Condition 1 or Condition 2

[357smallbore]

I am left handed. My Springfield Armory SA-35 only has the safety on the left side of the slide. I am carrying in condition 2 (loaded chamber, hammer down) I can manipulate the hammer easier then trying to take the safety off. Its a bitch trying to use my left hand to take the safety off.
Any thoughts.

 

[Styx]

I am left handed. My Springfield Armory SA-35 only has the safety on the left side of the slide. I am carrying in condition 2 (loaded chamber, hammer down) I can manipulate the hammer easier then trying to take the safety off. Its a bitch trying to use my left hand to take the safety off.
Any thoughts.

My thoughts? Find a platform better suited for a lefty, and stop trying to force a round peg into a square hole. If it's not a defensive carry gun, then either condition will work IMHO.

 

[ontarget]

I bet you could find and install an ambi safety. That would take care of your issue.
But to answer your question, I don't have an issue with the hammer down on a loaded chamber if it makes you more comfortable than fumbling to click the safety on the draw.

 

[JohnKSa]

My general rule of thumb is that if I'm carrying a gun with a manual safety, I practice always disengaging the safety on the draw whether I carry safety on or off. Seen too many levers end up in the wrong position after hours of carry to assume that it's definitely going to be in the same position I expect it to be.

Anyway, that means I wouldn't carry a gun with a safety I couldn't easily disengage unless the safety were modified so it could not be engaged.

 

[Styx]

My general rule of thumb is that if I'm carrying a gun with a manual safety, I practice always disengaging the safety on the draw whether I carry safety on or off. Seen too many levers end up in the wrong position after hours of carry to assume that it's definitely going to be in the same position I expect it to be.

Anyway, that means I wouldn't carry a gun with a safety I couldn't easily disengage unless the safety were modified so it could not be engaged.

That's a great point.

 

[CDW4ME]

Stick with the 9mm Shield.
https://www.thehighroad.org/index.php?threads/old-school-or-new-school-ccw.926262/

 

[Nuke8401]

I am left handed. My Springfield Armory SA-35 only has the safety on the left side of the slide. I am carrying in condition 2 (loaded chamber, hammer down) I can manipulate the hammer easier then trying to take the safety off. Its a bitch trying to use my left hand to take the safety off.
Any thoughts.

Does it have a firing pin block or other safety for condition 2 carry? I did a quick search of the manual and couldn’t find anything and the reviews I found said to carry cocked and locked. I’ve been looking at these for a while but so far haven’t handled one.

 

[bearcreek]

Any thoughts.

Yes. If you need to use this sentence

Its a bitch trying to use my left hand to take the safety off.

regarding your carry pistol, you absolutely should not be carrying that pistol. If you can get an ambi safety, great. Until then, and until you've been able to train to competence with it, don't carry that pistol.

 

[trackskippy]

I have a HP with a factory ambi safety. Ive always found it to be a PITA and a bit annoying, as it always wants to pinch my trigger finger when I swipe it off.

Ive threatened to replace it with just a single lever, and even thought about just filing the right side lever down like on my AR ambi's. Just never seem to get around to it.

If you're going to go the ambi route, you may want to try one out first and see if its an issue for you. As a lefty, you don't have much choice, but you might want to reduce the thickness of the off-side lever while you're at it.

If you arent going to go ambi, then I agree, find another gun.

 

[drobs]

Drop it off at a gunsmith and have him put an ambi-safety on it.
This is basic Left Handed shooter stuff.

 

[GEM]

Ambi safety or a different gun. Messing with the hammer is a significant risk of an ND under stress!

PS being a lefty, I can manipulate the mag releases on most guns and slide releases with my forefinger, not the safety though.

 

[The Night Rider]

I am left handed. My Springfield Armory SA-35 only has the safety on the left side of the slide. I am carrying in condition 2 (loaded chamber, hammer down) I can manipulate the hammer easier then trying to take the safety off. Its a bitch trying to use my left hand to take the safety off.
Any thoughts.

Use a Left hand friendly carry gun

 

[JTQ]

Like others have mentioned, I'd get an ambidextrous safety. However, if I don't have that, and you can't do Condition 1 as a lefty, I'd recommend Condition 3 over Condition 2.

Assuming from your screen name that you are really a revolver guy who has picked up an auto and really doesn't like to see a cocked hammer, and also is pretty confident lowering the hammer on a revolver, an auto is usually a little different than a revolver. I find one hand revolver manipulations, such as lowering the hammer pretty easy. Lowering the hammer with an auto is not as easy for me.

Here is a video on the Conditions of Readiness. It is about a 1911, but it will apply to a Hi-Power

 

[bangswitch]

I am left handed. My Springfield Armory SA-35 only has the safety on the left side of the slide. I am carrying in condition 2 (loaded chamber, hammer down) I can manipulate the hammer easier then trying to take the safety off. Its a bitch trying to use my left hand to take the safety off.
Any thoughts.

Find a Browning MkIII and trade for it, then remove the magazine disconnect. You'll have the same gun, with an ambi thumb safety.

 

[GEM]

Empty chamber is a mistake in a fighting oriented gun. Probably a 100,000 threads on this debate. Better to get an ambi safety or a lefty friendly gun. A Glock is easy to shoot lefty as the forefinger can manipulate all the controls easily. NO empty chambers - the Israeli carry myth is long passed us.

 

[InTheSwamp]

Ambi safety or ditch the pistol

 

[General Geoff]

Any thoughts.

