[QuestionEverything]

I only recently took an interest in revolvers, and I've still only fired them a few times at ranges. The accuracy is impressive compared to semiautos, but after my last session I realized something: I reflexively cock the hammer after every shot because the DA trigger pulls are so heavy I can't aim. Does it just take practice? It usually takes me a second to realign the sights after firing and in that second I can cock the hammer as well, so I don't seem to lose any time by shooting SA. I know I wouldn't want to deal with those heavy pulls in a life-threatening situation, so I'm curious as to how more experienced people use revolvers "in the field." So far I've shot Ruger GP100, SW 686 and an assortment of compact models, all .38/.357, so for all I know it could be different with other guns. Any input appreciated.

[grimjaw]

When I shoot revolvers, I use SA for target practice at longer ranges or to get the gun sighted in. If I'm practicing for self defense I use DA.

jm

[el44vaquero]

I never noticed, but when I draw my S&W 19 from my holster to shoot field rats while I'm running a tractor I usually thumbcock it while bringing it on to target.

[sctman800]

Yes, it does take practice. I was like you and allways shot SA all the time and didn't think it took any more time. Then I started shooting competion in my local club and realized how slow I was. My main guns for this are both S&W, a model 10 and a 625JM. Dry fire will help smooth a trigger and a gunsmith can lighten a trigger pull, mine have not been to a gunsmith, just used.
Try dumping 6 shots into a 7yd target as fast as you can and still hit the target shooting DA and SA. I think you will notice the difference. Have fun and get lots of practice, Jim.

[Eightball]

I shoot DA about 30-40% of the time. why? to try and get more accurate with it. SA is fun, but there really isn't a huge challenge there; besides, I like to make my gun do everything it was designed to.

And i'm one of those people who uses a liberal amount of .357 Mag out of a .357, and not just .38spl. call me crazy......:p

[Trebor]

The double-action revolver trigger is the hardest trigger to master due to the weight of the pull and the length of the pull. Some triggers are better then others though and a gun with a smooth pull is much easier to shoot then a gun with a rough or gritty pull. Once you've mastered the DA revolver trigger though, you can shoot *anything* well. Keep at it, it's worth the effort.

I reccomend alot of dry fire. This will help you improve your pull and also smooth the pull out a bit over time.

Personallly, I shoot DA about 90% of the time. I usually carry a revolver for defense and I've worked to master that DA pull.

[Cosmoline]

DA takes a little getting used to, but once you do it's a lot of fun and not difficult at all. There's a rythm to it.

[bpisler]

I can't remember the last time i shot any of
my revolvers S/A..

[MCgunner]

I shoot DA almost exclusively in practice. It takes practice, but it's not hard to do. I can roll the 6" plates pretty regular with a DA K frame at 25 yards. I even do pretty well on 'em with my 2" snubby .38. Now, when I'm shooting at a rabbit or something, it's SA. Heck, I carry single actions a lot when I'm outdoors. But, defensive shooting, you need to master DA shooting.

If you ever get a chance to watch a PPC shoot, take it. You'll be amazed at the accuracy a good DA revolver (usually custom race guns, of course) with a really good shooter can do. I was at a local match once when this guy who was ranked 18th in the country in PPC showed up to cherry pick once. He was pretty awesome to watch! This was one of the first matches I ever shot and they were allowing SA shooting at this match. I'd not quite mastered DA to be all that confident in it, yet, so I fired SA. This guy cleaned my clock shooting DA, LOL! That inspired me to learn. His gun was a beautiful race gun, too, built on a M10 Smith. When this shoot occured, S&W hadn't invented the L frame, yet, so that was a while back. They had a pretty good purse on this match and I took home third place money. This fellow and his friend took first and second, the rest of the shooters were locals. They were Wharton county sheriff's deputies, so I suppose they could use the supplemental income. LOL

It's really not that hard to learn DA shooting. You can learn in a fairly short time. You just need to practice sight alignment and trigger control. Pull the trigger through slowly increasing pressure on it and concentrate on adding the pressure progressively and slowly at first. Put your finger through the trigger to the first joint for proper DA control. Don't try to use the end of your trigger finger as you would shooting a bullseye match pistol or something. Do some dry fire practice trying to keep the sights aligned and keep them from bouncing around as you operate the trigger. Dry fire practice helps a lot.

