DOUBLE ACTION ONLY

[golden]

I have several BERETTA 92 and 96 pistols and a SIG 226 which are all DOUBLE ACTION ONLY. Their is no single action trigger on these pistols and the long revolver like double action is different from the "SAFE ACTION" triggers like on the GLOCK.

Does anyone else shoot these guns on a regular basis. They are all police trade-ins, except for a private officer purchase I made when my agency was still using the BERETTA 96D Brigadier.

I use them as range guns and also carry them concealed on occasion.

Just curious if anyone else does?

Jim

 

[LaneP]

It sat in my safe for a long time after the SW Shield came out but recently I've gotten my LC9 out for a few range trips. The first gen's are DAO hammer fired. I don't have the same fondness for it as I do my Shield 9 due to its ergonomics and capacity, but if it was all I had I would consider myself good.

 

[tarosean]

double action is different from the "SAFE ACTION" triggers like on the GLOCK.

Technically a Glock trigger is DAO too.

 

[wnycollector]

I'm a fan of DAO pistols for carry. In the warm weather I pocket carry a KelTec P32. Once the weather cools down, I appendix carry a SIG P250 compact 9mm.

 

[Tallball]

I apparently just sold my Beretta PX4 to a friend today...

But I still have my Ruger P90.

I think it's my last DAO service pistol. I got several of them inexpensively as police trade-ins. It's not a trigger arrangement I prefer for a full-sized semiautomatic pistol.

My carry pieces are all "point, squeeze, bang" with no hammers or safeties or anything, but I don't know if all of them are "real" DAO.

View media item 1446

 

[trackskippy]

Ive had a couple of DAO SIG's in the past and always liked them. Great shooters.

The DAO triggers are a bit different than the Glocks, which is really more of a SA trigger with some take up than a DA trigger.

Once you figure out the DAO triggers, you can shoot pretty much anything well, and they are not at all a hindrance to shooting well.

 

[chicharrones]

The only DAO pistols I've ever used are my ol' NAA Guardian and my Remington RM380. I've never fired a full size DAO pistol. Of course there are my revolvers, but that's a different ball of wax.

 

[1942bull]

I have owned and shot doubler action triggers over the years. If you practice enough you can get the feel of the trigger. I even mastered the Ruger LC9 version one. I have also. Owned a shot quite a few striker fired pistols. They are not hard to master. I had a LCP II, and it’s trigger was so much better than the first version I was really impressed. After reading that the Ruger Security 9mm had a similar trigger I had to buy one and try it. I bought the compact model. It’s amazing. Basically it is. Double action trigger that resets int a half-cocked mode when cycling. It’s hammer fired. It’s has that wonderful whack of a hammer fired pistol and the feel of a striker fired. The reset is a a tiny bitbtoo long, but other than that I like my DA/half-cocked pistol.

 

[Mike J]

The only true double action only pistol I've used was a Kel-Tec P11. It had a long, catchy heavy trigger. The little pistol was decently accurate once you got used to it. I wound up gifting the P-11 to a friend after I moved on to other guns. There is not one thing wrong with double action only pistols. Most people just aren't willing to take the time to learn the triggers on them. Many people seem to think everything is supposed to have a single action 1911 type trigger. Learning to shoot a DAO or DA/SA pistol well makes someone a better shooter because you have to learn trigger control.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

This one started out as a DAO 92D (note the lack of safety levers), but had a DA/SA hammer and sear added at some point.

 

[C0untZer0]

My EDC is a DAO Rohrbaugh R9. My backup is an RM380.

The Kahr CM9 is not DAO but the trigger feels like a DAO trigger and I "transport" an unloaded CM9 in those places that prohibit concealed carry.

I

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Technically a Glock trigger is DAO too.

Define it that way if you like but there is little similarity between the two.

 

[golden]

tarosean,

I would have to disagree. The trigger on the GLOCK and similar guns like the SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD series is closer in feel and length of trigger pull to a single action like the 1911, but without the need to use a manual safety.

Jim

 

[tarosean]

tarosean,

I would have to disagree. The trigger on the GLOCK and similar guns like the SPRINGFIELD ARMORY XD series is closer in feel and length of trigger pull to a single action like the 1911, but without the need to use a manual safety.

