Are double action revolvers safe to carry?

[Brookielover]

With no safety it does not seem safe to me to carry one. Am I wrong? If so please let me know and why. I am new to handguns and looking to learn as much as possible. Thanks

[John Traveler]

Modern double-action revolvers are perfectly safe to carry fully loaded.  They were designed that way.

The long and deliberate trigger pull needed to cock and fire a DA revolver makes it safe to carry with hammer down at rest.

Every maker and model currently produced uses either a transfer bar safety or a hammer-blocking safety, and makes it impossible for the firing pin to impact a primer unless the hammer is deliberately cocked and the trigger pulled.  These systems are also drop-proofed against accidental firing.

Earlier (pre-WWII) models of S&W revolvers used a less reliable hammerblocking safety, but were changed over to the modern system since late in WWII.

John

[HogSniper2]

Since you are "new" to handguns, I'm glad you are inquiring info on revolvers.  That's the way to go.  As stated, they are very safe and the best way to learn.  If you can master a revolver, you'll have no problem stepping up to an automatic.

[inluvwithsara]

I have heard this said about glocks, sigs, revolvers...my mentor/father once said to me in response to this question as he was teaching me on his wheelgun..."the safety is between your ears"
I could not agree enough...KEEP YOU FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNLESS YOU ARE SHOOTING!
I prefer to teach with a wheel gun, then I move them to a glock auto if they want...but the simplistic nature of a wheel gun is easier to teach safety with...IMO...

[Robert]

In a 6 shooter:  Load 1 bullet, skip the second chamber, then load the next 4.  Then pull the hammer back and lay it down.  If you have done it right, the empty chamber should be under the hammer, and all you have to do is pull the hammer back and it will move it to the next loaded chamber.  
  Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction when doing this until you are absolutely sure that you are doing it correctly.
  If you can not SEE whether it has one in the chamber, use a coffee stirrer to measure the depth.  
  We have an old Ruger (single) six that has not been changed over, and this is how we carry it in the field.

[AZ223]

I have a S&W 686 I bought about 15 years ago; it doesn't have a transfer bar system, but does this model utilize a hammer block like you guys are describing?

[Iowegan]

Yes, if you remove the side plate, you'll see a link that connects to the trigger return slide. If the trigger isn't all the way back at the moment the hammer drops, the hammer block will interrupt the hammer. All modern S&W's have the same device and they work very well.

A couple great safety features of a DA revolver are: Easy to check to see if the gun is loaded. Easy to unload. Easy to operate.

[BIG JAKE]

I've carried both on duty and off in the past the revolver is my preference over the auto. In my opinion it's the safer of the two. It is easier for the beginner to learn and is fool proof. As stated above don't put your finger on the trigger until you're ready to shoot. Carry it with common sense and you'll be fine.

[VictorLouis]

Their hammers are at rest against the frame with a gap between the face of the hammer and that portion of it which would impact the firing-pin. When the trigger is pulled, the transfer bar rises up to interpose between the hammer and pin, filling the gap. Thus, the hammer hits the bar which "transfers" the hit to the pin.

S&W's make use of of a hammer-block, and a rebounding hammer. With your S&W TRIPLE-CHECKED AND VERIFIED UNLOADED, you can do this little exercise WITH YOUR REVOLVER POINTED IN A VERIFIED SAFE DIRECTION. :eek:

 Pull and hold the trigger back. See how far the hammer sinks down between the sides of the frame. Now, slowly release the trigger and watch the hammer rebound, that is, to move back away from the firing-pin. It's at this point that a hammer-block moves up in front of the hammer to fill the gap between it and the frame. This blocks the hammer from contacting the firing-pin in the event of a blow to the hammer, or in the near impossible event the rebound engagement surfaces should wear down to a point of unsafe condition.

[Badnews Bob]

A feller posted to carry only five rounds, I agree but only in single action revolvers. And with that said Ruger single actions are perfectly safe to carry with six rounds they have the same transfer bar safty as a DA. I have no fear of my Rugers going off unless I want them to.

[Gregory]

For field use, I carry any revolver with an empty chamber under the hammer.  Even with a transfer bar system.  It makes me feel just a little bit safer and in the field, five shots is plenty.
In a self defense situation, I'd load a full cylinder if the revolver has a transfer bar.

[Badnews Bob]

If carring it with the hammer on an empty cylinder make you feel safer then that is absolutely the safest way to carry it. I feel that revolver relie on feel to be at there best. If it don't feel right you probably won't shoot it as well as one that dose, feeling safe is veryimportant to me. But I do load six in my GP-100.