[Jkwas]

I rarely shoot SA at all. Part of the fun with revolvers is developing the skills. Get some snap caps, put a dime on top of the frame or barrel, and practice dry firing without letting the dime drop. It will do wonders for your trigger pull.
DA shooting is more practical for real world purposes. It pays to practice it.

[jlundy46]

On the range we use a combination of SA and DA shooting. On the street, when revolvers were issued, we were trained to never aim with the weapon cocked for SA. We worked on proficiency using DA fire.

John

[Sistema1927]

Unless it is an SA only, I shoot all of my revolvers DA only. Buy a 642 or 442, and practise with it until proficient.

[Jim Watson]

As said, it is a matter of technique and practice.
I have competed in PPC, IPSC, and IDPA with .38 and .45 revolvers shot about 99.99% double action. I only shoot SA for load testing on target or chronograph.
There were even a few old timers who shot bullseye DA, before the autos had taken over.

[Deanimator]

I can keep them on a silhouette target, one handed at 50' using D/A. It takes a lot of practice. At 21' it's not much of a problem.

A BIG help is to have a good, smooth D/A pull. This involves smoothing, NOT lightening the pull. This is done through proper polishing of the requisite parts.

Find a good gunsmith who can do a proper, safe trigger job on a revolver. You won't believe the difference.

[RevolvingCylinder]

I just shoot my DA revolvers DA. DA in a quality revolver is enjoyable unlike the DA in an automatic which simply sucks. Nice and smooth, I don't even notice the weight.

A quality revolver(like an older Smith) should be smooth, not light. Avoid lightening the trigger. That would be compromising the reliability and safety of the revolver to compensate for the shooter. Shooting DA is all about smoothness.

[adweisbe]

I have had the opposite experience from RevolvingCylinder. I can't stand the DA on revolvers as it feels longer and heavier but I love the DA on my Sig or Walther P22. When I shoot my only wheel gun (S&W 627) I shoot DA exclusively. I have no use for SA as I can't use it defensively or in competition if I want to do well. It may be that I have difficulty with the N-frame grip and trigger reach. I am hoping to pick up a k-frame some day.

[Z_Infidel]

I practice mostly DA at the range, especially at typical defensive distances. However, I do cock the hammer and fire SA for distances that require careful aiming. This way I feel confident in my ability to make consecutive shots quickly at defensive range and also shoot further out for field use.

[lee n. field]

I reflexively cock the hammer after every shot because the DA trigger pulls are so heavy I can't aim. Does it just take practice?

Sounds like your revolver might benefit from some trigger work. What revolver? My S&W 19-something has a very nice DA trigger. I could shoot DA exclusively with it and not feel deprived.

[GunNut]

In the past, when I had revolvers, I started to practice DA shooting and actually was getting quite good with it.

If it is a gun that I am going to carry for self defense, i definitely want to be using DA for practice 90%+ of the time. That is how you will use the gun, so practice that way.

If the gun is for hunting, then i'd be more inclined to sticking with SA for practice and use.

Steve

[Sheldon]

I made a real effort to practice shooting double action, but broke down recently shooting a newer S&W 629 of mine. I have trigger spring kits in my other (S&W 686) wheelguns and they have not posed any reliability issues and make it so much nicer to shoot. I plan on dropping in a spring kit on this one too.....real soon as I have an extra kit on hand.

[hexidismal]

When I shoot revolvers, I use SA for target practice at longer ranges or to get the gun sighted in. If I'm practicing for self defense I use DA.
+1

[Brian Williams]

About the only time I shoot SA is when I am working on load development.

