DECOCKING LEVER

Question
AS A PROUD CANADIAN NRA MEMBER I AM MOST GRATEFUL TO YOU.COULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN THE FUNCTION AND USE OF A DECOCKING LEVER. ALSO DO DECOCKING LEVERS COME ON DA. PISTOLS ONLY? ARE THEY EVER USED WITH A SAFETY? IS THAT CENTRE TRIGGER ON A GLOCK A DECOCKER ? THANK YOU.YOU MAY POST MY QUESTION BUT I DO NOT WANT ANY EMAIL OTHER THAN A REPLY

Answer
Owen,

A decocking lever allows a double-action pistol's cocked hammer to be safely dropped on a live cartridge without discharging the firearm, so yes, they're only found on DA pistols.

Decockers can either function alone, as on Sig Sauer pistols, or as part of a manual thumb safety, as on the Beretta 92/96F or Smith & Wesson third-generation DA pistols.

For instance, on Sig Sauer's P226, the decocker is located behind the slide release, when pressed down it drops the hammer but there is no additional safety.

On the Beretta 92 or 96F, the thumb safety and decocker are on the same toggle lever. When it's pressed downward when the hammer's cocked, it'll safely decock the hammer and put the gun on safe. If it's pressed downward and the hammer is already uncocked, it'll simply put the pistol on safe.

The small center swivel located in the middle of a Glock's trigger is Glock's proprietary trigger safety. It simply requires the shooter to have full contact with the trigger face in order to pull it and fire the pistol. If one were to just bump the edge of the trigger without fully depressing the center part, the trigger wouldn't move. A very similar setup is found on Smith & Wesson Sigma series pistols (so similar in fact, Glock sued them. The case has since been settled.).

One of the more unique decocking devices is found on the Walther P99/Smith & Wesson SW99 pistol, which like Glock pistols, are striker-fired. Unlike Glocks, however, there's a small push-button that sits atop the slide, flush with the slide's top. When the P99/SW99's internal striker is cocked, a small red pin sticks out the back of the slide. When the decock button is pressed, the striker decocks without firing the gun. As such, the P99/SW99 is a true double-action pistol since the gun can be fired by pulling the trigger when the striker is decocked. Glocks are often billed as double action only, but they are, in truth, a single action pistol since the rearward motion of the slide recocks the striker and the gun cannot be fired unless the striker is pre-cocked.

The purpose of a decocking lever is to allow the user to carry the gun with a round in the chamber but with the hammer safely down, thus necessitating a heavier, more deliberate double action trigger pull for the first shot. It also allows the user to safely decock the hammer after firing if the gun is to be re-holstered while still loaded.

I hope I've answered your questions, if you have any others, please feel free to ask a follow up.

Kyle