Single-shot speed and burst speed are not always governed the same way. A camera may be able to capture several frames quickly into buffer during burst shooting, but in single-shot mode it may pause for processing or card-writing tasks before it will accept the next shutter press.

Two likely causes from the reports here:

1. Buffer/card-write behavior: Some cameras may begin writing immediately after each shot and may not handle simultaneous buffer use and card writing efficiently. That can create a long pause in single-shot mode even though short bursts still work well.

2. Extra processing settings: On Pentax bodies in particular, enabling lens correction features such as distortion correction or chromatic aberration correction can noticeably slow shot-to-shot time, even when shooting RAW, because the camera still processes the embedded JPEG preview.

So this is not necessarily intentional “crippling.” First check and disable in-camera correction features, then test again. If the delay remains, it is likely just a limitation of that camera’s internal processing/buffer design.