In a minority- I like DAO pistols

[Deanimator]

This comment immediately made me think of this article from pistol-training.com https://pistol-training.com/articles/kevhs-very-opinionated-guide-to-the-beretta-92

Perhaps your friend is "lube-averse". An excerpt from the article.

I seem to recall him cleaning it at the range, but it was years ago.

The Beretta 9x series is simply inappropriate for MY use. Between the grip size, trigger reach and trigger action, it's nothing on which I would ever spend a dime.

That having been said, if you like them, buy and carry as many of them as you like.

 

[pblanc]

A friend of a friend is a Cleveland transit cop. His duty gun is a Beretta 96D.

I shot that gun on our club range. It was bar none, the second worst handgun trigger I've ever experienced. Only a friend's Colt All American 2000 was worse. It just ground and ground and ground until it went off. It was like holding two mill files together and pulling them in opposite directions.

People tell me that a DAO auto trigger is like a DA revolver trigger. I've got a safe full of pre-lock S&W revolvers, from a Smith 36 to a couple of 29-2s. If ANY of them had a DA trigger like ANY DA/SA or DAO auto I've ever shot, they'd go to Smith for repair yesterday.

I think your friend's pistol is either an anomaly, in poor repair, or poorly maintained. I do not own a Beretta 92D model but most who own the 92 or 96D seem to praise the trigger action. I do own a Beretta Cougar 8000D. The Cougar internals are very similar in design to the 92 series insofar as the trigger action is concerned.

I also own a SIG P250. I have been dry firing both the Beretta 8000D and the SIG P250 and comparing them. With regards to trigger pull weight and length of pull, they are pretty similar. I would rate both as smooth but there is a bit more stacking in the Beretta trigger, right at the end of the pull, when the firing pin block is pushed up against the force of its spring.

 

[gc70]

People tell me that a DAO auto trigger is like a DA revolver trigger. I've got a safe full of pre-lock S&W revolvers, from a Smith 36 to a couple of 29-2s. If ANY of them had a DA trigger like ANY DA/SA or DAO auto I've ever shot, they'd go to Smith for repair yesterday.

Do yourself a favor and don't shoot a SIG P250 or you might find a need to send your Smiths for repair.

 

[boom boom]

I think that revolver shooters find DAO easier to adopt than those from a single action type (1911's etc. ). I think that a common misperception is that a lighter trigger and a shorter length pull on pistols is always better because you can be more accurate with it.

Both are probably true if you are trying to wring out the most accuracy from your rifle for long distance shot. However, handguns are relatively crude in their accuracy compared to rifles and shooting techniques differ obviously.

I have DA/SA, DAO, SAO, etc. revolvers, semi-autos, etc. they can all be shot accurately but require trigger time to do so.

 

[Tallball]

I have them all: DAO, SAO, DA/SA, striker, whatever. DAO are not long-distance hunting or range guns, IMHO, but I prefer them for CC.

You can get used to anything if you practice enough or don't know any better.

To go off topic just a little, one of my favorite pistols is my Beretta 96 "Frankenstein Gun". It has a DAO slide, and thus no safety or other unwanted levers. But the rest of it is DA/SA. I don't know if it is a simple mix-and-match swap, because I bought it that way as surplus, but it sure is a sweet pistol.

 

[Joshua M. Smith]

Many target shooters like the 1911 with a rolling trigger for a surprise break.

Same concept.

Josh

 

[Acera]

I used to not like them, and then got used to the Rohrbaugh I started carrying everyday. That opened the door to me looking at them in a more favorable light.

Recently shot a SCCY CPX-2. Guessing the trigger at around 7-8 lbs, but smooth. Actually thinking about getting one as a replacement for one in my SUV. If lost or stolen, I am only out about $235 for a brand new one. That is cheaper than everything else I have carried in there. Lifetime warranty is not bad either, even though they dropped the free replacement if stolen part last year.


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[BSA1]

Doesn't seem unusual to me. As I generally prefer revolvers DAO semi-auto is a natural match.

 

[Mike J]

I have only owned one true DAO hammer fired semi-auto. It was a Kel-Tec P-11. I wound up gifting it to a friend after I replaced it with another small 9mm.

Interestingly enough I replaced it with a Taurus PT-111 Millennium G2. Taurus calls its action SA/DA. It is single action on the first strike but if it does not fire on the first strike a second trigger pull is double action (I don't really consider the ability to have a second strike a big deal). The thing is the only thing I don't like about this inexpensive little pistol is the single action trigger. The double action trigger is actually miles better. If I knew how to do it without messing something up I would convert it to DAO in a heart beat.

 

[cal44mag]

Do any of you still use an original Ruger LC9?

I first got one a few years ago, and found I couldn't shoot it well.

I switched to revolvers which I shot a lot back 25 years ago and put the LC9 in the back of the safe and ignored it.

Now after practicing double action shooting I went back and tried the LC9 again and I could shoot it much easier than before.

I'm considering putting it on my CCW license as an alternative to 5 shot revolver. Having more than 5 shots would be nice.

 

[Deanimator]

Do yourself a favor and don't shoot a SIG P250 or you might find a need to send your Smiths for repair.

Apparently SIG wants to help me in that regard, since I believe they've discontinued the P250.

There are really far too many SA (M1911, BHP, etc.) and striker fired (Glock, S&W, Steyr, Springfield, SIG, etc.) pistols for me to expend the money or the effort.

 

[stiab]

If ANY of them had a DA trigger like ANY DA/SA or DAO auto I've ever shot, they'd go to Smith for repair yesterday.

Sounds like your DA semi-auto experience is limited. There are some really good ones out there, like 3G Smiths and many Sigs.

