Double Action Finger Movement.

[David Bradshaw]

DOUBLE ACTION FIRE

Revolver:
1) Balance.
2) Pointing.
3) Lubricate lockwork and ratchet.

Grip:
1) Hand naturally grips without adjustment.
2) Presents gun in line with forearm.
3) Allows length-of-pull conducive to DA fire and recovery.

Trigger:
1) Uniform smooth stroke.
2) Trigger surface relates to revolver. A wide M-29 trigger works fine on a 29, is out of place on a light, compact revolver. Serrated or smooth is personal preference.

Trigger Control:
Practice is to Double Action shooting, as chewing is to digestion.
I squeeze STRAIGHT THROUGH, straight back, distal joint of index finger on trigger. Release trigger as a REVERSE MOTION of the squeeze. To put it COUNTRY SIMPLE, squeeze and release with same SMOOTH deliberation.

SPEED FOLLOWS SMOOTHNESS. Don't ski down the mountain at top speed the first time.
SPEED FOLLOWS NEED. Don't shoot faster than you can hit.

Practice:
1) Dry fire regularly (snap caps if you like).
2) Live ammo----light loads.
David Bradshaw

 

[meshugunner]

To give you some idea: My standard practice "drill" is to shoot at a 4" square on a 8x10" sheet of paper at 50 feet. I shoot as rapidly as I can while still really trying to keep everything on that 4" square. With one of my autopistols, I can usually get 90+ out of 100 shots on the square and usually chew a big "rathole" in the target. With a DA revolver, after several years of practice...I still can't do anywhere near that well. I'll keep 100 shots on the paper, but do well to get 75 of them on the square. And ratholes have been few and far between. :?

That's useful info. Gives me some idea of what is reasonable. Thanks.

 

[meshugunner]

DOUBLE ACTION FIRE

Revolver:
1) Balance.
2) Pointing.
3) Lubricate lockwork and ratchet.....

Are you this David Bradshaw? [color=#0000BF]http://www.maverick-...ction=berkshire-article&b=1&issue=009[/color]

 

[ThundarStick]

People who shoot Smith and Wessons often do not stage the trigger because the pull is a lot shorter than a Ruger and therefore harder to stage.

I have a GP100 in 327Fed. that I cary nearly every day, and a S&W 617 that I fire a lot for practice. I find the GP very easy to stage for the reasons that are listed, while I do find myself tripping off the 617 early on lots of occasions. I had atributed this to the 10 shot cylinder having such a close ratio of cylinder stops. I have shot one IDPA course with it, and to everyones suprise I was rite in the middle of the group for scores! This was my first time shooting an IDPA course (won't be my last) and the best advice I was given was "you can't miss fast enough to win"! I dry fire practice at least 3 nights a week to help keep my skills sharpened. I don't think DA is that hard to become proficent at, especially at true self defence ranges, it just takes practice while evaluating yourself.

 

[GaryVA]

It is not difficult to draw a revolver from a secured holster, shoot double action, and place two accurate rounds center mass at a range of 15 yards within 3-seconds. It is standard fair for most any LEO qualifications for as far back as I can remember and I go back to the days of the issue K frames. Look for someone local who is a certified instructor, or maybe you can find a distinguished expert near you to get some hands on instruction. Having some proper hands on instruction will give you a big leg up over trying to self-teach. It is much easier having a qualified instructor over your shoulder to quickly get you squared away.

But keep in mind, even if you distinguish yourself on paper, that does not guarantee you will handle the pressures of combat if someone is shooting back at you. That is a complete different kettle of fish which requires a great amount of realistic training and real life experience to master.

Good Luck

 

[David Bradshaw]

As noted in above dispatches, there are variations in DOUBLE ACTIONS. Like some other negative habits, I think that "staging" was refined as a technique for target shooting, specifically PPC (Practical Pistol Competition).

When we look at guns worthy of double action work, we see three----the Smith & Wesson, the Colt Python, and the Rugers:

1) S&W represents the benchmark against which the others are measured. Uniform pressure, smooth carry-up.

2) Colt Python capable of light, uniform DA stroke. Represents ideal candidate for staging, as carry-up of a properly timed Python is fast, with cylinder locked well before hammer fall, and pawl holding cylinder against the bolt. This indexes chamber with zero cylinder side-play and results in a short single action feel.

3) Ruger double actions can be set up to stage, but I think this is the wrong approach, as it may make timing more critical. I dry fired a Security-Six PPC revolver Ron Power built for Tom Ruger. I remember its DA as smooth, light, and uniform. I do not remember a final "single action stage."

To SQUEEZE the TRIGGER STRAIGHT BACK is crucial to double action accuracy. My approach is to get as much of my finger on the trigger as a straight squeeze permits. The closer to the hand, the greater the finger leverage. Practicing a SLOW SQUEEZE-RELEASE tones tendon and muscle, and builds accuracy faster than going for speed from the start.
David Bradshaw