Out to 25 yards I'm pretty good now shooting my S&W 66 and 386 in DA mode which is the only way I shoot 'em. I'm a range officer at a big outdoor range and see barely 1 in a 100 who show up with a DA revolver ever shoot it DA. Anyone else practice this obviously dying art? Thanks, Dennis
Shooting DA Revolvers DA!
- Thread starter DennisE
- Start date
Yep! About 95% of all my revolver shooting is all DA. And about 90% of all my shooting is with revolvers these days - I just HATE chasing brass for reloads!
My local indoor range is only out to 45feet, but if I take my time I can group 3" in DA. Once I got used to the DA feel I found that my shooting did nothing but get better and better.
My local indoor range is only out to 45feet, but if I take my time I can group 3" in DA. Once I got used to the DA feel I found that my shooting did nothing but get better and better.
.38SPL enthusiast
New member
Sure do. I have set up coffee cans fifty strides away and put holes through them double-action with my four inch model 10 S&W. I don't find a lot of advantage for SA with my gun within it's effective range. I learned to shoot DA with an old H&R revolver with the infamous long 20 lb. trigger.
CarbineCaleb
New member
I am trying to improve my double action shooting, and so try to shoot at least 3/4 DA. I am not sure it's getting any better *S*. Bottom line is, the trigger pull is much heavier in DA, and so it's hard to get the same accuracy as in SA. But, I am trying! 
My DA groups are typically about 2x the size of my SA groups, which is about the same situation it was 500 rounds ago.
My DA groups are typically about 2x the size of my SA groups, which is about the same situation it was 500 rounds ago.I shot an IDPA match last weekend and it was all DA, except for one 6" steel plate out about 15 yds. I shot the first 3 bang bang bang and down they went then I missed the last one twice DA, so I cocked squeezed and down it went.
But I was shooting the plates leaning out from behind plastic bbls so it wasn't too bad.
I seldom shoot for groups any more..
It's funny how fast you can pull that long DA trigger and it's even funnier how you don't even feel how heavy the DA trigger is
If it wasn't for reloads my times arn't far off from my Glock times.
But I was shooting the plates leaning out from behind plastic bbls so it wasn't too bad.
I seldom shoot for groups any more..
It's funny how fast you can pull that long DA trigger and it's even funnier how you don't even feel how heavy the DA trigger is
If it wasn't for reloads my times arn't far off from my Glock times.
Guy B. Meredith
New member
At one time I just couldn't shoot SA to save my life due to flinch. Now I can but do so mainly for sight training (deletes all the extras involved in DA) and impressing the locals. DA is my favorite due to the challenge.
Yep. Add me to the list.
IMHO, shooting a D/A revolver S/A,,then pronouncing yourself fit for using it defensivly is near the top of the "Things that will make you dead in a hurry" list.
'sides. D/A is way more accurate once you get the knack of it.
..I will admit though that weak handed one hand shooting ala Bullseye style may not be.
IMHO, shooting a D/A revolver S/A,,then pronouncing yourself fit for using it defensivly is near the top of the "Things that will make you dead in a hurry" list.
'sides. D/A is way more accurate once you get the knack of it.
..I will admit though that weak handed one hand shooting ala Bullseye style may not be.
Shooting revolvers DA is in deed a dying art. I shoot revolvers more than any thing I have. The auto's I have are single action 1911's and Hi Powers. But there is nothing like a shot well placed with a DA revolver. You have to have a smooth trigger. Have it worked on by a pro. My Smiths have all been to the factory for thier action job and I have gold bead front sights on them. My eyes are over 50. I shoot out 50 to 60 feet 6 shot strings to 3inch groups when the day is going well and to a 4 inch group when I am off. I shoot a Smith M-67 4 inch 38's, M-66 with a 3 inch barrel mostly 38's, a 686 4 inch mostly light 357's and a 625 4 inch 45 ACP in stainless. Also a 586 4 inch 357 with out the bead sight and a M-10 38 fixed sight these are blued guns. I have several Rugers and they are great guns but the smiths have better triggers. You are so right about the range I think I am the only one at my club that shoots a revolver DA. The Auto boys come down and shoot at 7 yards and do a 4 inch group and smile and say, It's a shooter. I smile back and think. I could do that one handed with a J frame. I takes time and ammo to get good with DA. Just like any sport. Get a good 22 and have at it. Stay with a 4 inch K or L frame Smith they are great guns. This weekend I will go thru a 1000 rds of center fire ammo. Remember the hole in the target is where the gun was pointed when it went off, Watch that front sight it will tell you every thing you need to know. And get Jerry Miculek tape on revolver shooting. And read up on it. You have to back a few years to get the right books but E-bay is full of them. Old police books are great. Lets keep DA shooting alive and well. Best and Check your six
I know what you mean every time I see other's with da revo's at the range they shoot sa. dont understand exactly why maybe they think its the way it should be done for target which is true, but I always practice in da because I use revo's for self defense.