 

[Kookla]

From what I can tell, they did discontinue the p250. Thankfully there's a lot of parts that seem to be shared between the p250 and p320- barrels, extractors, frames and a the basic FCU (there's a couple more holes in the 320 FCU from what a sig rep said)

 

[jmf552]

I learned to shoot a DA revolver at age 12. My Dad, who had been a Gunner's Mate and Shore Patrol Officer (military police) during WWII, taught me well and set up a wax bullet range for me in our basement. It consisted of: A Colt Official Police .38 revolver, a box of red wax bullets, a case of primers, a priming/depriming pliers and a target drawn on an empty refrigerator shipping box. I spent hours shooting at the box and I got really good a DAO shooting.

I qualified expert with a revolver first time in the Navy, even though I hadn't fired a gun in years. When I was in a reserve NIS (later NCIS of TV fame) unit, when I first qual'ed with a revolver (they carried Ruger Police Service Sixes back then) I shot the top score of the day and outscored one of the instructors who was re-qualing, again without having shot in a while. He was none too happy about it!

By contrast, I struggled with the 1911 for many years, although with some instruction and practice, I got good enough to qual expert and went on to compete on a Navy shooting team with it.

I have taken several defensive shooting courses in the last few years. I do OK with a 1911 or a striker-fired gun, but if I am in a pressure situation, like quick draw, low light or force on force, I always do better with either a revolver or my Sig P290 RS, DAO, single hand hold, which is how I learned. I usually use the old "FBI crouch" position. I know that makes me a throw-back, but it works for me.

 

[johnnydollar]

I'm also a fan of HK's LEM trigger. My single action Hi Power is more accurate in my hands, but my LEM-equipped HKs have never failed me, and I like the safety factor built into the LEM trigger for personal defense.

 

[Deanimator]

Sounds like your DA semi-auto experience is limited. There are some really good ones out there, like 3G Smiths and many Sigs.

• Walther P-38
• Walther PPK/S
• S&W M39
• Beretta 96D
• H&K P9S-45
• Astra A-80
• Daewoo
• Makarov PM
• Tanfoglio TZ-40 and TZ-9

To name a few.

They're just not my cup of tea. If you like them, buy 'em by the truck load.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

I like'em!

 

[Coltdriver]

I like DAO just because you pull and shoot. I have never had to pull a carry weapon but if it ever came to that I don't want to mess with anything. Just like a revolver, pull and shoot. Once you get the grip and trigger pull down they can be as accurate as anything else out there. I do like the multiple strike capability but very few have that. I have never needed a second strike in all of my range shooting but it just seems like a comfort feature. I have had DAO Colts, Glocks, Springfields and several revolvers. Just makes sense to me to have a weapon designed for its principle use and the DAO's sure fit the bill for readily available in a carry piece.

 

[JTQ]

I I do like the multiple strike capability but very few have that. I have never needed a second strike in all of my range shooting but it just seems like a comfort feature. I have had DAO Colts, Glocks, Springfields and several revolvers.

Is this a typo? Glock's aren't considered DAO, and they certainly don't have "second strike" capability.

 

[pert near]

It has been mentioned several times in this thread but I'm going to add my "plus 1" to this. I also love the HK LEM trigger. This gives a whole new meaning to DAO. Try one just for the experience if you can.

 

[HexHead]

Agree 100% with the above statement. Best trigger system that most LGS counter jockeys have not a clue as to how to promote or sell. IMHO, an HK P30SK(S) with a V1 Light LEM trigger variant (and I'd want the thumb safety with the V1 Light LEM) well this setup might possibly be the optimum CCW that I know of.

The SKS variant isn't available from HK with the Lite LEM trigger.

 

[Chuck R.]

The SKS variant isn't available from HK with the Lite LEM trigger.

It's a simple spring swap to convert a V2 to a V1, all of about 10 minutes worth of work. Here's a tutorial:

http://www.hkpro.com/forum/hk-reference-library/40627-p2000-sk-uspc-lem-trigger-job-part-1-a.html

and it's also not hard to create a LEM with a safety. You buy a P30SKS (which is V3) and convert it to LEM while retaining the safety. Quite a few guys have done it.

Chuck

 

[gc70]

Is this a typo? Glock's aren't considered DAO, and they certainly don't have "second strike" capability.

Glocks certainly do not have second-strike capability, but they are considered DAO, both by the US government and the manufacturer. One of Glock's big selling points about safety is that the striker is only partially tensioned until pulling the trigger fully retracts the striker before it is released.

Functionally, the HK LEM trigger is also a pre-cocked trigger system, although it does have second-strike capability.

 

[Deanimator]

Glocks certainly do not have second-strike capability, but they are considered DAO, both by the US government and the manufacturer.

1. REAL "DAO" permits a firing stroke without resort to any action besides pulling the trigger, and activating grip safety (if present).
2. The U.S. government "considers" a lot of things, including that an imported Kalashnikov type rifle with one fewer American made part than another identical Kalashnikov rifle is somehow "evil" and prohibited.
3. I've never heard Glock refer to their trigger mechanism as anything other than "safe action".

 

[armoredman]

jmf552, I often wondered why we had 4 Ruger Service Six 38 Specials in the Armory, with no ammo, holsters, nada. We had plenty of 1911A1s, so there was no use for them. I bought a box of ammo just so I could shoot with one. The one I chose had a bent barrel, I guess, couldn't qualify with it. Made Gunner grimace when I asked to do it, though, that was worth seeing.
As for DAO, only DAO trigger I ever tried that I liked was the very short production Colt Z-40, was smooth as glass on the 6 we had at the gun shop I worked at. Couldn't afford one and didn't want a full size 40 caliber pistol limited to ten rounds, so I never grabbed one. Oh well. I had a DAO CZ 100....THAT was flat out horrible.