Single action handguns - WHY?

[JEDI]

Why would anyone use single action handguns now-a-days? (except for competition to get a ribbon for using out dated tech)

Double action FTW?

 

[squirrel dog]

They are fun to shoot , they click really nicely when spun , and also they are VERY accurate with large calibers . Very safe also , with the hammer down,they cannot be fired by a tigger pull.

 

[Colt45]

wild west shit?

My uncle let me shoot his colt SAA when I was a kid... my wrist still hurts. :awe:

 

[Triumph]

That's like asking why people still drive manual transmissions. Because it's more fun!

 

[JulesMaximus]

You mean like a Colt Government model?

 

[Lanyap]

44 mag with standard grips is fun to shoot. Yeehaw.

 

[Born2bwire]

Why would I want a double-action semi-automatic?

 

[MotF Bane]

What Jules said.

 

[Blackjack200]

You mean like a Colt Government model?

You have to cock the hammer before you can shoot a 1911? Holy shit, I didn't know that!

Aren't there also some guns that are both single action and double action? i.e. you can cock the hammer before shooting but it isn't necessary?

 

[Colt45]

Yeah. SA/DA has a lighter pull if you cock it, but you don't have to.

SA (like 1911) needs to be cocked for the first shot, and after that it's automatic.

oldschool SA revolvers like the peacemaker need the hammer cocked before each shot, that's why they have the funky grip/handle... so you can cock it with one hand.

 

[MedicBob]

1911 and it's varients are all SA only. There was a few SA/DA, but they are not as popular.

SA FTW?

 

[killster1]

old? i enjoy using one hand to cock the hammer and other to shoot like billy the kid =P unless you mean like something cocked and locked with single action, faster to shoot just have to carry it with safety on, (not my fav option)

 

[marvdmartian]

Because nothing looks as cool as holding the pistol and pulling the trigger with one hand, while fanning the hammer with the other hand, all while mowing down a street full of bad guys! :awe:

The other thing that sucks about them is they're pretty slow to load (one bullet at a time, versus a DA revolver, which you can use a speed loader on). But I can tell you that a .44 magnum SA revolver with an 8" barrel is deadly accurate!

 

[pontifex]

Why would anyone use single action handguns now-a-days? (except for competition to get a ribbon for using out dated tech)

Double action FTW?

because not all guns are used for self defense/killing? it's a thing called choice and preference?

why buy an antique car? why buy antique anything?

 

[KillerCharlie]

You have to cock the hammer before you can shoot a 1911? Holy shit, I didn't know that!

Aren't there also some guns that are both single action and double action? i.e. you can cock the hammer before shooting but it isn't necessary?

I think there's a misconception about what SA and DA is. SA does NOT mean you have to cock the hammer back before every shot. All SA means is that when you pull the trigger the hammer is already back, so all it does is release it. DA means when you pull the trigger, the hammer moves back then releases it. Most revolvers work in DA, but you can manually cock the hammer before each shot to make it SA.

Semi-automatic pistols vary. Some are "hammerless" and are basically DA (glock). The 1911 is purely single action. All you have to do is cock the hammer back before the first shot (this is done automatically when you rack the slide back to chamber the first round). Every time you shoot the hammer goes back by itself.
Some pistols don't require to have the hammer back on the first shot (first shot is DA), but subsequent shots will be SA (Sig pistols).

I absolutely hate DA on revolvers. I hate the inconsistent pull and watching the hammer go back. It makes me anticipate too much, especially on larger calibers.

DA on semi-autos isn't nearly as bad. It's usually a lighter, more consistent pull than a revolver. I actually prefer the trigger pull of the Glock and S&W M&P over the Sig pistols. I love 1911s though.

 

[Kelvrick]

I think there's a misconception about what SA and DA is. SA does NOT mean you have to cock the hammer back before every shot. All SA means is that when you pull the trigger the hammer is already back, so all it does is release it. DA means when you pull the trigger, the hammer moves back then releases it. Most revolvers work in DA, but you can manually cock the hammer before each shot to make it SA.

Semi-automatic pistols vary. Some are "hammerless" and are basically DA (glock). The 1911 is purely single action. All you have to do is cock the hammer back before the first shot (this is done automatically when you rack the slide back to chamber the first round). Every time you shoot the hammer goes back by itself.
Some pistols don't require to have the hammer back on the first shot (first shot is DA), but subsequent shots will be SA (Sig pistols).

I absolutely hate DA on revolvers. I hate the inconsistent pull and watching the hammer go back. It makes me anticipate too much, especially on larger calibers.

DA on semi-autos isn't nearly as bad. It's usually a lighter, more consistent pull than a revolver. I actually prefer the trigger pull of the Glock and S&W M&P over the Sig pistols. I love 1911s though.

Which is why 1911's are carried "locked and cocked." Hammer back with the safety on so that when you draw, you just have to disengage the safety and pull the trigger.

I keep going back and forth between replacing my kahr pm9's long, smooth dao trigger with a springfield EMP, but i don't know...

 

[pontifex]

I think there's a misconception about what SA and DA is. SA does NOT mean you have to cock the hammer back before every shot. All SA means is that when you pull the trigger the hammer is already back, so all it does is release it. DA means when you pull the trigger, the hammer moves back then releases it. Most revolvers work in DA, but you can manually cock the hammer before each shot to make it SA.

Semi-automatic pistols vary. Some are "hammerless" and are basically DA (glock). The 1911 is purely single action. All you have to do is cock the hammer back before the first shot (this is done automatically when you rack the slide back to chamber the first round). Every time you shoot the hammer goes back by itself.
Some pistols don't require to have the hammer back on the first shot (first shot is DA), but subsequent shots will be SA (Sig pistols).

