imported post
First off, I carry a Walther PPK/s .380, and a S&W SW99 .40, both DA/SA. I've always prefered semi-autos over revolvers simply because of the increased round capacity and morenarrow frame.
Finish? Either one...I think it depends a lot on the gun. I have hadthe waltherfor a long time, and always wanted to get it parkerized so it'd look like James Bond's, lol. I finally got the money and found a good place to do it at, and then all of a sudden I realized I have a beautiful stainless steel pistol! I still wanted a more tactical weapon, so the next handgun I bought was black (SW99).
As far as action goes, I'm DA/SA all the way.
I like it better than SAO because I can draw and fire the weapon without having to worry about disengaging a safety. My SW99 has no external safety, so all I have to do is draw and fire. If I'm carrying my walther in a holster with a strap that holds the hammer in place, I leave the safety off. If it's concealed, the safety is on.
I like DA/SA better than DAO because, until recently, DAO meant DOA if a round in your gun failed to fire. I just can't imagine why you'd want to carry a gun that didn't allow you to attempt a second strike on a misfire.
While I agree that, for most, the first DA pull throws off accuracy, that iscompletelyresolved by simply practicing enough. It was mentioned earlier that, to shoot well with a DA/SA, you have to spend time at the range doing first shot drills....3 rd magazines, first rd DA. It might be easier to be accurate with a DAO, but with the proper time and effort, it's no MORE accurate than DA/SA.
I also like having the option of switching to a tight SA trigger, instead of being stuck with a DAO pull.
The frame material also depends on the gun, I think. I like metal frames for smaller guns, and I'm really not sure about larger guns. My SW99 has a polymer frame, and while it feels balanced in my hand, firing it definately makes the gun feel top heavy. I don't know if a metal frame would feel better or not, since I have little experience with large steel framed autos. The main reason I bought my SW99 was the way it felt in my hand, regardless of the material.