Best DAO Pistol Trigger (Not Striker Fired)??

[Redcoat3340]

So I'm thinking of a DAO pistol. I had a Sig 250 but found shooting DA/SA (mostly SA) a lot easier, so it went away. A 320 replaced it; but that went away too (for a PX4compact in 9 and then in .40).

But I think I need a bit of a challenge these days, so I'm considering going back to a DAO, but not striker-fired. (And yes, the Walther Qs are great, had one, but seemed to prefer hammer-fired instead (except for my Shield 2.0 in .45acp which is my pocket carry piece and a full-size .40 M&P in my bedside drawer).

So which pistol do folks think has the "best" stock (smoothest, lightest, ??) trigger around? The Smith 3rd generations? Sig 250? Other? I only want one, so which one would you buy?

 

[JTQ]

I've never owned one, but my understanding is the SIG P250, the gun you had and got rid of, probably had the lightest/smoothest DA trigger pull.

 

[earlthegoat2]

Sig DAK or HK LEM triggers are very nice.

Not true DA but they are hammer fired.

 

[WVsig]

3rd Gen Smiths are hard to beat when it comes to DAO guns. The Beretta 92 can be converted to a "D" gun and with the right parts can be made into an amazing shooter. I never warmed up to the DAK. It takes a lot of rounds to be able to take advantage of the shorter reset DAK pull. In the end it is training that is too specific IMHO.

 

[Havok7416]

I've never owned one, but my understanding is the SIG P250, the gun you had and got rid of, probably had the lightest/smoothest DA trigger pull.

This, although I do own one. The P250 hands down is the best DAO I've ever fired. It would probably still be in production if not for the striker craze. The trigger pull is something near perfect.

 

[5-SHOTS]

There are very few true DAO hammer fired 9mm pistols available and the majority of them if not all of them are currently discontinued.
SIG-Sauer P250 is probably the most common one.
A converted DAO H&K.
A very interesting pistol is the Grand Power P11D: it is normally a DA / SA pistol but the docking lever, if placed in the position shown in the photo, fires the pistol in DAO mode. I don't know if this type of action is also available for the larger models like the K100.

 

[nofendertom]

Years ago Beretta made a Model 92 Centurion with a DAO trigger---shot a couple of boxes of ammo and it had a great DAO trigger.

 

[Jim Watson]

The best DAO I have seen was a 3rd generation S&W. This was back when they made so many variations that they had a decoder wheel for model numbers and I don't remember what number that gun was.

But going back to the Sig 250 would probably be easier.

 

[Havok7416]

The best DAO I have seen was a 3rd generation S&W. This was back when they made so many variations that they had a decoder wheel for model numbers and I don't remember what number that gun was.

But going back to the Sig 250 would probably be easier.

I have a couple 3rd Gen Smiths in addition to the P250. They are decent (still very heavy) but nowhere near the P250.

 

[wiscoaster]

My vote goes to the S&W. I found mine in the used gun case at a local gun shop. But these days you probably have to watch online sites that specialize in LEO trade-ins to find one.

 

[HB]

Kahr. I believe its striker fired but they are really fun to shoot.

 

[Manster]

I would have to say the P250 for DA actions. Smooth and long...

 

[Jim Watson]

I have a couple 3rd Gen Smiths in addition to the P250. They are decent (still very heavy) but nowhere near the P250.

The one (1.0, individual) DAO S&W I saw back when was very light and smooth. Of course it may have been tuned up.

 

[Ignition Override]

Redcoat3340: I've only tried one DAO, hammer-fired, semi-auto:

the Sig P229.
If the instructor at the local police academy hadn't allowed me to try his personal Sig at our private shooting club, ...

....I never would have Believed that it is DAO. Light and unbelievably smooth. Didn't notice any true stacking.
Are these (DAO) 229s only in .40? I'm not afraid of using an unfashionable chambering--even when this panic cools off, it won't be the last----such a gun would easily sell.

 

[Middletown]

My EDC is a Sig P290RS which meets the DAO requirement not striker fired. I would think they still make them but don't know for sure. Trigger is pretty decent for DAO but nothing special either.

Edit to add: I just checked Sig's website and didn't find any of the 290's there so maybe they are not made anymore.

 

[Havok7416]

My EDC is a Sig P290RS which meets the DAO requirement not striker fired. I would think they still make them but don't know for sure. Trigger is pretty decent for DAO but nothing special either.

Edit to add: I just checked Sig's website and didn't find any of the 290's there so maybe they are not made anymore.

The P290 is out of production. It and the P250 succumbed to strikers in the lineup.

