I thought people being nervous about cocked pistols was a myth

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Hoxviii

Hoxviii

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Well, not necessarily a myth- just blown out of proportion.

So yesterday a gal I know asked if I'd teach her brother about guns and let him shoot a little; absolutely, no problem.

We load some stuff up and we head out to the local quarry. When I got there, there was already a group of 5 or 6 people shooting. I walked over, introduced myself, asked if they minded if we joined them and everything was fine.

I unload my gear, pull out my 1911, then load and holster it. Then I handed the brother a 10/22 and a box of ammo. We approach the line and as I am walking him through how to load it when I feel a light tap on my shoulder.

"Do you know your pistol is cocked?"
"Absolutely."
"Isn't that dangerous?"
"No, this one is safe to be carried this way."

And he walks away.

10 minutes later 2 or 3 more people show up and start shooting. Same exchange occurs with one of them.

Well, another guy from group one walks up and says

"We have a new shooter over here, and he's really nervous about the hammer being cocked on that thing and so am I."

I responded that I understood, and asked if something I was doing was causing people to be nervous or if it was just the gun. He said it was just the gun, so I responded that I was willing to bet it had to do with him or the other shooter thinking it "Would just go off", which was confirmed. I volunteered a little demonstration.

I unloaded it and gave a dry fire example showing how all of the safeties interact and that it really would take a catastrophic failure for the hammer even to think about falling.

Then I got the famous "Why don't you just carry it with the hammer down and pull the trigger when you need to?" (The guy had a Beretta 92 on him).

I handed it to him hammer down and told him to squeeze the trigger. Nothing happens; I can see the light go on in this guys head. I told him if he wanted me to carry it hammer down I would out of their consideration, but he declined and thanked me for the demonstration.

After that I had no issue with those groups, but over the course of the afternoon I had no fewer than three more people point out to me that the pistol was cocked. :banghead:

So again, i thought the idea of a cocked and locked pistol making people nervous was just blown way out of proportion, but I have 6 people in about 4 hours that would say otherwise.
 
Should have used the old Texas Rangers "If it wasn't dangerous, I wouldn't be carrying it!" line on them!

rc
 
I think that mostly has to do with being at the range... most people don't really appreciate people walking around behind them cocked and locked. I generally don't trust people at the range so I go as far from them as possible till I see how they perform... your age may play a big role. I have no idea how old you are but if you are around my age(23) then I have issues trusting the person fully but older people I generally have no issue trusting unless they seem like they have no idea what they are doing... then I keep FAR FAR away.

My main issue is when people are carrying the gun around in their hand if it is in a holster I don't care so much but if they carry it I watch them a little. I generally don't walk up and say anything to them unless I want to shoot it haha. One range near here is extremely annoying though. They do not allow you to carry a gun on you, you MUST have binoculars AND a tool kit or they wont let you on the range, you can ONLY load 5 rounds per magazine regardless of the gun, you must have your own targets, staples, staple gun, and a few other things in order to be allowed in... you have to pay to shoot and if you leave you have to pay again. You aren't allowed to have anything to drink on the range and you will be banned unless you pick up EVERY casing and put them in their brass bins so they can sell reloads...

I didn't even need to go to that range... I won't waste my time. I don't feel like sitting on the bench most of the day putting 5 rounds in each one of my magazines just to shoot 5 times then go back and repeat. I understand rules but that many seriously stupid rules and they only let you shoot 25 yards with a handgun... This is all on an outdoor range lol... seriously now I will just go to one of the other ranges a little further away and shoot just as safely without 200 pointless rules over my head.
 
It's not a range per se, just an abandoned quarry everyone shoots at. The gun was never in my hand unless I was shooting it- otherwise it was holstered in a retention holster.

I made the observation because I've been there carrying a revolver before and no one cares, and no one ever approached the guy with the holstered beretta 92 that he was carrying decocked even though he was about the same age as I.