Get an ambi safety, they're about $85 from a few different suppliers

Cylinder & Slide Browning Hi-Power Extended Ambi Safety, Blue

Check out the deal on Cylinder & Slide Browning Hi-Power Extended Ambi Safety, Blue at MGW

www.midwestgunworks.com

Hi-Power Safety Lever | BHSpringSolutions LLC

Hi-Power Safety Lever Ambi

bhspringsolutions.com

My Girsan MC P35 came with ambi safety from the factory, works fine when used with either hand as primary.

 

[Gork10]

Empty chamber is a mistake in a fighting oriented gun. Probably a 100,000 threads on this debate. Better to get an ambi safety or a lefty friendly gun. A Glock is easy to shoot lefty as the forefinger can manipulate all the controls easily. NO empty chambers - the Israeli carry myth is long passed us.

With all due respect I have to disagree with condition 3 not being useful. I've been carrying a simiauto empty chamber for more than 20 years. I will admit that it takes more training than other carry methods. But if you put in the time it can be just as fast as other conditions. I train two and one handed getting my pistol into action from various positions on the timer and with training partners. Is it for everyone, no. I'm comfortable and confident with my carry method. By the way, I'm left handed.

 

[JohnKSa]

But if you put in the time it can be just as fast as other conditions.

Sorry, but that's pure nonsense. More steps and actions to perform between the time the gun clears leather and gets on target means it will take longer to get the gun to the same condition--there's just no way around it. I'm not saying you can't be very fast. You may even be faster than others who carry with a loaded chamber and who don't train as much or aren't as skilled as you are, but you would be faster still if you didn't have to perform those extra steps to get your gun into action.

If you want to carry chamber empty, that's fine--everybody gets to make their own choices. But don't try to fool yourself or others into thinking that you're not giving anything up.

Here's an example of a situation where a person's defense was badly compromised by empty-chamber carry.

ИнтеллиНьюз - Израиль и Ближний Восток. Все о безопасности

Дополнительное видео с места теракта и героический поступок бойца ЦАХАЛа, предотвративший дальнейшие жертвы. #интеллиньюз

t.me

A person drawing a chamber-loaded pistol can shoot one-handed as soon as the gun clears the holster, a technique which is extremely fast and is valuable when the attacker is very close. That option isn't even available to someone carrying an empty chamber.

Another thing to consider is that chambering an autopistol is not a 100% foolproof operation. During the ISHOT1000 matches, it was found that competitors chambering the first round from the magazine were significantly less reliable in performing that operation than the gun was in cycling normally. That was in a relatively low-stress situation. Not timed, no injuries, no one attacking. A lot of practice can make that operation very reliable, but nothing is going to make it as reliable as having a round already chambered.

Again, I'm not trying to get you to change your practices, but you really shouldn't try to convince others that it's just as fast and reliable as carrying chamber loaded. There are only two solidly defensible reasons to carry chamber empty for self-defense.

1. It is mandated/there is no other choice.
2. There is no availability of sidearms that can be safely carried chamber loaded.

 

[halfmoonclip]

Not crazy about a Condition 2 carry, at least regarding actually lowering the hammer over a loaded chamber. The rowel hammer on an SA-35 offers good purchase for cocking; perhaps simply apply the safety afterwards, if you're ever in an 'adrenaline dump' event.
An aftermarket safety sounds a far better idea, and not too bad to install.
For the record, the SA-35 uses a 'series 70' firing system (no firing pin block; the Girsan does offer that. My SA-35 has a much better trigger than a buddy's Girsan). The firing pin is steel, light, and has a stout firing pin spring.
Moon

 

[luzyfuerza]

But if you put in the time it can be just as fast as other conditions.

I'd want to see real data under real conditions using a real timer before I accept this claim.

Any chance you'll share?

 

[Charlie98]

Back when I was carrying a Colt's Government .380, it had a weak detent for the thumb safety. Some days I would get home and find the safety knocked off... not cool because the .380 doesn't have a grip safety... so a pull on the trigger would drop the hammer. My solution was to carry it... hammer down on a loaded chamber. It has Series 80 lockwork, so that was a safer solution than a cocked-and-locked/safety off condition. Anyway, I tried working with it in 'draw and shoot' drills... or, rather, draw, cock, and shoot drills. It did not go well. At the Moment of Truth, as you draw your firearm in an instant situation, all of your fine motor skills go out the window... to include simple things like easily cocking a pistol, or even knocking the safety off.

I found a better solution... I retired the Colt, and bought a Kahr CW9... which has NO safety beyond the long trigger. You either need to modify your SA-35 (which I carry, too, in certain circumstances...) or move to a different pistol that is Lefty friendly. Period.

 

[TarDevil]

But if you put in the time it can be just as fast as other conditions.

Can you just, like, explain how?

Are you assuming you'll always have a free hand?

 

[drband]

Midway has all you need… just over $50 to put in a FN ambi safely on your Hipower. It most likely will drop in.

 

[Kleanbore]

I've been carrying a simiauto empty chamber for more than 20 years

That says noting about yhr pros and cons of so doing.

But if you put in the time it can be just as fast as other conditions.

That's ridiculous. It would require performing the additional steps in an elapsed time of zero.

I'm comfortable and confident with my carry method.

Such comfort and confidence comes at a price--the risk of not being abbey to react timely to an ambush--and is probably misplaced.