Free For All Friday 4-24-2015: Double action guns, Magazine Issues
Vacations are a strange thing. It gives you some much needed time off of work in order to unwind. The justification is that you’ll come back refreshed and that will translate to better productivity. The reality is, your vacation ends and you spend the first few days back wishing you were still on vacation.
A concealed carry question: The idea of sticking a loaded firearm in one’s pants (in a holster, of course) is a little daunting. The long, heavy pull of a revolver helps take away some of the fear. Are there semi-auto pistols with similar trigger action? All the semi-autos I’ve shot (not many) have had light, short trigger pulls. -Mike H.
That DA pull is the simplest built in safety mechanism you’ll find. It’s great because it’s simple (did I mention it’s simple?) and requires no real thought. The downside is that, under many situations, it can cause a bit of a hit to your accuracy.
Some of the first double action only (DAO) carry guns that come to mind are the offerings from Ruger and Taurus. Things like Ruger’s LC9 have a long DAO trigger pull. On top of that, Ruger tends to go a bit crazy when it comes to safety features (almost to a fault). It just so happens we did a review on just that pistol a while back. If safety is your concern, allow me to suggest some alternatives to a DAO pull. Some guns, like Springfield’s XDs line, have some pretty hefty safeties build in. First off, it has a trigger safety which will keep the trigger from moving if a finger isn’t on it. There’s also a backstrap safety that will keep it locked down unless someone is actually gripping the handle. The other advantage is, again, zero thought but you also get the accuracy that comes with a short pull, single action trigger.
An alternative option, if you’re really intent on the double action style, is a Double/Single pistol. The way these work is you load the gun then chamber a round. After that, you hit a decocker button. At that point, you have a double action pistol and the safety that comes with it. After the first shot, however, it will function as a single action pistol. The upside is that you get the best of both worlds. The downside is there is an inconsistent trigger feel over the first 2 shots. Practice is key there. SIG, up until recently, was almost exclusively DA/SA guns and they have a huge number of carry options with that configuration.
My wife wanted a larger Mag for her LCP 380. We have been having problems getting mags other that the one that came with it to lock in place. At first I thought it was just the mags I tried until I happened to see post somewhere (I don’t remember where) and they had the same problem and sent it to Ruger and they told him it was some plate that was just slightly too big. All it took was a few passes with a file and problem solved. Have you heard of this problem and or the solution? Should I just call Ruger and have to give up the gun for a while? I don’t like the idea of my wife not having her EDC with her and we have no back up. Is this something I could do? Please help. -Travis S.
My first gut reaction would be to contact Ruger and have them take a look at it. I’m not a gunsmith but it sounds to me like there’s something wrong with the mag release. The turnaround for a company that size is usually pretty good. Given your circumstances, however, the question comes down to how comfortable you are fiddling with gun components. Personally, I’m still not that brave. The bright side is that there’s a couple things to try before you break out the tools. First off, aftermarket magazines can sometimes act a bit wonky. If you’re using one, try looking for one from a different maker or from Ruger itself. Also, just try multiple mags. The manufacturing process on them aren’t nearly as precise as the rest of the gun and they can vary widely from one mag to another. Ask any 1911 owner about that problem. One other thought, all guns need to be broken in and until they are, the gun can act a bit strange. Most people just shoot a few hundred rounds through it and they call it a day. Try swapping the magazine out a couple hundred times. I know that sounds wonderfully exciting but it could work to wear down the catch enough to allow magazines to work better.
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