficient way to operate a revolver at short to medium ranges (0 - 15 yards). It still works fine beyond that for a skilled shooter, but persons of lesser skill often find it easier to be accurate with single action fire for slow shots at the longer ranges. There's nothing inherently wrong with either technique, but DA is unquestionably faster and much more reliable under stress. A good DA man will give any SA guy a really good run for his money - for the first 5 or 6 rounds, anyway.
SA presents more opportunities for a ND
only if the rules of gun safety are not obeyed. Most ND's with SA weapons occur because the finger was inside the trigger guard before the gun was on target and a decision had been made to fire. If the rules are obeyed, SA is just as safe as DA.
The thinking among some police brass has been that the heavier DA pull is safer if the trigger finger goes where it doesn't belong. To some extent this is true, but it's not nearly as true as many think. A person who is surprised (by a loud noise, loss of balance, etc,) will reflexively clench his hands with 25+ pounds of force. This is more than enough to fire any DA weapon commonly in use for law enforcement or self defense (DA pulls on these weapons generally range from around 5 to 12 pounds), and it is
reflexive, meaning if the stimulus is present, the clench reaction
will occur. This is one of the reasons modern firearms trainers teach students to place the finger alongside the frame above the triggerguard, instead of on the triggerguard itself, to prevent the trigger finger from entering the guard during a hand clench reflex reaction.
Reflexive hand clenching can also occur if the other hand is engaged in struggling with a suspect (parasympathetic response.) If the trigger finger is where it doesn't belong, even with a heavier trigger pull, there's still an excellent chance of an ND. Worse than that, the heavier the DA pull, the harder it is for a shooter to learn to fire multiple rounds accurately under the conditions of a life threatening encounter. This increases the chances of launching a projectile that lands someplace it wasn't intended to go, and that is as much or more of a liability problem than the risk of an ND with an SA weapon.
When I coach new shooters, I encourage them to start with a simple weapon like a Glock, Springfield XD, or a DA revolver until they become proficient and comfortable with weapon handling. In my opinion, an SA gun just presents too much risk because the vast majority of untrained folks will put their trigger finger inside the trigger guard as soon as they pick up a gun. The manual of arms of an SA pistol like a 1911 is also somewhat more complicated than with the guns I cited, and just adds complexity to an already fairly complex set of skills to be learned. That's not to say that no one can or should start out with a 1911 - it can certainly be done, but it just takes more effort and focus.
