Can Lugers be carried "cocked and locked"?

[Retro]

I finished rust bluing my luger. Just curious as to whether or not it is safe to carry the luger "cocked" and locked in the holster? I don't know exactly know how the luger trigger works even though I have disassembled and reassembled with that small plate.

Can I keep a round in the chamber, and safety the trigger, and carry the piece in the holster? Is that a safe practice? I know you cannot cock and lock a Tokarev.

Thanks.

 

[Old Fuff]

The safety blocks the sear so that it can't (in theory) move. If I was going to carry one with the chamber loaded I'd have a gunsmith check to be sure everything was in good working order.

 

[jonnyc]

The Luger thumb-safety ain't exactly C&L friendly.

 

[Old Fuff]

The Luger thumb-safety ain't exactly C&L friendly.

Considering that the pistol was usually carried in a full-flap holster with the flap secured with a strap and buckle (not a snap) the designer obviously wasn't concerned with a fast draw. Two-handed holds weren't used either.

The question here was, "can the pistol be carried safely cocked & locked? The answer is yes, if the pistol's striker/firing pin, sear, and safety are correctly fitted. Some versions even had a grip safety in addition to the manual one.

 

[Jim Watson]

I've seen a couple of guys use Lugers in IDPA matches the last few months, working from cocked and locked. Most Lugers have such heavy mushy trigger pulls, I figure you are about as safe as with a Glock.

They are kind of slow on the draw, the safety is best operated with the left hand, but they can do good work once they are up and running*. The reload is even slower, it takes a good yank on the toggle at a funny angle to close the breechblock on a fresh magazine. I would not want to carry one Condition 3 and have to fight off a USGI even if his 1911 was in the same condition.

*Lugers need good ammunition. This does not mean HOT ammunition, the action was designed for the 7.65 with a 96 grain bullet at 1250 fps and modified for 9mm with a 123 at 1040 or 1090. It seems mostly to mean LONG ammunition, roundnose seated as long as the slanted magazine will accept.