I can’t shoot double action revolvers!

[orygun]

For shooting with my revolvers I use empty freon containers which are smaller than a 5 gallon propane tank. I'll stick them out 20-30 yards. Shooting single action I'll often move them out to 50. I used to have a consistent supply of these cans and still have many stashed at our shooting range.
Here's the wife with one that we'd been shooting with the 44 Specials out of the S&W Model 69 I used to have. She was shooting single action, I was shooting DA.

 

[dangerranger60]

To the OP, it takes some practice to shoot a DA only revolver well. But the payoff is that the fundamentals you are perfecting will make shooting all guns so much easier! the smaller the gun the more careful the shooter has to be to shoot that gun well. So if you can master a J frame airweight , you will easily master a full size gun!
When I learned, I was given an unloaded 38 revolver and a handful of pencils. the target was a piece of cardboard with an aiming dot in the center. Cock the revolver and slide the pencil to the back of the chamber, hold the end of the pencil a few inches away from the cardboard target, and practice aiming and firing the gun with the pencil as a snap cap.
Once you perfect your grip and single action trigger pull the pencil will only be making one hole in the cardboard. That's the sign you have your sight picture and trigger pull right! Then move on to DA dry firing with a coin balanced on the revolver. Practice this at home . it won't cost you anything but time!
When you have both of those drill down then practice with light 38 loads before moving on to light 357 loads, and then full house magnums!
I carry a S&W 642 every day, and practice a lot with 38 wadcutters at about 650 fps. My carry load is just over 800 fps. but that would make my old hands ache from shooting a lot of them in practice. At each practice I'll shoot a box of practice ammo and only a cylinder or two of carry ammo.
It took me awhile to learn to shoot a DA revolver well but it was worth the time and ammo. DR

 

[41mag]

Shooting the DA revolver for accuracy is a delight to return to, after struggling to acquire the taste for the amazing variety of bottom feeder games & frames. I for one prefer the revolver in nearly any range game they'll let me enter with one, although the truth is, I've tend to avoid those set-ups where someone is counting your mikes and someone else is telling you how long it took to do it.

I've come to prefer 4-6" steel plates out to about 60', to give the most enjoyable work out, where I can evaluate various recipes, use up old ammo, and not have to stand around too long waiting for everybody else. Touching up with paint can gives plenty of opportunity to devise a wide variety of exercises without having to go downrange too many times.

 

[OldBroad44]

Try as I will, I can not get my 1919 model T to track straight and smoothly at 65mph on the freeway.

Someone told me that there are modern cars with entirely different designs that would solve my problem. Nope. Not me. If it was good enough for my grandpa, it's good enough for me.

Cheers

Funny, admittedly. But its an inappropriate analogy.

The good DA revolver gives me two trigger modes. A light crisp SA trigger optimal for superb accuracy for hunting and long range work but a bit too light for pointing at a bad guy if I need to be able to not fire until the right moment even with muscles full of adrenaline. And a DA trigger that gives optimal control in shoot/dont-shoot emergencies. And I can choose which mode I want on any shot. Not just on the first as with SA/DA semi autos.

My Ruger Super Redhawk can shoot anything from .44sp wadcutters to .44mag +P+. An energy range from 2 or 300 ft lbs to about 1600, .454 Casual power except in a .44. A semi auto requires a spring that matches the weight of slide and power of the ammo. So it is inherently limited to a much smaller range of ammo powers than a revolver.

Finally, revolvers can fire bullet and ammo types semi autos simply can't. Semi autos can't shoot wadcutters except fed in one at a time. Keith style semiwadcutters are also out. A .22 revolver can fire all four lengths of .22 bullets plus CCI snake loads and cycle them all. The .22 semi auto can fire only .22lr and cycle the slide. And while there are supposedly bear loads in 10 mm, they are more like a cross between a real bear load and round nose which is notorious for zipping through while doing little damage. The bullet meplats are small and the edges rounded--a compromise required to make them feed in semi autos but counterproductive with respect to assuring deep penetrating with maximal damage.

Of course, many semi autos carry enough rounds to stand off a whole mob of people attacking others for no reason, which seems to be a thing now. Its conceivable that even sweet gentle trouble-avoiding me might be more likely to need to deal with a mob than a bear or cougar these days. Even though my neighborhood has a resident cougar. And I have already once had to chase a bear outta my yard when it ignored my sign saying, "Absolutely no free duck dinners provided here, and by the way, get off my lawn!" Hmmm. There's an ARPC show coming up....

 

[WillametteWill]

Effectively running a DA trigger is fast becoming a lost art.

If you can do this AND drive a stick you are likely not a millennial and qualify as a renaissance man/woman.

 

[Flopsweat]

Semi autos can't shoot wadcutters except fed in one at a time.