Reasons for Dry firing a revolver..
1. It breaks in the gun, the amount of time a gun is dryfired it really goes to having a smother trigger pull
2. It strengthens your trigger finger, If you have a good smooth trigger and it is just a little heavy, develop finger strength (both hands so swap hands now and then)by pulling the trigger on your gun.

Usual DisclaimerMake sure your gun is unloaded and remove all ammo to another room or location. Also if you are unloading a revolver make sure to count the number of cartridges in your hand.

[SnWnMe]

Anything inside 50 yards is a DA shot for me.

[JoeHatley]

does anyone actually shoot DA?

I shoot double action 99% of the time.

Joe

[miko]

DA only. SA shooting is a waste of time an ammo for me. If I ever need to shoot some pest with my .22 or to hunt with .357, I will do it SA, of course.

Trigger pull is heavy at first compared to other guns but nothing a bit of exercise would not correct.

miko

[2ndamd]

Gosh. I can't really remember shooting SA. I know I have but, I would say 99.5% of the time I shoot DA. Even with full power .357 and .44 magnum loads.

[RevolvingCylinder]

adweisbe, I was referring to the smoothness. I don't care if the trigger is long or heavy. It's the way the trigger feels while being pulled. I have yet to see a Sig or Walther have anywhere near as smooth as a trigger as an older used Smith & Wesson(or Colt for that matter) revolver. I guess it's just my personal preferance.

[Unisaw]

I shoot my revolvers DA about 99.9% of the time. The only time in recent years I can remember shooting one SA was about 6 months ago when I was trying to hit a small target at 50 yards with my SP101 snubby.

I dry fire a lot. I also use a gripmaster hand exerciser every morning.

[MrTuffPaws]

I only shoot SA when I am sighting my revolver in. DA the rest. Considering it is my HD handgun, DA makes sense.

[SDC]

If you want to hit with speed, you have to learn how to shoot DA; some of my best "moments" in IPSC revolver division revolve (bad pun, I know) around being able to place two accurate shots into multiple moving targets, while people with $2000 single-action semis couldn't manage the same. That said, I have found the ability to switch to single-action on a long-range plate or popper useful ;)

[ravencon]

Most revolvers don't have very good actions out-of-the-box. Of course, some are worse (or better) than others.

A good smith can do wonders to improve it. Getting the action smoother is far more important than getting it lighter.

[johndoe1027]

DA all the time unless I'm going for crazy accuracy at the range. My CCW has a bobbed hammer so no SA for that one at all. I'll bob the hammer on the new CCW as well when I get the cash.
It takes a lot of practice and a trigger job helps as well. You just have to stay focused on the front sight as you pull and keep it aligned through the pull. I know, easier said than done....

[lawboy]

I shoot DA revolvers DA.
I shoot SA revolvers SA.

Once you master the DA pull, SA in a DA just seems ... wrong.
You can do it!

[ronto]

I have a DAO (spurless) for CCW and wouldn't want SA. I like to practice with the action I'll need for SD.
True...a lot of dry-firing helps. Don't know if it's the action actually smoothing out or my trigger finger getting stronger...Probably a combination of both.

[BoneDigger]

Since I mainly plan to use mine for defense against critters while hunting, I don't think I will have time to shoot SA. So, most of my practice is DA.

Todd

[SeanSw]

Grow stronger. Until I really began to practice with DA it felt awkward and slow. Now that my hand is stronger I rarely shoot SA unless I'm trying to shoot at a longer distance or am shooting from a table.

I am probably still at my most accurate shooting slow single action but my double action has improved considerably since purchasing my first revolver and dry firing weekly (if not more). My range time is extremely limited and I try to find ways to practice at home without firing a single shot.