 

[SharpDog]

I have a p290RS and I would say the trigger is average ... but I have no other DAO semi-auto pistol to compare it to. The trigger is definitely not as good as an HK LEM which I only dry fired a few times at an LGS nor is it as good as any of my SIG or S&W DA / SA pistols.

There are several p290Rs's on GB. Most are going for around $750. This one has pink G10 grips and is going for half that used:



https://www.gunbroker.com/item/880872275


Or here's a fancy new one for $900:



https://www.gunbroker.com/item/881020048

 

[tbob38]

CZ P01 Shadow (forget the single action part)

 

[9mmepiphany]

While traveling and teaching, I think I've tried every DAO semiauto out there.

The question I have for folks recommending the 3rd Gen S&W...do you have much experience with other stock DAO platforms? I found them mushy and heavy.

I found that the smoothest and lightest DAO platform I've shot was a SIG Classic P-series with the DAK trigger...it is a lot like shooting a lightly tuned S&W K-frame. The SIG 250 has a smoother and lighter trigger stroke, but I never found them as accurate as the DAK pistols

the Sig P229.
If the instructor at the local police academy hadn't allowed me to try his personal Sig at our private shooting club, ...

....I never would have Believed that it is DAO. Light and unbelievably smooth. Didn't notice any true stacking.
Are these (DAO) 229s only in .40? I'm not afraid of using an unfashionable chambering--even when this panic cools off, it won't be the last----such a gun would easily sell.

That was likely a DAK 229. They were available in 9mm, .40 and 357SIG. You can also find a .45ACP SIG 220 equipped with the DAK trigger

 

[JTQ]

The question I have for folks recommending the 3rd Gen S&W...do you have much experience with other stock DAO platforms? I found them mushy and heavy.

I've had an S&W 4506 since the late 1980's, and have been intrigued by the recommendations above as I never thought it was particularly noteworthy. It's OK, but I wouldn't go out of my way to look for a DAO version of one, if there is one.

You can also find a .45ACP SIG 220 equipped with the DAK trigger

Here's a review of a P220 DAK from the late Stephen A. Camp https://hipowersandhandguns.com/range report on P220 DAK.htm

 

[WVsig]

I've had an S&W 4506 since the late 1980's, and have been intrigued by the recommendations above as I never thought it was particularly noteworthy. It's OK, but I wouldn't go out of my way to look for a DAO version of one, if there is one.


Here's a review of a P220 DAK from the late Stephen A. Camp https://hipowersandhandguns.com/range report on P220 DAK.htm

Be very weary of the P220 in DAK. Mine was the least reliable Sig I ever owned. They were made during the transition to SS slides at Sig. They use the older extractor design which was prone to failure. Mine was a CPO that went back to Sig twice before I sold it. The extractor would lose tension and and need to be replaced or adjusted at a very short interval.

At the time Bruce Gray acknowledged the flaw and was working on a better extractor when Sig changes the design and then eventually went to an external extractor. Sig will not warranty a second hand gun. The DAK in other calibers did not have this issue.

 

[WVsig]

CZ P01 Shadow (forget the single action part)

What do you do after the first shot when it transitions to SA? It doesn’t even have a decocker.

 

[railroader]

I have a Walther PPX but I think the current version is the Creed. It is hammer fired but the trigger pull is really good on it. The pull is really clean at about 4lbs. When the slide is racked the hammer is partially cocked so there is no second strike capability. The gun has been extremely reliable.

 

[JR24]

Don't have a ton of DAO experience, certainly my least favorite trigger option.

But I had a Sig 250 for a while and the trigger was pretty nice, very smooth. It was a good, reliable, shooter but I managed to get into a great trade deal for it and moved it on.

I've also looked at a couple PX4 storms with the DA trigger (don't recall which letter that is) and they felt pretty nice too. Good guns overall, I'm sure I'll end up with a compact once this gun rush is over and used prices come back down, almost bought one a few times now.

 

[5-SHOTS]

Don't have a ton of DAO experience, certainly my least favorite trigger option.

But I had a Sig 250 for a while and the trigger was pretty nice, very smooth. It was a good, reliable, shooter but I managed to get into a great trade deal for it and moved it on.

I've also looked at a couple PX4 storms with the DA trigger (don't recall which letter that is) and they felt pretty nice too. Good guns overall, I'm sure I'll end up with a compact once this gun rush is over and used prices come back down, almost bought one a few times now.

There are two variants of the Px4 without the decocker: the C which is a pre-cocked hammer-fired SAO and the D which is a true hammer-fired DAO. I think both are like unicorns, very difficult to find expecially the D.