how do you double tap with a .40 s&w?

P

Purdue_XD40

New member
hello i was wondering if anyone knows how to double tap with a XD40 4" .40, wasnt sure if there was a technique or just have to practice to do a double tap sucessfully.

also, is there a heavier guiding rod spring that will reduce the reocil, i heard about this from either this forum or another, is it minute or will it be a tad more than a 9mm?

i dont mind the 40, but i maybe able to get sucessive shots quicker with less recoil

thankks
 
There are some tungsten guide rods you can buy that add more weight.. I have seenon various sites for sale...

never tried one tho.....

for some coompetitions/gun classes they are not allowed tho....
 
Double tap with a 9mm, 40, or 45 is the same. Federal for one has some reduced recoil loads for the 40 , you might start with that.
 
I get same speed on double taps with 9mm,.40, and .45 . Mainly in trigger reset and timing. Try some different loads with the .40, I found a heavier bullet and slower burn powder makes more of a "push" recoil then the snappier recoil from light highspeed bullets.
 
You should first learn how to shoot. Then learn how to shoot your pistol. Then worry about something as arcane as 'doubletaps'. Come on, when was the last time anyone here actually DID a doubletap on an adversary? Learning something advanced should not take priority over learning the basics of shooting.
 
Mannlicher,

Please tell me you exercise more restraint with your weapon than you do with your "responses" on here.

In 3 responses to questions on a forum for people to do just that you come off looking like a really swell guy rather than someone in a community who likes to share opinions and ideas. Maybe you ought to think your words out a little better before you post.

But since you've got over 1000 posts it seems like you've got all the answers so maybe I'm just being too sensitive :p

Or maybe you're just having a bad day....either way...Lighten up Francis!:rolleyes:
 
You may think Mannlicher came off a little rough but he's absolutely right. Asking how to 'double tap' is asking the wrong question. Any answer to that question other than "it's the wrong question" is going to send Purdue down the wrong path on his shooting life, one that leads nowhere. Case in point, I know a guy who can shoot a 'double tap', two shots with one sight picture. It's like a parlor trick. He's really good at it. But that is all he can do., and he can only do it with that one gun with that one load. When he used to come around we'd design stages that required 3 shots per target just to screw with him.

The answer the poster needs is: learn to shoot, then shoot two shots quickly.

Speed comes from proper technique properly executed, not 'tricks' or light loads. The problem Purdue is having with his .40 has nothing to do with recoil, it has everything to do with poor technique. This is not to slam Purdue in any way, nobody is born knowing this stuff, but learning and practice is what he needs, not magic trick secrets.

That said, I'll mention that the key to recoil control is really in the grip and the mind. It has nothing to do with grip strength or how hard the gun recoils. Shooting speed is a byproduct of correct technique and proficiency. It just happens.

- Gabe

PS: And if Mannlicher's right because he has >1000 posts I must be waaaay right. :D

PPS:
ok im a newb, but what is double tap?
Click to expand...
It's usually defined as taking two shots off a single "sight picture". Which really means one aimed shot and one wild shot, when you get right down to it. If the goal is to hit the target twice, it makes no sense.

Some people use 'double tap' to mean any two quick successive shots, however. So you have to be sure you're talking about the same thing when someone brings it up. The proper term for that is a 'controlled pair' (two quick aimed shots).
 
my wife usually double taps me on the head with the frying pan if I spend money on guns when I am not supposed to :o
 
Addendum

Purdue-

Think "controlled pair" for starters.

Start at about 7 yards, from the holster. You need the basics of safe gunhandling, proper sight picture, and trigger control down- before you start. Remember- finger OFF the trigger until the gun covers the intended target. Your finger is OFF the trigger anytime your sights are off the target.

Work on drawing the gun and planting one round on a playing card, at that distance. It's OK to use the sights- that's what they're on there for. When you are drawing and hitting the card 90-95% of the time, start trying to hit the center of it. Now start trying to hit it a little quicker.

You will soon notice that you can often hit the card without have a textbook-perfect sight picture- especially if you press the trigger and don't jerk it. These are important concepts- hold onto them.

Now that you have mastered drawing and hitting well once, in a moderate hurry, start over using the same basic concepts. Draw the gun, align the sights, and press the trigger twice in rapid succession. Don't be shocked if your shots are several inches apart.

The way to correct this use a "flash" sight picture for the second shot and to learn when, during recovery from the the recoil impulse of the first shot, is the best time to block the sights for the second shot. You will just have to try this and se what works for you, but it is a good basic technique I used to train cops with for years- with much success. It works well for training people to deliver controlled pairs, from the holster, in 3-4 seconds, out to 10 yards. I believe if you practice it 2-3 times a week for several weeks you will surprise yourself with the improvement in your shooting.

I hope this helps. Oh, and the XD40 is a fine pistol. The stock spring works fine. We have two XD40's, one of which I carry every day. Trigger reset is a little slower on these than some others. Big deal. Use the time to realign your sights. Wolf FMJ is about as light a recoiling .40 load as anything.