[MCgunner]

I can put a SA gun into action pretty quick if a toothy critter threatens me. They are accurate, too. I don't wanna wait until the critter is on top of me to shoot. I'd rather get on him 50 yards out. If we had a lot of grizzlies around here, I'd own a Freedom Arms .454 Casull. I like the way single actions recoil in big calibers. But, since there ain't no bears in the eastern half of Texas, this is all just speculation. :D

[cowboy117]

I had to go to DAO after getting trigger finger in both thumbs from using SA!Took about 6 months to get good at it;now i shoot better DAO than i did SA and it's more fun.For target practice,i pull to the first stage,hesitate,then pull through smoothly.For defense training with my carry gun,i just pull thru smoothly.

[JaxNovice]

JKWAS, What a great tip! I just pulled out my SP101 and did it 50 times without dropping the dime. I got the SP101 today and shot 50 worthless rounds at the range and was quite discouraged. Gonna go back tomorrow and see how it goes. Thanks!

[Dienekes]

You mean them there things can be *cocked*:scrutiny: ?

Dang.

[jad0110]

I rarely shoot SA myself. Only to sight in a gun, that's about it. You will be surprised by how quickly your DA shooting improves if you are patient.

[P5 Guy]

I do always.

[RecoilRob]

A tip that helped me DA is remembering that the sights only need to be aligned on target the instant the hammer falls.

Fast DA shooting involves trigger cocking the piece in recoil...which actually helps bring the muzzle back down to the target. Either hesitating your pull an instant until the sights are aligned where you want them or timing the pull to achieve same results in VERY accurate DA fire.

Ruger revolvers seem particularly good at this technique. Mine allow my finger-tip to contact the trigger guard just before they break. I can quickly snap the trigger back and stop when the finger touches....then squeeze the round off just about the same as SA.

Also, being good at DA involves practice and TRAINING. Not just going to the range and firing some rounds. I use a Ruger GP-100 for practice and dry fire 100 times with each hand as fast as I can (about 4 per second). At first, you will be slowing WAY down before you reach 100, but with practice and increasing strength, you will find your pulling speed staying quick until the end. Or, don't stop training until you CAN do the 100 without noticeable slowdown.

Once you have that kind of trigger strength, you will find DA a piece of cake.

[gyp_c2]

You might wanna' try dry firing at least 100 times a day. By the time you get to 2-3000, you'll notice a big improvement. Have someone polish it up a little and voila'...
Watch some Jerry Miculek sometime...
On the big N-frame, you can change stocks around for smaller ones. Also, they can be cut down to a round butt for a huge increase in fun-time!
;)

[XavierBreath]

I shoot DA revolvers double action about 99% of the time. I only shoot them SA when I want to compare the two, to show myself how well I can shoot DA with a particular revolver.

Gaining accuracy in DA is a result of understanding the importance of trigger control in shooting. Accuracy is about trigger control. Any monkey can align sights, given enough time and incentive. Marksmanship comes from holding them in alignment while pulling the trigger to sear release. That involves being able to move the index finger independently from all your other fingers, and from your metacarpels themselves. It is a learned skill that comes with practice, but one must undestand what he is trying to accomplish to do it.

Rather than concentrating on sight alignment, instead, dry fire with your eyes closed, concentrating on an even trigger pull, same pressure, all the way to sear release. What you want is an even, steady pull to the rear. Not too fast, not too slow. Concentrate on eveness of speed, not the speed itself. Next, balance a penny on the top of your barrel and do the same, eyes open. It's easier if you have a sight rail. Finally, when you can pull the trigger without wiggling the muzzle around, align the sights and do it again. You will find a rhythm to it, that allows you to pull the trigger evenly. At first you will be able to do it well only at one speed, then you simply take the rhythm and speed it up.

You will find the S&W, Ruger and Colt triggers to be decidedly different. There are even differences in DA triggers produced at different times, ie The Pre-war M&P vs the Model 10.

