Single action specific drills and training.

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Bazoo

Bazoo

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I’ve taken to carrying a single action most of the time. I’m interested in tuning up my proficiency with it. I practice my reloads and since I have been shooting single actions 20 years, I’m pretty decent at that.

Are there any single action specific drills or training that anyone can suggest? Or specific areas I need to work on to be proficient with it as a self defense gun?
 
I appreciate the suggestion. I’ll definitely look into it.


Single action revolver. Like a colt or Ruger.
 
Look at the types of drills and techniques that are generally recommended for handgun self-defense in general.

One thing to keep in mind is that most serious self-defense training for handguns includes operating one-handed. That's because it's fairly common to end up with hand injuries in defensive situations from fending off contact weapons or from being shot in the hands.

The faster single-action revolver shooting techniques require two hands (e.g. thumb-cocking with the weak hand).

Using the gun one handed, requires nearly 100% function of that hand in order to hold the gun while thumb-cocking it.

Retention during one-handed shooting gets tricky during thumb-cocking since the grip generally has to be compromised to at least some extent for the thumb to reach the hammer spur.

Since you mentioned reloading--you should look into techniques for reloading single-action revolvers one-handed.

Once you have a decent level of proficiency, it would be worthwhile to actually shoot in some of the "practical" pistol competitions to see how your skills stack up against people using handguns more commonly used and encountered in self-defense scenarios.
 
If you're talking about single action revolvers I'd say don't do it, not if you take self defense seriously. Sure, you can probably defend yourself just fine with one in many situations but why go to all the trouble of carrying a gun, and a large bulky gun at that, when you're going to handicap yourself so severely.

Single action semiautos are another matter.
 
...if you take self defense seriously...
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This is the key. If it's taken seriously, then the preparation will be serious, including training things like reloads, retention, operating with one hand, etc. If an acceptable level of proficiency can be attained in all the techniques that are considered to be critical to handgun self-defense then that, at least to me, fits the definition of it being taken seriously.
 
Single actions is what I like. Most folks will say I don’t take self defense seriously because I choose to carry a single action. I’ve learned long ago that you can’t please the CC crowd on a gun forum unless you carry the gun they like. What I’m seeking is, how best to utilize my choice in handguns.
 
What I’m seeking is, how best to utilize my choice in handguns.
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That's a good approach. Start by learning all the skills that are generally considered to be requisite for handgun self-defense. NOT all the skills that fit your chosen firearm especially well, ALL of them. You won't get any special consideration from an attacker based what you are carrying. So you need to learn all of the techniques, just as someone who picks a DA revolver or a semi-auto needs to learn all of them. Drills should be general drills, not drills tailored specifically for your firearm.

THEN, you need to make sure that you are proficient. You don't get extra time on the clock in an attack because you're carrying a particular type of firearm--you get what you get. So you need to be sure that you have a proficiency level that is acceptable. Drills should be scored for time and accuracy with general par times, not handicapped specifically for your firearm choice.

In other words, your specific techniques should be tailored for your specific firearm (reloading an SA revolver is very different from reloading a semi-auto pistol) but the overall scoring shouldn't be altered nor should the types of skills learned/trained be pared down.
 
There is no doubt a reload is much slower with a single action. My wife timed me once. I think I’m at around 15-20 seconds not under stress for unload and reload from my belt carrier. Compared to what, 2 seconds for a 1911 reload.

No doubt that a single action, with reload, is going to be bested every time on the clock when compared to an automatic handgun.
 
I think it would fun to shoot a SA revolver. I never have. In fact I have never owned a revolver, and I likely never will because the sole purpose of my owning a gun is self defense. Since I take defending myself very seriously. Accordingly, I choose to own and become proficient with a single pistol. That is the equivalent of having a primary weapon in the military where you develop proficiency with a single weapon while still learning how to use others. There is a reason our warfighters do not use revolvers and bolt action rifles. It would put them at a distinct disadvantage in combat. I hope that I never have to fight it out with a person with a gun, but if I ever have to I hope he or she is using a SA revolver.
 
No doubt that a single action, with reload, is going to be bested every time on the clock when compared to an automatic handgun.
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Every choice has consequences. If I carry a 2 shot derringer, I get some advantages and some disadvantages. If I carry a DA revolver, I get some advantages and some disadvantages.

The key is understanding that a self-defense scenario is what it is going to be. It's not tailored for the specific weapon one decides to carry. If I carry a 2 shot derringer, there's no RO in the sky making sure that anyone who attacks me can be neutralized by 2 rounds. If I carry a DA revolver, there's no scenario designer who makes sure that there will always be time and a safe place to reload if the gun runs dry.

So you train for realistic scenarios--making sure you can attain a reasonable level of proficiency while understanding that your choices won't figure into what kind of self-defense scenario you are faced with but they may affect the outcome.
 
.455_Hunter said:
I would much prefer someone who carries a SA revolver and is familiar with it's manual-of-arms than someone who carries the "latest and greatest" polystriker based on the input of internet gun experts and LGS commandos.
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I would too because I am very proficient with a semi auto so I would have that adversary outgunned.
 
I would probably be less concerned about the reloading speed than most people seem to be. The likelihood that one could be able to reload any handgun during the time interval of a violent criminal attack is not very high at all.

I would be more concerned about my ability to fire several shots with combat accuracy rapidly enough to score three or more hits on an attacker who is moving at a speed of 180 inches per second.

