Made a Big Mistake today.

[RonGoode]

I went to the outdoor range today, with three others. There were two strangers there as well. I opened my case and I was going through my guns. Some where Loaded, some were not, and I knew this. I knew my Star model Bm 9mm was loaed but I went ahead, popped the mag, checked it, put it back in. Then I cocked it, pulled the slide back to check the chamber. Loaded, as I knew it. I went to ease the hammer down and the gun went off. I barely even knew it. It was that sudden, I felt the bullet pass my left arm and off it went into the woods. If my father or friend had been standing there, like they normally would, I would have shot them. Typically I would never even have the gun pointed anywhere but down range but these types of stories always contain non-typical things. I really slowed me down. I was rushing. I guess I thought it looked cool checking my guns. I know it was a dumb thing and luckily no one got hurt but it really makes me wish all my guns had decockers. I love Stars and 1911s but I really don't like lowering the hammer. I'm not a fan of cocked and locked either.

Did some good shooting afterwards.

 

[cordex]

Glad nothing but your pride was hurt.

I love Stars and 1911s but I really don't like lowering the hammer. I'm not a fan of cocked and locked either.

I'm a bigger fan of C&L than AD.

Just one of the several downsides of carrying a single-action like the 1911 or Star with hammer down on a loaded chamber.

 

[Jim Watson]

"I love Stars and 1911s but I really don't like lowering the hammer. I'm not a fan of cocked and locked either."

This does not leave you a place to stand. Perhaps you would be better off with a pistol that does not require you to make the choice. As you say, guns with decockers.

Are you aware that at least some Stars do not have inertial firing pins and are not safe with hammer down at all?

Better you should have gone home and meditated upon your many errors instead of "doing some good shooting afterwards." I know that had I been one of your companions or a bystander, I would not have stayed on the range with you.

 

[Standing Wolf]

I'm a bigger fan of C&L than AD.

Well said.

 

[ny32182]

I'm not a fan of C&L either.

I have an older Taurus 92, from before the addition of decockers.

Lets just say I lower the hammer on this gun VERY carefully, and have been considering ditching it in favor of one with a decocker.

Its good to hear that no one was hurt.

 

[Jim K]

I am TOTALLY against carrying ANY loaded guns in a pistol case. Not only is it illegal in many states, it is just plain DUMB! On a range, a pistol is unloaded until you load it at the firing line.

A loaded gun off the range is for defense, period, and is either on your person or in a place where you can get to it. And you know it is loaded because it is never unloaded.

You are not going to defend yourself with guns in a case, so there is no point in having them loaded.

Jim

 

[P95Carry]

Rule #2 ....... Rule #2 ....... Rule #2 ....... Rule #2 ....... Rule #2 ....... sounds like it only just squeeked thru.

Real glad no one hurt tho ... phew!

 

[orangeninja]

To say you are lucky is an understatement. Sheesh..... I accidentally dropped my pistol once and have since then reaquainted myself with gun safety rules. I already knew them, but reread them anyway.

 

[DMK]

Either empty the chamber or cock the hammer and lock the safety. There is no other option. As you can see, hammer down on most single action guns is an accident waiting to happen.

(There is the rare exception though like the New Model Ruger Single Six. Read your owners manual and if in doubt, don't do it)

I also agree with Jim Keenan. There's no good reason to have any loaded gun in a case or gun rug. You can't get it out quick enough for it to be useful in self defense and it can be just plain dangerous as you are now well aware.

If you want to carry a loaded gun, keep it in a holster.

 

[c_yeager]

My opinion is that if you don't like to carry "cocked and locked" then dont buy pistols that are designed to be carried as such. Buy a double acion only or a pistol with a decocker.

 

[j.wise]

It took a while to convince a friend of mine that his love for Colt 1911s and his refusal to carry cocked and locked didn't mix. To his credit, he never lowered a hammer on a live round, but instead left his chamber empty. He has since traded in his 1911 for a USP, but it took a while.

 

[flatrock]

Thanks for sharing what you admitted was a big mistake.

It's a good example of why we should never be careless with firearms.

 

[Heraclitus]

A sobering reminder of the importance of rules. Glad no one was hurt.

(I have had only two ADs in my life. I hope there will never be more. Lucky for me they were both down range, expiring harmlessly in the ground.)

 

[foghornl]

Mr Goode:

Since only Pride & Ego took hits, no since in yelling at you anymore about it. Round went downrange with human injury.

That being said, the 1911 design is made to be carried in Cocked & Locked if you have one in the pipe. If you are uncomfortable with C&L, I would suggest either de-cocker models or DAO Double Action Only.

 

[jc2]

The 1911 (and other SA autos) are NOT designed to be carried (and certainly not stored) cocked and locked.

