Shooting DA revolvers

[North Country Gal]

You are very welcome, ditto. I learned a lot from this discussion, too. Thanks for posting it.

[JEBar]

during my time working as an instructor in NC's Dept of Correction, the Smith 357 was our service weapon .... all shots fired during your yearly recertification had to be fired double action .... in fact, the department policy specifically forbid firing single action .... distances fired in the yearly recertification were from 3 to 25 yards .... while I have no problem double action and would do so without hesitation if circumstances required, my personal preference when firing a revolver is single action ....

[BrokenolMarine]

Double action is a skill best mastered. The long double action pull requires an intentional pull thru the entire stroke to fire the revolver and if you change your mind halfway thru you ease off the pressure and the hammer is safely lowered. In the newer versions, the trigger can be released, and either a hammer block, or lack of a transfer bar will keep the gun from firing. Modern revolvers won't fire unless the trigger is pulled fully to the rear. You have double action trigger pulls in the eight to twelve (plus) pound range.

In single action mode, after thumb cocking the hammer, often as little as three pounds or less is all that is needed to send the shot downrange, and unintended discharges by inexperienced or poorly trained shooters can easily occur when attempting to lower that cocked hammer if they decided not to fire.

Shooters with a cocked hammer can also have the gun go off unintentionally if they stumble, are startled, or reflexively grip tighter on the grip and sympathetically tighten their trigger finger. The finger off the trigger and along the frame until aimed in on target... Can help prevent that, of course.

Our department policy, way back when we carried revolvers on duty, prohibited thumb cocking the hammer and placing the duty weapon in single action status during a normal duty situation. Mainly for the risks outlined above.

[North Country Gal]

Great points, marine. I've met quite a few shooters unaware of the dangers in handling not just revolvers, but any handgun with an exposed hammer. Some exposed hammer handguns like my original Contenders required a very specific procedure for safely de-cocking. Know a couple of Contender shooters who never learned it and nearly shot themselves in the leg.