How Come Lever Action Rifles...

[TM7]

were never made with double action trigger actions for the first shot? Wouldn't that be advantageous for quick shot survival situations like bear charges, etc. Imagine your first shot could be double action, then lever in a fresh cartridge and the next shots would be conventionally fired with cocked hammer.  Does that make any sense to anybody?

............................TM7

[Lone Star]

No.  Most lever actions are mid/late-nineteenth century designs, back when men were men and could be counted on to thumb back a hammer when and as needed.  And a lot more of them faced charging bears than anyone does today.

I can't think of many rifles with double actoin triggers, even today in the 21st century.

.

[FWiedner]

DA or not, you'll have to use the lever to load and to reload.

I'm trying to picture a good reason to drop the hammer easy on a loaded chamber to get to use the DA feature.

Safety?  


 :-)

[Sourdough]

That's why the cowboy carried a handgun, for fast shooting.  Rifle was usually kept in a saddle boot.  They shot the same cartridge most of the time also.  At least that was considered the best way to go.  44-40 was the populer cartridge.  Colt and Smith&Wesson made most of the revolvers.  Winchester made most of the lever rifles and lever shotguns.  Differant manufactors differant philosphies.   Colt did make a revolving shotgun, but it too was single action.

Why aren't Handi Rifles double action?

Takes too much to pull the trigger back dragging the hammer back to full cock.  That extra energy would pull you off target.  In other words you could not hit the broad side of a barn trying to shoot double action.

[nomosendero]

Yes Sourdough, you hit it on the head. A Rifle is supposed to be an accurate weapon & accuracy is to a large degree dependant on a good
trigger pull. Besides, anyone that can walk & chew gum at the same time
can cock the rifle as they raise it to fire with zero loss of time , therefore I just don't see the reason for a double action lever action or single shot.

[powderman]

I can't see a dbl action trigger on my 94. POWDERMAN.        

[Ocsamschainsaw]

I'd certainly like a double action on one of my single shot NEF's.
Would make it MUCH easier to use them to instruct people in firearms usage quickly, IMHO, as they always seem to have a hang up with cocking the hammer.
Of course, I'd still prefer having the single action option for my own personal shooting

[slide-flipper]

why limit it to lever guns???  Why don't ANY rifles (at least that my feeble mind can conjur up) have a double action type trigger.  Even the semi-auto rifles are single action.  Why no "restrike" capability?  Why no ability to let down the hammer and then fire with a trigger pull?  Something that was never thought of until now or just not needed?  I can see it as a possible advantage on a DGR... the gun wouldn't have to be cocked or have the firing pins set until the moment of truth... would (could...) be a safer way to carry a loaded gun in the field without having to worry about cocking it or working the action... just pull the trigger like on a  DA pistol/revolver...


slide-flipper

[jh45gun]

Triggers on most rifles today are bad enough with out having a stiff double action trigger to deal with. Not being disrespectfull here but this really is a dumb idea.

[jh45gun]

Sorry TM7 I just disagree I have not picked up a Smith lately but I remember my Model 10 did not have that great of a double action pull. neither has any other double action I have tried. That is why any double action I shot I shot single action for a better trigger. I have never seen where pulling back a hammer has been a distraction on revolvers or rifles. Most double actions had a rep for stiff trigger action there is a reason for that because they did. If they have been inproved I stand corrected but I have not seen it.

[Ocsamschainsaw]

IIRC,
The SITES Spectre pistol and carbine had double action triggers...as did the select fire model. Was an attempted selling point of the various models, I seem to remember.
I believe Mossberg produced or still produces a double action revolver-type trigger pump shotgun, I could be wrong?

[unspellable]

I have a Whitney Safety Arms hammerless shot gun that is always uncocked until firing.  It has an under wrist grip "safety' that is squeezed when gripping the wrist in the normal shooting position.  Squeezing the grip cocks the tumblers and makes the gun ready to shoot.  releasing the grip uncocks the tumblers.  I've not had it apart but I suspect it's a simple expedient of having the main spring tails rest on the grip lever.  It doesn't take much of a squeeze to cock it and it doesn't feel like there is any mechanism inside at work, merely spring compression.

Releasing the grip and retightening it would recock for a double strike.

So it can be done, and done well.  But we haven't hard anything about Whitney Safety Arms in the last 100 years so it evidently didn't take the shooting world by storm.