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| Photo reproduced courtesy of Tokyo Marui Japan |
Pistols are big business in the military these days. At one time, only officers carried them. Now, most service people in a combat zone are trained in their use and have access to a sidearm.
Last year, the US government announced a plan to replace their M9 and it is estimated that they will buy nearly half a million pistols in the replacement program.
Many of us see written reference to the terms SAO or DAO but how many of us know what it actually means to the shooter ?
SAO = Single Action Only
The pistol must be physically cocked (i.e. the hammer cocked or the slide racked back) before the first shot.
DAO = Double Action Only
A long trigger pull is needed to cock the pistol.
DA/SA = Double Action/Single Action
A long trigger pull for the first shot and then shorter SA style pulls for subsequent shots.
The Benefits and Merits
SAO pistols offer a lighter, crisper trigger action, but having to manually cock the pistol can make you slow to respond to an emerging threat.
"Contact" - wait, just let me rack this sucker to return fire.
It's also noisy, making stealth approaches more difficult.
This has caused shooters to carry them cocked with the safety on, which for obvious reasons has become less popular in modern times.
The long trigger pull of the DAO is seen as a safety feature to avoid negligent discharges and it's certainly quicker to respond than the SAO, but that pull can often detrimentally affect accuracy, especially for the more inexperienced user.
DA/SA pistols offer a compromise with that long pull on the first shot, offering safety against ND's but potentially with less initial accuracy, followed by shorter triggered, more accurate rapid shots thereafter.
Other Considerations
Hammer or Striker ? - Hammers can be a pain as they protrude. They can get caught up and straps or clothing can get in the way and stop their action just when you need it. Strikers are internal so don't have the same hang ups, although you can't always see whether the pistol is cocked or not (unless there is a striker indicator pin at the rear).
Just to stir up the mix a little, another consideration is safety features. At one time, having a thumbed safety switch was considered ample precaution. However, it takes time to operate (crucial milliseconds perhaps) and it's easy to forget and leave it on in a stressful situation.
Pointing a loaded gun and squeezing the trigger only to find the safety is still on, is an experience you don't forget. Luckily in the airsoft world, it just means a long walk to the regen.
As a result, many makers offer indirect safety devices like a split trigger which means both parts of the hinged trigger have to be squeezed for the pistol to be operated.
Decockers are designed to allow SAO and DA/SA type pistols to de-cock and be made safe without the user having to try to squeeze the trigger and arrest the hammer, allowing it to return slowly - something that can have a mixed rate of success, especially when tired or when fingers are wet.
So, like many things in 21st century life, we are spoilt for choice. Although airsoft choice is more limited than real steel in the real world, it's still food for thought and in milsim-land where we strive for as much reality as possible, buying an airsoft pistol certainly merits some pondering before parting with cash.
