Randy
Your question doesn't sound stupid at all. It's one we've all asked.
Single action means when you depress the button on the airbrush you are only controlling the airflow. The paint sprays out simultaneously at a volume that you will have already preset.
With a double action you press downwards on the trigger to start the airflow then backwards to start the paintflow. The further back you pull it, the more volume of paint is released.
The bottom line is, you have more control with a double action.
Yes, it's a little trickier to get the hang of than a single action but all you have to do is practice with it for a while and it will make sense to you.
Hope this helps!
(MikeV, feel free to make any corrections or additions here!
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