[b said:
Quote[/b] (Nocturnal @ Feb. 16 2005,9:23)]Didn't the NYPD modify Glock triggers to make them heavier? Not that it matters for this discussion but if I remember that correctly it may be an indication that some perceive the Glock trigger too light for operation without a safety. Depending on the application (self defence, carry) a somewhat heavy trigger seems like a good idea to me. I would carry my AS in decocked mode.
BreakerDave: when you decock a QA it won't fire at all, right? You need to move the slide back a bit to get it to cock again? I would agree that's a good feature to have.
Yes NYPD has a heavier trigger pull than the standard one from Glock. I believe it is around 8.5 lbs. It is a purely bureaucratic move. One's finger either belongs on the trigger or it does not. I've seen video of officers who have had AD's and am familiar with several instances of improper holstering that produced AD's. Believe me, the problem wasn't the weight of the trigger pull.
Regarding your QA question, you have it right. Decocking a QA makes it unable to fire until the slide is moved partially rearward and resets the striker. It's a nice feature for leaving the range or taking the gun apart. Often shooters are taught to rack the slide for a visual inspection and then go hammer down prior to holstering / bagging the gun and leaving the range. I've seen some AD's occur this way. Either someone wasn't paying attention or robotically loads a fresh magazine. There is a video cicrulating of a female police officer who did this prior to holstering her gun after the apprehension of a suspect. The bullet hit the ground nearby and scared everyone. -She was used to going hammer down and holster on her range. That doesn't work so well with a live round in the chamber.
With Glocks, the trigger has to be pulled as part of the disassembly process. Ideally, the shooter should've checked to make sure the gun was empty, but sometimes people don't or they expect to see nothing so they see nothing and BLAM! Having the decocker allows you to avoid that.
Of course, safe gun handling would help you avoid all of the problems. I would never carry the QA without one in the pipe and the striker in its preset, partially cocked position. If I'm in an armed confrontation, I already have enough going on. I don't need to add to my difficulties by messing around with the Israeli method of cocking as part of my draw.