[WonderNine]

I recently bought a Jetfire and I really like it! It's MUCH more accurate and more reliable than the Taurus PT-22 clones I've shot. Only problem is that when I'm shooting it, I tend to activate the safety. I've never had this problem with any other gun before. Is there a way I can disable the safety? I understand older Jetfire 950 models do not have the safety.

[Marko Kloos]

The Jetfire is a fantastic little gun, my backup weapon of choice.

I used to have a Jetfire that would activate its safety under recoil. Since I never used the safety anyway, carrying hammer down on loaded chamber as the design was intended to be used, I locked the safety into place with Loctite Blue. Just make sure you don't get any on the grips...it'll make the plastic brittle.

[bad_dad_brad]

I have a Jetfire and have never encountered that problem. The safety on mine is pretty tight. And yes, it is a great little pistol despite the anemic qualities of the .25 ACP.

However, I would strongly suggest that you not disable your safety. If you ever do have to use this pistol for self-defense, the State's Attorney will have you for lunch for turning off one of the gun's safety devices.

[WonderNine]

Thanks for the warning Marko. I'll take the grips off first.

[joab]

carrying hammer down on loaded chamber as the design was intended to be used, Thanks Marko I have asked the question many times, about carrying hammer down on a loaded chamber and never got an answer

[WonderNine]

Marko is right. Most manufacters say not to carry with one in the chamber for liability reasons, but most guns are designed to be carried that way. Older Jetfires don't have a frame safety at all. That's also a good reason for the tilt up barrel, and part of the reason why they designed it that way.....so that you don't have to carefully lower the hammer on a loaded chamber.

I love the Jetfire because unlike most small double action pocket pistols, you can actually hit what you're aiming at! And quickly!

[Badger Arms]

IIRC, isn't there a half-cock notch on the 950? Is that how I'm supposed to carry mine?

[c_yeager]

However, I would strongly suggest that you not disable your safety. If you ever do have to use this pistol for self-defense, the State's Attorney will have you for lunch for turning off one of the gun's safety devices.

Ok, so how could this POSSIBLY make any sense at all? If you were JUSTIFIED in killing a person how would the safety status of your pistol make any difference whatsoever?

[Marko Kloos]

The hammer of the Jetfire is shaped for easy and fast cocking, and the tip-up barrel means that you can chamber and unload rounds without ever having to cock the weapon. Just leave the hammer in the half-cock safety notch, and cock the gun as you present it.

If they would only make a .32ACP with a single-action trigger and a tip-up barrel, I'd buy three.

[joab]

OK Marko, I'm not trying to sound stupid ,it just comes natural sometimes, but you are saying that it is proper to carry the 950 on half cock with a loaded chamber.
Not trying to beat this thing to death, but I have one that I picked up for about $75 with the intention of carrying in my front shirt pocket (long story) but couldn't find anything on whether this was safe. Being more familiar with 1911s it was a risk I was not willing to take so it landed in the back of the safe

[WonderNine]

Yea, I would love a Tomcat like gun, only in single action and minus the safety. I love the placing of the magazine release. Keeps it from getting pushed while in the pocket. I can't believe they MAKE pocket guns that have a magazine release that sticks out!!!!!

Ok, so how could this POSSIBLY make any sense at all? If you were JUSTIFIED in killing a person how would the safety status of your pistol make any difference whatsoever?

It's just an old internet myth that he's repeating. I tend to ignore them these days. Kinda like "don't use handloaded ammunition for self defense or the DA will have you for breakfast." Along the same line. Once in awhile you hear the same myth repeated about the BHP. Some joker telling you not to remove the magazine safety or they'll use it against you in court.

[Marko Kloos]

OK Marko, I'm not trying to sound stupid ,it just comes natural sometimes, but you are saying that it is proper to carry the 950 on half cock with a loaded chamber.
Not trying to beat this thing to death, but I have one that I picked up for about $75 with the intention of carrying in my front shirt pocket (long story) but couldn't find anything on whether this was safe. Being more familiar with 1911s it was a risk I was not willing to take so it landed in the back of the safe

Take it back out of the safe and enjoy it. The pistol was meant to be carried with the hammer on half-cock behind a loaded chamber. The hammer does not have enough inertia to ignite the primer, even if the half-cock notch breaks, which is not likely. I've been carrying a Jetfire in either my front or back pants pocket for years in this fashion.

