I can’t shoot double action revolvers!

[Member 34319]

Boy am I just a bad shot with one.

I own a few, and I for the life of me can't shoot them worth a damn in double action.

I usually bring my Ruger SP101 with me on trips (vacation and or camping), it's stainless, doesn't require magazines, and can be loaded with stout 357 loads. So I figured I'd give it some much needed range time as it's been a bit since ive last shot it. I remember why I don't shoot it often. Anything past 5 yards, I'd be lucky to hit it in double action. My 38 special LSWC loads where ok, they aren't ghost farts, but I did the best with those. I shot 40 full power 357 loads, HUGE FIREBALLS LOL, but the best I could do is some wild 8" or larger group. Some 5 shot strings with those I was definitely pulling off target and missing the 12" x 12" target altogether. I was definitely anticipating recoil and F'ing up something by doing so. I did shoot a few 5 shot strings single action, and low and behold the groups with all ammos tightened up dramatically.

So after about 300 rounds of misc 38/357 I called it quits and moved on to the 8 shot Taurus 22lr.

And…

Pretty much the same thing. I was all over in double action. I even tried Colibri rounds and shot them horribly in double action. I know this gun can shoot as in single action it prints small groups with most CCI products.

So, thanks for listening to me complain about my day of shooting. I did hit some paper with one of my ARs as well and got a very nice 10 shot group at 50 yards with the Primary Arms GLX 2x prism optic. Made the earlier part of the range day less noticeable.

If you've read this far, got any pointers for shooting double action? I was really thinking about buying a tiny concealable revolver for pocket carry, but this has me thinking I may need to reconsider.

Is a trigger job worthy?

Or should I just shut up and shoot it more?

Thanks,

Reno

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[RVTECH]

I know this gun can shoot as in single action it prints small groups with most CCI products.

Why then, if you are target shooting/plinking etc. do you want to shoot it DA?

In all my life of owning and shooting SA/DA revolvers I have rarely shot them DA.

I don't believe you can criticize your own shooting abilities based on DA revolver shooting as it does take a lot of practice to shoot DA effectively.

 

[Hueco]

Is a trigger job worthy?

Or should I just shut up and shoot it more?

Yes.

 

[JHPeck]

Unless you are in an actual gunfight situation, why shoot it double-action? Even if you are practicing for self defense, you can shoot single action if you practice it enough.

 

[mrblond]

TBH, all the revolvers i have owned, i got the most satisfaction while shooting them by the sound of that hammer being cocked back into single action.

Click Click... BANG

 

[CLT65]

It takes practice. for the first quarter-century of my revolver-owning life, I shot all my double-action revolvers almost exclusively in single-action mode. Sometime in the last few years I decided to learn to use them effectively in double-action.

It took quite a bit of practice and a lot of focus, but now I can shoot them nearly as well in double action as in single action. Well, all except for that Nagant revolver with the 37lb trigger pull...

A while back I picked up a Sccy 9mm pistol, only because Bimart had them on sale for something like $175. It has an odd trigger pull for a semi-auto, like a DAO. It's not my favorite.

 

[Nosferatu]

Ok, so your standards are about the 2 worst revolver triggers to ever grace this planet.

The SP101 trigger is notoriously bad.

All .22LR revolver triggers are heavy, they have to be to reliably ignite rimfire ammo.

If you were closer, I'd have you try out my S&W 29-1 or Ruger GP100 10mm. Both have outstanding triggers.

Don't give up, but don't expect the 2 revolvers you have to provide you an accurate representation of DA revolver triggers.

 

[RVTECH]

If you were closer, I'd have you try out my S&W 29-1

And if closer to me You could try out my Mod 66 & 60 S & Ws

They both have had trigger/action jobs and have about 6 LB DA triggers and probably 1 lb or less SA .

 

[41mag]

got any pointers for shooting double action?

yes;
I had a terrible flinch that required considerable un-training to learn how to get decent DA pull awareness.
If you were on this side of the mtn....

