REALITYbig
As a firearms instructor I’m intrigued by the handguns students choose. Under the premise the selection is based on the student’s personal skills, which is sometimes questionable, I think some select a gun because it’s cool or the chicks dig it factor. Yet another, and probably the poorest reason for their selection, is the “if it’s good enough for a military spec-ops unit, it’s good enough for me” belief. On the other hand, cops are usually held to an agency regulation.
I’m particularly flummoxed by the willingness to buy double-action/single-action pistols, with little (if any) thought. Why did they choose the DA/SA system? Is it safer, and if so, what’s safer about it?
DA/SA guns are not safer by any stretch of the imagination, nor are they more dangerous than any other pistol. The issue of safety is relevant to keeping fingers off triggers — and muzzle direction — while handling. Based on my experience, the mode of operation is often baffling to the owners unless they’re well versed … and many are not.
Gun Mechanics 101
A DA trigger pull on most semi-autos means the first round is fired from a hammer down position, and requires a long and often heavy trigger pull. The first action cocks the hammer and the second portion fires the round, cycling the slide. Once the slide cycles it forces the hammer to remain cocked, meaning all remaining shots will be made single action.
With the hammer cocked, the trigger often has take-up, rearward movement until the “slack” is taken out, and further trigger movement (much lighter pressure than DA) moves the sear, firing the gun. The action then repeats itself.
This concept has been around for some time in guns like the HSC/PPK/PPKS and the German P-38 9mm pistol of WWII vintage. The first DA/SA pistol I personally owned was a Smith & Wesson Model 39, followed closely by a Model 59. The guns of that ilk were known as Wunder Nines since they were high cap and everyone thought they would solve any problem. How wrong they were.
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