I've shot 9mm and .380 wadcutters out of several different semi-auto pistols with no issues. Mostly cheap and midrange guns. I specifically remember Kel-Tec, Taurus, CZ and Beretta but there are more.

 

[RMc]

I disagree. I've always hooked my finger, using the furthest third of the second joint for most any handgun I've fired and especially DA revolvers.
Retired Master PPC competitor etc.
Your grip upon the weapon will show you where your finger should be, don't force it to get some "leverage".

The emphasis on using the first joint of the trigger finger as the contact point is to increase leverage for most shooters. We have all been taught to press the trigger with the center pad ahead of the first joint of our index finger. With the lighter weight of most single action triggers it works quite well. And for most shooters it is a learned habituation.

Thus, using the first joint of the index finger as the trigger contact point is to experience the additional leverage needed. From there the shooter can adjust to fit their specific need, hand size etc. - not to adopt a set in concrete dogma.

There is a reason for the old saying: Master the double action and you can handle any trigger!

 

[OldBroad44]

Distances DA. When doing SD drills these are at short distances, 20' or less, and are DA. When practicing with hunting in mind its normally 20' to 40 yards, and is SA. (My practice spot doesnt go beyond 40 yards.) If I were hunting deer and one popped up at 25 yards or less I'd undoubtedly use DA though. Partly because of time pressure. Partly cause the cuss might spook at the noise of hammer cocking.

 

[OldBroad44]

I've shot 9mm and .380 wadcutters out of several different semi-auto pistols with no issues. Mostly cheap and midrange guns. I specifically remember Kel-Tec, Taurus, CZ and Beretta but there are more.

By wadcutter I mean a bullet that is flat across the top and does not extend beyond the case at all. I've never seen a commercial wadcutter load for semiautomatic. My understanding is they won't feed. Seems to me they might be too short for magazine too. Presumably if you constructed such a load and loaded them into the chamber one at a time as single shots they would fire. But you wouldn't have a functional semiautomatic. You can fire .22 shorts or shot shells by loading them into the chamber of a .22 semi auto. But they don't cycle the action. ???

 

[OldBroad44]

The emphasis on using the first joint of the trigger finger as the contact point is to increase leverage for most shooters. We have all been taught to press the trigger with the center pad ahead of the first joint of our index finger. With the lighter weight of most single action triggers it works quite well. And for most shooters it is a learned habituation.

Thus, using the first joint of the index finger as the trigger contact point is to experience the additional leverage needed. From there the shooter can adjust to fit their specific need, hand size etc. - not to adopt a set in concrete dogma.

There is a reason for the old saying: Master the double action and you can handle any trigger!

Whether I use the finger pad or first joint depends on the size of gun and how heavy DA trigger pull is. With Buddy, my EDC, who is a 686 snubby, I use my finger pad when shooting DA or SA. However, the DA is relatively light. With Thumper, my 9.5" Ruger Super Redhawk, I use my finger pad when firing SA and my first joint when shooting DA. The DA is smooth but very heavy. I need the extra power provided by the first joint position.

 

[Flopsweat]

By wadcutter I mean a bullet that is flat across the top and does not extend beyond the case at all. I've never seen a commercial wadcutter load for semiautomatic. My understanding is they won't feed. Seems to me they might be too short for magazine too. Presumably if you constructed such a load and loaded them into the chamber one at a time as single shots they would fire. But you wouldn't have a functional semiautomatic. You can fire .22 shorts or shot shells by loading them into the chamber of a .22 semi auto. But they don't cycle the action. ???

It looks like what I was shooting was semi-wadcutter because some of the slug does extend past the case. I knew there was SWC and WC but I apparently didn't know the difference. Thanks!

 

[OldBroad44]

It looks like what I was shooting was semi-wadcutter because some of the slug does extend past the case. I knew there was SWC and WC but I apparently didn't know the difference. Thanks!

I'm surprised even the semi wadcutters work. Useful info, as the Keith style semi wadcutter is one of the most tried and true hunting bullets. It may vary with the individual gun and load. At least that's what I've read about Marlin lever actions in .357 and .44. Apparently some will shoot semi wadcutters and some don't.

 

[Flopsweat]

I'm surprised even the semi wadcutters work. Useful info, as the Keith style semi wadcutter is one of the most tried and true hunting bullets. It may vary with the individual gun and load. At least that's what I've read about Marlin lever actions in .357 and .44. Apparently some will shoot semi wadcutters and some don't.

And they cut really clean holes in a target.

 

[titsonritz]

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.

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.

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

I don't get it, why not just get a single action then? I make a point to shoot my DA's DA, it has made me better with my auto loaders. I will say Smiths have better trigger than Rugers. Get a M10 (or 15 is want adj sights) and try to kill it with .38s

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...

