A buddy of mine is a Corrections Officer, and I know for a fact the only time he fires a weapon is when they have to qualify every year with a .38 revolver. He ain't shooting anything unless somebody else provides the ammo, he's just cheap.
An interesting story at the doctors office
- Thread starter gspn
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My thoughts exactly. I don't understand why any would carry any other way. Even if holstered, seems you can accidentally pull the trigger so many ways it's just not worth it.
Vern Humphrey
Member
I've carried a gun for over 50 years, mostly an M1911. The M1911 is perfectly safe to carry cocked-and-locked. If you follow the Four Rules, and remember to drop the magazine FIRST when clearing the gun, you won't have an ND.
CapnMac
Member
Without getting into a flamewar on which weapon, perhaps er ought to look at just what did Sparky have in his pocket, and just what was he doing to get such object or objects into the trigger guard.
Which makes me wonder if "thre grocery store: was, in fact, wally-world, and Spark' was unloading a lawn mower or exercise machine, something where it was holding him as much as he was holding it
Which would also explain why Spark' was distracted, distracted enough to not notice an ND.
Which makes me wonder if "thre grocery store: was, in fact, wally-world, and Spark' was unloading a lawn mower or exercise machine, something where it was holding him as much as he was holding it
Which would also explain why Spark' was distracted, distracted enough to not notice an ND.
I assumed we were talking about a gun without a safety. I would also have no issue carrying as you describe, or carrying decocked.
Old Dog
Member
Are you serious? If you are, have you ever taken any training courses?
Again, same questions.
And are you guys aware that modern semi-auto pistols are actually DESIGNED to be carried with a round chambered? No disrespect intended, and I hope neither of you take this personally, but ...
Please -- I'll be the one to urge you both to undertake some quality firearms training.
ljnowell
Member
OilyPablo
Member
What?
guyfromohio
Member
If you have time to chamber a round in a true life-or-death, non-combat, non-leo situation, I would speculate that you aren't truly in a life-or-death self-defense situation. Perhaps active shooter going room to room and not quite to your room yet.....but those aren't the realistic self-defense situations in the land of the real.
ljnowell
Member
Speed.
Very essential speed.
As Old Dog suggested, try some training--perhaps FoF or training in a laser simulation facility.
Consider that you are not at a range, expecting to draw, present and fire at a target that you have been thinking about. There will be no buzzer.
You will be ambushed--attacked unexpectedly and without warning, most likely at very close range, by someone moving fast, when you mind is on other things entirely.
Recognizing and understanding the situation, drawing from concealment, moving off line to create distance and give you a safe shot or shots, and shooting will take time--probably more time, unless you are very good indeed, than it would take for the assailant to get to you with a contact weapon.
And that's without having to chamber a round.
Keep in mind also the time that your fire will take to stop the assailant after you hit him.
That mitigates the risk of an unintentional discharge, and exacerbates the risk that was the reason for carrying in the first place.
I think what the other member was saying is that they aren't comfortable holstering a live weapon or carrying a live weapon and it seems that they should be encouraged to take training classes first and then only do so if they are comfortable with it.
I can understand why some people aren't comfortable with a round chambered. However, to say that nobody ever should is just absurd. Keep in mind that people used to carry single-shot weapons loaded (could you imagine trying to load a flintlock pistol while someone is hacking at you with an axe or shooting at you with a bow?), and revolvers generally have their chamber loaded.
I prefer not to have a manual safety, but even I admit that it wouldn't slow you down much, if any. I just don't want extra to think about. My firearms have had rounds in the chamber for years, and they've never gone off except when I'm at the range. It doesn't matter if they're in the safe or in a holster - even a pocketed one.
Keep the trigger guard covered while it's in a holster and practice the 4 rules vigilantly and you won't have a problem.
I prefer not to have a manual safety, but even I admit that it wouldn't slow you down much, if any. I just don't want extra to think about. My firearms have had rounds in the chamber for years, and they've never gone off except when I'm at the range. It doesn't matter if they're in the safe or in a holster - even a pocketed one.
Keep the trigger guard covered while it's in a holster and practice the 4 rules vigilantly and you won't have a problem.
Posted by Skribs:
Thats almost it, but unless you have a safety that will prevent the trigger and things that are part of it from being activated when they are pressed, you also have to make sure that nothing enters the holster where it can activate the trigger.
Vern Humphrey
Member
That's true -- but I also think they are showing they have had NO training. That being the case, maybe they should re-think carrying until they GET some training.
Vern Humphrey
Member
There is a story about Charlie Miller, an Texas Ranger in the first half of the 20th Century. Charlie carried an M1911, and one time was in a fight where his opponent was on his (Charlie's) back. Twisting his gun behind him, Charlie tried to shoot the guy, but couldn't depress the grip safety in that position.
Afterwards, Charlie disabled the grip safety with a rawhide thong. He carried the gun with one in the chamber and on half cock (!). No holster, he just shoved the gun down the front of his pants.
One time, Charlie was qualifying at the range, and the Range Officer kept looking at him, but was afraid to say anything. Finally he mustered his courage and said, "Captain? Isn't that sort of DANGEROUS?"
And Charlie said, "Hail, yes! I wouldn't carry the damned old thing if it wasn't dangerous."
Afterwards, Charlie disabled the grip safety with a rawhide thong. He carried the gun with one in the chamber and on half cock (!). No holster, he just shoved the gun down the front of his pants.
One time, Charlie was qualifying at the range, and the Range Officer kept looking at him, but was afraid to say anything. Finally he mustered his courage and said, "Captain? Isn't that sort of DANGEROUS?"
And Charlie said, "Hail, yes! I wouldn't carry the damned old thing if it wasn't dangerous."
I live in CA where carry is pretty much impossible for the average citizen so it's moot for me. But I'd worry about carrying a glock with a round chambered. I'd most likely carry an XD, a revolver, or a glock that wasn't chambered. It's my personal preference and what I feel would best balance the need to be ready for anything without making an accident more likely than I'd want, and using a platform that I know really well. I don't expect to be ambushed or anything and if I was I'm not sure I'd be able to get a shot off anyway whether it was chambered or not, cocked or not, so why take the risk. Again, I'm not pushing this is the right approach for everyone but it's valid.
Jesse H
Member
Those that insist on carrying an unloaded gun. Do yourself a favor and train to draw from holster and rack the slide with a sweaty/bloody off hand.
Or take a legitimate training class that would advise you not to carry an unloaded gun.
Or take a legitimate training class that would advise you not to carry an unloaded gun.
Do you mean unloaded or unchambered? I wasn't suggesting unloaded, I was saying I feel uncomfortable having a chambered round in a glock or similar gun with no safety, decocker, and a light trigger.
I'm out there carrying a gun every day too. (ETA obviously in a different capacity, but the majority of LEO's don't fire their gun once in their career, which is quite similar to the rest of us)
And I'm a better shot than the majority of the local LEO's. Because the majority of them are not really gun guys/gals and don't shoot as much as I do.
Of course, for most LEO's their ability to shoot a pistol will be irrelevant to their job outside of meeting the minimum qualification standards, they have many many other relevant skills.
What the hell holster are you using that you could pull the trigger while the gun is holstered?
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