# What's with the double trigger set up on semi-auto pistols **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 22, 2026, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939 "2026-01-22T21:57:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/101 "2026-01-23T23:27:55Z")
> [@pkbites](#): > > Diamondback DB9 is the same size as most 380’s but carries 6+1 rounds of 9. I’m thinking more like the “1.5 stack” like SIG P365. They also make a .380 but it’s only 0.1” less wide and same in the other dimensions. All things equal, less snappy in .380. > [@enipla](#): > > Thanks for the info. The GP 100 puts out a massive amount of noise. But I’m sure all .357s do. .357 unpleasantness directly correlates with barrel length. 2 or 3 inch is not very fun, 6+ smoother. Of course concealability is inverse. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2026, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/102 "2026-01-23T23:32:00Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > .357 unpleasantness directly correlates with barrel length. 2 or 3 inch is not very fun, 6+ smoother. Of course concealability is inverse. Right but even a 6" Rugar will spank you. I’m trying to explain this to my wife. It’s energy vs. mass. ---
**Author:** ![Bullitt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bullitt/32/5725_2.png) [@Bullitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bullitt)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 7:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/103 "2026-01-24T07:43:48Z")
Nobody’s talking about .22LR? I have a sweet Browning 1911-22 A1 Compact that is fun to shoot, very easy to carry, and with good shot placement will be a useful tool in a defensive situation. Okay, while my HK USP compact in .45ACP is my main gun, that little Browning will also stop an attacker/intruder. Remember that Mossad used .22LRs, mainly the Beretta Model 70/71 Jaguar series, for their secret ops, and they were very effective with it. Of course the ammo is cheap and is easy to get lots of practice time with one. What do real estate agents say? Location, location, location? With me it’s shot placement, shot placement, shot placement. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/104 "2026-01-24T12:07:54Z")
[Here](https://www.outdoorlife.com/guns/22-lr-for-self-defense-ammunition-test/) is some test data that compares .22LR with 9 mm. For the former, over 12 inches of penetration in gelatin was achieved using [29 grain Federal Punch ammo](https://www.federalpremium.com/rimfire/personal-defense-punch-rimfire/11-PD22L1.html). That’s impressive. But the cavity diameter created by .22LR was less than 50% of the cavity diameter created by 9 mm. However, I am not sure how much we should read into that, as it wasn’t an exhaustive or “official” test conducted by the FBI or whatever. None-the-less, I think it’s reasonable to conclude that .22LR would be a good option for a small backup/secondary CCW in a ankle holster, or for someone who is very sensitive to recoil. Other than that, I’d stick with 9 mm as a minimum. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/105 "2026-01-24T12:16:44Z")
Huh. A 1911-22 A1. I gave a bunch of guns away but I asked for one back. It’s a Rugar MkII target pistol with a bull barrel. To big to carry though. I’ll look at that 1911-22. Also looking at the FN 5.7x28mm. But $$$$ . And the ammo is probably hard to fine and $ too. And apologize to anyone I might of sniped at. This trigger safety is a pet peeve of mine. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/106 "2026-01-24T12:28:56Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Also looking at the FN 5.7x28mm The gun alone is $1500. And ammo is over $1 per round. You’d be _much_ better off buying a $700 9 mm gun and $800 in training. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/107 "2026-01-24T12:58:33Z")
Yup. I know. Just looked kinda interesting. Anyway, this is mostly about my wife. I’m pretty certain that she will get a .38 revolver. She is a first time shooter. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/108 "2026-01-24T14:39:22Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Anyway, this is mostly about my wife. I’m pretty certain that she will get a .38 revolver. She is a first time shooter I’d like to reiterate my question about considering a 9mm revolver. There are plenty of variations of them: DAO, DA/SA, SA. I’m not really a revolver guy but I own several (I own/operate a camping and sporting goods store and get my guns wholesale). For revolvers I do prefer 9mm over 38 and 357. If you do your research you’ll find 9mm has substantial stopping power as well as those other calibers. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/109 "2026-01-24T14:51:31Z")
9 mm revolver? Well I know that the .357 can shoot .38’s. I shoot .357 (or .38’s) it would make things simpler if we could share ammo. 9mm and .38spl are probably pretty close in stopping power. Haven’t looked. The .357 is in a whole 'nother league. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/110 "2026-01-24T17:41:50Z")
I have only skimmed a lot of this thread, but if I were in your position, I’d be concerned with whether my wife had the hand size and strength to pull a DA trigger smoothly enough not to impinge on accuracy. At a range, probably. When she’s got a boatload of adrenaline coursing through her veins, maybe not. I mean, of course you’ll be taking her to the range so she can get a lot of practice, but my wife has small hands AND carpal tunnel, neither of which work in her favor in this situation. (Edited to correct typos) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/111 "2026-01-24T18:03:43Z")
@ricepad . This is all under consideration. Including, if semi-auto, can she rack the thing? But for a begginer, I believe a revlover is best. You can can go Double action and pull the hammer back for accuracy. But you are totally correct, in some sort of true defensive action… Well I just think she should know how to do this. All of it. ---
