shooting a double action as a single action

[cdbeagle]

What we have today is a nearly complete reversal of the attitudes of 100 years ago. Back then, the overwhelming majority of handgun users considered the DA revolver to be shot SA (for accuracy), and DA for emergency use only (point blank defensive shooting).

Back in the 20s Ed McGivern began to open people's eyes to what could be done with a DA revolver, shooting it DA. Others followed, and today we have people who will tell you the only way to shoot a DA gun is DA. Some will even go so far as to hint you will be killed if you do otherwise...(yes, I have actually heard that).

I'm in the camp where 99% of my DA revolver shooting is done SA. I'm not a gunfighter type, and have no plans to be one, or train like one. I'm fine with the "risk" I'm taking. I have no doubt in my ability to DA shoot and hit at belly to belly distance, and I have done DA work at slightly longer ranges. I just don't make it my main focus.

If you do, fine. I can tell you that you WILL NOT HARM any DA revolver in proper mechanical condition by shooting it SA.

While it is fiction, I would recommend the movie Unforgiven as a good cinematic treatment of the differences between the stories about gunfights and the reality of the same gunfights. Particularly the scene where Gene Hackman tells about how the "fastest gun" in the fight might have won (and lived) if he had been a little slower...

I'm a shoot however you please, and if you are accurate, that's what matters most guy about most shooting. I fully recognize the importance of, and what an advantage being a good combat shot can be. They aren't wrong, but there is a more to handgunning than just combat shooting.

I'm the same way. I have a Detective Special and a Cobra that I shoot in SA mode the vast majority of the time. I can hit a torso at 15 yards DA but can hit a head sized target at 25 yards shooting SA.

[j3ffr0]

I've put a good many rounds through my SP101 4.2". When I shoot it's about 70% DA and 30% SA. The only reason I shoot more DA, is that I'm good enough with the gun in SA that that it's pretty obvious where the practice is needed. I'm definitely an order of magnitude better with my SP101 in SA

If accuracy is important in SD (and it is), I hope I would seek whatever advantage I can if I'm unlucky enough to find myself in a situation.

[Real Gun]

I just received a Redhawk with a custom spring and slick trigger job, making me think that ones facility with DA has a context. Tricked out guns can be a totally different matter than those with off the shelf setups.