newbie question

R

roadkill

Inactive
I'm relatively new to the forum, though I've been lurking for several months now. I'm only 16 years old, so I don't own any guns. But I had a question to ask because I couldn't figure it out myself. Say you have your average double action gun. Say, a Beretta. When you rack the slide, doesn't that cock the hammer, putting it into single action? If so, what's the point of having a double action? Do you need to manually decock the hammer or what? I hope someone understands what exactly my question is.

Later,
Roadkill
 
So you can decock with a round in the chamber, the frist round is double action and the rounds after that will be single action. The best reason for a decocker is to let the hammer down with out discharge the gun. Double action trigger pull is about 12lbs. to 18lbs. and single action trigger pull is about 3lbs. to 7lbs. No you do not need to have a manually decocker, but they are nice.I hope this answer your guestion.

[This message has been edited by char923 (edited April 06, 2000).]
 
Road Kill, if you're talking about the Beretta 92fs, and/or Beretta variants, there is a lever on both sides of the slide, which is called a "decocking" lever. (Some people call it a "safety," but that isn't the official name for it.)

If the lever is in the "Down" position, then the slide can be racked and the hammer, although carried to the rear with the slide, will then follow back into the frame as the slide moves forward. The pistol can NOT be fired with the lever in the down position.

If the lever is "UP," then when the slide is racked back, the hammer remains cocked, and when the slide goes forward, the trigger can be pulled and the pistol will fire, single action.

If there is a round in the chamber and the hammer is down and the lever is "down" the pistol can be fired double action merely by pushing the lever "up" and pulling the trigger.

Other double action pistols have different "safety" or "decocking" mechanisms, but that's how the Beretta works. J.B.
 
The answer is yes, there's a point to it--cocking the hammer makes it "easier" to fire the gun (makes it require less pressure on the trigger, etc.) and decocking makes it harder.

And most guns don't have to be manually decocked. The CZ-75 and Witness do, but the Beretta 92 et al., Sigs, and most others have levers you press to both release the hammer and block it so it doesn't fire the gun. That way you can't have an accidental discharge if your thumb slips off the hammer.
 
Jay answered your question but I'm just going to elaborate. You asked what was the point of a DA mode if the hammer is already back when you rack the slide. Well alot of people, including myself carry with a round in the chamber and the hammer in the forward or down position. My Sig has a safety that lever that blocks the hammer and keeps it off the firing pin and my Bersa .380 (normal carry gun) has a catch that I can cock it back to that will also keep the hammer off the pin. If I ever need to use my gun in self-defense all I need to do is draw and squeeze the trigger in DA mode because the hammer is still down. After that first round is fired the slide is goes back, pushes the hammer back and recocks also extracting the spent cartridge, and then as the hammer goes forward another round is loaded into the chamber. Now the gun is cocked, reloaded, and in SA mode. Which I guess would only be a good way to carry with a 1911 type gun and a very experienced and trained handler. I hope that helped. And welcome to TFL.

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Until the antis put a sign in their front yard that says they don't own guns, they are riding on the shirt-tail of the safety that we provide by owning them.

[This message has been edited by HukeOKC (edited April 06, 2000).]
 
Hello Roadkill (catchy user name) and welcome to TFL. I believe it was Elmer Keith that said double action automatics were the answer to a question that was never asked. However as the others have pointed out there is a reason for them.
To ad one more point; Many police departments went from the old style 1911 single action autos to double actions for another reason. In the case of the single action once the safety is disengaged, as others have pointed out, very little presure is required to fire the weapon. In the "heat of the moment" it was a concern that the officer would accidently discharge the weapon due to the light trigger pull. That coupled with the fact that many new shooters (there are several going into police academies these days) find the double actions easier to learn and shoot.

Just curious (and being nosey ;)) but are others in your family gun owners or where did your interest in firearms develope?

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Gunslinger

We live in a time in which attitudes and deeds once respected as courageous and honorable are now scorned as being antiquated and subversive.
 
No one in my family currently owns guns. My dad grew up with two 12 gauges and a .410 shotgun in the house, but that's the extent of it. My girlfriend's father got me interested in guns. He took me shooting once, and that's all it took. Since then I've been devouring anything on guns. Unfortunetly, the last time I shot was the first time I shot.

Later,
Roadkill
 
Oh no. It sounds like you are another natural, addicted from your first time to the range. ;) Many of us became enthusiast from our first experence and have not regretted it since.
Your girlfriends father is to be commended for showing the interest and taking you. You should be commended for being astute and mature enough to see beyond the type of brainwashing that goes in today in our schools.
I hope either he or someone will be available to take you more and help you develope your new found love of firearms. We need more young men like you. In the mean time visit here as often as possible. The members here will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have. There is no such thing as a dumb question. We all had to learn at one time and you will not find a better sourse than TFL to learn responsible firearms use and ownership. You might even get a chuckle along the way now and then to. ;)
It's good to have another young enthusiast here. :)

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Gunslinger

We live in a time in which attitudes and deeds once respected as courageous and honorable are now scorned as being antiquated and subversive.
 
Roadkill,
It is nice to know I'm not the only 16 year old on TFL. Glad you found it and I'm happy that you discovered shooting.

Gunslinger,
You mentioned brainwashing in schools on the issue of gun control. I live in Maryland and this past monday my history teacher said that if SB211 passed, he was going to buy a handgun. My teacher has never even seen a gun in person but now knows that he wants to purchase one(or more). On the evening of the vote on SB211, my Dad (RugerGuy)and I went to the statehouse. I learned a great lesson on how messed up our system is down there in Annapolis. Anyway, thanks to polititions trying to limit guns, my teacher is now going to take a course and buy one. I also know of other teachers who hunt and believe in the 2nd amendment. See, not everyone at school tries to brainwash us. :)
gun_brian

[This message has been edited by gun_brian (edited April 08, 2000).]
 
That is refreshing to hear Brian. I suppose I am guilty of stereotyping all those in our public school system based on what I see in the media nad read here.
I enjoying "talking" with the "old salts" here on TFL. But I, and the other members, know that it you, the young enthusiast, that will be charged with supporting our sport/hobby/firearms passion and the Bill of Rights in the future. Without you America becomes nothing. Your struggle will be difficult in deed. However the rewards will far outway the scarifice. On behalf of the old salts, thank you.

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Gunslinger

We live in a time in which attitudes and deeds once respected as courageous and honorable are now scorned as being antiquated and subversive.
 
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