Decison time: Double action vs Single action

[Mike Sr.]

Time for me to decide on which one to keep:

Redhawk, stainless, 4'/44 mag

Heavy
Bulky
4" barrel
recoil absorbing
speed loaders
handles heavy loads w/ease
DA but shoot it mostly SA
More moving parts
$700-$800+


VS


Blackhawk, Stainless 44 mag

4-5/8's" barrel
Lighter than RH
Not bulky
little bit more felt recoil
one @ a time reloading
handles heavy loads
Of course single action
Fewer moving parts
$400-$550



What deciding factor for you to keep one or the other?

 

[Old Fuff]

Mike.

See if you can get a moderator to move this thread over to the revolver sub-forum. You'll likely get more answers...

On my part I suggest that you explain what you want to do - and use the chosen revolver for. That should dictate the answer.

 

[Archaic Weapon]

Should be over in Revolver land.

Do you have a preference for single over double? Single is less likely to shoot you in the foot if you trip while holding it.

 

[Mike Sr.]

r vs b

"Single is less likely to shoot you in the foot if you trip while holding it.""...hillarious....


I originally posted it in General gun discussion; "it's" movement must be related to the '[qru[quir=-1uiquajf]qu=f '.... posting limitations, irrespective of sense!

 

[Archaic Weapon]

You say that until it happens to you, and I mean that only half in jest.

 

[BCRider]

It comes down to "How fast do you need to send bullets downrange?".

I've had both. While they were both nice enough guns I sold the Redhawk and kept the Super Blackhawk.

I decided that if I get a DA in .44Mag it's going to be a proper blued S&W 29 just like Harry Callahan carried....

In the end it comes down to personal preference of course. But let me ask you.... If you get the DA Redhawk are you commited to using it in DA mode for MOST of the time? Or will you wuss out like so many I see and thumb cock the hammer and use it in SA mode much or more of the time? If you'd end up doing the second one why not just go with an SA Blackhawk in the first place?

The loading and unloading of the SA style guns gets a lot of bad rep from some. But with some practice you can shuck out the empties and load a new set of 6 in only a few more seconds than it takes for someone to load a DA hand ejector style if not using speed loaders. So with a little practice and commitment to trying to find what works fastest a SA revolver can still cost you a goodly amount of ammo in any given time at the range.

And yeah, this really is in the wrong forum. Get a mod to move it for you.

 

[TennJed]

Do you have other revolvers? I would want at least one DA and SA so if either is your only one of that kind keep it. If they are your only 2 revolvers, sell a kidney instead

 

[Archaic Weapon]

Is felt recoil worth $400 dollars to you?

 

[DNS]

"DA but shoots it mostly SA"

Sounds like a win for single action.

 

[CraigC]

This is mostly personal preference. Performance-wise, there is little practical difference. I was 16yrs old when I first got a Redhawk. I did a lot of shooting with it but when the opportunity came to trade it for something else, I did. For me, single actions are far more comfortable in handling heavy recoil than any DA. I have quite a few S&W's but I feed them more moderate loads. DA's tend to transmit more recoil straight back into the palm. Whereas single actions send it up in the form of muzzle rise. I find nothing more comfortable than the Ruger Bisley with proper custom grips.

 

[Certaindeaf]

I pretty much shoot DA's DA and you have to shoot a SA, SA. They are both good guns but if one wanted to shoot SA, with a DA, you can always cock it.
note: I've practiced/competed/shot a lot (mainly) DA.. it's the same as SA to me given a good gun.

 

[Cosmoline]

Is it a special BH or just run of the mill? If it's a standard make and year I'd get rid of it before parting with the Redhawk. The BH's are very easy to find. The RH is not so easy to replace, and I find it performs better as a range and field gun. I do not find them equivalent shooters. I'm finding the Redhawk to be one of the great unsung masterpieces.

Now if this is an old or special variant BH, the analysis might change a bit.

 

[Certaindeaf]

And a 4" is about ideal.. for me at least.

I'd keep them both if at all possible.

