hillbillydelux
Member
Oh nevermind.
Safely uncocking a loaded revolver
- Thread starter Jazziette
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Oh nevermind.
BCRider
Member
Jazz, a cocked revolver ready to fire in single action is SOOO easy to shoot that it can go off if you flinch at a shadow moving. Meanwhile having to pull the full DA trigger stroke isn't hard to do and it provides protection against a flinch fire event.
For example let's say you somehow forgot to lock the door and a buddy comes by. He finds it open and eases in and calls your name. The name wakes you but doesn't register. But you hear your buddy. You pick up the piece and cock it and wait. He comes down the hall looking for you and turns into the open door. You flinch at the sight of something moving.... BOOM! your buddy is hurt or dead. But if you left the hammer down you have that little bit extra to flinch but still recognize your buddy and ease off the trigger. No harm done. But if it IS a bad guy and you see a weapon you can just keep pulling.
At least that's how I see it..... I'll sit back and wait for the others to shake and bake me now....
For example let's say you somehow forgot to lock the door and a buddy comes by. He finds it open and eases in and calls your name. The name wakes you but doesn't register. But you hear your buddy. You pick up the piece and cock it and wait. He comes down the hall looking for you and turns into the open door. You flinch at the sight of something moving.... BOOM! your buddy is hurt or dead. But if you left the hammer down you have that little bit extra to flinch but still recognize your buddy and ease off the trigger. No harm done. But if it IS a bad guy and you see a weapon you can just keep pulling.
At least that's how I see it..... I'll sit back and wait for the others to shake and bake me now....
Interesting thread, and all true, BCRider dude (and what a nice handle that is, btw), and one that makes me think about my revolver habits. I've recently begun a revolver jihad and am having a ton of fun with them. With the exception of a 640 that I cannot cock and fire SA, I'm very into single action firing. I rarely practice with double action - probably to my determent. I get that a DA pull is the likely outcome of a self defense shooting, so practice is good, but I can't shake the habit of thumbing back the action and taking up the slack in a single action firing solution.
Interesting as I think I've only got a handful of autos (Sigs) that permit a DA mode of operation. Everything else in the safe is a single action experience. Go figure.
Interesting as I think I've only got a handful of autos (Sigs) that permit a DA mode of operation. Everything else in the safe is a single action experience. Go figure.
This thread made me think about once years ago I went to the store close to where I lived then. The store was owned & ran by an oriental family. No one was in the store but me & the guy in front of me who was apparently a regular customer. When I walked up to the counter I overheard her telling him that two guys had just left,-they had told her they were police-they then showed her their guns but not their badges to which she had replied "I have gun too, See" raising the cocked .38. The problem was she didn't know how to decock it. She handed it to the man in front of me-he pointed it in a safe direction & decocked it. The scariest part of the whole thing to me looking back is she was left in that store-in that area with that pistol for defense-but had never been taught how to use it.
Sport45
Member
I skimmed through the posts and apologize if this has already been said but it's really not necessary and even discouraged to cock your revolver in a home defense situation. (Unless, of course, it's a single-action revolver and you've made the decision to shoot.) A cocked double-action revolver is just too easy to negligently discharge when the adrenaline is pumping in a tense situation.
Where are my manners? Welcome to The High Road!
Where are my manners? Welcome to The High Road!
I'm still waiting for the pictures.
earlthegoat2
Member
I have thought about this one myself a time or two and have decided I am just not going to pull the hammer back unless I am firing it in double action mode.
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
While I'm in complete agreement that a DA revolver shouldn't be cocked in a tense situation...I think it's amusing that the same folks who warn against it so vehemently think nothing of desiring/requesting a 3-pound trigger on a 1911 pistol that they intend to carry for that same possibility.
Odd...methinks.
As a responsible firearms owner, one should be proficient in the safe operation of the firearm of your choice. Safely lowering the hammer is an example of this...
I highly recommend you seek out and attend professional training on the safe operation of your preferred firearm. Training will increase your proficiency, safety, and confidence that will enable you to better defend yourself in a safe manner.
I would also HIGHLY recommend that you seek out a good IDPA club in your area. There, you will find many kind folks willing to provide coaching, friendship, and mentorship in the safe and responsible use of firearms for both sport and self defense. There ARE indeed ladies out there who participate in competitive shooting, and they would love to have you join them. Participation in competitive shooting is..
