Typically, the term DA/SA refers to semi-automatic handguns. Double-Action/Single-Action (DA/SA) Trigger The hammerless Smith & Wesson 640 is a double-action only pistol (technically, it has an internal hammer, but it’s known as a hammerless revolver).
OIn addition to the simple function, consistent trigger pull, and lack of any external safety mechanisms to fiddle with, another advantage of a DAO handgun is that it is simpler to cock and fire your next shot than with a single-action revolver. So, even if you have a semi-automatic handgun with an external hammer, if it is a DAO variant, the hammer will safely return to its fully forward position after each shot, and must be cocked and fired using the long, heavy stroke of the DAO trigger.
However, unlike a traditional DA, with a DAO you cannot manually cock the hammer because the mechanism is designed only to activate when you pull the trigger. As with a traditional double-action revolver, pulling the trigger on a DAO firearm performs two actions: cocking the hammer or striker and firing the firearm. Double-Action Only (DAO) TriggerĭAO triggers are popular among defensive handguns – both revolvers and semi-automatics – because they are simple to operate and quick to put into service. For The Walking Dead fans, the Colt Python is another iconic DA revolver. 44 Magnum is one example of a traditional double-action revolver. The DA action was popular in “service revolvers” that most police officers carried for the greater part of the 20th century.Ī DA revolver has the capability of firing by simply pressing the trigger (though this action is long and relatively heavy), or, the shooter may choose to manually cock the hammer (similar to an SA revolver) and enjoy a short, crisp trigger pull, which is excellent for accuracy.ĭirty Harry’s iconic Smith & Wesson Model 29 chambered in. With a double-action, pulling the trigger performs two actions: cocking the hammer or striker and firing the firearm. This type of action generally refers to revolvers.
#All types of guns manual
Probably the most well-known SA semi-automatic pistol is the Colt 1911 type.ĭue to the light, crisp trigger, single-action firearms almost always have a manual safety to help prevent unintentional discharges (or, in the case of the single-action revolver, a large hammer that must be thumb-cocked manually for each shot, as noted above). One popular example of a SA revolver is a Ruger Blackhawk. A semi-automatic just needs the hammer or striker cocked once prior to firing your first shot, and for subsequent shots the reciprocating action of the firearm cocks the hammer or striker automatically, in addition to ejecting a spent cartridge and loading a fresh round.Ī single-action trigger is usually lighter and crisper than other types of triggers.
There are “semi-automatic” single action firearms as well, both rifles, shotguns, and handguns. However, since this type of trigger performs only a single action or function, with a gun like a typical “Old West” revolver like a Colt Single Action Army revolver or one of the modern clones, you would need to manually cock the hammer before firing each shot.
This allows the firearm to discharge when the trigger is pulled. A single-action trigger gets that name because the trigger just has one function–it releases the hammer or striker. A single-action trigger (or action type) is one of the simplest types of triggers and most long arms (that is, rifles and shotguns) have triggers of this type.