Bought my first 1911 a SA 1911 Loaded model, it was used but looks like it was never hardly shot, i ran a few rds thru it and am thinking of using it for home defense, it has night sights. it is my first 1911 but i am pretty comfortable with it and have worked with it to get use to cocked and locked and decocking it, my question is for carry which i am not going to do i would carry chambered C&L but for HD do you recommend C&L or chambered decocked? Thanks.
1911 hd?
- Thread starter fxstchewy
- Start date
- Status
funnelcake
Member
- Joined
- Oct 27, 2007
- Messages
- 321
Depends on your circumstances but Condition 1 (C&L) would be my preference.
Funnel
Funnel
Zaydok Allen
Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2011
- Messages
- 13,274
Cocked and locked will certainly give you more response time, but it kind of depends on your situation.
Are home invasions, (i.e. forceful breakins during waking hours) a problem in your area? If so, speed is essential, though it is always very important.
Are night time breakins the bigger problem? If so you must look at your home layout, and ask yourself how light of a sleeper are you? If a heavy sleeper, your reaction time and warning time will be lower, so cocked and locked may be a good idea. I am a very, very light sleeper and live in a small house. I can hear a dear walking around outside my home, with the tv going, so I am pretty positive I have enough time to chamber a round and take aim at my door before someone comes in. I also have cats, which serve as an early warning system. Do you have pets of any kind that would let you know if someone was breaking in?
Are there kids in your home?
Since I'm a light sleeper, and have animals, and am confident that I could meet an intruder on an even par (I may not get the drop on him/her, but I'll meet them at the door), and I have no kids, I keep a 1911 with a loaded mag in the livingroom of my house, WITHOUT a round chambered in case of home invasion. I also keep an FNP45 on the nightstand, easy to grab, WITHOUT a round chambered, with the safety off. Grab it wrack the slide, good to go. This is what works for me. Evaluate your situation and needs. This is a question only you can answer.
I did get woke up startled one night and thought someone was trying to get in my door. I was out of bed, with a round chambered, and in my kitchen in 4 seconds, ready to fire off 15 rounds of .45 acp. Not to shabby if I say so myself. I specifically chose the highest cap 45 I could get for bedside duty because grogginess will be a factor, and thus shot placement may be lacking. Hence more ammo is a good thing. Turns out the cat was messing around and knocked something over, and grogginess wasn't a problem either.
You really have to think about your personal situation. If it was me, I'd leave it on the nightstand without one in the chamber, because if you chamber a round, it is ready to fire.
Are home invasions, (i.e. forceful breakins during waking hours) a problem in your area? If so, speed is essential, though it is always very important.
Are night time breakins the bigger problem? If so you must look at your home layout, and ask yourself how light of a sleeper are you? If a heavy sleeper, your reaction time and warning time will be lower, so cocked and locked may be a good idea. I am a very, very light sleeper and live in a small house. I can hear a dear walking around outside my home, with the tv going, so I am pretty positive I have enough time to chamber a round and take aim at my door before someone comes in. I also have cats, which serve as an early warning system. Do you have pets of any kind that would let you know if someone was breaking in?
Are there kids in your home?
Since I'm a light sleeper, and have animals, and am confident that I could meet an intruder on an even par (I may not get the drop on him/her, but I'll meet them at the door), and I have no kids, I keep a 1911 with a loaded mag in the livingroom of my house, WITHOUT a round chambered in case of home invasion. I also keep an FNP45 on the nightstand, easy to grab, WITHOUT a round chambered, with the safety off. Grab it wrack the slide, good to go. This is what works for me. Evaluate your situation and needs. This is a question only you can answer.
I did get woke up startled one night and thought someone was trying to get in my door. I was out of bed, with a round chambered, and in my kitchen in 4 seconds, ready to fire off 15 rounds of .45 acp. Not to shabby if I say so myself. I specifically chose the highest cap 45 I could get for bedside duty because grogginess will be a factor, and thus shot placement may be lacking. Hence more ammo is a good thing. Turns out the cat was messing around and knocked something over, and grogginess wasn't a problem either.
You really have to think about your personal situation. If it was me, I'd leave it on the nightstand without one in the chamber, because if you chamber a round, it is ready to fire.
ugaarguy
Member
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
- Messages
- 13,828
Decocking a 1911 is a great way to create a negligent discharge. Further, thumbing back the hammer is a fine motor skill, while racking the slide is a gross motor skill. Gross motor skills are retained longer than fine motor skills under stress. I'd rather rack the slide than try thumbing back the hammer in a defensive situation. I still prefer C&L over either because I disengage the safety as I take a firing grip.
JTQ
Member
This is a pretty common discussion point.
Ultimately it is your choice, you can do anything you want with your pistol.
I prefer not to use Condition 2, which is hammer down on a live round. For me, there is no advantage to that mode, though some like it.
I either use Condition 1, round chambered, hammer cocked, thumb safety engaged, or I use Condition 3, no round chambered, hammer down, magazine inserted in the gun.
I don't have a need to lower the hammer on a live round in my 1911.
JTQ
Member
Here is an excellent post from PcolaDawg
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=441761
I hope I don't embarrass him by bringing this up, but it is an excellent example and his write-up is well done. I believe he is a very safe gun handler, but for a split second something went wrong. With Condition 1 or 3, you don't have to worry about this happening.
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=441761
I hope I don't embarrass him by bringing this up, but it is an excellent example and his write-up is well done. I believe he is a very safe gun handler, but for a split second something went wrong. With Condition 1 or 3, you don't have to worry about this happening.
Skylerbone
Member
My EDC simply goes from carry holster to a bedside holster every night so it's treated no differently one way or the other. The best choice for you might simply be that. Saves a trip to the safe twice daily too.
Zaydok Allen
Member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2011
- Messages
- 13,274
This is very true. I don't really like trying to lower the hammer on a 1911 on a live round. It is inherantly dangerous no matter how good you are at it.
Racking the slide is probably faster than cocking anyway.
Also a good practice. Muscle memory will be very consistent also.
Russ Jackson
member
- Joined
- Dec 17, 2009
- Messages
- 564
I would not recommend carrying condition 2. Why would you not carry condition 1? 1911 is a great HD gun just get very familiar with it. Hasn't changed in over 100 years and every manufacturer makes one or more. If you own more than a few guns it should be on your must have list. You will never have a problem getting it serviced or finding parts.
Batty67
Member
Great discussion, thanks. I'll (finally) have my Sig 1911 tomorrow or Saturday and have been wondering about which condition to leave it in. Home defense. I had been thinking about Condition 2 but I'll nix that. Probably condition 3 but we'll see.
jhb
Member
Condition 3 for me and my colt 1991, cause I'm a lefty and gun has no ambi safety.
Jenrick
Member
For me if the weapon doesn't have a round chambered it's in the safe and secured. No point in having a pistol for HD/SD that's not hot.
-Jenrick
-Jenrick
Franco2shoot
Member
mine has an A-zoom dummy in the chamber, and the loaded mag in the bedside drawer. Occasionally, I will load up a mag with dummies and do a practice run. I feel very comfortable with the "Slam a loaded mag and rack the slide" as a response to someone breaking in the downstairs back or front door.
My response times are under 5 seconds.
KKKKFL
My response times are under 5 seconds.
KKKKFL
- Status
