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DA/SA Decocking
- Thread starter OhioGuy
- Start date
bamaranger
New member
semi-auto ball and dummy
A drill folks with DA/SA pistols may find useful is ball and dummy with an auto pistol. Ball and dummy was a common drill with revolvers, but I do not see the drill implemented in any fashion (very much) for autoloaders.
Chamber a round with your DA/SA pistol, decock, remove magazine (stash) return to holster. On command, draw and deliver two hammer falls. What you will get of course, is a DA shot with the chambered round, the pistol will cycle, and your SA trigger pull will land on an empty chamber. If you are flinching, or hammering that SA trigger pull, it will become readily apparent. Recharge the pistol and repeat , or recharge, come back to on target or ready and scan. REcharge and scan is likely a better drill, as it addresses the tactical side of things, but I see no harm in straight ball and dummy when done as a marksmanship drill in a limited amount.
This will NOT work if your double/single auto pistol is equipped with a mag safety. I would not shoot this drill in an extreme amount, as accepting a failure to fire is tactically unsound, but I see the drill as a useful tool.
I carried a DA/SA , decock ony SIG for quite a few years as a duty gun, and even competed ( poorly?, not the guns fault) with it at local IDPA shoots. In all training, and in any course of fire I ran, I did not decock until the stage was over, or the "fight" had stopped. If movement was required.....muzzle safe direction, finger off trigger, and proceed. But you MUST decock before returning to the holster, or you may perforate yourself!.
A drill folks with DA/SA pistols may find useful is ball and dummy with an auto pistol. Ball and dummy was a common drill with revolvers, but I do not see the drill implemented in any fashion (very much) for autoloaders.
Chamber a round with your DA/SA pistol, decock, remove magazine (stash) return to holster. On command, draw and deliver two hammer falls. What you will get of course, is a DA shot with the chambered round, the pistol will cycle, and your SA trigger pull will land on an empty chamber. If you are flinching, or hammering that SA trigger pull, it will become readily apparent. Recharge the pistol and repeat , or recharge, come back to on target or ready and scan. REcharge and scan is likely a better drill, as it addresses the tactical side of things, but I see no harm in straight ball and dummy when done as a marksmanship drill in a limited amount.
This will NOT work if your double/single auto pistol is equipped with a mag safety. I would not shoot this drill in an extreme amount, as accepting a failure to fire is tactically unsound, but I see the drill as a useful tool.
I carried a DA/SA , decock ony SIG for quite a few years as a duty gun, and even competed ( poorly?, not the guns fault) with it at local IDPA shoots. In all training, and in any course of fire I ran, I did not decock until the stage was over, or the "fight" had stopped. If movement was required.....muzzle safe direction, finger off trigger, and proceed. But you MUST decock before returning to the holster, or you may perforate yourself!.
This will NOT work if your double/single auto pistol is equipped with a mag safety.
There is a simple and easy "work around" if your pistol has a magazine disconnect "safety". And, it will also work if your pistol doesn't have that aggravating feature.
Good quality snap caps (the metal kind, that will survive the feeding cycle.
Load your mag with alternating ball and snap caps. First shot DA, second "shot" is a snap cap, so you can see if your SA pull is good, or not.
Allows for "tap, rack, bang" practice as well. (clearing the snap cap, loading the next live round)
Allows you to repeat the pair, until the mag is empty.