1. FUN
2. A good way to build proficiency
3. FUN
4. A good way to build confidence
5. FUN
6. A good way to meet nice like minded folks that are willing to help you improve yourself
7. FUN
Check out IDPA and get out and SHOOT! You will look back at this post and laugh after you have developed the proficiency you need.
Oh, and by the way, did I mention competitive shooting was FUN!?
Good luck.
I highly recommend you seek out and attend professional training on the safe operation of your preferred firearm. Training will increase your proficiency, safety, and confidence that will enable you to better defend yourself in a safe manner.
I would also HIGHLY recommend that you seek out a good IDPA club in your area. There, you will find many kind folks willing to provide coaching, friendship, and mentorship in the safe and responsible use of firearms for both sport and self defense. There ARE indeed ladies out there who participate in competitive shooting, and they would love to have you join them. Participation in competitive shooting is..
1. FUN
2. A good way to build proficiency
3. FUN
4. A good way to build confidence
5. FUN
6. A good way to meet nice like minded folks that are willing to help you improve yourself
7. FUN
Check out IDPA and get out and SHOOT! You will look back at this post and laugh after you have developed the proficiency you need.
Oh, and by the way, did I mention competitive shooting was FUN!?
Good luck.
Chester32141
Member
I would suggest practicing decocking w/ Snap caps several thousand times until it becomes second nature ...
Chester
Chester
Good morning....I see a few more of you have responded to my thread and I'm really pleased. Thanks so much. I'm going to try to clear up a couple of things here for you...hopefully. To begin with...for the last four years minus the last few months I hosted a Radio Show about True Love. It was called Jazziette's True Love Show and I talked about love, "the only thing that really matters". Unfortunately, I had some fairly serious health issues that suddenly cropped up and I canned my show for a while until I could take care of these things. I will be going back on the air in the next few months but not sure when just yet. Thank you for asking.
This is a recent pic of me so you have an idea of who is posting here. It was taken a couple of months ago. No...I'm not singing Kareoke. LOL
I am going on to reply to a few of the other responses here now. I hope everyone is having a good day.
Well I have to admit that I just accidentally 'stumbled' in here and kinda didn't know what I was getting myself into. But so far I have found the responses and the members here to be very nice, polite and helpful. I'm very happy I found the forum. Thank you!Boy, we haven't had as polite and sweet for a long time....a looooong time. It's quite refreshing to have somebody polite on board. Too much testosterone going around.
BCRider...you are so right in what you just said and last night I was telling my boyfriend how it really surprised me that I actually cocked my gun because I NEVER have ever done that in a similar situation before. I'm in the process of moving right now and my life is in a kind of disorder so I think that I reacted differently than I normally would. This was good for me to read because during times of stress we need to be even more careful. Right? Thanks for the great advice!!!Jazz, a cocked revolver ready to fire in single action is SOOO easy to shoot that it can go off if you flinch at a shadow moving. Meanwhile having to pull the full DA trigger stroke isn't hard to do and it provides protection against a flinch fire event.
For example let's say you somehow forgot to lock the door and a buddy comes by. He finds it open and eases in and calls your name. The name wakes you but doesn't register. But you hear your buddy. You pick up the piece and cock it and wait. He comes down the hall looking for you and turns into the open door. You flinch at the sight of something moving.... BOOM! your buddy is hurt or dead. But if you left the hammer down you have that little bit extra to flinch but still recognize your buddy and ease off the trigger. No harm done. But if it IS a bad guy and you see a weapon you can just keep pulling.
At least that's how I see it..... I'll sit back and wait for the others to shake and bake me now....
1858rem
Member
snap caps and practice at the range untill its second nature..
Dan...I have never been to a 'shooting range' to practice with SA or DA. I grew up on a ranch and then lived on one most of my adult life before moving to AZ from Texas. I am not a sophisticated gun owner like you guys. But I have always enjoyed the guns I've had and just reading the many posts here on this site make me more aware of how much I don't even have a clue about and also how much fun it would be to get more involved because I think guns are fascinating and my experience yesterday with the cocked hammer did make me realize I need more training. Definitely!!!
