How do you NOT shoot yourself w/ CCW?

[dalepres]

Get a 1911. Carry it cocked and locked. There are three safeties between you and the bullet primer yet only a thumb sweep as you draw and the weapon is ready to fire.

Racking the slide in an emergency only works in the movies... but then, in the movies they rack the slide before shooting every time the camera angle changes even though they just shot 37 bad guys with their 1911 without loading.

Racking the slide is not cool. And I think it is nearly as likely to get you shot as it is to scare off an intruder.

Draw-shoot. That's the way I hope it happens if I ever need mine.

 

[btg3]

Get a 1911. Carry it cocked and locked.

There was a gun shop that reported 1911s gave them more reliability problems than Glocks, other polymer autoloaders, and revolvers of the top 2 makes (SW and Ruger).
1911s are not a universal solution.
At a recent IDPA, one shooter could not finish the course of fire after 2 stages with his 1911 b/c of malfunction. Sure there are all kinds of 1911s, but it's a stretch to put forth a 1911 as a solution to the OP.

 

[TexasRifleman]

There was a gun shop that reported 1911s gave them more reliability problems than Glocks, other polymer autoloaders, and revolvers of the top 2 makes (SW and Ruger).

Uhhhh, we're making decisions now off of what someone at a gun shop said?

Probably not a good idea......

 

[btg3]

Uhhhh, we're making decisions now off of what someone at a gun shop said?

I hear ya! To clarify, it was an indoor range that documented problems with their rental guns. The stats were used to figure out how to keep the range running smoothly. We can heed or ignore the information.

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[jeepmor]

What you are thinking is normal. Get yourself a good holster for whatever gun you choose and carry it when your permit comes in. About a month or two of carry and you'll feel naked without it.

Try not to tug at your shirt too much.

People really don't notice to be honest.

 

[outerlimit]

I have mine in its holster to keep from "answering the gun".

 

[TexasRifleman]

Sorry for the confusion.

No reason to be sorry, just one more of those cases where training and actual experience is so valuable.

If you take a concealed carry class with a 1911 and you have trouble then you have first hand info and you can adjust accordingly.

If you take that same class with a 1911 and it's flawless then too do you have info.

1911's are just as viable as a solution as anything else, but only after learning how to use it.

Any kind of class is just incredibly useful.

I don't think I ever really knew my equipment until taking a class with it. Every flaw shows up in a big way

 

[MFortie]

Reholster S-L-O-W-L-Y...

You may need to draw quickly but you never need to reholster quickly.

Do it slowly, smoothly and STOP if you feel any resistance!!! Don't force the weapon back in the holster (unless you like permanent creases in your legs/pants!)

Mark

 

[weisse52]

Good advice by most! I had carried a 1911 for years and then decided to try a Glock.
After feeling safe with cocked and locked I could never get comfortable with not having the external safety.
I have gone back to the 1911, most likely my "mis-spent youth"
If you follow the very solid advice given here you will gain the necessary confidence.

OP, keep us updated.

 

[Drgong]

It is quite normal to be nervious, it just means that your smart enough to know that it is not a toy. I also get nevious when using a table saw.

I for example was not confortable having a round in the chamber, thinking that I could rack the slide or such. as I gained more know-how I come to know that a good holster means it not going to go off by itself, and you just need to practace, as it does two things; you get more confortable and it becomes 2nd nature, and that is what you want.

get used to it using a empty gun, then when your ready, go with a loaded gun.

Also if the glock lack of a true safety is getting to you, there is the XD style guns, 1911 type guns, and Browning Hi Powers type guns that might meet your requirements for firearms that have safety systems that are safe to carry a round in the chamber, and yet are simple to use in the heat of the moment.

 

[conw]

Reholster S-L-O-W-L-Y...

I love this site. Sometimes common sense just needs to be repeated. Thanks.

 

[Scoutsout2645]

I carry a Glock and the best advice is to get a holster that covers the trigger, keep your finger off the trigger while drawing/holstering, and practice handling the gun so that you don't cross anything with the barrel that you don't want to shoot. Also, until you are confident with using your weapon safely, I would recommend NOT carrying over carrying it unloaded. You are more of a danger to yourself by introducing a gun into a confrontation when you don't know how to use it well or are too frightened of it to use it properly.

Practice, Practice, Practice! Dry firing, drawing and re-holstering without taking your eyes off your threat, punching holes in paper etc. If you have little/no handgun background I cannot stress the value of taking shooting courses, both to develop fundamental skills and to develop combat shooting skills. Also, if your concern is self defense, hit the gym, get in shape and learn some hand-to-hand skills--most fights are going to be close in and if you draw, you had better be prepared to react if your threat grapples instead of runs. Have ALL the tools at your disposal, not just the gun, so that you won't get disarmed and shot.

After all this, if the Glock's trigger still gets you skittish, there are a lot of excellent SD semi-autos out there with active safeties which might be a better fit for you.

 

[btg3]

After all this, if the Glock's trigger still gets you skittish, there are a lot of excellent SD semi-autos out there with active safeties which might be a better fit for you.

Has anyone carried a Glock for awhile and actually decided that it just wasn't safe enough?

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[weisse52]

See my post #54

 

[B yond]

I really don't want this to sound like I'm knocking Glocks, because I love to shoot them and think they're wonderful weapons, but...

I will not carry one. Any semi-auto I will carry must have a manual safety, DA first round, and external hammer. I usually carry IWB and would be afraid a Glock trigger could catch somewhere while holstering. Besides that, striker-fired weapons scare me.

Personally I like to carry the Ruger P345, which moves the firing pin out of the reach of the hammer and locks it into place when the safety is on. I also like the Bersa Thunder, which has a bar that rotates up to hold the hammer away from the firing pin when the safety is on. Either of these weapons will not go off if the trigger or hammer is accidentally engaged as long as the safety is on.

 

[Templar223]

[ ]

Get some additional training and get some practice. If you're still not comfortable, consider storing it unloaded or getting rid of it.

JOhn


ETA: Oh, to answer your question about how do I NOT shoot myself with my CCW?

It's easy: I keep my cotton pickin' finger off the cotton pickin' trigger.

When holstering a Glock, you leave your trigger finger alongside the trigger guard and feel for any obstructions or anything poking through the trigger guard from the other side. So long as you use holsters that don't have snapped retaining straps that flop around after you've drawn your pistol, you should be fine if you're using a Glock-style pistola -- or a wheel gun for that matter.


ETA2: Some of the posters have also alluded to this: Don't "play" with your piece once it's loaded. I prefer to buy holsters that can be removed easily at night so I don't have to handle the gun per se. But, easily the most important bit of advice, given by someone more sage than I (or at least more of a sense of humor): Keep your booger picker/flicker off the boom switch.

 

[MinnMooney]

While re-holstering, I hold my Kahr P9 ONLY by the back part of the slide with my thumb and 1st finger. There is absolutely no way for my trigger finger to be in the trigger guard that way. Totally safe.