A Double Duty Handgun

The Problem
You are new to shooting and do not have an abundance of disposable income, but want to purchase a handgun for informal shooting and personal defense. You have been to the gun range, where they let you try before you buy, and have fired both semi-automatics and revolvers in an effort to narrow the field for your first purchase. Contrary to the gentleman at the gun shop’s suggestion of a pistol with a light, crisp break to fire the gun, you tend to prefer guns that have triggers that have some feel to them. That is to say, a trigger where you can feel the backward and forward movement, like in the accelerator pedal of your car. The revolver has a trigger feel that is to your liking, but the semi-auto pistol grip feels better in your hand. Are there semi-automatic pistols available with triggers that feel like revolvers? What are the benefits, and if any, the detriments to having a semi-auto pistol with a trigger like a revolver?

The Solution
Let me commend you on doing your homework in making a handgun purchase as opposed to taking the suggestion of another or impulse buying because of an emotional stimulation. To help you with the correct terminology when looking for the gun that will suit your needs, the trigger type that you are looking for is referred to as Double-Action Only, or DAO.

What this means is that when the trigger is pulled to fire the gun, two things happen during that trigger movement. The first is the hammer or firing mechanism of the pistol is cocked (tensioned). This is followed by the release of the hammer or firing mechanism to fire the gun. Each time the gun is fired, the feel of the trigger is the same from the first shot to the last shot. It is as simple as it gets.

Double-action-only pistols are available from most of the major manufacturers, which will give you some options from which to choose.

Relevant to your reference to the accelerator of your motor vehicle, controlling your trigger both backward and forward with constant trigger-finger contact using smooth, fluid movement will enhance your ability to hit what you are aiming at. Practicing that trigger movement dry (without ammunition) on a blank target will help you to develop the correct feel of the trigger operation coordinated with the correct sight picture, which will lead to the success of shots on the intended target. This translates from dry firing to recreational shooting to situations of defending yourself or your family.

The longer and heavier trigger pull associated with a DAO trigger in a handgun can be beneficial for the recreational shooter, because it takes a conscious awareness of the trigger manipulation coupled with the chosen sight picture to be both safe and successful when target shooting. It can be as simple as putting the sights on the target, the finger on the trigger and pulling the trigger without moving the sights off the target. Repeat said trigger manipulation as necessary.

In a defensive scenario, where emotions are running high and fine-motor skills are diminished, the extra weight and movement of the DAO trigger mechanism can be an advantage over a light, crisp trigger that many target shooters prefer. Under stress, an individual’s trigger finger can easily find the trigger, potentially resulting in shots fired that were not planned. A DAO trigger will not prevent such a situation, but it will lessen the likelihood because of the increased effort required to fire the gun.

To carry the defensive scenario further, there is the likelihood that the gun will have to be reholstered or stored on your person before the scene is safe or cleared. Putting a handgun in a pocket or waistband—or even a holster—sometimes results in the trigger inadvertently catching on something surrounding the storage location. The amount of force used in seating and securing the gun in the storage location has a greater potential for the gun to fire with a light trigger as opposed to the longer and heavier trigger pull of the DAO trigger.

These are but a few examples and reasons why a pistol with a DAO trigger makes sense for your first gun. As you gain experience in your shooting endeavors, you may want to try something different, but with a DAO trigger in your first handgun, you will have a solid foundation from which to work.