DAO guns - general discussion/random finds

[TicTacticalTimmy]

I know there are a handful of us on here currently experimenting with or who are just general fans of the DAO guns at the moment. This can be a place to discuss rare finds or to talk about the things regarding dao guns that don't merit their own thread. I'm currently running a 92dxr with ltt rdo slide.

Did you remove the decockers from the slide, or replace them with a more flush alternative? Very interested to learn more if so.

A 92D Compact or Centurion built on an LTT or similar lower is something I would be really interested in.

I was just wondering the other day, whatever happened to the DAK trigger, and why it didnt become more popular?

IMO it kinda sucks, I greatly prefer an actual DAO trigger. I've only shot one though and dryfired a second.

I've got a police trade-in PX4 D that was one of the ones that Southern Ohio Guns was selling a couple of years ago for ~$250. I sent it to Langdon for a trigger job and Ameriglo sights, though I specified a hammer spring heavy enough to pop anything. It's pretty sweet. I think of it as my 18-shot K frame, though I still can't shoot it as well as a K frame for some reason. I've been carrying it or a K frame lately.

Very jealous, that's a great deal.

[Joe in PNG]

Did you remove the decockers from the slide, or replace them with a more flush alternative? Very interested to learn more if so.

A 92D Compact or Centurion built on an LTT or similar lower is something I would be really interested in.

92's are pretty easy to convert to DAO- just remove the sear, and you have a DAO. But I don't think anyone has any kind of a plug for the slide to remove the safety/ decocker.
However, there's a fair number of 92D Centurion kits on Everygunpart, and i think one could brew something without too much trouble.

[Bigghoss]

I've played with the Beretta 92D a bit. Wish I hadn't sold my 92D Centurion. I bought a 92XD with the intention of converting an M9A1 to DAO, I just haven't gotten around to it.

I think I might one day try to grab a Smith 3rd gen DAO.

[HCM]

I was just wondering the other day, whatever happened to the DAK trigger, and why it didnt become more popular?

To quote one of the former LSP members, the DAK sucks all the fun out of shooting a SIG. it has a weird double reset.

If I wanted a DAO I’d look at Beretta.

[WobblyPossum]

I only have two DAO handguns at this moment: a S&W 64-5 and one of the Beretta 92DXRs. I had never had a chance to handle a 92D prior to picking one up last fall and I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would. I like it so much that I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a compact version of Beretta decided to release one with the Vertec D slide. While I would prefer it on the traditional curved backstrap frame, I’d be just fine with a Vertec/X frame too. I’m lusting after DB’s two-tone 92D compact he assembled recently. My 92DXR has a Wilson trigger bar and 12# hammer spring. The trigger is great. It’s smooth with no noticeable grittiness. So far I’ve tried it with Federal ammunition and it had no problem popping primers. Next time out I’ll run some S&B to see how it handles harder primers.

I actually like the idea of a DAO semi-auto as a defensive/LEO duty pistol considering most of pistol use is managing people at gun point and very little of it is actually shooting people. I wouldn’t have any complaints about carrying a 92D at work if I was issued one. I don’t think it would be a great gun for a direct action military unit whose job it is to actively seek out gunfights and shootings but those guys are doing more shooting than people managing. When I first heard a 92D referred to as a magazine-fed K-Frame it really clicked with me how great one would be as a night stand or sock drawer gun. It’s a setup that can work just as well for an enthusiast as it can for the people DB refers to who treat their guns like fire extinguishers.

[backtrail540]

Did you remove the decockers from the slide, or replace them with a more flush alternative? Very interested to learn more if so.

Nope just the stock g levers on the rdo. The plate is as wide or wider than the levers and i haven't noticed them once in the 1k rounds and daily dry practice I've had it. They're just there.

Originally i planned on something like that but they're so unnoticeable i abandoned the idea.

