Please edumacate me on decockers...

[SPaikmos]

I apologize if this is obvious or has already been asked... I did a search, and most of what I got was SP-01 Tactical questions

My question is, why would someone want a decocker vs a safety? I haven't handled either much (I have a glock). I'm curious what the advantages and disadvantages are for the two systems. And, can a gun have a safety + decocker, or is that a silly idea?

[DannyZRC]

there are plenty of guns with both a safety and a decocker.

some guns have a safety that decocks the gun when on the safe position, other guns have a decocking operation separate from the safety.

a gun that is decocked but is not on safe has a double action trigger pull (usually longer than half an inch pull travel, and a consistent resistance of around 10lbs for the entire travel) for the first shot, and then the action of the pistol cocks the hammer for subsequent shots on Single Action (usually 1/4 inch or thereabouts travel, most of which is very lightly resisted, increasing to 4-5lbs resistance right before the shot breaks).

many guns with a safety are intended to be carried on single action, with the safety engaged, so all shots are fired with the short and light SA trigger.

some people are not comfortable with their ability to consistently disengage a safety in a high-stress defensive shooting, others are not confident of their ability to manage the heavy and long trigger pull of double action.

some people are not comfortable with either, and they shoot glocks and glock-offs.

pick your poison, heh.

[smittty]

HK USP has one lever that is both safety and decocker so yes it's possible to have both on one gun,

The purpose of the decocker is to safey drop the hammer to half-cock or uncock the hammer. With a gun that doesn't have a decocker you have to manually hold and drop the hammer while you squeeze the trigger.

Trusting a human to safety drop a hammer while squeezing the trigger is an obvious hazard therefore the manufacturers devised a safer method for uncocking the hammer...someone called it a decocker and I guess the name stuck!

Safety vs decocker is a personal preference.

I prefer the decocker instead of a manual safety. I carry my guns in double action so my first shot requires a long trigger pull. Follow-up shots are single action and when I'm finished if there is still a live round in the chamber I use the decocker to bring the gun back to double action mode.

No safety means I don't have to do anything other than squeeze the trigger just like with your Glock. The difference with the Glock is that every squeeze of the trigger feels the same regardless if it's the first shot or the last.

[SPaikmos]

Thanks. That clears up a lot of my confusion.

The thing I'm not quite understanding is dropping the hammer. In the glock, if there's a round chambered, I simply drop the mag and rack the slide to eject the round. I imagine that should work the same way with a decocker gun?

So in a sense, the DA pull acts as a "safety" in that it requires more resistance to fire? And an SA gun would want to be "cocked and locked" (this is the correct term, yes?) because you cannot fire it until you cock it, and once you cock it you want to lock it?

Hmm... one more question then. My glock acts as a SA only gun, so it stays cocked and "unlocked" in my holster. Can other SA guns be carried that way (i.e. cocked and safety off) or is there a chance of an AD due to the design of the gun?

[DannyZRC]

a glock is only partially cocked, the trigger pull finishes the rearward stroke of the striker before releasing it forward to impact the primer. some people debate that this qualifies as double action, since the glock trigger cannot cock the striker from a rest position. this only matters if the mechanisms restraining the cocked striker breaks, as long as the pistol is functional the state of the ignition mechanism isn't really germane to a discussion on safety.

a glock is not substantially different from a DA/SA gun that is cocked to single action, the trigger pull is a tiny bit longer and the break is about 1lb heavier, the most substantive difference is probably the small trigger safety, which reduced the cross section available for random objects to interact with the trigger and fire the gun.

some people see red when you say a cocked sig/beretta are hardly different from a glock, because those magical letters "DAO" in the BATF classification are their talisman against accidents.

[erikdjs]

Hmm... one more question then. My glock acts as a SA only gun, so it stays cocked and "unlocked" in my holster. Can other SA guns be carried that way (i.e. cocked and safety off) or is there a chance of an AD due to the design of the gun?

IMO all guns should be carried with one in the chamber.

[DannyZRC]

IMO all guns should be carried with one in the chamber.

not under dispute here.

[THE NEW GUY]

The Sig 220, rack the slide and hit the decocker and have about 10 lbs of pull on the trigger.

Do not hit the decocker and now its down to 3-5 lbs of pull.

Think of your glock...

rack it and pull the trigger at 3 lbs of pressure, or hit the decocker and now that first pull is 10 lbs.

[PandaLuv]

I am a new gun owner and I chose to have my first handgun to have a decocker only. Manual safety with DA/SA is unnecessary.

[mixwell]

Taurus pt92 has a 1911 style safety and when pressed down decocks like a sig or beretta 92

[wang949]

Do you guys believe that if you practice enough with condition 1 (round chambered, hammer back, manual safety on), that your muscle memory will kick in during a stressful situation and remember to disengage the safety??

[ilkhan]

The biggest difference between SAO/safety and DA/SA(de-cocked) is that you have to manually disengage the safety on the SAO. Its a separate motion between draw and "bang".
I prefer DA/SA over SAO, but ironically I have a 1911 and not a DA/SA gun. Yet (it'll be a P220).

[DannyZRC]

I am a new gun owner and I chose to have my first handgun to have a decocker only. Manual safety with DA/SA is unnecessary.

Necessary is not a word that is germane to the discussion, IMO.

Do you guys believe that if you practice enough with condition 1 (round chambered, hammer back, manual safety on), that your muscle memory will kick in during a stressful situation and remember to disengage the safety??

I do.

[9mmepiphany]

some people see red when you say a cocked sig/beretta are hardly different from a glock, because those magical letters "DAO" in the BATF classification are their talisman against accidents.

That is very good and very true...well done

Do you guys believe that if you practice enough with condition 1 (round chambered, hammer back, manual safety on), that your muscle memory will kick in during a stressful situation and remember to disengage the safety??

I do.

I do too...it is just a matter of training and practice

[himurax13]

I apologize if this is obvious or has already been asked... I did a search, and most of what I got was SP-01 Tactical questions

My question is, why would someone want a decocker vs a safety? I haven't handled either much (I have a glock). I'm curious what the advantages and disadvantages are for the two systems. And, can a gun have a safety + decocker, or is that a silly idea?

Specifically since you want a SP-01 Tactical SA/DA, I will answer why someone would want a Decocker.

1. When you draw from the holster, you simply aim then pull the trigger, no grip or thumb safeties to disengage.
2. The decocker goes to halfcock which gives you a slightly lighter and shorter trigger pull from hammer down.
3. If you get a P-01 as a backup gun, they will operate the same.

Now the advantages of having a thumb safety instead, like a regular SP-01.
1. 1911 shooters have a place to put their thumb.
2. You can choose whether to carry in DA mode or SA mode (ala 1911)
3. Performing detail stripping and modifications is far easier than the decocker model.
4. You have the option to go SA only which can reduce the length and the weight of the trigger pull.

HK's have a decocker that is also a safety.