 

[Kleanbore]

Posted by CraigC: For me, single actions are far more comfortable in handling heavy recoil than any DA. I have quite a few S&W's but I feed them more moderate loads. DA's tend to transmit more recoil straight back into the palm. Whereas single actions send it up in the form of muzzle rise.

My thoughts, too, though I'm less of an expert than Craig.

One thing that has not been mentioned is that the swing-out cylinder is easier to check.

Historically, the SA went out of production before WWII, and the revival came about only after the wide popularity of TV Westerns. In the spirit of "a gun is a tool, Marion", the S&W Magnums and the Colt New Service replaced the SAA for technical reasons.

But then, those westerns are probably would led me to like the SAA so much. The grip, the balance....

 

[BCRider]

DA but shoot it mostly SA

I missed that part of the OP.

That pretty much clinches the decision to my thinking. Keep the SA and learn how to hold it so you can shuck the empties and reload faster if you really must.

 

[Mike Sr.]

WOW...

Thanks to all for taking the time to have this conversation.

One suggestion to 'sell a kidney';

Another suggestion 'not to shoot myself in the foot'

Both excellent points........and had me laughing: which I need to do WAY more often!!!

And for the all the responses and laugh's: I THANK YOU


------------------------------------------------------------

In a way I'd rather give up some life force than sell any of my stainless firearms. As some of you older members might recall I am a DIEHARD fan of stainless and have been for more than 3+-decade's!

But at this "exact" moment I am seriously considering .... PUTTING A KIDNEY ON EBAY... .... instead of selling one of my stainless guns....

 

[Geno]

I have owned both DA and SA, and prefer both. If I were again hunting Russian boar at the distance of a small pine tree, I'd like a DA (or auto). That was an unnerving experience. If I'm hunting Russian boar at say 35 yards, then a SA is just dandy. Lots of nostalgia in a SA. My point is, if you're in a close-range encounter, that DA might be a bit of a benefit. Then again, I'm sitting here recalling hunting Russian boar with my single-shot Encore at about 13ish yards. Even with a .444 Marlin, it leaves little room for error, and zero time for a reload. Oh heck, sell a kidney and buy both.

Geno

 

[skt239]

I think I would end up keeping the Blackhawk. I prefer my larger revolvers to be single action.

 

[Old Fuff]

If we are discussing a .44 Magnum, or something even more powerful, then the recoil will be enough to give you time to re-cock the revolver between shots if they are aimed and accurate.

 

[bergmen]

I generally tend to prefer single actions for the big bores (.45 Colt, .45 Colt "Ruger Only", .454 Casull) although I do have a single action in .38 Special. I like DAs for .22, .38 Special, .357 Magnum but most often shoot them in SA mode. These are attractive to me for the ease of emptying and reloading (like my 10-shot DA S&W 617 in .22).

The exception is my defensive revolvers which are DA snubbies.

BUT, they are all good. I can't imagine you deciding to sell one of the handguns you list and not regretting it later. It's gonna happen...

Dan

 

[beatledog7]

I see the virtues of both, but mine are all DA. I can go SA on all but one, and that's how I do much of my range work. I grant that it's not the same as a pure SA.

Still, I like being able to go DA if I want to, and I practice shooting DA. If I am carrying one and need to make fast f/u shots, I can.

If I were ever to purchase another handgun purely for range work or hunting, it would very likely be a dedicated SA revolver.

 

[beag_nut]

So, you already have both revolvers, correct? And you don't need the money to acquire the DA, correct? Do you need the couple hundred if you sell the DA? No?
Simple math: keep the most valuable (in intrinsic terms), bacause it will always be worth more. There is no gain in giving up a DA in favor of a SA, unless one is shooting competition which prohibits DA. Because they are both Rugers, they will shoot fairly alike in SA mode. In the real world, there is no gain in giving up the advantages of DA for the disadvantages of SA.
And, in a close-up "panic" situation, one can keep pulling the trigger for another shot, in DA, without calling on a thumb to cock the SA. For me, that's the bottom line.