In a single-action pistol, what must happen before firing?

• A. The trigger must cock and release on a single pull.
• B. The hammer must be cocked manually (or via cycling) before firing.
• C. The gun must be fired in double-action mode.
• D. The magazine must be removed.

Answer: (C)

In a single-action pistol, the hammer must be cocked before firing. You can cock it manually or by cycling the slide; once cocked, the trigger only releases the hammer to strike the firing pin and fire. The option that says you must fire in double-action mode describes a different operation where the trigger both cocks and releases the hammer in one motion, which isn’t how a traditional single-action gun works. Removing the magazine isn’t a requirement to fire.