Which statement accurately describes a revolver's single-action mechanism?

• A. Requires manual cocking of the external hammer before sufficient pressure releases the firing mechanism
• B. An automatic mechanism that fires after each trigger press without cocking
• C. Cocks and releases the hammer with a single trigger pull
• D. Uses a striker instead of a hammer

Answer: (A)

In a single-action revolver, the hammer must be cocked manually before firing. Cocking the hammer rotates the cylinder to align a loaded chamber with the barrel and tensions the hammer spring. When you then pull the trigger, it simply releases the cocked hammer, which strikes the firing pin or primer to fire the round. This setup gives a lighter, crisper trigger pull because the trigger isn’t performing the cocking action.

This differs from double-action systems, where a single trigger pull both cocks the hammer and releases it in one motion. The idea of using a striker describes a different ignition method used in many pistols; revolvers traditionally rely on a hammer to strike the primer, not a striker. Therefore, requiring manual cocking of the external hammer before firing best describes a revolver’s single-action mechanism.