This guy get's it, except I think the Nagant is closer to 39lbs.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I'm surprised even the semi wadcutters work. Useful info, as the Keith style semi wadcutter is one of the most tried and true hunting bullets. It may vary with the individual gun and load. At least that's what I've read about Marlin lever actions in .357 and .44. Apparently some will shoot semi wadcutters and some don't.

I've been shooting/casting SWC's out of semiautomatics from the getgo. The 200 gr Hensley and Gibbs pattern for the .45 and numerous 9mm profiles, some with very large meplats.
The S&W model 52 is designed to only fire .38 Special wadcutter.. a rare bird.

Smith & Wesson Model 52 - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[orygun]

I don't get it, why not just get a single action then? I make a point to shoot my DA's DA, it has made me better with my auto loaders.

Well, that stupid grip shape and long hammer fall, that's why.

I honestly love the look of the single action, but I have to work very hard to shoot well with one. Shooting a DA revolver in single action it's much easier for me to hit the target. The SA grip shape does very well with recoil, but it's not the best for anything else, in my opinion.

 

[oremike]

I run into the SWC vs RN issue as an ammo manufacturer. A good compromise is the truncated cone bullet shape. Back to double action shooting, I just hold the gun still and pull through in one smooth motion. It's hard to describe but it's one motion. I do the same with double action semi autos as well. I'm no Jerry Michalk but watch him shoot and you will get the idea.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I run into the SWC vs RN issue as an ammo manufacturer. A good compromise is the truncated cone bullet shape. Back to double action shooting, I just hold the gun still and pull through in one smooth motion. It's hard to describe but it's one motion. I do the same with double action semi autos as well. I'm no Jerry Michalk but watch him shoot and you will get the idea.

Yea, if you're not going to shoot paper for score or hunt it doesn't really matter.

 

[RVTECH]

I honestly love the look of the single action, but I have to work very hard to shoot well with one. Shooting a DA revolver in single action it's much easier for me to hit the target. The SA grip shape does very well with recoil, but it's not the best for anything else, in my opinion.

Ditto this.

I have owned many revolvers and most have been typical DA/SA types, and two Ruger BHs in the past.

I too find I shoot DA/SA style much better than the SA styles and for purposes of discussion we are probably referring to either Ruger Blackhawks or Colt '73 or replicas.

I attribute my poorer shooting with the BHs due to not only the grip shape but the larger size, greater weight and balance of the BH over say an original or replica Colt '73 style. The BHs have grips about the same size as a '73 but have a larger and heavier frame. The Hogue wrap around grips really improve the BH but deviate from the appearance and make it look ungainly.

I once fired a 'real' Colt '73 and quite frankly it felt better and had better balance than a BH. I have read about others saying the same, with either a 'real' Colt or replicas of it, but most believe the actual '73 size and balance is superior to say a Blackhawk or another similar sized gun. Heck even the original Ruger 'Vaquero' feels much better than a BH.

If Ruger made the original Vaquero with adjustable sights I would probably own one and probably shoot it better than a BH. I actually came close to buying one but was afraid if it did not shoot POA with it's fixed sights I would be dissatisfied and not care to shoot it much.

In conclusion I will add I had the opportunity to shoot Oremikes .45 Ruger 'Bisley' and that was like night and day over a standard BH. The Bisley grip was a dramatic improvement over the standard '73 style and dang near feels like holding a typical SA/DA revolver. I am keeping my eye out for one in .357 but Ruger stopped making them and they are hard to find and spendy when I do.

 

[OldBroad44]

Re for those who do nearly all their shooting of DA revolvers in SA, why not get a SA revolver? (Besides the weird shape and less convenient loading. )

A DA revolver will do everything a SA can, and just because you aren't using SA now doesn't mean you never will. The DA gives you two modes, one ideal for accuracy, the other faster and better for shoot/don't shoot SD situations where a light crisp trigger can be pulled by accident when muscles are full of adrenaline. And because manufacturers of high quality DA revolvers can assume DA will be used in shoot/don't-shoot SD scenarios, they can make the SA triggers very light and crisp and ideal for hunting and accurate shooting, and better than the SA triggers in most SA revolvers.

And even though you can easily learn to shoot SA fast, its not anywhere near as fast as DA, assuming practice with both, except for the first shot, where they are equal. (When speed matters and the decision to fire is already made, you either cock hammer or start DA trigger pull during last stage of bringing gun on target and the gun fires the instant you're on target. At least that's what I do. So it is ability to get gun on target that is rate limiting on the first shot, not SA vs DA mode.)

If the scenario is very close range SD you need to be able to shoot one handed from hip level. And you need to hang on to the gun tightly so you don't lose it if you are hit, knifed, shot, bit, or knocked over. When you hold a gun with one hand, then flip your thumb up to cock hammer there is little support for the gun on the left side (assuming a right handed shooter) and you could easily lose your grip on it. DA shooting requires a strong grip. SA shooting with one hand requires you to half release your grip on gun between shots.