That is the way they are fired in those situations.
That is the way they are fired in those situations.
Yep I shoot my DA revolvers DA, except when I'm testing the accuracy of my Ruger SRH in 44 mag. I have learned to utilize the trigger stop screw installed on my DA revolvers. The trick to it is smooth pull instead of jerking pulls. Yes you can still shoot a DA revolver fast being smooth. Just look at J Miculek. josh
The best way to "get good" in DA fire is to do a lot of dry-firing. Just watch those sights when the hammer falls. It does take a lot of practice to get to where you can do it well.
And every "make" of revolver has a different feel. My first DA revolver was a Ruger Security Six. I got to where I could shoot that gun well in DA mode even with my off-hand. I "knew" the feel perfectly. Then I start collecting old Smiths and had to "relearn" some things. I can do it now but really would rather use the Ruger if we were betting money! And the trickiest one was my little S&W M63. The little J frames have a whole different feel to them. I had a hard time shooting that little gun will single-action. I finally figured it out. So then I started firing a couple of cylinders full at the conclusion of each session in DA. At first they were all over the place. But now I've got the little .22 spinner target moving just about as well in DA as SA.
Oh, one other gun that I'm always impressed with. I've got a S&W M640-1 in .357 Magnum. That's a DAO gun. But the pull is so light and so smooth that I just love to shoot it. If somebody wanted to bet that "nobody can hit anything with a snubbie" it's the gun I would go get!
Gregg
And every "make" of revolver has a different feel. My first DA revolver was a Ruger Security Six. I got to where I could shoot that gun well in DA mode even with my off-hand. I "knew" the feel perfectly. Then I start collecting old Smiths and had to "relearn" some things. I can do it now but really would rather use the Ruger if we were betting money! And the trickiest one was my little S&W M63. The little J frames have a whole different feel to them. I had a hard time shooting that little gun will single-action. I finally figured it out. So then I started firing a couple of cylinders full at the conclusion of each session in DA. At first they were all over the place. But now I've got the little .22 spinner target moving just about as well in DA as SA.
Oh, one other gun that I'm always impressed with. I've got a S&W M640-1 in .357 Magnum. That's a DAO gun. But the pull is so light and so smooth that I just love to shoot it. If somebody wanted to bet that "nobody can hit anything with a snubbie" it's the gun I would go get!
Gregg
"You have to have a smooth trigger."
I've heard that a lot, but never liked smooth triggers. I've had to spend good money buying grooved triggers for a couple of guns somebody ground smooth.
And didn't Ed McGivern, Bill Jordan, Elmer Keith, and Jerry Miculek use grooved triggers? They seem to have done OK with them.
I've heard that a lot, but never liked smooth triggers. I've had to spend good money buying grooved triggers for a couple of guns somebody ground smooth.
And didn't Ed McGivern, Bill Jordan, Elmer Keith, and Jerry Miculek use grooved triggers? They seem to have done OK with them.
I bought my first DA revolver (used Ruger Security Six 4" .357) about a month ago, and following the leads of McGivern, Keith, and Miculek I am committed to mastering the double action trigger. So far, I suck, but I'm making progress. I dry fire almost every day, and I have gotten to the point where I can keep a penny balanced on the barrel for 8 clicks in a row at about 1 click per second. Unfortunately, my live fire accuracy still leaves a lot to be desired. I noticed last time I was leaving the range that they have a S&W 317 (.22LR) hidden among the rental guns, so I'll start using that for extended cheap, recoil-free practice to refine my accuracy.
On a related note, I have noticed a trend on the advice I get regarding DA trigger control: shooters recommend a smooth stroke, and cops recommend staging the trigger (I think that's the right term for pulling up to the release point, holding, and then firing essentially single action). Is there something in LEO training that contributes to that trend, or is it coincidence in my small sample size? (I use a smooth stroke.)
On a related note, I have noticed a trend on the advice I get regarding DA trigger control: shooters recommend a smooth stroke, and cops recommend staging the trigger (I think that's the right term for pulling up to the release point, holding, and then firing essentially single action). Is there something in LEO training that contributes to that trend, or is it coincidence in my small sample size? (I use a smooth stroke.)