am I the only out there...

I think that during the 1950s and on into the 1960s, single action revolvers were in the ascendency, mainly because of their use in television westerns and in the movies. There were the popular sports of quick draw and fast draw, most contestents using single action revolvers. That's about when Jeff Cooper entered the picture. He started out managing some of these shooting games. So, somehow, people got the idea that single action revolvers were faster than double actions and apparently, more practical. Partly for the same reason, presumably, that's about when the first reproduction single actions hit the market, Great Western probably being the first.

Large frame double actions were apparently scarce in the same period, although second hand New Service/M1917 revolvers for sale appeared in all the magazines. So overall, I don't think it's surprising that single actions were what people thought of when they thought of revolvers. Double action autos were just coming along around then, too, but people still thought of revolvers as being better, in spite of the numbers of European automatics that were being offered for sale then and most of them were single action.

And that was 50 years ago!
 
Don't know if a sa is faster then a da but I think there more fun to shoot when it comes to shooting for pleasure. I guess if you practice with a sa then you would be faster with it. I do practice with da revolvers because I do love shooting and if you need to use a gun your first choice in guns may not be within reach. I do love em all but much like everyone else I do have my prefernces that I like to shoot (1911's and lever action rifles)
 
Everyone should own a DA to learn consistent trigger manipulation. If you can shoot DA proficiently you'll do good with any type handgun.
 
I have tried but can't learn to love DAs and the loooong trigger pull. And why have a DA if you normally shoot it in SA mode? Even my experienced friends have big problems with accuracy with DAs. I know -- practice, practice, practice......

As for SA revolvers being slow, it's possible to get rounds off as fast, or faster, with a SAA than with a semi, using weak-hand hammer thumbing (not "fanning").
 
weird practice

My only SA revolver is the one I always wea; all the rest are double-action, and all are shot only in that mode.

Couple Redhawks, couple GPs, a S&W on hand......


(My three DA/SA autos, however, are shot SA cocked-n-locked ONLY.)
 
I might add here that at one time in the distant past, some experts recommended that double action revolvers be habitually fired single actions. That probably one of the reasons that hammer spurs on DA revolvers grew wider. S&W even produced some of their K-38s with single action only lockwork, odd as that might seem today.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top