decock only?

[DRMMR02]

This may sound dumb, but I have never handled a pistol that was decock-only. Can someone explain exactly what that is and how it differs from a normal DA/SA pistol with manual firing-pin-block safety and such? Do decock-only pistols still fire in DA/SA? Do decock-only pistols still have a safety that you can leave on until you need to turn it off?

 

[pharmer]

Sigs are probably the best known decock only pistols. Sa/Da, decocker is the only proper way to lower hammer on loaded chamber. Takes some getting used to, I like it better than safety. Joe

 

[Black Majik]

Decock only is a DA/SA gun that uses a lever to "decock" the hammer safely.

Mainly the SIG P-series, HKP2000, and HK USP (variant 3)

 

[Steve C]

Can someone explain exactly what that is and how it differs from a normal DA/SA pistol with manual firing-pin-block safety and such? Do decock-only pistols still fire in DA/SA? Do decock-only pistols still have a safety that you can leave on until you need to turn it off?

Decock only pistols have no active safety that can be "left on". The safety lever does only one thing and that's safely decock the pistol. With the pistol decocked the pistol is made safe by the pasive safeties that prevent it from firing when dropped, however if a round has been chambered the gun will fire in the DA mode if the trigger is pulled or in single action mode if the hammer is cocked again. This type of system makes the pistol similar to a DA revolver.

 

[Jiml3]

With the CZ 75 line, you can get it on the PCR model and the newer version which I think is the P01. I have it and like the concept very much!

 

[Bazooka Joe71]

Its the SP01 tacticool.

 

[Juna]

Basically, the decocker safely lowers the hammer (usually with the firing pin blocked) to a half-cocked position when pressed. You can then carry with the hammer in the half-cocked position (lighter pull than full DA, but harder pull than SA). If it's decock only, then most people would carry it in that way.

If you're dead set on carrying cocked and locked, then you need a manual safety. Some guns have one lever that acts BOTH as a manual safety and decocker (e.g. the H&K USP variant 1). The USP Variant 1 has a lever that flips up for manual safety, down to fire, and further down to decock. So with that, you get the best of all worlds.

Personally, I have a CZ 75 BD (D = decocker only). I have fired guns with manual safeties, but I don't see what all the hype about cocked & locked carry is about. I find the manual safety easier to accidentally flip off than a half-cocked trigger is to pull, so I think it's safer to carry a decocker model. Plus, I don't find the half-cocked pull to be all that bad, and I'm still accurate with it, so I have no reason to carry C&L. Furthermore, I would rather not have to fiddle with a safety if the SHTF--I prefer point and shoot. I don't like anything extra to have to be done before I can pull the trigger.

Do decock-only pistols still fire in DA/SA?

Yes. After the first pull, all subsequent pulls are SA.

 

[kansas45]

I was a little nervous to use the de-cock feature on my Ruger P89DC for the first time. in fact, it was several months before I ever tried it. Turns out, it's a good thing to have on a pistol. I use it a lot now.