The only unsafe carry method with the Jetfire is "cocked and locked", as the Jetfire's safety only blocks the trigger, and not the sear.

[joab]

Good news especially since I broke the safety any way. Thanks

[WonderNine]

The only unsafe carry method with the Jetfire is "cocked and locked", as the Jetfire's safety only blocks the trigger, and not the sear.

So are you saying a MKII or pre-MKII BHP is unsafe for carry cocked and locked? ;) Or is it just more safe because it's not pointing at the family jewels. :p

[longeyes]

Is it me or is the Jetfire next to impossible to cock one-handed, either from hammer down or half-cock? The combo of small gun size, my hand size, my thumb length, et al. conspire to make it awkward in the extreme if not impossible. (I don't have this problem with other handguns, by the way, not my revolvers or 1911s, e.g.) The plus with cocked-and-locked is you only have to flick off the safety so it's great for one-handed; I didn't realize there was a safety issue in that mode. Two-handed cocking seems slow to me and questionable in an emergency.

[joab]

No problem here
http://img5.photobucket.com/albums/v14/bugman/posting/06cbb2d1.jpg

[longeyes]

Joab,

Okay, we both have opposable thumbs, that's a beginning. A still picture doesn't tell me much.

From that position the thumb can only push down, not really back. That's my point. The Jetfire hammer has a long rearward sweep and is under rather firm pressure. It is very hard to get the proper leverage one-handed. As I said, I haven't noticed this problem with any other cockable handgun I own. The Jetfire's slide is always very tough to rack; good reason to use the tilt-up barrel.

I find it hard to believe that this pistol was designed to be thumb-cocked, from hammer down or half-cock, when drawn. I suspect it was either carried cocked or cocked with the weak-hand thumb.

[WonderNine]

You guys must have weak thumbs, I don't have a problem doing it at all. If it's any help try using the inside of your thumb finger.

[joab]

You guys must have weak thumbs, Leave me out of it I don't have a problem
http://img5.photobucket.com/albums/v14/bugman/posting/fa430036.jpg

A natural circular sweep on the thumb toward the position that it would be in to grip the gun also brings the hammer to full cock
Or simply hooking the hammer, as in the above pic, and drawing it rearward will do it

[WonderNine]

Leave me out of it I don't have a problem

Hahaha! :cool: See, that's the way to do it.

[joab]

Regardless of what you think about it, Ain't it just the cutest thing

[longeyes]

Cute all right, no denying that.

I'll experiment. Never thought of myself as thumb-challenged before.

:D

[Badger Arms]

I just played with mine. I noticed that I rotate the gun to the left in my hand so that my thumb is going down, not back. Makes it easier. I didn't notice I was doing this until I actually looked at myself. In fact, I can do it quite quickly without really changing my grip. I have no trouble cocking it normally, however it requires considerable more force and seems unnatural. Also note that I tuck my pinkey finger under the magazine which is what I use as leverage tucking the gun into the palm of my hand. My hands are larger than many though. Try it like I do in the picture. Note: picture has been digitally altered to conceal serial numbers.

http://www.thehighroad.org/attachment.php?s=&postid=1140188

[Badger Arms]

BTW, the hammer has to STRIKE the firing pin with some force to get the cartridge to go off. The firing pin does not rest on the primer but rebounds even when the hammer is all the way down. In fact, it might be safer to carry the gun with the hammer ALL THE WAY DOWN. The reason for this is that if the gun were dropped while on half-cock on a hard surface, the half-cock notch can fail thereby allowing the hammer to come forcefully in contact with the firing pin. If the gun is, instead, carried with the hammer completely down, the amount of force required to strike the hammer in order to fire the chambered cartridge would be tremendously more.

Just a thought. I'll read the instruction manual and see what it says.

[joab]

Badger's pic just pointed out something I had not considered. Mine is old and worn in could have something to do with it

[Badger Arms]

Yes, don't normally carry the 950. Have a KT P32 for my day-to-day work.

[longeyes]

Badger, I'll try your suggestion, thanks. My Jetfire is new (bought a few months ago), only 66 rounds through it.

[longeyes]

BadgerArms,

Okay, tried it your way, with pistol rotated left. It works! I can get leverage that way. Thanks.

Now all I have to do is to move to a state where I can get a CCW permit. (I'm in SoCal.)