1911s' cult status is going to cause a huff, but there are plenty of folks that carry hammer down SA. I do with my Beretta 950, as do everyone carrying a NAA Mini. I suspect it is also very common on pocketed Mustangs, but most people are too shamed to mention it.
Safety Off Carry
- Thread starter Good Ol' Boy
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OK, back to what I think was your original topic, ALL my semi-autos have external, frame-mounted, down-to-fire safeties (including the ones I use for carry, for competition, for home defense, and, with one legacy exception, for just plinking/range time). And I use them on ALL. Because ALL of my semi-auto pistols - including the striker fired one - have pretty much the same controls in the same configuration, I don't have to worry about "remembering" anything. I do what I always do when I want the gun to fire. Which is take the gun in a firing grip with thumb atop the safety, grip firmly (thus helping with recoil, accuracy, and taking off the safety), align the sights with the target, and pull the trigger.
I'm not trying to go back and forth with different methods.
OP
OP
Good Ol' Boy
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Which is why the ONE striker fired pistol I do carry that has a thumb safety I carry with safety off. Everything else has no safety so KISS, but in the opposite regard as you.
Am I the only one? That's also part of what I was getting at and wanted to hear responses from.
Pretty sure you're not the only one. I like having an off switch for when I'm holstering or otherwise having to handle the gun while it's loaded but I have no intention of making loud noises. But many people don't, and guns that are designed to be drop-safe without a safety don't suddenly become more dangerous when they get an external safety added, but then not applied.
Vern Humphrey
Member
You would not be far wrong.
As I said, the preferred method of carry was what today we call Condition 3 -- loaded magazine in the magazine well, chamber empty. But IF immediate employment was expected, or if there was a temporary cease fire on the range, then the safety lock was to be used. And of course, if a mounted trooper was firing and needed to make the pistol safe, he used the safety lock.
The point is, hammer down on a loaded chamber (Condition 2) was not authorized -- and for good reason.
The downside to using the ignore feature is not having access to the links posted.
This would be a good note to end on.
I thought about pruning this thread to save it, but there was just too much fluff not related to the OP.
OP - Perhaps a more focused question next time, perhaps something like: "If a striker pistol has the option of having a thumb safety applied, should it always be used?"
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