**Author:** ![pkbites](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pkbites/32/204_2.png) [@pkbites](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pkbites)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/112 "2026-01-24T18:16:56Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > 9 mm revolver? Well I know that the .357 can shoot .38’s. I shoot .357 (or .38’s) it would make things simpler if we could share ammo There are handguns with interchangeable cylinders. You can swap calibers. If you’re willing to spend the money you could buy a Medusa. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/113 "2026-01-24T18:41:59Z")
We are going to start slow and steady. I don’t want to overload my wife with information. She is shopping and looking online now too. If she doesn’t like the gun, we will buy another. I’ve been a teacher from everything from motocycles to GIS. And guns too. The handgun has to be her choice that she is comfortable with. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/114 "2026-01-24T18:42:56Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > if semi-auto, can she rack the thing? Around 15 years ago I bought my wife a 9 mm Glock for a CCW. She had major difficulty racking the slide. Never even got to the point of shooting it. The next day I returned it and purchased a revolver for her. If a person cannot rack a slide _consistently_, without fail, then a semi-auto handgun is not for them. (And there’s absolutely no shame in that.) ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/115 "2026-01-24T18:56:04Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > If a person cannot rack a slide _consistently_, without fail, then a semi-auto handgun is not for them. (And there’s absolutely no shame in that.) Yeah. My wife is getting a little arthritis in her hands. That’s one of the reasons I’m thinking an easier to rack .380 may be good. But, the .38spl revolver first. I might buy a .380 just to have something else she can try. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/116 "2026-01-24T18:56:22Z")
> [@Bullitt](#): > > Nobody’s talking about .22LR? I have a sweet Browning 1911-22 A1 Compact that is fun to shoot, very easy to carry, and with good shot placement will be a useful tool in a defensive situation. Sure, but most of us aren’t Mossad. Power aside, .22 is much less reliable. Both because some ammo is garbage (hi Remington) and also because as a rimmed cartridge, it has tendency to lock up in a magazine. Some modern designs mitigate this some. > [@enipla](#): > > 9 mm revolver? Well I know that the .357 can shoot .38’s. I shoot .357 (or .38’s) it would make things simpler if we could share ammo. > > 9mm and .38spl are probably pretty close in stopping power. Haven’t looked. The .357 is in a whole 'nother league. Sure, stuff like 9mm that doesn’t have a rim usually uses [moon/half moon clips](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_clip). 9 and .38 are traditionally similar, but 9 is better in the last decade or two because more has been invested in better cartridge design. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/117 "2026-01-24T18:59:12Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Sure, stuff like 9mm that doesn’t have a rim usually uses [moon/half moon clips](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moon_clip). The last thing I want to do is insert more complexity for my Wife to learn. She’s very smart, but not a shooter. Inserting complexity into a firearm is an invatation to disastor. Sort of why I started this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/118 "2026-01-24T18:59:32Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > We are going to start slow and steady. Is she new to guns? I’ve also taught folks how to shoot. For handguns, I always start them off with [this](https://www.amazon.com/American-Safety-Trainers-Non-Functional-U-S/dp/B0CSKM7Z2G?th=1) orange training gun, and I drill them on [Jeff Cooper’s Four Safety Rules](https://citizenssafety.com/firearm-safety/). I have them pick up the training gun, put it down, pick it up, spin around w/ gun in hand, etc. Newbies will accidently point the muzzle in a direction it shouldn’t be pointing as they’re handling the training gun. I have them practice handling the training gun over and over again until they learn muzzle control _perfectly_. We will also practice trigger control. (Newbies will always want to rest their finger on the trigger when handing a gun.) We will practice over and over and over and over again until muzzle control and trigger control are _perfect_, with zero failures. Only then will I let them handle an unloaded “real” gun. All the drills will be repeated (muzzle and trigger control), but now they will be taught to check the chamber and soon as they pick it up. Once after they perfectly pass all “tests” using a training gun and unloaded real gun, will I show them how to shoot one for real. I start off with just one - and only one - round in the magazine or cylinder, and go from there. YMMV, of course. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/119 "2026-01-24T19:01:07Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > Is she new to guns? Yes, I’ve mentioned that a number of times. I’ve been shooting for 5 decades. I can handle this but we also want her to have professional training. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2026, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939/120 "2026-01-24T19:01:31Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > Yeah. My wife is getting a little arthritis in her hands. That’s one of the reasons I’m thinking an easier to rack .380 may be good. But, the .38spl revolver first. I might buy a .380 just to have something else she can try. Another thing to _consider_ also is a [tip-up barre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip-up_barrel)l. Limited selection and often much smaller calibers, so YMMV but it’s an option. In .380 there’s Beretta 80X or 86 (new/old versions), Girsan MC 14T, etc. There’s others in .32 ACP (has often been argued to be sufficient) and .25 ACP (probably not recommended). [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-with-the-double-trigger-set-up-on-semi-auto-pistols/1026939.md?page=7)