DA/DA semi autos your opinion

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tackleberry45

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I know - here we go again. With the influx of new pistols though, I wanted to ask opinions on current (and prior) DA/ SA semis for carry. I am looking for which have consistent smooth first DA pull. I have tried several that still feel "heavy". I tried a Sig229 elite that was pretty nice. Just looking for current opinions....
 
I don't mind them at all and actually prefer them for carry guns as I have to holster and unholster often with my job. That said, I shoot a striker fired gun a little better consistently shot for shot even if the sa is more accurate for me.

My favorite gun is a Beretta 92fs, but I'm seriously considering a px4 storm subcompact for easier carry.
 
A sphinx might be the best da/sa on the market, I know I want one. I'm carrying an Hk p30 right now and for a polymer it's just as good as my p226- except ofc plastic makes a poor club but I don't train for that.
 
I've carried a DA/SA as a dutygun for 20+ years...mostly SIGs and Berettas. SIGs I've carried include the 225, 226 (9mm & .40) 228, 229 (.40), and 220. I was also lucky enough to hang out at the foremost SIG shop in the country and got to shoot a lot of different models.

Without a doubt, the nicest out of the box DA of the DA/SA SIGs was in the SigPro 2022. It was also a great value as all the development cost was cover by the French contract...that is why the model designation was changed fro 2009/2040 to 2022.

The SIG 2022 is also very accurate and easy to carry...it is about the same size as a 229. The 2022 chambered in 357SIG makes an excellent defensive handgun
 
I have many DA/SA pistols and the Best out-of-the-box triggers go to my SIG guns-- P225, P228, SP2022.
 
Same here; best out-of-the-box DA/SA triggers I have found have been with SIGs. Every SIG I have shot, including a P220 (aka Browning BDA), P226, and a P228, have had consistently decent triggers on all of them. My P229R with the short reset trigger has the best feel to it by far over any other DA/SA semi-auto out there.
 
My DA/SA Sig P220 is very hard to shoot in DA mode IMO. It has a long, hard pull that seems like it will never break. I trained to cock the hammer manually as I drew the gun from my holster because of this. Of course it makes for a safe firearm to carry though.

My Taurus PT-145 Millennium Pro works excellent IMO. The pull in SA mode is quick and fairly easy without being a target type pistol It's striker fired to the description of it being a DA pull are not exactly describing the same things that happen with my Sig. I did worry about it catching on something in my clothes so I I carried it with a thumb safety activated. Agan I praticed kicking off the safety as I drew the gun and I got my time from pulling the gun to firing the gun down pretty low. And subsequent shots are excellent too. Obviously they are not as good to shoot as the SA mode on my Sig.

I have come to like my current pistol's setup very well. It's technically DA but it isn't real long and hard to pull. But it has both a trigger lever safety and a grip safety so carrying it seems safe enough. If both safeties aren't defeated it won't fire IMO this pistol is the best setup I have on a pistol. I can control the pull and it won't pull unless the gun is in my hand or at least it never has.
 
I have had an HK P30 V3 (SA/DA) 9mm since Dec. I got it mainly because of the excellent modular grip that I can change the backstrap and grip shells to fit my large hands, and I shoot it very well in SA mode. It has taken me a while to get used to the long & heavy DA pull and although I have gotten better with shooting it in DA, I don't think I will ever be able to shoot it as well in DA as I do in SA. I think most people with these guns in V3 trigger variant are in the same boat.

I just got a Sig M11-A1 which comes with the SRT, it has an excellent single action trigger and much better DA trigger pull than the P30. I wish the Sig had similar modular grip options that the HK does, but I do have several grip options with the M11-A1, I might even put a Hogue Monogrip on this one, I have one on my P226 40 S&W and this grip works great on that gun.

One of these 2 will be my carry gun of choice, until I decide to try out something else!
 
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Sphinx SDP. It is as smooth as butter. I have a W German P228 that has seen thousands of rounds and the SDP was as smooth right out of the box. I am a big Sig and CZ fan but this thing is amazing. My 75B is mushy compared to this gun and I consider the 75B to have pretty good trigger. It is right up there out of the box with custom triggers like you get from Cajun Gun Works on CZs or Gray Guns on Sigs. Maybe just a touch below but for a production gun they are excellent.

The DA is heavy with the factory hammer spring but you can you Wolff 16lbs, 17lbs or 18lbs CZ compact springs or Cajun Gun Works Spring Kit to bring it down to under 8lbs. The hammer spring take 2 seconds to swap out. All you do a drive a pin out which holds the grip module on the gun and then turn a screw replace the spring and reverse order.

Also IMHO you can improve most DA/SA guns with a hammer spring change. Almost every single gun out there has a consensus spring weight which will give reliable ignition and still reduce the factory DA pull weight. Some require swapping out a firing pin spring or even the firing pin but these are minor changes and relativity low cost. Springs are cheap. Also technique can go a long way to helping you manage the DA pull. Developing a good hard prep from the draw or the high ready position can really help DA trigger control and also help SA follow up shots.

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I have the Sphinx SDP pistol too but I had to put in a 17lb CZ hammer spring to get even close to my DA trigger on my SIG guns. That said I like my Sphinx and CZ guns but my SIGs have them all beat "out of the box".
 
Sigs are good, Walther P99 A/S is very good after a couple hundred rnds.
Surprisingly, the Bersa Thunder line (9mm .40 and .45) are even better after a couple hundred rnds. My three Bersa 9mms have the best triggers of all my DA/SA pistols.
 
