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Single Action -vs- Double Action Explained;
montanajoe
Forums Admins, Member, Moderator Posts: 59,956 ******
He stumbles his words in a couples places, but corrects and delivers a good video
Comments
An easy way to explain it is how the guns may be cocked. A single action you cock it with the thumb; a double action you cock it with the thumb or the trigger.
Kannoneer is absolutely correct. But explain why a double action only is called a double action but really isn't a double action because it cannot be cocked with the thumb making it a single action firing only by pulling the trigger. So in reality there are two types of single actions the old Colt hogleg configuration and the new Glock and all of its clones. So, in order to be politically correct and not offend anyone I suggest we do the WOKE thing and reclassify them as revolvers and semi automatics. The highly revered Colt 1911 is a single action!! I leave you all with this conundrum.
According to Col. Jeff Cooper a single action can be fired one way, and a double action can be fired two ways.
So, according to him a Colt SAA or 1911 is a single action, because they can only be fired one way, when the hammer is cocked, and a Smith & Wesson model 10 is a double action, since it can be fired by trigger-cocking or thumb-cocking the hammer.
But, a so-called "double action only" such as a Smith & Wesson model 40 or any of a number of DAO autos, are actually single actions since they can only be fired one way.
Other people define double and single action differently, but this is what the Colonel had to say about it.
Mr. Nunn you are absolutely correct, As was I. A double is two and a single is one and never the twain shall meet.
Yes, but now some authors claim "double-action" means pulling the trigger performs TWO actions. It cocks the hammer and fires the cartridge. I think they did this to bring DAO pistols into the DA fold.
Possibly, but a duck by any other name is still a duck.
That's the way I learned it in the '70's - pulling the trigger performs a single action, releasing the hammer OR pulling the trigger performs two actions, cocking and releasing the hammer.