Learning trigger control on the uncompromising DA revolver will benefit your shooting of all fireams. This is why the venerable K-22/Model 17 or 18 is a gun loved by many marksmen, and why it commands the price it does in the marketplace. It allows for a lot of cheap shooting with a great DA revolver, using immediate feedback to develop trigger control.

[magsnubby]

I do 99% of my shooting DA. All my snubbys have been converted to DA only.

[QuestionEverything]

Thanks for the advice, everyone. All the revolvers I've shot have been range guns (Ruger GP100, SW 686 and some smaller guns from those makers) with really gritty triggers. I don't own a revolver at the moment but I think their ergonomics and operation are lots of fun and I appreciate the edge in power that .357 offers so it's likely I'll get one sometime down the road. When I do I'll put your tips into practice.

[kmrcstintn]

I'll have to tip-toe around this one...I do not believe in SA for defensive situations...

personally, I shoot my DA revolvers in DA mode in excess of 90% of the time; most of the year my DA revolvers are set up for defense work;

I also use a DA .357 magnum revolver as a hunting sidearm and I set it up to shoot SA at @ 25 yards just before and during hunting season;

the one revolver I have that is DA all the time is my S&W 642 snubby which has an internal hammer and cannot be cocked to shoot in SA; this revolver is catgorized as 'DAO'

[JaxNovice]

I took the dime on the barrel tip that I learned from the board last night and ran with it a little bit. Once I put my kids to bed, I went out to the garage with my SP101. After making sure for the 10th time it was unloaded, I put the dime on the barrel and did my dry firing drill while walking. I really dont know what inspired this but after 15 minutes or so I could hold that snubbie pretty damn steady in full stride while making a smooth trigger pull. Fun stuff.....

[MCgunner]

I took the dime on the barrel tip that I learned from the board last night and ran with it a little bit. Once I put my kids to bed, I went out to the garage with my SP101. After making sure for the 10th time it was unloaded, I put the dime on the barrel and did my dry firing drill while walking. I really dont know what inspired this but after 15 minutes or so I could hold that snubbie pretty damn steady in full stride while making a smooth trigger pull. Fun stuff.....

I hate those walking/shooting stages they set up in IDPA. LOL I haven't really determined how I should walk while shooting. I sort of stutter step, usually. I think if a real life scenario, I'd be on a dead run until I hit cover, then start shooting from barracade. I'm not sure there is wisdom in walking in the open while shooting. But, that's another thread I guess. :D Interesting practicing with the dime thing, though. You must have to kind of glide, sort of like MJ's moon walk? LOL

[JaxNovice]

I actually have never done IDPA. I was just doing it to see if I could keep the barrel steady :) Maybe I will break out the Sig and practice the same thing and do an IDPA. I really like the scene in Man on Fire when, after Denzel RPGs the police captains car, he walks up to the car with the long strides peppering the people inside. I have way too much time on my hands.... Actually I have two babies so I have no time on my hands :( Just time to think about weird stuff during the 3:30 am feedings. :barf:

[jad0110]

JaxNovice,

I know the feeling, except its just one little boy for me! I won't be getting out the range too much over the next several months, but I'm okay with that. Its fun being a dad!

I remember the first time I heard the dime/penny/whatever coin on the top strap technique. Idiot that I am, I tried standing the thing upright and was getting really freakin' irritated!!! :banghead:

Then I sat it down flat and all was well, DOH!!!

[RustyShackelford]

I use a da only GP-100 .38spl for duty use. It's a police surplus(NYPD). I would not think of shooting SA in a critical incident unless I was wounded or could not make an accurate shot under stress. I would only carry DA only revolvers for CC/duty use. A SA/DA may be good for a pocket gun or second/back up but not for your main carry gun.

There are several reasons why you should not shoot SA in a real incident but to keep it short don't do it. Any mall ninjas or gun shop commando jerk offs you tell you it's a good idea should read up on legal/court related shooting cases ;) .

Rusty