Don't like them. Hate the difference between the first and second shot. I started out with them for their perceived safety -- S&W 59, SIG P226, Beretta 92, but the only safety you can really count on is the one between the years. Other than an unusual Polish double stack 9mm (P2000 or some such for its low price and novelity), I've not considered buying them since Makarov's were cheap and plentiful in the late 80s / early 90s.
 
I also consider da/sa pistols obsolete. Just about everyone I've trained excelled better with newer pistol designs. But some still prefer the da/sa for their own reasons. Which is fair enough.

I think the CZ75b was the best da/sa pistol I've had the pleasure to shoot. I hated the Ruger P95 types, and wasn't thrilled with the M9 either.
 
My Bersa Thunder UC9 Pro has absolutely the best trigger of any DA/SA hammer fired gun I have ever pulled along with the shortest reset. The reset and pulls on it is comparable to my P99 AS. The DA pull is equal to my CW9s. The SA pull is better than my P-07 (2014 gen) which has some spring swaps and some work done on them.

Everyone that fires/dryfires the UC9 comes away astounded and impressed. I may have an anomaly but my little UC9 is that damn good. ;)
 
Any DA/SA pistol is a little harder to shoot and takes more practice than one with the same pull for each shot. The good news is that if you master it, the other trigger actions become much easier.

I find CZ de-cocking models to have a shorter - not necessarily lighter - first DA pull than most other guns of this type. But at least as, if not more, important than the trigger pull is the gun's fit in your hand. When you put the "crease" of the first joint of your finger on the trigger and grasp the gun, the slide needs to be in line with your forearm. If it points off to the side, you aren't going to do good work with it.
 
I carry a SIG229 and have done so for ten years. As much as I enjoy 1911's I won't go back to one for carry purposes. The SIG shoots just great out of the box. Send it to Bruce Gray for a tune up and it will be amazing.
 
I have had an HK P30 V3 (SA/DA) 9mm since Dec. I got it mainly because of the excellent modular grip that I can change the backstrap and grip shells to fit my large hands, and I shoot it very well in SA mode. It has taken me a while to get used to the long & heavy DA pull and although I have gotten better with shooting it in DA, I don't think I will ever be able to shoot it as well in DA as I do in SA. I think most people with these guns in V3 trigger variant are in the same boat.

JDR.

Think about trying a 10 LB hammer spring in your P30. I have one in my P30LS and it made a nice difference. There is a lighter firing pin block spring also that may be worth a try. So far I only went with the 10LB hammer spring which is really easy and fast to change - just need to remove the backstrap for access. I love shooting my P30LS. SA is really sweet and DA is decent too now.

http://www.hkparts.net/shop/pc/Hammer-Spring-For-USP-P30-P2000-Light-199p16489.htm

http://www.hkparts.net/shop/pc/viewPrd.asp?idproduct=1955

http://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-handgun-talk/138938-easy-how-changing-p30-hammer-spring.html -- how to change P30 hammer spring

http://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-reference-library/40627-p2000-sk-uspc-lem-trigger-job-part-1-a.html --- how to change FPB spring
 
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I carried a SIG 239 for a long time, and before that, it was a S&W 3913. Nowadays, it's always something with a constant trigger pull and no safety lever, whether that's a Seecamp, Kahr, a Glock, or a S&W wheel gun. My bedside gun is a DA/SA Walther P99 that is always in pre-cocked/SA mode.

The DA/SA transition can be mastered, but it requires dedication. I did that for years, and during that time, I abhorred Glocks and other striker fired DAO guns. Now I've come around to seeing the benefits of only having to worry about one type of trigger pull. Practice and training is simplified, and as a result, the speed and accuracy improves across the board. I don't have to think about a changing trigger take up, feel and pull weight.

I still shoot my SIGs because they are excellent examples of firearms design and engineering, but it is in SA mode 99.9% of the time, and I don't carry them.

If you like DA/SA, then my advise is to stick to it (don't go tucking away DAO or SAO guns for carry) and make it a point to practice the transition every time you find yourself on the range.
 
JDR.

Think about trying a 10 LB hammer spring in your P30. I have one in my P30LS and it made a nice difference. There is a lighter firing pin block spring also that may be worth a try. So far I only went with the 10LB hammer spring which is really easy and fast to change - just need to remove the backstrap for access. I love shooting my P30LS. SA is really sweet and DA is decent too now.

http://www.hkparts.net/shop/pc/Hamme...-199p16489.htm

http://www.hkparts.net/shop/pc/viewP...idproduct=1955

http://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-handgu...er-spring.html -- how to change P30 hammer spring

http://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-refere...-part-1-a.html --- how to change FPB spring

Sigarms228;

Knowing how well I can shoot my P30 in SA, your P30LS must be a real tack driver! Thanks For This Update, I will look into these modifications!
 
The Beretta PX4 is another good choice. In addition to having a good trigger pull it is also a very soft shooting pistol. If you do not like the safety it can be converted to a decocker only version, G model.
 
I carried a 4506 as a duty gun for years and never even thought about the DA first shot, just was used to it and it was the only auto I ever shot back then so nothing to compare it to. We qualified with it so it became normal I guess, SA shots were just a bonus. You could always cock the hammer back for a long,aimed shot. Funny thing is to this day I still prefer DA shooting with my revolvers and carry an P290rs for the same reason. Long trigger pulls and long resets are muscle memory now so everything else feels too light,lol:eek:
 
3rd gen S&W is my current EDC.

Carried my CZ75 previously. The weight eventually got to my back.

I wish there was a "beretta style G conversion" for the S&W though.
 
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