The 1911 is DESIGNED to be carried with the chamber EMPTY. A round should be chambered and the action locked only when there may be an immediate requirement to use the weapon (or to safe the weapon immediately after action). It has become common practice to carry the 1911 cocked and locked, BUT it was not necessarily designed to be carried that way.

I'm not even sure there is a compelling reason for carrying cocked and locked for NORMAL concealed carry. The decision to chamber a round and lock the action should be based on the threat (or threat level). Watch your situational awareness.

 

[Ankeny]

QUOTE]I'm not even sure there is a compelling reason for carrying cocked and locked for NORMAL concealed carry.[/QUOTE]

I don't live in Mayberry, I have never met Andy, and my name isn't Barney.

 

[jc2]

Might depend on you define "NORMAL"--a lot depends on the threat level and maintaining situation awareness. There have been (and still are) circumstances when I would definitely carry cocked and locked. I do think it is easy to fall in the trap of over emphasizing readiness and under emphasizing situational awareness. It's a lot better (and wiser) to avoid an unpleasant situation when possible.

 

[voilsb]

it really makes me wish all my guns had decockers. I love Stars and 1911s but I really don't like lowering the hammer. I'm not a fan of cocked and locked either.

Sounds to me like you should keep those guns with an empty chamber, then.

 

[Correia]

Whoa, wait just a second there jc2.

So you are telling me that I'm supposed to carry my 1911 with an empty chamber, and be so situationally aware that I will some how KNOW when I need to pull it out and chamber a round, and then apply the safety, and then put it away until I actually need it? So how do I do this? The Force? Or maybe when the background music becomes more sinsiter? I know that this is how the cops do it on TV.

How about if I'm crossing a parking lot and some guy jumps on me and starts beating me with a tire iron? No warning there. Now say that one of my arms is disabled in the attack. How exactly am I supposed to rack the slide to chamber a round? I suppose that if I would have been more situationally aware I would have pulled my gun out and chambered a round because I was walking to my car.

How about this, if I'm so mystically in tune with the universe that I will know when and where I'm more likely to use my gun, how about I don't go there in the first place.

No way man. My gun is c&l every single moment of the day while it is on my body, and it is still in the same state when I put it in the lockbox by my bedside at night. It is still c&l when I get up in the morning and put it back on. It has been that way every day for the last 4 years that I've carried it.

There are tens of thousands of us who have carried c&l guns for years and years. There are probably 100 million hours of combined c&l carry time on this board alone. In that time how many mechanical failures have there been leading to an AD of a c&l gun?

I'm a CCW instructor, I teach my students that if they are not comfortable carrying a certain gun with a loaded chamber, they need to get themselves a different gun or adjust their mindset.

Sorry for the thread drift. Mr. Goode, I hope you learned something from your ND, and that you will pay increased attention to the rules of safety. There is also some good advice given above. There is no reason to transport loaded firearms like that. In many states it would in fact be illegal.

 

[Quartus]

The 1911 (and other SA autos) are NOT designed to be carried (and certainly not stored) cocked and locked.

The U.S. Army likes 'em empty, but a fella by the name of J. Browning had a different opinion.


But what would he know?

 

[P95Carry]

Another gold star for the trusty ol' revo methinks!! Sorta ''safer'' and always ready.

 

[sturmruger]

I am glad that you AD turned out with no one getting hurt. Thanks for sharing something like this it helps all of us be more careful.

 

[Mute]

So you are telling me that I'm supposed to carry my 1911 with an empty chamber, and be so situationally aware that I will some how KNOW when I need to pull it out and chamber a round, and then apply the safety, and then put it away until I actually need it? So how do I do this? The Force? Or maybe when the background music becomes more sinsiter? I know that this is how the cops do it on TV.

Don't be silly. CLEARLY, you're supposed to consult Dione Warwick and her psychic friend's hotline.

You can choose to use condition 1 or 3; but be aware that you will have certain disadvantages with condition 3 that can't be addressed in any ways other than carrying in condition 1. And it is most certainly proper to carry in condition 1 for normal situations.

Bottom line: if you want to use the 1911 platform and be comfortable carrying it, you should either learn to deal with cocked and locked and just carry in condition 3 and know the drawbacks to the latter method. If that doesn't work for you, you should switch to a different platform altogether.

 

[cratz2]

Man, glad to hear no one was hurt... except for your pride.

And I'm amazed that you were able to do some good shooting... I'd probably have been shaking the rest of the afternoon.

 

[OF]

Ron,

You were going to have that ND one day or another with your improper and very dangerous gun handling habits. It is exceedingly hazardous to store or carry a single-action pistol with the hammer down on a loded chamber. I seriously suggest you sell those guns and get yourself an action type you are comfortable with before you have a major problem.

jc2,

Carrying a gun without a round in the chamber is what's known as giving yourself a false sense of security. And you're mistaken about the proper carry mode for a single action.

- Gabe