[deputyG23]

I only have two DAO handguns at this moment: a S&W 64-5 and one of the Beretta 92DXRs. I had never had a chance to handle a 92D prior to picking one up last fall and I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would. I like it so much that I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a compact version of Beretta decided to release one with the Vertec D slide. While I would prefer it on the traditional curved backstrap frame, I’d be just fine with a Vertec/X frame too. I’m lusting after DB’s two-tone 92D compact he assembled recently. My 92DXR has a Wilson trigger bar and 12# hammer spring. The trigger is great. It’s smooth with no noticeable grittiness. So far I’ve tried it with Federal ammunition and it had no problem popping primers. Next time out I’ll run some S&B to see how it handles harder primers.

I actually like the idea of a DAO semi-auto as a defensive/LEO duty pistol considering most of pistol use is managing people at gun point and very little of it is actually shooting people. I wouldn’t have any complaints about carrying a 92D at work if I was issued one. I don’t think it would be a great gun for a direct action military unit whose job it is to actively seek out gunfights and shootings but those guys are doing more shooting than people managing. When I first heard a 92D referred to as a magazine-fed K-Frame it really clicked with me how great one would be as a night stand or sock drawer gun. It’s a setup that can work just as well for an enthusiast as it can for the people DB refers to who treat their guns like fire extinguishers.

My only DAO bottom feeder is a first gen nickel slide P250 I got inexpensively a few years ago.
Put on a Gen 2 small grip module and corresponding slide lever and magazine floor plates and the thing has ran without issue for around eight hundred rounds of assorted ammo. I am slower with it than my Glocks but have many less low left trigger jerk displaced shots. I would have no qualms about carrying it professionally if allowed and had a second one as a spare.
I can see this gun playing a greater role after retirement in a not Glock mandated world to better mesh, trigger wise, with my K and J Smiths that will be my LEOSA travel guns when going north.
My son may move from MD to NW NJ to accept a position with a well known consumer chemical firm so conforming to the various rules will be crucial if I choose to travel armed there if he moves. Especially if we cross over into NYS or NYC.

[backtrail540]

Question for those with experience on multiple dao guns - is the 92d on the longer end of the scale regarding pull length/stroke and reset?

I haven't measured but i feel subjectively that the 92d stroke is longer than the da on my p09 and wheelies. I rarely short stroke smith's or my p09 in dry practice doing only da pulls but if I don't stay dedicated to the 92d (sometimes I have wondering eyes) then come back to the d, I'll have a short stroke or two on longer strings of fire when pushing speed. I've cleaned up my grips so that there isn't any trigger bar rub, so that isn't a factor, and as long as I stick to it exclusively it is pretty rare.

Do any of the other dao guns have shorter stroke/reset?

[David S.]

I actually like the idea of a DAO semi-auto as a defensive/LEO duty pistol considering most of pistol use is managing people at gun point and very little of it is actually shooting people. I wouldn’t have any complaints about carrying a 92D at work if I was issued one. I don’t think it would be a great gun for a direct action military unit whose job it is to actively seek out gunfights and shootings but those guys are doing more shooting than people managing. When I first heard a 92D referred to as a magazine-fed K-Frame it really clicked with me how great one would be as a night stand or sock drawer gun. It’s a setup that can work just as well for an enthusiast as it can for the people DB refers to who treat their guns like fire extinguishers.

I was fortunate enough to attend Darryl and Wayne's High Accountability Workshop a couple weeks ago.

Darryl ran us through several challenging drills on relatively small targets with no-shoots everywhere, and the firing solution (number of rounds and location) wasn't obvious. He demonstrated that once things got challenging, split times for everybody jumped to .50 to 1.00+ second splits, regardless of skill level. The task complexity and cognitive load were the limiting factor, not the trigger style.

Another thing I noted was decocking, and presumably safety-ing the gun. I've been doing the DA/SA thing for a couple years now and haven't noticed any trouble following a relatively strict decock protocol in training/practice/sport, but during the class I neglected to decock on several transitions that definitely deserved decocks. I don't think I missed the decock because I was overloaded so much as because I hadn't worked that type of transition before, the actions didn't "trigger" a decock response. Honestly this was one of my bigger takeaways from the class and I saw the benefit of a DAO gun for this type of work.

[03RN]

To quote one of the former LSP members, the DAK sucks all the fun out of shooting a SIG. it has a weird double reset.

If I wanted a DAO I’d look at Beretta.

I like the DAK. If you treat it like a dao then it functions as one.