Now, the rest of you. - I re-read this guy's post:

Purdue_XD40

hello i was wondering if anyone knows how to double tap with a XD40 4" .40, wasnt sure if there was a technique or just have to practice to do a double tap sucessfully.

also, is there a heavier guiding rod spring that will reduce the reocil, i heard about this from either this forum or another, is it minute or will it be a tad more than a 9mm?

i dont mind the 40, but i maybe able to get sucessive shots quicker with less recoil

thankks
Click to expand...

Nowhere did he say he was going to shoot anything but targets. Nowhere did he say that he couldn't shoot. Nowhere did he ask for wit, comedy, or horse's-ass wordplay. He asked a legitimate question. He should have gotten a legitimate answer, sans the sarcasm. We had another post here recently where somebody asked about a high-capacity rifle, and was immediately set upon by semantics nazis.

If you ask me (and nobody did, but I'm going to tell you anyway) part of the responsibility we share as members of the shooting fraternity, is that we offer a kind word and sound advice to those who are interested in our sport. If we offer correction, it should be done with the same kindness that we would expect from a stranger, who was forced to correct one of our own children. Is that too much to ask?

Well, if it is- I don't care. Answer the question politely, for the sake of our sport. And if you can't (or are too lazy to just) read the question, or don't know how to answer it- do us all a favor and just let somebody else answer it.

Eghad- now THAT was worthwhile information, and a good safety tip ;)
 
...is that we offer a kind word and sound advice to those who are interested in our sport.
Click to expand...
I agree. I hope nobody thinks I was brushing him off. far from it. I also don't think that proper technique can be learned over the internet...but hopefully a bad habit can be stopped over the internet ;)

- Gabe

PS: As soon as you told Purdue to get a 'flash sight picture' for the second shot, it's no longer, technically, a real 'double tap'.
 
Charlie,
No, I sure don't know it all, but I can seperate the 'wheat from the chaff'. I was serious when I suggested that before some one spends time trying to learn specialty stuff, that probably won't ever be used, they should learn the basics of shooting.
There are many folks here, and on other firearms BBS, that only know what they pick up here. Yes, they are new to all this, and there is nothing wrong wtih that. Everyone wants to start at the top though, and very few want to put in the time and practice to really know what they are doing.
There is a lot more to firearms, than 'tactical' training, and very little 'tactical' training is learnable, or understandable, without a firm background in basics.

Sorry if you don't understand this.
 
ML,

I understand it plenty...I just think you could've said it in a more "educational" way rather than in a tone that was (IMHO) a little berating and could be off-putting to someone and possibly turn them off of a good community like on here or from searching out answers to their questions (remember, there are no stupid questions) at all. Think back to when this was all "new" to you.

No harm no foul. Peace.
 
nobody has mentioned the danger of getting a round stovepiped in the barrel durring a double tap,its more apt to happen if you roll your own rounds because a person can miss loading the powder ive seen it done ,thats why i will not shoot reloads,factory only for me.
 
Take your time and shoot thrice, not twice!

This, mathematically speaking, gives you three double taps for three shots! :rolleyes:

If you place your first shot well... you'll have an extra nano-second to place another... and a third!

"Hurry up to slow down" and place each round right where you want it.
The speed will take care of itself. :D
 
Last edited:
Control is all about grip and stance...

Add trigger control and you are capable of delivering a double tap with any caliber
 
You can drive two bullets into a 6 inch diameter relatively easily at 10 yards by learning to time your gun. That is.....keep the same grip pressure, the same loads and go experiment with different tempos while shooting pairs (or better yet, 6+ shots). When you find what works stick with it.

The bad news is that under pressure, your grip pressure will increase and other variables enter in.

The best solution is to shoot a lot and learn to see the front sight lift and then settle back into the notch so you can take another aimed shot. It may sound slow, but many competition shooters can follow up in .2 seconds and .3 will begin to feel like an eternity. The key is focusing onthe front sight.

It's a valid question because under 5 yards doing a hammer and taking two shots off of one sight picture can be a decent skill to have and some people can keep "rythmn" better than focusing on the front sight. Particularly when startled or under pressure.
 
"It's usually defined as taking two shots off a single "sight picture". Which really means one aimed shot and one wild shot, when you get right down to it. If the goal is to hit the target twice, it makes no sense."

Try a little more practice if you think the second shot is "wild". It should be within 2-3 inches of the first shot.
The method depends on ‘muscle memory’ to know when the gun has returned from recoil to the original position after firing the first round. It can take a significant amount of practice to achieve and maintain the skill.
Practice drawing and firing the first shot as smoothly as possible and the speed will come with repetition. When the first shot from a holster is under 1-2 seconds, you can start adding in the second shot. At first try to catch the sites and get the mechanics down. With sufficient practice you will be able to fire the second shot based on gun position without using the sights.
Double taps (AKA ‘hammers’) are typically useful at shorter ranges (out to about 10 yards) and are intended to maximize bullets on target in close situations.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top