You gents who carry a DA/SA and carry with the hammer down, how do you get over the initial heavy pull and transition to a lighter single action?

I am looking for dryfire drills and general practice tips.

I have noticed at the range I tend to have a flyer with the first DA pull.

Thanks!

Practice, practice, and more practice.  The first round flyer is because you are losing control of the gun somewhere along the line, whether that be trigger pull, sight picture, or other.  Fortunately this is one of those things you can practice a  lot in dry-fire mode.  

Any specific dryfire drills you would reccomend?

One of the things that I have noticed over the years is that it is not so much the weight of the DA trigger as much as the roughness of it that is the trouble.  A good trigger job will smooth out the pull so that it is predictable.  (Yes, as a side effect the weight comes down.)

Practice, practice, practice.  Most (80% maybe) of my dry practice is in DA mode.  

At the range go through a few mags where you do nothing but DA-SA combos.  You are not looking for speed, but perfect technique.  

In the various training classes I have taken, with the adrenalin pumping and my focus elsewhere, I don't consciously notice the weight change in the transition from DA to SA (probably due to all the practice).

No specific drill, just regular practice.  Doesn't do much good to practice a drill until you have learned to control the trigger pull.  Plus the more you pull the trigger the smoother the pull will become (usually!).

I used to carry a p90 and I was more acurrate w/ it than I am w/ my Kimber (had a lot more practice w/ it too though).  What I did was load 3 rounds to a mag and practice those first 3 shots over and over and over.  I'ld bring the weopon up in DA fire, then fir the next two rounds in quick succession, drop the mag, and do it again.  I did this more often than I did any other "drill".  I know I shot 500rds. in one afternoon 3 at a time to get used to the da/sa trigger.  After few months I could keep 100+ rounds in a fist size hole at 7 yards on a silohette target.  

I hope I get that proficient w/ my Kimber.

ill try to explain what works for me, first from dryfire
1.pull the trigger back until just before the break
2.slightly reduce speed and pull through the break
by taking out most of the da you stabalize the gun prior to the break so the break is smooth
practice this until there is very little noticable difference in the pull to just before break, and the finish through the break
the initial pull to just before the break should become very fast then change speed through the break,
hope this helps and you can make sense of it easier to show that explain

Pull the DA SLOW!  Or taking up the slack works in some guns too (my P226).  Just practice to use even pressure and not jerk.  Dry drills are easy in DA mode, it goes back to DA every time anyway.

height=8

Quoted: Pull the DA SLOW!  Or taking up the slack works in some guns too (my P226).  Just practice to use even pressure and not jerk.  Dry drills are easy in DA mode, it goes back to DA every time anyway.

...and don't take your eyes off the front sight.

Whenever I notice my shooting getting looser at the range, I get back to focusing very very hard on the front sight.  Then my groups tighten right back up.

Dry fire is where you can really build this habit/skill.

For years and years I was a fan of S&W DA/SA autos. I never felt like I mastered that transition to my satisfaction. I tried the S&W DAO to get rid of the transition, and hated the trigger. Awful.

If only I had tried a Glock sooner. I was put off by their "ugliness." How dumb is that? It was only a couple years ago that I gave Glock a serious try. Now I love 'em, including that consistent first to last trigger pull.

K

I use a SIG (various models) and practice 2 and 3 shot groupings:

double, single, single - decock - d s s - decock - d s s - decock  

d s - decock d s - decock, etc.

I don't really have any issue transitioning, it's just instinctive after enough practice.