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How do you carry your DA/SA

  • Cocked in single action

    Votes: 15 16.1%
  • Decocked in double action

    Votes: 78 83.9%

how do you carry DA/SA

10K views 58 replies 35 participants last post by  msc8127 
#1 ·
I'm just curious to see how those of you out there carry your DA/SA. I keep mine in single action, despite not having a safety on the gun.
 
#36 ·
#11 ·
that doesn't answer my question, you avoided single action only guns, I am curious to know the difference. A trigger safety is useless and does not prevent discharges as much as you think.

i guess glock and smith aren't single action, but at roughly the same pull weight, but slightly less travel, I just don't see who not having a safety on mine is any more dangerous than those guns.
 
#13 ·
I responded cocked in single action because one of the guns I carry has a safety and is designed for either cocked and locked or decocked. I wouldn't carry one cocked without a safety.
 
#14 ·
Depends on the gun. If it is equipped with a safety, then cocked and locked. If a de-cocker model, I carry it de-cocked. I WILL NOT carry single mode with no safety. IMO that's a ND waiting to happen.
 
#15 ·
Your single actions (1911s) have a very positive manual safety. SA/DAs usually have a decocking mechanism. Their safety is the long, heavy DA trigger pull, as stated above. DAOs have other safety measures built into the triggers, grips, whatever.

Don't carry a DA/SA cocked. I really don't care how good you are with handguns. It's a wreck in the making. Shooting yourself would probably suck.
 
#16 ·
mine has a 5 lbs trigger pull with pretravel like any other striker fired, just no safety on the trigger, and it doesn't leave the holster until i plan to shoot it, i just think that it would be just as easy for an M&P or glock to go off as mine. so i am confused a little by how it's more dangerous. Now if I had a hammer fired DA/SA with a very light SA trigger, then I'd carry it decocked. Mine happens to be designed to carry either way.
 
#19 ·
mine has a 5 lbs trigger pull with pretravel like any other striker fired, just no safety on the trigger, and it doesn't leave the holster until i plan to shoot it, i just think that it would be just as easy for an M&P or glock to go off as mine. so i am confused a little by how it's more dangerous. Now if I had a hammer fired DA/SA with a very light SA trigger, then I'd carry it decocked. Mine happens to be designed to carry either way.
Perhaps we could speak more accurately if we knew what model we are discussing. Please enlighten us.
 
#20 ·
not my intention, really didn't expect anyone to get bent out of shape, had no idea it would be a hot button topic. I was considering buying a new one that is hammer fired with no safety, so I was interested in seeing people's thoughts on it. I don't have any issues carrying mine in single action, but I didn't know about carrying a hammer fired with light trigger in single action. At first I thought I was just being silly worrying about a discharge, guess not. A double action pull on the first shot for me is like wasting the first shot, and I don't really want to have to worry about a thumb safety, which is why i've stayed away from hammer fired guns, and probably will continue to for now.
 
#22 ·
That's not DA/SA, that's DAO or more accurate somewhere in between, like a Glock. Striker fired pistol. No single action.

DA/SA is something like this:



In this picture both guns are in single action, the bottom one is a DA/SA while the top is a SA only gun. Neither should be carried in this manner without the safety engaged as it is very dangerous.
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#24 ·
To be accurate, though it's classified as DAO, it's really somewhere in between DAO and SA. When racking the slide the internal striker is pulled back a little bit. When pulling the trigger, the striker is pulled back further and then released. A true single action does not move the hammer at all (other than to release it) when the trigger is pulled, and a true DAO moves the hammer all the way from rest to fully rearward. It's safe to carry your P99c and other striker fired pistols cocked as they are designed for this.

The reason this is safe is because should the striker be released, as it's not fully rearward it won't likely result in a discharge. In SA, the hammer is fully rearward and if released the gun absolutely will fire. On top of that, in SA triggers are usually very short and light.
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#27 ·
My mistake, I read a bit more into the P99c AS and it's not at all like a traditional striker fired pistol, you do have a single action option.

I don't fully understand all the trigger modes on your pistol, but I wouldn't carry any gun in traditional SA mode (where only the shortest of trigger pulls is required to fire) without a safety.

I'd just leave it in DA. I don't trust trigger safeties that much. One sudden surprise while holstering your weapon and you could end up having a really bad day.
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#29 ·
I don't think they would add the anti stress stage if it was meant to be carried decocked. that's why i assume it's meant to be in single action. Like I said earlier, I really thought I was being a whimp worrying about a discharge, kinda glad it's a legit worry. So if I get a hammer fired da/sa I will not carry it cocked unless it has a manual safety. I just need to get better at the double action pull so that first shot isn't a waste
 
#30 ·
I don't think they would add the anti stress stage if it was meant to be carried decocked. that's why i assume it's meant to be in single action. Like I said earlier, I really thought I was being a whimp worrying about a discharge, kinda glad it's a legit worry. So if I get a hammer fired da/sa I will not carry it cocked unless it has a manual safety. I just need to get better at the double action pull so that first shot isn't a waste
Start here:

pistol-training.com » Fear Not, The Double Action Shot!

Follow up here: pistol-training.com » Blog Archive » The Double/Single Action Pistol

:hand2:
 
#31 ·
To the OP. If you want to carry in S/A get yourself a 1911. It has the grip safety and a thumb safety. If the gun is on fire and the grip safety NOT engauged, the trigger will not squeeze and will not drop the hammer. Press the grip safety and you have a short and sweet trigger pull. But if I do carry one of my two plastic DA/SA pistol's they are carried decocked but on fire.
 
#32 ·
OK, I have that gun in the S&W equivalent; same thing. To be honest about it, I have never quite been able
to feel and to comprehend the 3 stages; and I've had it about 8-10 years now. The overall design is very nice,
and very safe, and it is effectively SAO from the
instant you wrack the slide and one gets pushed forward. At that point, if you look at the back you'll see a little
red striker protrusion designed to let you know you are ready to go. I always use the decocker immediately.
I always look to make sure the striker isn't showing.

Use the decocker and enjoy the safety of the DA/SA trigger.

Yeah, I know the book talks about a more complicated 3 way business. Ignore that. Frankly after all these years I've
never quite been able to figure it out and I wouldn't trust my safety to it.
Maybe its technically correct but like someone else said, "My feet don't work as well with holes in them."

BTW, if you don't like the DA for the initial shot, a very short light and easy tug on the slide will get you into SA
or whatever it is they call their intermediate mode with the easy but long pull.

I like it for my beside precisely because I don't need to worry about thumbing the safety.

For various reasons I've been coveting a Sig 229; I'd no more think of carrying the 99c cocked than I would the 229
for whatever perceived advantage their might be in being in SA. Just too dangerous.




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