Why would I shoot double-action MORE accurately than single-action ??

I know this is counter-intuitive, but for at least the last year, when shooting semi-auto pistols, I'd shoot some in SA and then some in DA (particularly when testing out a new/used toy I got off Armslist), and I have been consistently shooting much more accurately in DA.
This has been the case with several 3rd gen S&W's, a CZ75, a Walther P99AS, and maybe more.
Not long ago, I was having a Sunday shoot with my best old shooting buddy, and I could barely hit the target I was shooting at,and starting to get annoyed.
Try as I might,I just couldn't seem to hit anything, and finally told my buddy I was gonna give DA a try (decocking levers are handy here), and the first shot was a damn bullseye, followed by more Bullseyes or very close misses! I turned around and looked at my buddy, who was watching this, and we just shrugged and laughed.
I'm typically a pretty "decent" pistol shot, but not what i would even call "good", and I tend to have hot and cold days, accuracy-wise, but with several pistols over a fair amount of time, I seem to be consistently solid when shooting a DA trigger.
Anyone else ever see this, or have an explanation?

Dframe said:

Not sure what the reason but I shoot almost exactly the same. I've literally stopped bothering with single action.

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WHEW !! OK, I feel better now. Let's start us up a support group !

yugorpk said:

You are gripping the gun harder in double. Many people loosen their grip a bit firing single action and it moves more in their hand when shooting.

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Seems kinda plausible, I'll try to be conscious of that and see how it goes.

Walkalong said:

Concentration. You are focusing better and trying harder in DA because it is "harder"

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Maybe, but I'm thinking that ain't it. When I repeatedly have poor results in SA, I am concentrating quite hard on good form,breathing, etc. I don't feel like I'm concentrating any harder when switching to DA, and that last time I did it, it was more on a whim just to see how it went, I'd say if anything, I wasn't concentrating as MUCH as I was on the earlier SA shots (hey, maybe that's the secret?).

HoosierQ said:

..... and probably you train with double action a lot.

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No, that definitely ain't it. And if that was the case, it would've been the obvious first guess. I still shoot revolvers and semi-autos primarilly in SA, it's just that I happened to notice a marked improvement when switching to DA (or, if I'm shooting just fine in SA, the DA shots are just as good.)
Anyway, thanks for all the replies,guys.

patmccoy said:

These are NOT what you should be concentrating on. Focus on the front sight, just like when you shoot DA.

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That goes without saying, of course I'm concentrating on the front sight (both of them, in fact), as well as the target. I considered all this included in my use of the term "etc.".

9mmepiphany said:

Yes, I use it all the time when trying to cure clients of jerking their triggers

It really has very little to do with concentrating on the sights and not much to do with how hard you are gripping...there are other issues when over gripping a handgun.

The key to handgun accuracy will always be trigger management...pressing the trigger straight to the rear and letting the shot go off.

What shooting SA does is place the temptation of anticipating the sights being perfect and making the shot go off...we usually refer to that as jerking the trigger.

When shooting in DA, most folks, who don't just jerk the trigger, will concentrate more on making a smooth DA trigger stroke...because it is both heavier and longer...which distracts them from wanting to make that "perfect" shot, thus allowing them to make it

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Thanks, that was interesting (though a bit on the Zen-ny side ).
Naturally, I'm trying to be conscious of jerking the trigger, particularly when I'm not shooting well. I've got pretty good shooting habits and awareness, I believe. I shot "expert" in the Marines back in the 80's, and I'm normally a fairly decent shot ever since, typically a little better than most of my freinds (though we all take sporadic turns showing each other up).
It just seems odd that on those times I can't hit the proverbial broad side, I'll switch up and go shoot respectably well in DA.
Anyway, I am gonna try and pay extra attention to my 'trigger management', and see if I can improve there.
Thanks again to all for weighing in.

MaterDei said:

I hope people don't try to make the argument that a DA trigger is inherently more accurate than a SA trigger because neither is the case. All they do is release the sear.

SA, with proper training and practice should always be more accurate than SA, all things being equal.

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Which is why I said in the very first sentence of this thread, "I know this is counter-intuitive...." It's a given that SA firing is (or should be) inherently more accurate, and I don't believe anyone has contended otherwise.
All me and a couple others here have stated was that WE seemed to shoot DA more accurately, while fully acknowledging that it was unusual.

9mmepiphany said:

You're feeding yourself too much info and confusing your subconscious

You should be looking through you rear notch (sight), at your front sight blade and superimposing it over a blurry target

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Thanks again, that was also very interesting. I'm thinking I probably do this backwards. I'm going to focus on exactly what you're recommending, and see how that goes.
BTW, I'm pretty much only talking about getting better results shooting semi-auto pistols in DA, not revolvers.