DA only revolver

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Apiidae

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I am looking for a DA only revolver for the wife. 38/357. Simple to use.

Here's the trick; barrel length 4 1/4" minimum (Canadian laws).

Does anyone know a manufacturer that fits the bill?

Thanks.
 
Why must it be DAO???
Afraid of the hammer snagging a pocket or purse during deployment? In that case, do what RussB said.
Otherwise, simply ignore the SA option!
Can't beat a SP101.
 
The actual Canadian law specifies a minimum barrel length of 105 mm.
Which translates to 4.133 inches.
Not 4.250" / 4 1/4".

Ruger makes the SP-101 with a 4.2 in barrel in .22 RF and also .357 magnum specifically to meet the Canadian standard.

They just don't make it in DAO.
But the hammer spur could be de-horned by any gunsmith, or reasonably skilled DIY'er in about 15 minutes time.

rc
 
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I am looking for a DA only revolver for the wife. 38/357.
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If anyone does Smith and Wesson would be the ones.

If you can't locate a Canadian legal D.A. revolver, remember it's easy to bob the hammer so it can't be thumb cocked for single action shooting.

P.s. Why D.A. only?
 
Both the Ruger SP101 and GP100 have been offered in the past with DAO hammers and I imagine Ruger could convert the gun to DAO. Second, any gunsmith can do a conversion to DAO probably a lot quicker and cheaper. Third, one can do it themselves readily by removing the single action cocking notch from the hammer. The hammer spur can be reduced or eliminated also, if desired. Fourth, on occasion a parts dealer such as Numrich has DAO hammers available.
 
Snagging on clothing isn't really an issue in Canada since no one is authorized for concealed carry. Handguns are only for range fun and competitions. OK, there are a few folks that have wilderness carry permits for handguns but those are few and far between and the guns have to be correctly packed up for transport going to and coming from those wilderness places.

So I'm curious about why DAO as well? Seems like it would be simpler to just shoot in DA mode all the time without actually modifying the gun. I use my revolvers for both casual bullseye style target shooting and various competitions. Other than the bullseye stuff I just ignore the fact that it even has an SA mode.

Or is the issue that she keeps on giving up and switches to SA mode?
 
A few years back , the US market was flooded with Smith & wessom model 64, 15, 10 and some 66's that were Police trade in's.
They were double action only and had 4" barrels.
The police dumped them when they went to the 9 and 40 but held on to them for a while for cadet training and just to see that the autos worked out.
I am sure there are some still around.
That is how I got my M-64 that I still have, but it was one of the few in the lot that was double and single action.
I guess police departments don't want their officers to be able to cock their pistols, and walk around with it like that and accidently discharge the weapon.
 
But, a S&W with a 4" barrel would not be legal in Canada where a 105mm / 4.133" barrel is the minimum legal length now.

rc
 
Dag Nabbit, I read it backwards.
I thought 4.1 was the Max.
Sorry.
But there were a few 66's in the lot with the 6" barrel
 
Tough to beat RC's suggestion for the Ruger if you're shopping new. Note I'm of the opinion that by and large DAO revolvers should not have single action hooks on the hammer - same noted competent gunsmith could do this while bobbing the hammer.

Funnel
 
The Ruger GP-100 that I carry every day was originally a contract over-run for the RCMP. It came with a 4" half-lug barrel, fixed sights, and a bobbed DAO hammer (with single-action hooks removed). I assume that since most of these Rugers were sent to Canada for the Mounties that you should have a few floating around up there.

I'm mainly a S&W guy, but this Ruger is one revolver that I'll never sell.

DSCF6271_zps4f37185a.jpg
 
Thanks for the info. I think a bobbed spur is my only option. I wanted the hammerless DA only for one less moving part.

It's funny (for me), when she shoots my M&P 9mm the brass come back at her head. Takes the fun away. I want her to get used to shooting, and have her own handgun that is just a point and shoot.
 
My carry revolvers are all S&Ws and I prefer them DAO. I get the hammers bobbed, the actions reworked to DAO, and trigger stops installed by a local 'smith. Without having to worry about the SA trigger weight he can work the DA pull as light and smooth as possible while assuring positive ignition. The result is a very slick and shorter DA pull.

Here's a couple of examples-
327NG
SDC10012.jpg

Custom 9mm 360J
SDC10023.jpg
 
At various times Smith & Wesson, Ruger and Colt have offered hammers that were modified to DAO, with and without the conventional spur (that was left because some holster restraining straps required it).

Your situation in Canada is somewhat unique because of the special barrel length that's required. For that reason the best solution might be to purchase a revolver there, and then either have the stock hammer modified, or switch out the hammer for one that is already modified. I believe you can purchase a hammer in the United States and have it shipped to Canada without any special problems, or you can remove and ship the stock hammer and send it to a gunsmith in the U.S. for modification and then returned.

A possible source for pre-modified hammers is www.gunpartscorp.com that are located in West Hurley, NY. Since they don't always catalog everything they have, send them a e-mail request.

Another alternative is to have a screw put in the trigger's fingerpiece (see picture in above post) that will block the hammer from being rotated far enough to come to full-cock, yet allow double-action firing. Back off the screw, and the revolver is returned to it's original SA/DA condition.
 
