Trick with the berreta is the first round (while shooting on range). Need to remember to **** the hammer back before squeezing off the first round (hammer will be locked back as the weapon cycles for all rounds after the first). This helps a great deal as the trigger pull in double action (with hammer down) is quite significant and often the first round ends up in the dirt...
The problem with this is that you should be training to shoot on the range as you would in a combat situation. You aren't going to leave a SA/DA pistol holstered with the hammer back unless you're nuts, so why pull it back on the range? Getting over the first shot DA to SA transition in the trigger is something that is trained through. If you ever take a handgun course from ANY reputable gunfighting school, there is NO way you would be pulling the hammer back on a DA pistol other than function checking the pistol. I've been schooled by pretty much every "name" in the Biz, from Jeff Cooper on down, and nobody I've ever trained with has ever recommended drawing your weapon, then messing up your grip to pull the hammer back, then firing because "it's more accurate this way". Of course SA is going to be slightly more accurate, but speed being economy of motion in shooting...well this just runs against the grain, and not just IMO, but everybody I've ever trained with.
As for the 1911 "hammer down" safety condition, it falls into the same category to me. Having to charge the hammer is FAR slower than disengaging the thumb safety, which is something that comes off when establishing a proper "thumbs forward" grip on the pistol anyway. I'm primarily a 1911 shooter, and I draw/fire with VERY fast times, like .4 seconds when shooting from retention position, and .7's and .8's when going to full extention. I have no idea what my times would be having to **** the hammer, but saying it would add a 1/2 second or more wouldn't be a stretch. Again, everybody on this board who shoots like to rail on about self defence. Well it's my opinion that if you are serious about ever using your weapons to defend yourself or others, get some serious training someplace, because both of the above practices are bunk, either on the range, or in combat.