 

[Knobgoblin]

You will never get that .22 too an acceptable double action pull, unless you mess with it enough to make ignition unreliable.

Not much experience with the sp101 , but that LCR trigger (I know, plastic revolver, booo) is not difficult to get on paper with.

Only thing I can say that has helped me in revolver practice is ball and dummy drills.
Snubbies are flinch inducing whether you are aware or not. Are your groups opening up towards the bottom of the target?

 

[Knobgoblin]

If you have the 'Murica grips on that Taurus still, you have done about all you should. Besides hand (thumb) cycling the gun empty. Some action smoothing can be accomplished this way.

With them grippy, full sized stocks, I bet single action is actually easy and accurate enough.

 

[41mag]

Do you have any measure of either SA or DA?
Do you group well with light
target loads?

 

[Mikej]

Lots of dry fire practice. Wifey has an SP 01 I went and grabbed out of the safe. Boy-howdy that IS a terrible trigger! Single stage is terrible, without even considering double action. Her gun has red laser grips so that would give you something to work with if you got them. Also, that single stage trigger is terrible compared to the S&W revolvers I have. I'll bet Velsey could do a little work on that to smooth up the double action without making the single action too light? He did a great job on a Chief's Special that someone had messed with before I got it. The double action was terrible gritty and heavy. Like 12 pounds I think he said.

 

[Longwalkhome]

A lot of us old timers were raised with revolvers. My first centerfire was a Ruger Security Six that cost $87 nib.

Even way back then it cost a lot to shoot so us friends bought Lee loaders and loaded 38 specials to practice.

Lots of places to shoot back then and that's what a lot of young people enjoyed doing.

Want to get good then build low cost ammo and shoot a lot.

Heck we even bought Speer plastic cases and bullets that used only a primer to fire.

Who was the best shot meant something in those days.

 

[Howard1955]

A trigger job can help, depending on how bad the trigger is from the factory.

In every revolver I've owned, there has been a point in the double-action pull of the trigger where it could be 'staged'.

Using an unloaded gun, slowly pull the trigger (double action). Pay close attention to what you feel with your trigger finger. There should be a point at which you'll feel a sort of pause in the movement of things. That's where the trigger is 'staged'.

Completing the pull of the trigger from that point is pretty close to pulling the trigger after you've cocked the hammer back. You can compare the feel of it on your revolver. Stage the trigger, then pause and hold that position for a second, and then complete the pull. Then cock the hammer and compare how that feels in comparison. It should be close to the same.

Once you get the feel of a particular revolver's trigger, you can stage the trigger fairly quickly, and then fire the gun. Eventually, you'll just roll smoothly past that 'staging' area.

An exercise that helped me was to balance something on the top of the (unloaded) gun, and then slowly work the trigger. Dry-firing a gun over and over, while keeping something balanced on top of it, can help you learn to work the trigger smoothly without shaking/wiggling the gun.

When you're very familiar with the revolver's trigger, go out and burn up some ammunition. But do it slowly, with your hand(s) resting on a support. You'll gradually learn to shoot double-action very well - but it takes time.

 

[Knute]

Trigger jobs but not too light a pull weigh. Then dry fire practice once a week or more, and shoot it a bunch.

Only one way to get good at DA, is shooting' DA

 

[CountryGent]

Random thoughts:

• Unless it actually needs it, I'm skeptical a trigger job is going to do much.
• As many have referenced, if target shooting, most of us do so with single-action fire.
• Snubs aren't easy for anyone to shoot. It takes a lot of practice for most.
• At bad breath range in which you might have to defend yourself from a baddie with said snub, probably good enough. Point and click interface, if you will, except this one makes a member of the criminal class, hopefully, stop what he's doing. "Good enough" rather than meticulously scoring target practice.
• With practice, one can get good with DA. At the risk of getting dangerously close to "woo" territory, I've found it very relaxing and enjoyable to engage in what is almost meditation (breath control, focus, etc.) with full-size, high quality revolvers on the home range. Most of that shooting is in single-action mode, though I found a rhythm of pulling it DA right before the point of firing, focus/breathing, then bang ... nice little circle in the target, a metallic silhouette sent flying, or a bowling pin thumped off the table.