Hi. It's okay if you don't trust me. The cops who came to my house told me it was illegal to transport a cocked loaded gun. That's where I got it. Sorry I can't actually "cite" it.
I'm going to cut through all the posts here and shorten this all up since I have an appointment and need to skedaddle soon. LOL
Like I said...I accidentally found this site. Nice site! Great forum. Very cool members.
Thanks to all who welcomed me and for your terrific responses. All of your suggestions are great and I very much appreciate them. I have been wanting to get more involved and I'll let you know more as I do. The last thing I want to do is be disruptive to your super cool forum and I see you are all very involved in what you do. I'm totally ignorant of so many things you say and I admit it.
Again...yesterday after my experience I wanted to post about it. It's just my nature to want to share in the hopes that someone else who might be having a similar problem will benefit. I hope it does turn out to be helpful in some way.
I know I have benefited from all of your suggestions.
Nice to meet you. Thanks for the welcomes and have a great day! I will be back.
~ Jazz
1911Tuner
Moderator Emeritus
Won't be the first time that a cop was wrong on a point of law. Not all of'em are true gunnies, and not all of'em are experts on firearms laws. A friend of mine once had a reserve Sheriff's deputy try to charge him with carrying a concealed weapon...and the pistol was in the trunk. Lucky for the lawdog that Steve convinced him to call his supervisor to the scene before he executed a false arrest. After all that...the guy still wanted to confiscate the gun. To no avail, though. The watch commander told him "No dice. He isn't in violation of any law. Let him go his way."
Hold the gun in your right hand (if you are right handed) and hold back the hammer with your left thumb. Be sure to hold it firmly with your thumb in between it and the striking pin so that it can't spring into action. Then click the trigger and slowly, very slowly lower the hammer into it's resting position.
It sholud read Hold the gun in your right hand (if you are right handed) and hold back the hammer with your left thumb. Be sure to hold it firmly with your thumb in between it and the striking pin so that it can't spring into action. Then click the trigger letting the hammer fall on your thumb. Take your finger off the trigger, remove your thumb from under the hammer and slowly, very slowly lower the hammer into it's resting position.
This would be for DA revolvers.
It sholud read Hold the gun in your right hand (if you are right handed) and hold back the hammer with your left thumb. Be sure to hold it firmly with your thumb in between it and the striking pin so that it can't spring into action. Then click the trigger letting the hammer fall on your thumb. Take your finger off the trigger, remove your thumb from under the hammer and slowly, very slowly lower the hammer into it's resting position.
This would be for DA revolvers.
OregonJohnny
Member
Regarding the subject of cocking a double-action revolver in preparation for a self-defense scenario:
Yes, it would be much easier to negligently discharge the firearm than if you had to pull a long, heavy double-action trigger. Why do people carry 1911s with 3lb. triggers for self-defense, then? Simple - Rule #3: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET (I'll add that "target" in this situation would mean a clearly identified bad guy).
It's harder to "flinch fire" a single-action trigger at a shadow or your buddy coming in unexpectedly if your trigger finger is outside of the trigger guard.
Research.
Practice safely.
And welcome to THR.
Oh, has anyone mentioned cornered cat yet? If not, here is the link, a great read for anyone, man or woman:
www.corneredcat.com
Yes, it would be much easier to negligently discharge the firearm than if you had to pull a long, heavy double-action trigger. Why do people carry 1911s with 3lb. triggers for self-defense, then? Simple - Rule #3: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET (I'll add that "target" in this situation would mean a clearly identified bad guy).
It's harder to "flinch fire" a single-action trigger at a shadow or your buddy coming in unexpectedly if your trigger finger is outside of the trigger guard.
Research.
Practice safely.
And welcome to THR.
Oh, has anyone mentioned cornered cat yet? If not, here is the link, a great read for anyone, man or woman:
www.corneredcat.com
Vern Humphrey
Member
Carrying a revolver cocked is more like carrying a 1911 with its safety off and its grip safety disabled. I can't imagine anyone carrying a revolver cocked -- the very thought makes the hair rise on the back of my neck!
For 1911s with good triggers, to uncock an empty gun it's best to simply point the gun in a safe direction and pull the trigger. Kimber advises doing this, since manually decocking can damatge the sear and sear notch.
To uncock a loaded gun, first clear the gun. Then drop the hammer on an empty chamber.
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