this is only my opinion but by experience all my personal guns are da/sa becose i like the safety of the double action on my gun i carry a fnp-9 so it has both da/sa and a deCocked for safety

the resin i like that is if i have to pull my weapon i control the hammer pull so if a have to let go of the trigger and the hammer falls it will not discharge my weapon
if i set my gun to single action and i dont have to pull the trigger the deCocked will let the hammer falls it will not discharge my weapon

the double action pull on my weapon is about 10 to 11 pounds and the single action is about 5 to 6 pounds !!!!!!!!!!

Just remember that it doesn't matter what make or model or if you choose a SA, DA/SA, or DAO pistol. There are really only two safeties that matter; your finger and your brain.

Not quite sure of what specific information you're looking for. Do you want to know the differences between a SA, DA/SA, and DOA pistols?

There are 2 types of semi autos 1911 and those that wish they were 1911s.
Really there are many newer styles out there and several different trigger options the best thing is find a range that rents guns and try out the different types to find what you are most comfortable with.
Then some day you will join the faithful followers of St. John Moses Browning.

Originally Posted by tony pasley

There are 2 types of semi autos 1911 and those that wish they were 1911s.

Alternately, you could say that there are two types of semiautos, 1911s and those that actually work. Gunsite Vets 250 course review

Like I said, I am new to autos. My only experience is with a rifle. You pull back the slide and let it go then just pull the trigger. Push the button for added safety incase of a brain . I thought pistols were the same way, but obviously not. I guess I am looking for a general overview of what it out there to consider. Are some styles safer if fully loaded if accidently dropped (like the Ruger SA vs. Colt SAA style revolver).

I really am smarter than I am making myself sound. I am just having a hard time asking what I want to know.

I will take a swing at this.

The most common semi-auto pistols today are what are called traditional double action-single action pistols (DA/SA). These pistols are normally carried with a round in the chamber and the hammer down. The first shot (double action) will both cock and release the hammer. The slide will then come back and cock the hammer for the second shot. The hammer can also be manually cocked for the first shot. Some of these types of pistols come with a manual safety and some with a decocker only device. This means that the hammer will safely drop without firing the weapon. Examples of DA/SA pistols are the Beretta 92FS (known as the M9 in the U.S. military), the Sig Sauer P226, and the H&K USP.

There are also single action only pistols (SA) which means that the hammer has to be manually cocked in order to fire the first shot. These pistols normally come with a manual safety device and can be carried with the hammer coked and the safety on (known as "cocked and locked"). The best examples of single action pistols are the 1911 and the Browning High Power.

There is also such a thing as a double action only pistol which means that each shot will be the longer, heavier trigger pull similar to the first shot of a DA/SA pistol. These pistols never really seemed to catch on with the general public but are still used by some police departments; mainly due to fear of liability i.e. they do not trust their officers with a weapon that can be fired with a lighter single action trigger pull.

Then we get into the striker fired pistols like the Glock, and the Smith & Wesson Sigma and M&P lines. Some consider these DA only pistols but they are really not. The benefit with a sticker fired pistol over a DA only is that the trigger pull is normally lighter.

There are other kinds but the above listed are the most common ones on the market today.

I do not know of any modern semi-auto pistol that does not have some sort of drop safety, which means that it will not fire if dropped. The only way to fire a quality pistol is by pulling the trigger.

I started out with a revolver and never really warmed up the DA/SA pistols due to the two different trigger pulls. I decided on the Glock due to the consistent trigger pull and lack of manual safety. Is a very simple weapon to carry and use. Just like a revolver; just draw and fire. The key to safety with a Glock is to keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire it. This, of course, goes for all firearms but due to the lack of a manual safety, this is even more important with weapons like Glocks.

The Glock comes in several different sizes and in pretty much every common semi-auto pistol caliber on the market today.

Good luck and I hope this information was of use to you.

You nailed it right on the head. Thank you so much.

Originally Posted by tony pasley

There are 2 types of semi autos 1911 and those that wish they were 1911s.
Really there are many newer styles out there and several different trigger options the best thing is find a range that rents guns and try out the different types to find what you are most comfortable with.
Then some day you will join the faithful followers of St. John Moses Browning.

Just something special about a 1911. I've never had the problems people say they have with them. I guess that's why I keep getting more of them..lol

There is also the DAK trigger action. It's DA all the time, but you can use the short reset for subsequent shots...sort of like the Glock trigger.