A question about guns... What is the meaning of "double action" and "single action" pistols?

Answer 1

Nobody has nailed the answer yet...there are single and double action pistols and revolvers.

A single action pistol's firing mechanism does one action when you pull the trigger - drop the hammer to fire. This requires you to manually-cock the hammer before you can pull the trigger thus firing the gun. In a revolver, the cylinder rotates each time the hammer is ******, and you must manually recock it after each shot. In a semi-auto like the M1911, the hammer must be ****** manually for the first shot if the hammer is down with a round in the chamber; when you first load the gun, the hammer stays back as the slide movement is what cocks the hammer.

A true double action gun typically has the option of being fired single action or double action by an external hammer. A true double action gun can fire from the hammer in the down position - a long pull of the trigger is used to cock the hammer back to its ****** position, and continuing a smooth pull will release the hammer to fire all in one fluid motion. In a revolver, each shot will be double action as there is no mechanism to recock the hammer automatically. In a double/single auto, the slide will cock the hammer automatically making each follow up shot single action.

Then you have the non-traditional double action guns, like the Glock, in which all mechanisms are internal. When you pull the trigger, the striker is brought back and released all at once. There is no ****** position - everything happens when you pull the trigger.

Answer 2

Single action: The trigger only does one action, and that's to disengage the sear (basically a latch that connects the trigger to the hammer) from the fullcock notch of the hammer, allowing it to drop the firing pin onto a live round in the chamber, firing the weapon. The trigger pull on a single action is short and light, since all you're doing is pushing the sear off the notch on the hammer. The work of taking the hammer all the way back is accomplished by manually thumbing the hammer back.

Double action: The trigger accomplishes two actions. The first is to push the hammer all the way back (compressing the mainspring enough that the hammer will fall with enough force to detonate the primer at the base of the live cartridge in the chamber, setting off the round.) The second action, then, becomes the exact same as the one the single-action performs, which is to then let the hammer fall. The trigger pull on a double-action is, then, long and hard, because you're now using the trigger as a lever to compress the mainspring (the spring that drives the hammer forward,) and draw the hammer back. However, you can also manually thumb the hammer all the way back, and fire a double-action gun like a single-action gun (in fact, on SA/DA semi-automatic pistols, the slide moving backwards under recoil will do this for you . . . so a SA/DA semi-automatic may have double-action for the first pull of the trigger, but all trigger pulls after that first one, to the point the magazine is emptied, are single-action.)

That's it. You can get into double-action only and "Safe Action" and other such actions you find on certain revolvers and a great many police service semi-autos, but the above answer should be sufficiently correct.

Answer 3

Grizz is correct. There are double and single actions on both the semi-auto and revolver side of the house. Double action means there are two ways to fire. One buy simply pulling the trigger witch will cam the action and draw back the hammer. On this type you also have the option to cok the hammer. The only way to fire a straight up single action is to cok the hammer first. On the auto side a single action like the 1911 style require you to cok the hammer for the first shot. The recoil of the slide recocks for every other shot. The M9 Beretta is a good example of double action. You can fire a shot simply by pulling the trigger. The Glock is an example of another kind the DA only. You can not cok it first, it only works when you pull the trigger.

Answer 4

A double-action gun is a revolver or pistol capable of initiating the firing process merely by squeezing the trigger. In revolvers this process can be repeated for each shot. In pistols (semi-automatics) the process may be 'double action on the first shot only,' or 'double action every time.'

Single action means that the hammer must be ****** manually to initiate the firing process. 'Single action only' means this process must be repeated for each shot. Double action revolvers can usually be fired either single action or double action. The Colt 1911 .45 auto is configured to be a 'single action on the first shot,' then it can be shot by merely squeezing the trigger as it 'self cocks' with each shot.

Hope that helped.

H

Answer 5

To clarify the revolver single/double action, single action indicates the hammer is pulled back manually, the trigger does a "single action" of dropping the hammer to fire a round. Most "western style" revolvers are single action (SA) only.
When shooting a revolver in double action mode, the trigger does a "double action" of cocking the hammer AND releasing it.
But, some revolvers are double action (DA) only. They cannot be fired in single action mode due to having the hammer concealed. Shrouded hammer models are DA, but concealed hammer models are DA only.
For revolvers, there are SA, DA, and DA only models.
The SA/DA has been covered on semi-auto pistols quite well above since the question was about pistols and not revolvers to begin with.

Answer 6

A single action pistol you have to pull the hammer back to get it to fire...on a double you can either pull it back or just pull the trigger...but if you hand cock it it will be more accurate

Answer 7

Additionally, a "double action" can also be fired "single action" by c o c k i n g * the hammer manually. This lowers the pressure needed on the trigger for a more accurate & controlled shot.


* Yahoo language blocker blocks that word.

Answer 8

A double action revolver is one that you don't need to pull the hammer back. You can just pull the trigger and the gun fires. A single action pistol you need to pull the hammer first and then pull the trigger.

Answer 9

with a single action pistol, you have to manually pull the hammer back, which in turn spins the cylinder to the next round, then squeeze the trigger to fire. with double action pistols, as you pull the trigger back, the hammer pulls back and the cylinder is spun to the next round automatically ....you don`t manually pull the hammer back.

Answer 10

Some handguns include single-shot pistols, revolvers, semi-automatic pistols, and fully automatic, or machine pistols.

SINGLE SHOT- Semiautomatic operation of an automatic gun, in which the trigger must be pulled for each shot fired.
REVOLVER- a pistol having a revolving cylinder with several cartridge chambers that may be fired in succession.
One that revolves, as a part of a mechanism.
SEMI-AUTOMATIC- a firearm which automatically reloads.
MACHINE PISTOL- a lightweight automatic sub-machine gun designed to be fired when held by one or two hands.