Another important thing is the hair trigger pull--not a good thing for avoiding unintentional discharges under stress, or to avoid suspicion of having done so. Also, with the original Colt design, where is also the issue of lowering the hammer safely.

I am a real fan of the traditional single action revolver, and I have been for a long, long, time. But my objective in self defense is to stay alive. There are much better choices.

There are worse choices, too--any single shot pistol, a two-shot derringer, a pepperbox....

If one happens to be attacked while carrying a single action revolver, one has to do the best one can, and hope for the best.
 
JohnKSa said:
Every choice has consequences. If I carry a 2 shot derringer, I get some advantages and some disadvantages. If I carry a DA revolver, I get some advantages and some disadvantages.

The key is understanding that a self-defense scenario is what it is going to be. It's not tailored for the specific weapon one decides to carry. If I carry a 2 shot derringer, there's no RO in the sky making sure that anyone who attacks me can be neutralized by 2 rounds. If I carry a DA revolver, there's no scenario designer who makes sure that there will always be time and a safe place to reload if the gun runs dry.

So you train for realistic scenarios--making sure you can attain a reasonable level of proficiency while understanding that your choices won't figure into what kind of self-defense scenario you are faced with but they may affect the outcome.
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Very true, like there isn't some RO in the sky making sure my tactical extended mag release isn't inadvertently depressed before my draw, or my gun experiences a limp wrist F2F due to an attempt to keep a peep at arms distance in a close quarters engagement.

Every defensive platform has potential positives and potential negatives. This may range from concealability in NPE to effectiveness against multiple attackers. Anyone who states one platform is automatically superior in all scenarios is highly suspect.
 
I would probably be less concerned about the reloading speed than most people seem to be.
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I only mentioned it because the OP brought it up in his original post.
...like there isn't some RO in the sky making sure my tactical extended mag release isn't inadvertently depressed before my draw, or my gun experiences a limp wrist F2F due to an attempt to keep a peep at arms distance in a close quarters engagement.
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Exactly. That's why serious training and good firearm choices are so important.

Using your example, I choose not to put extended magazine releases on my self-defense guns. That will cost me a little bit of time if I have to reload, but I'm willing to take that tradeoff to reduce the chances of dropping a magazine in the middle of an encounter. Using your second example, that's why shooting one-handed is so important. There's a good chance that one hand may be busy fending off an attacker, or may be injured, so it's important to know that your gun will run if you shoot it one handed, especially weak-handed.

Similarly, if one's strong hand is wounded, being able to draw weak-handed may be a life-saver and there won't be any handicap for that "stage" for defenders who have a carry setup that prevents them from drawing weak-handed.

The OP has the right idea in wanting to train/drill with his chosen self-defense firearm. That's a wise decision. I'm just pointing out that while the specific techniques used may vary due to the OP's weapon choice, the training and drills need to be result-focused in terms of par times and accuracy. Just as they should be with any weapon choice. Because we train/drill to deal with real-world scenarios and that's how the real world works--there's no special consideration given in the middle of an attack based on the defender's personal choices.
 
One should not choose a defensive handgun based on one's emotional attachment but rather on suitability for the task.

There's a reason why single action revolvers are obsolete as defensive handguns. Try training realistically and you will find out why
 
Bazoo said:
Single actions is what I like. Most folks will say I don’t take self defense seriously because I choose to carry a single action. I’ve learned long ago that you can’t please the CC crowd on a gun forum unless you carry the gun they like. What I’m seeking is, how best to utilize my choice in handguns.
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I love single action revolvers, absolutely love 'em.

I've learned that I can't thumb cock a revolver consistently, under self imposed pressure, whether single action or double action/single action. My thumb will absolutely slip off the hammer spur right when I don't expect it to. All done one-handed, of course.

That's a major reason I prefer spurless hammer double action only for a carry gun when possible.
 
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I love single actions as well and have a long enough background with them to feel very proficient with one even under stress. However, being in a few life or death situations will cure you of any nostalgia with regard to carry choices real quick.
 
shafter said:
I love single actions as well and have a long enough background with them to feel very proficient with one even under stress. However, being in a few life or death situations will cure you of any nostalgia with regard to carry choices real quick.
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Probably true for yourself. Other folks may have complete confidence in the SA platform for all realistic scenarios, even individuals with "experience". Either viewpoint is correct.
 
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JohnKSa said:
You don't get extra time on the clock in an attack because you're carrying a particular type of firearm--you get what you get. So you need to be sure that you have a proficiency level that is acceptable. Drills should be scored for time and accuracy with general par times, not handicapped specifically for your firearm choice.
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Yes, and therefore ,a defensive pistol drill is a defensive pistol drill, regardless of the type of firearm.. If one uses a revolver, common things such as clearing a failure to feed would not apply. Reloading exercises diffr also.

There are some drills that one would have to forego with a single action revolver--which means that should the situations arise in a real encounter, the user will be in a world of hurt.

I would practice rapid one-handed shooting with combat accuracy until the interruption of having cock the hammer for each shot had been managed as well as possible.
 
It is not easy to find professional instruction on single action revolvers for self defense, but it does exist. I have not been able to work such a class into my schedule, but still hope to.

Gunsite does offer such a class, and one of their instructors has put together a video series on the topic, available on Youtube.

 
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