Not to get involved in whether we can drop the hammer on someone before they can draw and shoot...I'm sure most on here are very famliar with firearms and all practiced up, and would be more than ready to take this challenge...
but a note on Bill Jorden....
I used to watch him do some absolutetly amazing things on film when I was very young, could not believe a guy could draw and shoot that fast, and hit the target each time...it was really something to watch.
And the point he might have been trying to make is...that action is faster than reaction. We have a police officer explain this to us in a class once.
He also gave a dummy gun to people in the class, with the hammer back and pointed at him, he would stand right in front of people and say when I move just shoot me. Easy enough? Well, nobody could actually shoot him that day, sure the hammer would drop, but he would swat the gun to one side and when that hammer dropped, the barrel would be pointed over his shoulder...a miss. The point was just to show us, don't let anyone get that close, not ever...because their action will be faster than your reaction. Good point...maybe Bill Jorden was kind of showing how that works.
And as far as his expertise, he was a Border Cop for a long time, I'm sure he was pretty street wise on what to do in real life situations, which would be different than any exhibitions he put on in his older years.
Bill Jorden was one heck of a cop, who had seen it all in his day, and probably one of the best there was with a Smith double action.
He will be remembered for many years to come.
At any rate, if I were pointing a gun at someone with the hammer back, I'd probably drop the hammer before he moved anyways, seeing as how I would not unholster my gun unless I already made up my mind to kill someone, and when that gun comes out, nothing short of the BG dropping to the ground and giving up in a flash would keep it from happening....he better be real fast at giving up, or it will be too late.
That would be a real life situation for me.
I just figure if my gun comes out, my mond is already made up, or it's not coming out....but once it does...I don't plan on waiting for a BG to move first.
I think the point was, re-action is slower than the first action....a good point to be made, and one I happen to agree with.