pistols, terminology, single-actionWill someone please explain what the “single action” in “Colt Single Action Army” means? How does this differ from double-action or DA/SA?
Single action means that the trigger only releases the hammer. You must cock the hammer yourself before the first shot. On subsequent shots, the hammer may be cocked for you by the movement of the slide, or other recoil action.
Double action means that the trigger both cocks the hammer and releases it. Typically a double action gun has a heavier and or longer trigger pull, although that may not be universally true.
DA/SA means that the first trigger pull is double action, but subsequent trigger pulls are single action. In most cases, this is because the slide cocked the hammer for you during the recoil from the first shot.
Single action means pulling the trigger does a “single action” (dropping the hammer, you will have to manually cock the pistol). Double action will actually cock and drop the hammer.
SA (Single Action) means the trigger performs a single action, letting the hammer slam home. DA (Double Action) handguns mean that the trigger cocks the gun AND releases the hammer, just at different times. SA handguns require you to cock the gun, either by drawing back the hammer or by racking the slide to the rear yourself. There are some handguns that are SA or DA meaning you can fire them in either manner, whichever is most comfortable for you.
Keep in mind that SA/DA handguns will have a heavier trigger pull when you shoot DA than if you cock it manually and then shoot.
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