[Njanear]

I just traded for a S&W 4006 and was thinking about trying it on Steel plates (and maybe eventually IDPA if I can get to a match). I am a typical Glock shooter (but also have a M1911A1), so this SA/DA system is different then what I am used to. My question is multi-part:

1) Since this is a typical S&W SA/DA, when the safety is applied, the hammer is decocked. When I go to holster the pistol, must I keep the safety engaged or can I disengage it, since it is now in DA mode? I assume that I can disengage it at the point of holstering, but you know what they say about the word 'Assume'.....
2) If I have to keep it engaged, what is the best way to disengage it on the draw: use the shooting hand thumb or the off hand thumb?
3) Is there any way around decocking the 4006 when applying the safety? I like having the same trigger pull on each shot but as far as I can tell, there is no way around that at this point (of course, someone will now tell me that I should have gotten a DAO one for that. )

Thanks for any info that you can pass on.

[racerba]

Njanear, on Oct 9 2009, 03:28 PM, said:

I just traded for a S&W 4006 and was thinking about trying it on Steel plates (and maybe eventually IDPA if I can get to a match). I am a typical Glock shooter (but also have a M1911A1), so this SA/DA system is different then what I am used to. My question is multi-part:

1) Since this is a typical S&W SA/DA, when the safety is applied, the hammer is decocked. When I go to holster the pistol, must I keep the safety engaged or can I disengage it, since it is now in DA mode? I assume that I can disengage it at the point of holstering, but you know what they say about the word 'Assume'.....
2) If I have to keep it engaged, what is the best way to disengage it on the draw: use the shooting hand thumb or the off hand thumb?
3) Is there any way around decocking the 4006 when applying the safety? I like having the same trigger pull on each shot but as far as I can tell, there is no way around that at this point (of course, someone will now tell me that I should have gotten a DAO one for that. )

Thanks for any info that you can pass on.

1 - no, you do not have to keep it on once in DA mode.
2 - N/A - now if it is on, the best way is the shooting hand thumb.
3 - are you asking if you can put the safety on without decocking? Because it decocks when you put the safety on. If you are, then I'm 99.9% sure that the answer is "no."

[calishootr]

I believe the DAO version of the piece is called a 4046??? been a while since i worked the gun shop and knew all smiths numbers by heart hehehe
no there is no way around decocking to get the hammer down, short of pinching the hammer and squeezing the trigger ala a 1911...
as for taking the safety off, if you can reach with the stronghand thumb, then do it w/ that thumb, sort of a 'flick forward' to get it to the fire position
I mite be wrong, and the rules may have been changed, but it was always thought if it has a safety, double action or not, the safety must be engaged, again i may be wrong...

[rishii]

regarding question #3, on a stock S&W 3rd gen auto, the safety acts as the de-cocking lever.
however the gun can be modified to prevent this. when I went thru the armorers class, I did quite a few that way while learning how to do it the right way. and no I won't tell how to do it.

and the start position for a DA auto is hammer down, safety on or off.

[Duane Thomas]

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1) Since this is a typical S&W SA/DA, when the safety is applied, the hammer is decocked. When I go to holster the pistol, must I keep the safety engaged or can I disengage it, since it is now in DA mode? I assume that I can disengage it at the point of holstering, but you know what they say about the word 'Assume'.....

You may holster with the lever in the off-Safe position. Most people do.

Quote

2) If I have to keep it engaged, what is the best way to disengage it on the draw: use the shooting hand thumb or the off hand thumb?

See above. You don't have to keep it engaged. Therefore how to take it off during the draw should be a non-issue. If, however, it ever does become an issue, using the shooting hand thumb will be much faster.

Quote

3) Is there any way around decocking the 4006 when applying the safety? I like having the same trigger pull on each shot but as far as I can tell, there is no way around that at this point (of course, someone will now tell me that I should have gotten a DAO one for that. )

For the stock 4006, no.

[Njanear]

Thanks for all of the feedback. I was wondering if I had to deal with the safety but if not, that initial DA shot will be interesting but after that, everything else should fall in place. I figure that I might as well try something different - this definitely meets that definition.

Thanks again for the feedback.

This post has been edited by Njanear: 10 October 2009 - 09:34 AM