Wondering about real-life encounters with SA vrs DA/SA

[boogalou]

I would like to know who out there has had to draw their handgun on a perp and what type of trigger action your gun had. Do you think the situation would have been any different if you had carried a different type of trigger action? For example, if you had to use your Sig to defend yourself, would carrying a 1911 instead have made any difference in your opinion, or vice versa.

The reason I ask is because I wonder if its possible that we make to much of DA versus SA in a SHTF scenario. Under the stress of an armed encounter, especially up close & personal, I don't see any real advantage to a SA trigger. There is also the adage that you keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire, but I find that the 1911 trigger guard doesn't give me as much elbow room as the trigger guard of my CZ PCR, which is the gun I currently carry.

Please understand I'm not knocking 1911's. I own 3 of them and consider them the best platform for the .45ACP, and I have carried them on occasion, but it would be interesting and helpful to hear of real world encounters and how they were handled with different types of handguns.

 

[LASur5r]

Depends on what you mean.

Depends...
I have had several incidents where I have had to draw my handgun in preparation to taking Plan B as a perp was moving to within confrontation range (30 + feet).

My opinion? There is a nice comfortable feeling when you snick that safety off knowing that it is a definite step letting me know that I have waited until the last possible moment before I might have to fire. My three weapons of choice is an H & K Compact (DA/SA), Dan Wesson .45ACP (SA), and a CZ-75 (DA/SA). The real common feature why I chose those weapons is that frame mounted thumb safety and the fact that all three have proven 100% reliable.

So you can see that SA or DA/SA does not make a difference to me because I have practiced enough with each of these weapons and they have common features that I do not have to make a real transition if I picked up any of these weapons in an up close and personal moment.

So the secret to me is that you have to practice, practice, practice...until you are totally comfortable with your weapon(s).

Hope that helps.

 

[Devonai]

The only time I ever drew my sidearm in fear of my life was this incident (scroll down to my name in the thread).

The short version: I was carrying a Glock 17 with 17+1 rounds. I kept my finger off of the trigger because I knew that as soon as I touched the trigger I would deactivate the only safety on the weapon.

I no longer own a Glock, but I tend to prefer pistols in condition two (loaded chamber, hammer down, safety off) to allow for a total "brainfart" panic shot. I figure if I have enough time and distance to deactivate a safety I have enough time to manually cock the hammer. Of course, now that I'm back in the USP business I get to choose!

 

[sendec]

Over the course of my LE career I have pointed weapons of all types at bad guys. The type of action concerned them not a bit.

Seriously, any type is usable, and all can be equally safe or unsafe, operator dependent. Train with whatever you have, and when you are done, train some more. Then, get some more training in. In a gunfight the only mechanism that really matters is that grey gooey thing between your ears.

 

[entropy]

Only time I used a handgun for self-defense, (actually, one friend of mine was threatening another with a knife, because of his ethnic background.) I was carrying a Colt Trooper MKIII 6" in a shoulder holster. My finger stayed outside the trigger guard the whole time, but it was nice to know I had a quick shot available if needed, while still not having to worry about an AD or mucking about switching a safety off.
Before all you auto shooters get all huffy, I have owned and fired many, many different types of pistols. I was an Armorer in the Army, and taught marksmanship with the M1911A1, M10 S&W, and M9. I have practiced draw and fire drills with everything from a Jennings .22 to a 7 1/2" Redhawk. I am comfortable carrying an M1911 cocked and locked. I still prefer a well-tuned DA revolver for carry.
Fortunately, the above incident ended happily for all involved, the guy dropped the knife, my friend and I left the premesis unharmed, and the knife-wielder apologized profusely after he sobered up.