"I wanted the hammerless DA only for one less moving part."

On the Ruger the part count is the same with or without being DAO. It is just whether the hammer has a single action cocking notch which is an integral part of the hammer.
 
A Hack saw, and a couple of Mill Files is all that is needed to Bob the Hammer and take three strokes with a file to remove the single action notch.
Why would you have to send it to a gunsmith or order another part ?
If you can disassemble and reassemble your gun for normal Maintenance then I feel a gunsmith is not needed.
 
Like all things, they're is a right way, and a number of wrong ones to do something. When it comes to working on the innards of a revolver it is wise to leave the work to someone who knows what they are about. I have a collection of ruined parts that got that way because the person who was responsible didn't know as much as they thought they did. :uhoh:

When posting on the Internet I keep in mind that I often haven’t got a clue concerning what the qualifications of someone else might be.
 
@ old Fuff
You are right.
I forget sometimes, that even though I am not the sharpest tool in the shed, and I am not a Rocket Scientist, there are lots of people out there that don't even know 1/ 10th of what I know, or have any skills at all.
I should get a job in a gunsmiths shop so I can see what it looks like from the other side of the fence.
I just figure, if I can figure something out, then why can't other people?
 
LAGS said:
A Hack saw, and a couple of Mill Files is all that is needed to Bob the Hammer and take three strokes with a file to remove the single action notch.
Why would you have to send it to a gunsmith or order another part ?
If you can disassemble and reassemble your gun for normal Maintenance then I feel a gunsmith is not needed.
Click to expand...
This won't work on a S&W revolver, at least not the older ones. I can not comment on Rugers or newer S&Ws. It does work on the Italian C&B revolvers but the OP is not talking of them.
 
Apiidae said:
Thanks for the info. I think a bobbed spur is my only option. I wanted the hammerless DA only for one less moving part.

It's funny (for me), when she shoots my M&P 9mm the brass come back at her head. Takes the fun away. I want her to get used to shooting, and have her own handgun that is just a point and shoot.
Click to expand...
As just said by another member, the parts count is the same, DAO or not. When the sixgun is shot DA, the single-action sear part of the trigger never reaches the single-action notch on the hammer; simple as that. By not manually cocking the hammer, the SA surfaces do not meet.

Ruger does, indeed, make 4.2" GP100 and SP101 revolvers. Pick the one best-suited for your wife's hands, and it is BETTER to let HER make that decision, to ensure domestic tranquility. Women who have handled my SP101 and GP100 revolvers have tended to like the SP101.

Another factor in favor of the SP101 is that the hammer spur is quite small. I have both spurless and spurred hammers in my several SP101 five-guns, and have noticed that the spur is so unobtrusive, it never seems to get caught on anything, anyway, and I do carry mine often, sometimes two or three at the same time. Simply using a small stone to take away the sharp edges is plenty enough to make the SP101 spur easy to live with.

Notably, it is better to cherry-pick from among several samples of the same model, as some Rugers have quite smooth triggers when new. I am not sure how many gunsmiths are working north of the border.
 
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WC145, those are some nice wheel guns!

To the OP.
I know two ladies who really like their SP101s, but if you can get your wife to try as many different models as you can so she can find one she likes best. Good luck and hope you can get a good one that you both enjoy.
 
Getting back to the original question....

There are no DAO revolvers sold in Canada that I know of. At least none that come from the factory as DAO. The DAO guns mentioned in this thread can't be sold in Canada as the barrels are too short so they can't be imported.

So your only option comes down to finding a used gun which has been converted to DAO or get a new gun and have a smith do the work to convert it.

As mentioned the conversion leaves the gun with the same number of parts. The only difference being that you will remove the option of shooting in SA at longer ranges or for precision bullseye use. So you are basically turning the gun into something more useable for speed related matches such as IPSC or IDPA. And if it turns out that she does not like that style or wants to shoot in SA at some point for a little added precision then you've taken that option away.

I shoot revolver in my IDPA matches and to date I have simply not found that the spur on the hammer has gotten in the way at all. And unless you're getting her set up to actually draw from a holster while under a timer there's nothing to be gained by removing the SA function since the spur hanging up on some clothing is the ONLY significant reason to remove it...... And from looking at the pictures of bobbed hammer guns I must admit that they do look pretty cool.... :D

Not to mention that if/when you go to sell the gun at some future date you'll greatly restrict your market audience. Most revolver owners want to have the option of SA shooting at some point. So you can expect to lose a good amount of the gun value by doing a mod of this sort.

If she's only going to shoot basic target shooting I would suggest you also consider used revolvers. There are some great S&W's in .38Spl with delightful triggers out there for much less than the cost of a new gun. And a K frame model is noticeably lighter and handier for the ladies. The restricted ones will almost certainly have 6 inch barrels but that just makes it easier to get a good and accurate sight picture. Only if the goal is to move her into events where a holster draw is required is it worth chasing down a 4.2 inch barrel gun. Or if you might also use the gun for such things then again it's worth getting the shorter barrel.
 
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