It has nothing to how it feels, length of pull or anything else.. Rather the trigger pull is performing multiple actions at the same time.

I.e Pressing the trigger to the rear completes the setting of the striker spring before it releases the striker.

 

[tarosean]

Define it that way if you like but there is little similarity between the two.

an entire industry defines it that way too..

 

[halfmoonclip]

For our handgun safety class, made a handout with three types of trigger; double action, single action, and striker. Striker guns are a breed apart.
BTW, we did explain the nuances, like DA/SA autos and revolvers...
There's a lot to teach rookies.
Moon

 

[Fine Figure of a Man]

Striker guns are a breed apart.

Yep, no matter how they are defined.

Pressing the trigger to the rear completes the setting of the striker spring before it releases the striker.

That's correct and not the same as a DAO pistol.

 

[SwampWolf]

For self-defense, especially when a auto- pistol is being carried concealed, I much prefer a "classic" da/sa configuration. My second choice would be a sa type. I am no fan of a da only system (why give up the "better" sa trigger pull on subsequent shots in the case of the da/sa action or the first shot on a sa action if you're trained to appreciate it and use it?).

 

[golden]

SwampWolf said:

For self-defense, especially when a auto- pistol is being carried concealed, I much prefer a "classic" da/sa configuration. My second choice would be a sa type. I am no fan of a da only system (why give up the "better" sa trigger pull on subsequent shots in the case of the da/sa action or the first shot on a sa action if you're trained to appreciate it and use it?).


SwampWolf,

There were three reasons in my experience.

1. Safety. The DAO guns that I have seen were almost always police trade ins. I know that some companies had DAO type triggers, but the majority were DAO versions of traditional double action/single guns like my issued BERETTA 96D Brigadier or later, a DAO H&K P-2000. You lost the manual safety and got a longer trigger pull than with a single action gun like the 1911. For government agencies issuing guns to people who would only use them in a panicking, life and death situation, this reduced the possibility of an unintended or accidental discharge.

2. You could never FAIL TO DISENGAGE THE SAFETY when drawing and firing under a high stress situation with a DAO pistol as they do not have a manual safety. This also avoided activating the safety when racking the slide or reholstsering. You also could not holster a still cocked gun. I know, I did this once with my SIG 226 and another SIG 226 user did the same thing, on the same day at qualifications. We were both experienced shooters, but new too the SIG and mistakes can happen.

3. I found that shooting my BERETTA 96D and later a BERETTA 92D, that I shot just as well as with the traditional DA/SA. It may make a difference to IPSC competitors, but to the average or even experienced shooter, it is NO DISADVANTAGE at all, in my experience.
Instead of an 11 or 12 pound trigger pull followed by a shorter, lighter pull, you had a consistent 8 pound pull, every shot.
You are not giving up a better trigger pull, you are giving up switching to a different trigger pull. When we replaced our .357 magnum revolvers, the firearms instructors told us to think of the BERETTA 96D as a 12 revolver. It proved to be just as reliable, easier to shoot accurately and every bit as powerful as the RUGER'S and S&W'S that it replaced.

Many of the people who have gone into law enforcement recently have not had any firearms training or even experience with a gun. They are not recent veterans of a foreign war who had the aim, shoot, check you flanks and all the other stuff that went with being in the military. One of my coworkers studied nursing, another has a science background. This was their first ever time shooting a gun, when they went to the academy.

I write all of this based on my own experience with DAO pistols and from my agency's experience and observing others.

Jim

 

[FL-NC]

Not a fan.

 

[Riomouse911]

SwampWolf said:

For self-defense, especially when a auto- pistol is being carried concealed, I much prefer a "classic" da/sa configuration. My second choice would be a sa type. I am no fan of a da only system (why give up the "better" sa trigger pull on subsequent shots in the case of the da/sa action or the first shot on a sa action if you're trained to appreciate it and use it?).


SwampWolf,

There were three reasons in my experience.

1. Safety. The DAO guns that I have seen were almost always police trade ins. I know that some companies had DAO type triggers, but the majority were DAO versions of traditional double action/single guns like my issued BERETTA 96D Brigadier or later, a DAO H&K P-2000. You lost the manual safety and got a longer trigger pull than with a single action gun like the 1911. For government agencies issuing guns to people who would only use them in a panicking, life and death situation, this reduced the possibility of an unintended or accidental discharge.