No worries, I'm sure there is good solutions. Well wishes, friend.

 

[Flopsweat]

A trigger job can help, depending on how bad the trigger is from the factory.

In every revolver I've owned, there has been a point in the double-action pull of the trigger where it could be 'staged'.

Using an unloaded gun, slowly pull the trigger (double action). Pay close attention to what you feel with your trigger finger. There should be a point at which you'll feel a sort of pause in the movement of things. That's where the trigger is 'staged'.

Completing the pull of the trigger from that point is pretty close to pulling the trigger after you've cocked the hammer back. You can compare the feel of it on your revolver. Stage the trigger, then pause and hold that position for a second, and then complete the pull. Then cock the hammer and compare how that feels in comparison. It should be close to the same.

Once you get the feel of a particular revolver's trigger, you can stage the trigger fairly quickly, and then fire the gun. Eventually, you'll just roll smoothly past that 'staging' area.

An exercise that helped me was to balance something on the top of the (unloaded) gun, and then slowly work the trigger. Dry-firing a gun over and over, while keeping something balanced on top of it, can help you learn to work the trigger smoothly without shaking/wiggling the gun.

When you're very familiar with the revolver's trigger, go out and burn up some ammunition. But do it slowly, with your hand(s) resting on a support. You'll gradually learn to shoot double-action very well - but it takes time.

View attachment 1021546

This! Staging the trigger helps a lot. Also grip the gun very tightly, especially with your off hand. "Choke up" on the trigger. In other words don't use your fingertip. The further down your finger you go, the stronger you are and the better the leverage. This will give you better control of a heavy trigger. Don't go so far that it makes you change your grip. Dry fire a lot. Practice practice practice.

The factory trigger pull on that gun is atrocious. I had an SP101 that I bought a lightened main spring for and it made a world of difference. I don't recall anymore but there may have been two springs. In any case it was a very simple job to replace both. It went from a 14 lb D/A pull to I think 11 lb and felt like it was half the effort. I got pretty good at double action with that gun.

 

[Longwalkhome]

I will try to be of help here but it looks like others got you covered really well.

Revolvers are a tool and like all tools of this type it starts with proper lubrication. Pulling the trigger double action sets into motion a mechanical action unlike most other guns. You are cycling everything in the action between shots. Good proper lubrication makes the machine turn easier. A dry gun has so much friction that the pull isn't conducive good accuracy..

 

[Member 34319]

Unless you are in an actual gunfight situation, why shoot it double-action? Even if you are practicing for self defense, you can shoot single action if you practice it enough.

Yes, mostly wanted to do some training for self defense. IE, I holster and pull trigger, fast.

Ok, so your standards are about the 2 worst revolver triggers to ever grace this planet.

The SP101 trigger is notoriously bad.

All .22LR revolver triggers are heavy, they have to be to reliably ignite rimfire ammo.

If you were closer, I'd have you try out my S&W 29-1 or Ruger GP100 10mm. Both have outstanding triggers.

Don't give up, but don't expect the 2 revolvers you have to provide you an accurate representation of DA revolver triggers.

Lol, good points, and thanks for the offer. I have not shot many revolvers.

Kind of makes having double action 22s a silly thing. Never thought about them being so difficult due to ignition. That makes a lot of sense. I guess the only plus a double action 22 gives over something like the Wranger is ease of loading and unloading.

If you have the 'Murica grips on that Taurus still, you have done about all you should. Besides hand (thumb) cycling the gun empty. Some action smoothing can be accomplished this way.

With them grippy, full sized stocks, I bet single action is actually easy and accurate enough.

Yep, still have the Red White and Blue grips. I've got a rubber hogue on the SP101

Do you have any measure of either SA or DA?
Do you group well with light
target loads?

I don't have a trigger gauge. I group well in single action with my target loads.