What action style do you prefer in a carry gun?

[Richard]

Pat, I went with I don't care. Why? I have been known to carry all of them except the 8 LB Glock. I am transitioning to a Bersa Thunder 45 as it is reasonably priced, accurate, compact, and reliable. It is better to use a $250 gun for a car gun than a $800-$1,000 one. Regards, Richard

 

[caz223]

Squeeze cocker.
Followed by revolver, then SA/DA.

 

[GUNGUY1911]

SA C&L is first choice, as a second I would have to say.....SA C&L!

 

[ruger357]

Prefer DS/SA.

 

[stevelyn]

I voted locked and cocked single-action since I've taken to a BHP for off-duty/CC. It's really a toss up between that and Glock Safe-Action 5.5. I like both. I'll wax Cooperish and say that I despise Crunchentickers.

 

[ny32182]

DA/SA.

I'd be hard pressed to even consider anything else.

 

[Black Majik]

single action cocked and locked...

hey whatt'dya know... that's what the 1911 uses.

 

[Greg Bell]

C&L SA

or, even better

Squeeze-cocking SA

 

[45R]

DA/SA for me if I am ever allowed to carry in CA.

 

[Rob96]

I voted Single action cocked and locked, although the Glock is a very close second. The 1911 feels the best in my hand.

 

[David4516]

DA/SA, but my backup is SA, I carry it round in the chamber with hammer down...

 

[cornbread2]

I like the Glock which is basically DAO.

I like the 1911s cocked and locked and any single action such as the Springfield XD that HAS internal safetys that make them drop safe.

I do not like the DA-SA pistols such as Berettas and Sigs. They are fine guns if you like them but I like each trigger pull to be the same.

 

[Brasso]

I prefer DA/SA simply because I am not allowed to carry sigle actions for work and I don't want to confuse myself. I like the traditional da/sa without a safety because it's very fast into action, but has the heavy, less accident prone trigger than something like a glock that absolutely must be carried in a holster to be safe.

I do believe, however, that if you carry a gun with a manual safety that the safety should be used. If you don't train yourself to disengage the safety on a regular basis it could be disastrous in a real situation if that safety happens to be on.

 

[Third_Rail]

I'm going to admit ignorance here, but what does it mean to have a single action pistol "cocked and locked"?? Maybe I don't understand "single action", either.... I feel dumb now.

 

[ReadyontheRight]

Third_Rail -- There are no dumb questions, but here's what might be a dumb answer:

You're probably thinking about a single action revolver -- where you cock the hammer manually and the trigger will only activate a cocked hammer -- no "cocked and locked" there that I know (I don't own one and I've asked truly dumb questions about them).

"Cocked and locked" refers to a single action autoloader like the 1911 (a/k/a the good old military "Colt 45"). It is typically carried with the external hammer cocked and the slide safety by your thumb engaged or "locked" so that the hammer won't fall and the slide won't slide.

I haven't looked at a new Springfield XD yet. Do they have a grip safety PLUS a Glock-style DA trigger? That seems like a good combination.

 

[Third_Rail]

Ah, I get it now... I wouldn't be able to do that, I don't believe in external "switch" type safties. I'd rather have a trigger safety like a Glock instead of having the hammer back and the safety on; but then again that's just because I wouldn't want to waste even .5 seconds turning the safety off....

EDIT: But then again, I would be able to handle that if the safety was in a better place, I've only handled a Beretta 92 full size, and the safety isn't convienent for my hand... And what's it called when, on a semi-automatic, you have to cock the hammer the first time but not on any consecutive shots??

Can you tell I'm a single-action revolver guy?
They're so much simpler.... DA/SA DAO SAO?? Huh?

 

[355sigfan]

I wouldn't want to waste even .5 seconds turning the safety off....
END Quote

You don't waste time with a single action with the safety on. The safey comes off before your sights are anywhere near the target. Once your on target there is less trigger to pull. Thats why the 1911 wins at speed games over dao and da sa style guns its simply faster.
Pat

 

[Sean Smith]

And what's it called when, on a semi-automatic, you have to cock the hammer the first time but not on any consecutive shots

No such gun. On a 1911 or other single-action autoloader, chambering the first round also cocks the hammer, at which point the safety is applied & the hammer is left cocked & locked. Each shot fired re-cocks the hammer, including the last shot. Thus, with a single-action autoloader you never have to thumb-cock the gun to fire it.

And as Pat said, it doesn't waste any time to drop the safety on a single-action autoloader, because it is done on the draw before the sights are on target. Speed on target is exactly the same as if the safety was just left off.

 

[Correia]

Single action, c&l.

And if you are like me you shoot with you thumb on top of the safety, so there is no way in heck that you aren't going to get the safety disengaged. The safety is off about half way through the draw stroke for me.

 

[Third_Rail]

Oh, I was thinking it was already chambered but decocked then left like that.... I get it now though. I think the 1911 style is the best then, C&L, because I like speed when handling revolvers, and I'd like that to carry over to semi autos.

 

[Maddock]

Since this is the auto forum I chose single action.
For carry/defence revolvers, I prefer DAO.