2. You could never FAIL TO DISENGAGE THE SAFETY when drawing and firing under a high stress situation with a DAO pistol as they do not have a manual safety. This also avoided activating the safety when racking the slide or reholstsering. You also could not holster a still cocked gun. I know, I did this once with my SIG 226 and another SIG 226 user did the same thing, on the same day at qualifications. We were both experienced shooters, but new too the SIG and mistakes can happen.

3. I found that shooting my BERETTA 96D and later a BERETTA 92D, that I shot just as well as with the traditional DA/SA. It may make a difference to IPSC competitors, but to the average or even experienced shooter, it is NO DISADVANTAGE at all, in my experience.
Instead of an 11 or 12 pound trigger pull followed by a shorter, lighter pull, you had a consistent 8 pound pull, every shot.
You are not giving up a better trigger pull, you are giving up switching to a different trigger pull. When we replaced our .357 magnum revolvers, the firearms instructors told us to think of the BERETTA 96D as a 12 revolver. It proved to be just as reliable, easier to shoot accurately and every bit as powerful as the RUGER'S and S&W'S that it replaced.

Many of the people who have gone into law enforcement recently have not had any firearms training or even experience with a gun. They are not recent veterans of a foreign war who had the aim, shoot, check you flanks and all the other stuff that went with being in the military. One of my coworkers studied nursing, another has a science background. This was their first ever time shooting a gun, when they went to the academy.

I write all of this based on my own experience with DAO pistols and from my agency's experience and observing others.

Jim

I have a Beretta 96 Centurion that is DAO.

As for the police trade-ins, there may have been some agencies that issued them, but in my 31 years in so cal law enforcement in LA County and surrounding areas I can’t think of any agency that standard-issued them (or if I ever saw any uniformed person actually carry one). Yours may have, but here they were unheard of.

Some security guard companies did issue them, in fact mine is a former guard company gun, but all the autos in duty holsters that I recall were either DA/SA, or in one case a city PD issued 1911’s, until the Glock/M&P/xD striker craze took over.

As for lack of a safety, there were DA/SA guns that didn’t have them; my SIG Sauer P226, and later my P-228, didn’t have safety levers.

Stay safe.

 

[chicharrones]

As for lack of a safety, there were DA/SA guns that didn’t have them; my SIG Sauer P226, and later my P-228, didn’t have safety levers.

CZ75s with decockers don't have manual safety levers either.

 

[.455_Hunter]

A true DAO platform is far safer for carry than 95% of the non-manual safety striker guns on the market (and no, the trigger dingus is not a true safety).

The notable exceptions include the Walther P99AS, which is decockable striker, and a Taurus platform (not sure on model) that has a re-strike capable DAO system.

Even the S&W Third Gen platforms marketed as DAO were not a true DAO. The exception there being the NYPD spec 3914DAO.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

I have a Beretta 96 Centurion that is DAO.

As for the police trade-ins, there may have been some agencies that issued them, but in my 31 years in so cal law enforcement in LA County and surrounding areas I can’t think of any agency that standard-issued them (or if I ever saw any uniformed person actually carry one). Yours may have, but here they were unheard of.

Some security guard companies did issue them, in fact mine is a former guard company gun, but all the autos in duty holsters that I recall were either DA/SA, or in one case a city PD issued 1911’s, until the Glock/M&P/xD striker craze took over.

As for lack of a safety, there were DA/SA guns that didn’t have them; my SIG Sauer P226, and later my P-228, didn’t have safety levers.

Stay safe.

Funny you should mention that....the serial number prefix on my 92D indicates that it was part of a contract overrun originally meant for the NRC reactor security teams.

 

[Godsgunman]

I also prefer the traditional DA/SA but have owned and carried DAO semis, the Sig p250 being the cream of the crop IMHO. In all actuality any revolver you carry would function as a DAO in any self defense situation even if it has a hammer. Let's be honest, you aren't going to have time to pull the hammer back on your revolver when you're under attack, maybe in a home invasion but even then you're more than likely shooting DA.