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From: jkh@jade.BERKELEY.EDU (Jordan K. Hubbard)
Newsgroups: mod.rec.guns
Subject: Re: Gun selection
Message-ID: <1406@jade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Fri, 10-Oct-86 01:57:10 EDT
Article-I.D.: jade.1406
Posted: Fri Oct 10 01:57:10 1986
Date-Received: Fri, 10-Oct-86 21:15:32 EDT
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 26
Approved: jkh@ucbjade
Author: ihnp4!utzoo!henry@ucbvax.Berkeley.Edu

Article: 10:13

> ... the Colt .45 is single action.  It seems
> that for a defensive weapon for instance in the home
> that double action is almost imperative since a double
> action can be stored so that it can be picked up and the
> trigger squeezed to fire...

Unfortunately, you don't get something for nothing.  The price you pay
for squeeze-and-fire capability in a traditional double-action autoloader
is that the length and strength of trigger pull needed for the first shot
is very different from that needed for the second and subsequent shots.
This may mean that you have to shift your grip after the first shot, hardly
a desirable thing in an emergency.  Try it before you buy it.

An interesting way around the whole problem is the Czech (?) pistol formerly
named the PSP and now named I-forget-what, which uses a squeeze *grip* for
cocking.  This gets you the wins of both sides:  the trigger pull remains
consistent and no shift of grip is needed, but the weapon is uncocked when
sitting on the bench.  Last I heard the largest caliber was 9mm, which would
be significant if you're a 45 enthusiast (which I gather you aren't).  It's
probably not cheap, but I'd say it's worth investigating if you're edgy
about leaving a single-action pistol cocked.

				Henry Spencer @ U of Toronto Zoology
				{allegra,ihnp4,decvax,pyramid}!utzoo!henry