A quick definition of double-action/single-action (DA/SA) semi-auto pistols is prudent here. First seen on the Walther PPK and P38, and later on the Smith & Wesson Models 39 and 59, the term simply means that, from the de-cocked safety-off position, the trigger will both cock and release the hammer. Trigger pull in the DA mode will weigh about 12 pounds. Subsequent shots will be in the single-action mode, whereby all the trigger does is release the hammer. Trigger pull is usually reduced to about five pounds in this mode. Once the firing string is done, in pistols with de-cocking levers like the Beretta, the de-cocking lever is pushed and the hammer is safely dropped down into the original de-cocked position, and the pistol is ready to fire in the DA mode again.
This system is often criticized as being difficult to train with due to making the transition from the 12-pound DA pull to the five-pound SA pull on the second shot. I don’t believe it is. The very first centerfire pistol I owned was the DA/SA Smith & Wesson Model 39. Following that, I carried for many years a Walther PPK/S in .380 ACP as my duty pistol on the narcotics unit and as an off-duty gun while working uniform patrol. What the DA first shot provides, due to the heavy 12-pound trigger pull, is the reduction in a first shot accidental discharge in real life situations where adrenalin is high, usually even if the shooter’s finger is on the trigger (just like in the days when the revolver ruled). Our current necessary and stringent admonition to our cops and recruits is to keep the trigger finger ‘on frame” until ready to actually shoot. This lesson didn’t become as necessary until the massive acceptance by law enforcement of the Glock with its standard 5.5-pound trigger pull; I guarantee there are far fewer accidental shots fired in stress by law enforcement officers armed with the 92.
There is one caveat to that statement, and that is you must train, train, and train to decock the DA/SA pistol after any string of fire and before re-holstering your weapon (just like you must train to apply the safety on the 1911 before holstering), or there will likely be a discharge into the ground or your foot at some time. As long as you train with the de-cocker, you are golden. Be advised, there are a number of variations on this theme. For most Berettas, the decocker is also a safety. When you push down the lever, the pistol will decock, the lever will stay down in the safe position, and the pistol will not fire unless you push the lever back up to the fire position. I like this format, because you can put the safety in the on or down position when you charge the weapon (chamber a round). When you do that, the hammer will already be down (decocked) as a result of racking the slide and all you have to do is push the lever up to be ready to fire in the double-action mode.
This type of safety-on decock lever is also featured on the Walther PP/PPK, but SIG DA/SA pistols, which are also an excellent survival pistol choice but more expensive than the Beretta and others, use a lever that functions only as a de-cocker and not as an additional safety. Pistols based on the CZ-75, on the other hand, will have only a safety lever, similar in operation to that of a single-action-only 1911 pistol. There is no safe form of a de-cocker, other than your thumb firmly on the hammer to prevent its rapid fall forward, a gentle trigger finger, and the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. These pistols can be carried like the Browning Hi Power, cocked and locked, and perform with single-action trigger operation for the fist and subsequent shots and, if you’ve safely dropped the hammer manually after chambering around, will also fire in double-action mode for the first shot. Just remember there is no grip safety like you’ll find on a 1991 that is used as a backup to the thumb safety on these guns, so be careful.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Less Lethal, Still Necessary
“Guns don’t survive, people do.”
A firearm is only one part—a very important part—but only one part of your survival plan, and they need to be supported or supplemented by other weapons and options. I addressed the bayonet as one of those options, and it’s a darn good one, but there are others to be considered.
Not everyone will have access to a long gun that can mount a bayonet, but everyone needs a fixed-blade knife. Folders are out the window at this point, unless that’s all you have. They simply will not stand up to the tasks they will be asked to perform, like emergency digging and prying, not to mention fighting. Only a fixed blade can do those things. But which ones?
Like firearms, the high-quality middle ground is what I’m looking for in a fixed blade. I don’t have an unlimited budget and I can do everything with a mid-range priced fixed blade that I can with a high priced custom or semi-custom blade, marketing claims to the contrary.
While it’s possible to get some Chinese-made products that are of reasonable quality, I certainly prefer something that is American made, or at least made in a country that has truly been an ally of the United States. For example, Smith & Wesson-brand knives are produced for that company by Taylor brands and manufactured in the U.S. They are of fine quality and very reasonably priced. You can often find them on sale in the mid-$20 price range. For example, the S&W “Search and Rescue” fixed-blade knife is on sale as I write this on Amazon.com for $24.83. I originally paid $35 for this model three years ago, and I still think that was a fair price. Modeled after the Ka-Bar fighting knives with a black-coated blade, standard edge, and rubber handle, it comes with a nylon/plastic sheath with a leg tie-down strap and a compartment for a sharpening stone. The pommel is flat and can be used for pounding. I originally used this knife for S.W.A.T. duties, but then kept it in my patrol kit while working the road. Obviously, it would be a first choice for survival duties if a bayonet were not available.
Smith & Wesson knives are produced in an almost “knife of the week club” format, with new models in my area gun shop showing up nearly every seven days. If you see one in a dealer’s case or online that you like, you might want to pick it up quick, as some models seem to become discontinued quickly.
I have a S&W tactical folder with a window breaking tip on one end. It is an assisted-opening model with a safety lock and opens in the blink of an eye. But I’ve noticed over time that, while being carried in a pocket with things such as car keys, the tan finish on the scales has started to wear off. This truly is cosmetic only, so no big deal. I would rather have the nice finish wear a little rather than have the knife break, and certainly would choose to save the money over something with more durable cosmetics.