Estimated reading time: 9 minutes
The world of revolvers can be effectively divided into single-action and double-action designs. Today, we will dissect both terms and compare and contrast DA and SA revolvers.
Table of contents
Revolvers are never going away. They’ve planted themselves in our collective consciousness and refuse to leave. Even though the firearm world has advanced, revolvers still have a firm hold on the market.
What’s Single-Action?
Single-action refers to the number of tasks the trigger accomplishes when pulled. Single-action triggers do one task: release the hammer and fire the weapon. These types of revolvers are as simple as they get.
With an SA revolver, the user has to manually check the hammer, which also rotates the cylinder and aligns a chamber with the barrel. After manually cocking the hammer, the user presses the trigger, and the weapon fires. SA triggers are extraordinarily lightweight and crisp.
What’s Double-Action?
Double-action revolvers have a trigger that does two things. When pressed, the trigger cocks the hammer and eventually drops the hammer, and fires the weapon. Pulling the trigger also rotates the cylinder to align a chamber with the barrel.
Double-action revolvers have a longer and heavier trigger pull. Most have an exposed hammer that allows the user to choose between a DA trigger pull and an SA trigger pull.
What About Double-Action Only?
Double-action only revolvers exist. They lack an exposed hammer and cannot be manually cocked to a single action mode. These guns will fall under the Double Action umbrella for the sake of this article.
Bottom Line Up Front
Let’s give you the difference between meat and potatoes right up front. If you’re looking for a defensive revolver, you’ll be best armed with a double-action or double-action-only revolver. The modern trigger system allows for rapid shots, it can be easily used with one hand, and the general design of double-action revolvers lends itself to modern use.
Single-action designs are a popular option for hunters using powerful magnum rounds. The single-action trigger is crisp and light, making accurate shots easier. The design of a single-action revolver lends itself better to recoil mitigation, which is helpful when shooting those heavy magnum calibers.
Double-action and single-action revolvers are used in competition shooting, but in different competitions. Double-action revolvers often compete in more modern action shooting events, while single-action revolvers are popular in things like the old West-focused Single Action Shooting Society.
That’s the long explanation, but it might be whether you want to feel like a hard-boiled private detective or a cowboy.
The Benefits of a Single-Action
Single-action revolvers give the shooter a light and crisp trigger pull, which is undeniably the best revolver trigger. When comparing two high-quality guns, it outclasses double actions with an exposed hammer. That light and crisp trigger helps shooters put roughs right where they want them.
Single-action revolvers handle recoil better, or at the very least, they handle it differently. There are two types of single-action grips: the plow handle, which was perfected with the Colt Single Action Army, and the Bisley Grip.
With the plow handle, we get a rolling recoil impulse that pushes the gun up and, admittedly, encourages more muzzle rise. However, it delivers a lighter recoil impulse to the wrist, and when shooting magnum rounds, this can be a welcome relief. It won’t beat your wrist up.
The Bisley grips offer more control and less rolling, with more recoil energy transferred to the wrist. They are popular on heavy magnum revolvers because they increase control while remaining comfortable for the shooter.
Single-action revolvers can be lighter than double-action guns because they lack pieces and parts. This makes it easier to create a lighter magnum gun, which is easier to tote. Additionally, the frames are solid and tend to be stronger.
Add in a stronger frame with a simpler trigger mechanism, and you could feed your single-action revolver a lifetime of magnum loads, and it would be no worse for wear.
Safety Concerns
There are two safety-driven aspects to consider. When shooting Magnum cartridges, the gun recoils rearward and upward, and if you aren’t ready or something is amiss with your stance and grip, the gun could fly rearward enough to point back at you. With a double-action, there is a risk of your finger twisting and discharging the gun into your face.
This seems unlikely, but there are verified stories of this happening. At least one involved an irresponsible gun owner giving an inexperienced person a magnum revolver, and that person shooting.
Single-action revolvers can be an excellent tool to teach new shooters. A rimfire single-action revolver is easy to shoot with its small grip and light trigger, but it’s also always very easy to see the gun’s condition. You can remove some of the danger of an excited shooter swinging the weapon around after hitting the target due to the need to cock the hammer again.
Benefits of a Double-Action Revolver
A double-action revolver allows you to choose between a longer or shorter single-action trigger. The end user can make that decision on the fly, and options are nice to have.
Double-action revolvers offer a faster rate of fire. While the trigger might be long and heavy, not having to manually cock the hammer makes it easy to rapidly press that trigger. An experienced shooter can draw and put six rounds of .38 Special into an IPSC-sized A-zone at seven yards in less than two seconds.
That’s a whole heckuva lot faster than a single-action revolver. If a round fails to fire, you can simply press the trigger again, which makes it faster to fire than a single-action design.
Modern double-action revolvers use a swing-out cylinder. The cylinder ejects to the frame’s left, allowing you to rapidly reload the revolver. These revolvers can utilize speed loaders or speed strips, the fastest way to load a revolver.
Since you’re not required to cock the hammer of a double-action revolver, it’s easier to shoot with a single hand. Sure, SA revolvers can be fired with one hand, but every shot requires a grip shift. The double-action design makes shooting the handgun accurately with a single hand easier.
There is no exposed hammer with double-action-only guns, so the single-action option is not available.
The Defensive Edge
DA revolvers have the defensive edge. The faster rate of fire, the ability to rapidly reload, and the ease of use with a single hand give them that edge. Beyond that, they don’t make a defensive single-action revolver.
DA revolvers come in various sizes and shapes and can be used in various capacities. Smaller revolvers, like S&W’s J-Frames, are perfect for concealed carry. Bigger guns like the S&W TRR8 give you a light and optic-ready revolver for home defense needs that holds eight rounds of .357 Magnum.
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Between those two sizes, a wide variety of options allows you to find the revolver that’s well-suited for your defensive needs. From IWB to pocket carry, the DA revolver has you covered.
Single-Action or Double-Action: Which is For You?
Ultimately, a single-action revolver offers a lighter trigger, a potentially more accurate revolver that can handle powerful rounds, and some additional safety factors. They tend to be well-suited for long-range shooting and hunting.
Double-action revolvers are more versatile and primed for defensive use. They allow for rapid fire and rapid reloads and come in a wide variety of sizes. Large-frame DA revolvers in magnum calibers exist and could also be capable hunting revolvers.
I’m a double-action revolver guy, but I don’t shoot anything bigger than a .44 Magnum. What about you? Which would you pick?
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Travis Pike is a dedicated firearms writer, a Second Amendment Advocate, and a subject matter enthusiast for all things firearms. He is an amateur competitor with dreams of one day not coming in 4th place at a local defensive match. If he’s not putting text to word processor, he’s likely spending time with family, enjoying Florida’s Nature Coast, or drinking hipster beer. As the resident Florida man he has a preference for obscure guns and calibers.
Experience
- Hunter – Long time deer and hog hunter in the swamps of Florida
- Instructor – Volunteers to teach basic firearm safety classes to kids, adults, and cats
- Wannabe Competitor – Has recently dipped his toes into competitive shooting and has happily discovered an expensive hobby.
- Marine – Served five years with the infantry before transferring to the First Civ Div.