I absolutely hate DA on revolvers. I hate the inconsistent pull and watching the hammer go back. It makes me anticipate too much, especially on larger calibers.

DA on semi-autos isn't nearly as bad. It's usually a lighter, more consistent pull than a revolver. I actually prefer the trigger pull of the Glock and S&W M&P over the Sig pistols. I love 1911s though.

A single action revolver, like a Colt Single Action Army (Peacemaker) or Ruger Single Six, does mean that you have to pull the hammer back before every shot.

 

[squirrel dog]

Yes it does . I have owned several Ruger Blackhawks all in .44 mag,they are sweet to shoot , own.

 

[69Mach1]

My first real handgun was a Ruger Blackhawk in 41 mag. It has the 4 5/8' barrel, and I got it when I was 18. I thought I was Mr. Gunslinger, I got the gunbelt and everything. I must have spent a million hours practicing with that gun. Quick draw, slow fire, long range, aerial, whatever. To this day I shoot that gun better than any other handgun I own. If I were going to have to engage in a shootout with no choice to run away, I'd probably use that gun before any other. If you've put in the practice time, single action works very well.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

My very first pistol was a cap and ball Colt
Shoot as fast as lightnin' but it loads a mite slow
Loads a mite slow and soon I found out
It can get you into trouble but it can't get you out
So then I went and bought myself a Colt 45
Called a peacemaker but I never knew why
Never knew why, I didn't understand
Cause Mama said the pistol is the devil's right hand

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

Single action means the trigger does not cock the hammer or striker. That's all it means. It entails nothing else.

Double action means the trigger cocks and fires the hammer or striker. That is also all it means.

DA/SA means that you can safely put the trigger forward after chambering a round and then can get a long, hard double action trigger pull when it is time to kill stuff. You could also recock the hammer manually, and then fire like normal. DA/SA triggers are worse than SA triggers.

I prefer DAO(nly) for derringers, DA/SA for revolvers, and SA for automatic pistols.

My derringer, Double Action Only. It's a High Standard DM 101 in .22 Magnum. 2 shots, no hammer cocking:

My favorite revolver is Double Action / Single Action, Smith 686 in .357mag with 6" barrel. You can cock the hammer manually (with your LEFT fucking thumb), or fire it double action which turns the cylinder counter clockwise to be in line with the barrel as it simultaneously cocks the hammer and at the end of the trigger pull it releases the hammer forward. You can also cock the hammer back with your right thumb, but then you also have to shout out, "I AM A FUCKUP!" while doing it.

My favorite automatic pistols are my Colt 1911 and my Browning Hi Power. The 1911 is a Gold Cup with some work done and Colt custom shop parts put on it because my old man handed a guy on the line a $20 back in the 70's. So it's pre-shit safety of the 80's series. The Browning might be older, I forget. I bought that one used a couple years back. I got a silencer on the Browning, but not on the 1911 yet. Sorry about no pics. They're both Single Action. You chamber the first round manually like you do with all semi auto pistols (auto refers to "auto-loading" meaning the mechanism chambers a round itself after you fire the previous one, semi means it doesn't automatically fire that second round immediately after chambering it), the hammer is cocked by this action, and the gun is ready to fire at your press of the trigger. When you press the trigger, the gun fires, cycles, and the hammer is back and ready for you to press the trigger again. The difference between this and Double Action Only guns is that they do not cock the hammer when the slide cycles, you have to manually do that with your trigger pull. That almost always means a terrible trigger pull, but some consider it "safer" because it is harder to fire.

The Colt 1911 Gold Cup

The Browning Hi Power (it is not powerful, I think it's from a bad translation of "high capacity" from that dirty Frenchanese language some Belgians speak. The designer of the 1911 (John Browning) was polishing off this gun's design when he died. The guy that finished the design was Beligian, Dieudonné Saive. Considering it was designed across two continents, it served on both sides of WW2, but never makes it into videogames becasue programmers are douchebags. Saive also designed the second most prolific rifle in the world today, the...

FN FAL (Frabrique Nationale - Light Automatic Rifle) LAR in English, FAL in Frenchanese. They're only second in production to the AK-47, and that's only if you consider 20 models of AKMs and AK-74's and AK-101's and RPKs to be "AK-47's". This rifle, like every rifle I have ever fired, is single action. Every rifle and shotgun that I own is single action, semi auto or not. Pump, lever, semi auto, double barrel break-open, they're all single action in this family. Never fired a revolving rifle or a single shot black powder thing. These have been on both sides of wars before as well. It is rumored that God didn't revive Jesus, but that actually Jesus was pissed that he died before the FAL was designed and he came back to life and ginsu kicked the rock off the cave. However, not even Jesus was able to rename the vagina the "not-as-good-as-an-FAL-orifice", the feminist movement was just too powerful.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Considering it was designed across two continents, it served on both sides of WW2, but never makes it into videogames becasue programmers are douchebags.

LOL you think programmers have ANY say at all in the content of their games? Not in the modern game industry.

 

[TwinsenTacquito]

Rofl, yeah I picked the wrong group to pick out. Whatever.

OK PROGRAMMERS, YOU GOTTA MAKE MODELS THAT ARE MIRRORED, SO THE SHELLS FLY ACROSS THE SCREEN. IT LOOKS BETTER THAT WAY.

 

[Locut0s]

Posting in an ATOT gun thread.

 

[69Mach1]

Sorry internet screwup- double post