And your statement about not necessarily trusting people at the range (especailly ones like this, just abandoned rural sites) is 100% accurate. That's why I was sure to ID myself, ask if they minded if I shot as well, and be as friendly and accomodating as possible. That's also why I was carrying.

You never know what's going to happen, and I'd rather have and not need than need and not have.
 
I don't know how people are comfortable with loaded Glocks, but not a 1911 cocked and locked.
 
I think that the problem that you are encountering is that very few new shooters are familiar with the 1911, and the concept of a cocked-and-locked SA gun. Most new shooter are probably shooting revolvers, striker-fired pistols or decocker-equipped DA/SA pistols. So when someone sees a gun with a cocked hammer in someone else's holster, they automatically assume that it is in condition "0".

I thought that the OP did a good job of educating the other shooters that day on the working of the 1911.

TMann
 
I know quite a few people who not only have no concept of single action only and cocked and locked but they have no clue as well that the safety is not a slide release or a decocker.

So it goes. Every weapon has a different manual of arms. And there are not too many bona fide gun nuts out there to learn them all. I havent even actually shot all the different kinds but I have read about them enough to know how when the time comes. Pictures and literature go a long way. I take it for granted that I know so much about guns and am kind of insulted when others dont know the same amount as me.

Dangerous tools deserve an amount of knowledge about them that is equal to their level of danger.
 
Should have used the old Texas Rangers "If it wasn't dangerous, I wouldn't be carrying it!" line on them!
Click to expand...

Actually, I think Thingster handled it the best way possible. Being curt (albeit unoriginal) can be fun with the right group, but it takes a good wordsmith to turn an opportunity like that into a chance to educate others. Everyone comes away having been better served, no one's superstitious of a particular firearm or shooter, and the uninitiated get a little education at the range.
 
I unloaded it and gave a dry fire example showing how all of the safeties interact and that it really would take a catastrophic failure for the hammer even to think about falling. ....(sic)......I can see the light go on in this guys head.
Click to expand...

It only takes a few moments to seize the opportunity to educate when the opportunity presents itself. Most misconceptions/apprehensions come from lack of experience. Pass it on where you can.

Thingster, well done! :D
 
Nice one. Some people would have taken the opportunity to be a dick about it.
 
The pubic at large ;) is usually not educated as to the safety features of the 1911 and often these folks have been told myths about its propensity to magically fire a round without a trigger pull. Sounds like you remained patient and perhaps enlightened some non-users about the 1911.
 
Very well handled, Thingster - great job. It's all about perception. To people who have fired revolvers single action, the sight of a cocked hammer means its ready to go boom. I've recently been handling and shooting an old 1911 that my restaurant security guard carries and I can attest without prejudice that a 1911 cocked and locked is far more secure than my Glock with a round in the pipe.
 
When dealing with this situation myself, I always used the simple 'you can't put the safety on unless it's cocked' explanation.

After reading your post, I think I shall change my tactics.
 
You should have also explained that with a chambered round (unless has a Firing pin safety series 80 Kimber etc.) it's actually more dangerous with the hammer down --unlike that Berettta.
 
cockedlocked.jpg



Cocked Locked and Ready to Rock ​
 
A chambered Glock is no different from a C+L 1911. The cocked hammer just LOOKS more "threatening". People tend to think that Murphy's Law favors hammers that they can see + know that are cocked, but not strikers that they can't see and can pretend don't matter.
 
I like the part about not being able to apply the safety without it cocked. Mine also has no firing pin block. I'll have to remember those for if this happens again; just to add more points if I need to.
 
I want a 1911 but at the moment I just don't have the money for one so I had to go with a G19. I do agree though I believe a 1911 is safer than ANY striker fired gun regardless of make or model.
 
That was a class act that made all of responsible owners look good.
Thingster was presented with an opportunity to further the cause, or to damage it. He handled it like a professional PR/damage control expert, and built up our brand in the doing.

Well done.
 
Sounds like some newbies, but you took the time to educate instead of berate them, so, they probably took home some new found knowledge. Good for you.
 
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