Single Action

[dukealien]

Single Action

fully cocking 
the plaintiff's gun 
with a clumsy, cold 
and fumbling thumb
was one thing,

tickling the trigger
was another

Brings out the difference between single- and double-action:  single-action there are two decision points,  double-action there's only the one (which can be aborted in progress, but that can't be depended upon).

"[P]laintiff" turns the story around, compared to the "Rust" case:  assuming the person cocking and tickling was the plaintiff, this is a defense attorney pointing out that the plaintiff's lawsuit against the firearm's manufacturer is unsound.