DAO - SA - Striker-Fired Discussion

D

datasmith

New member
The first gun I bought a few years back was a Taurus PT-140. It was a true striker-fired DAO gun. Every pull was long and heavy as it had to cock the striker every time. I hated it. I traded it for a Smith Wesson SW40VE, another striker fired gun with a much lighter pull. Honestly, I thought is was a DAO too. But after a discussion in another thread I went back to check it too, and what do you know. It only cocks when you rack it. Technically a single-action gun. Thus the light trigger pull... I've never fired a Glock, thinking it was a DAO... but their trigger is listed as a "Safe Action" trigger. Have I incorrectly thought bad of the Glock as well? Is it actually a single-action striker that requires rack cocking as well?

Those of you with striker fired guns. Are they DAO, SA, or something in between, like a half cocked striker?
What's the pull like?
What do you like?
 
E

Edward429451

Moderator
Yes, Glocks can be loosly described as DA/SA guns. There is no second try on a round that fails to fire without racking the slide.
 
D

DT Guy

New member
I've had guns of (I think) every variety. I tried the Smith DAOs (I had a 4516) when they first came out, and I was pretty impressed with the trigger. The Smith wasn't a "true" DAO, though, because as I recall it required slide action to reset the trigger. I've also shot Glocks pretty extensively, and Glocks are, to my mind at least, NOT DAO since they also require slide action to reset the trigger.

Eventually, I decided that I'd never shoot a DAO as well as a SA, and I've generally converted to 1911s or similar for serious work. The DAOs make head shots at 25 yards + too difficult to do quickly, and I'd rather have a gun that doesn't fight me as much.

YMMV, of course.

Larry
 
J

JohnKSa

Administrator
In the Glock, slide action partially cocks the striker. The trigger pull completes the cocking stroke and releases the striker. Without slide action, the trigger will not function at all. It's sort of a hybrid between DAO and SA which is why Glock came up with their own label for the action type.

On the other hand, the Sprinfield XD is a true single action. All of the cocking action is performed by the slide action with the trigger functioning only as a release for the striker.

The Para LDA guns are also neither fish nor fowl. LDA stands for Light Double Action but the gun isn't really a double action at all. The slide action fully cocks the mainspring but leaves the hammer down. The trigger moves the hammer back (but doesn't have to fight the mainspring tension) and then at the end of the trigger stroke, it releases the mainspring to drop the hammer under the force of the mainspring. This is actually a variant of the old Daewoo "Fast Action" system.

As you point out, it's not always easy to determine what's going on INSIDE the gun from what happens outside.
 
H

Handy

Moderator
You can usually tell a real, fully double action trigger by feeling its trigger pull. And a true SAO will also be pretty obvious.

The whole other category, which I normally label "spring assisted DA" is a class to itself, and always relies on some presprung parts. Kahr, HK LEM, Glock, P99QA, Daewoo, LDA, etc.

The XD is a funny standout that is an SAO with springs opposing the trigger to make it feel like a Glock. I guess that provides the excuse for an SAO pistol with no safety. :rolleyes:
 
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