Good Video For Novices

“Double Action” and “Single Action” can be pretty confusing terms for new shooters. My Wife got confused with the terms for AGES simply because she’s not a gun geek, she’s a shooter. For her cocking the hammer, the firing a revolver was “two actions” leading her to confuse the single-action shot with a “double action”, and she could give a damn about HOW the gun manages to shoot.

“Single Action” and “Double Action” is really just talking about the actions done by the TRIGGER.

And there is a SEA of other actions in between, which really gets geeky, like the fully-charged striker of some Walthers or the Springfield XD, the partially charged striker of M&Ps Glocks, Kahrs and many others. The partially charged hammer like on a Ruger LCR or a SIG DAK trigger.

And I’m sure I’m missing a ton. That being said, while I am amused by the mechanical workings of a gun, when it comes to actually SHOOTING things, I really just judge on feel. Does it feel like a long pull with a bit of tension on it? Does it feel like a short crisp pull? I’ll often simplify those pulls to simply “Double Action” or “Single Action” when maybe that isn’t 100% true.

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0 Responses to Good Video For Novices

  1. North says:

    That is exactly how I describe the “action mess” to anyone I introduce to guns.

    With enough guns I can demonstrate DA/SA, DAO, and SAO.

  2. Greg Camp says:

    Originally, double action meant that there were two ways to fire the gun–either by first cocking the hammer with your thumb or by using the trigger to cock on the way to firing. Does that add enough confusion to the discussion?

  3. McThag says:

    It gets worse! Single action originally meant that the gun was made ready for the next shot with the single action of cocking the hammer.

    Before that you had to half cock, index the cylinder, full cock.

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