Single Action: Hammer Down, Round In Chamber?

[Drakejake]

I just bought my first single action pistol (except for a cheap little .22). Chances are I will try carrying it. I am reluctant to carry cocked and locked. How about carrying with a round in the chamber and the hammer down. Then one would manually cock the hammer before firing. Would this be safer than cocked and locked? Would this make sense? I am more concerned about causing an accidental discharge than encountering a bad guy.

Drakejake

 

[45R]

IF your more worried about AD then....
1. Keep your finger off the trigger until your ready to shoot
2. Get a DA
3. Get over the Locked and Cocked Phenomenon.
4. IF you carry locked and cocked find a hoster that has a thumb snap.
5. If you carry the gun with round in chamber you might not have time to cock the hammer if you need the pistol in a hurry.


Respectfully
45R

 

[Freightman]

Cocked and locked is the safe way to carry a 1911 type pistol!
1. You have the grip safety
2. you have the frame safety
3. You have the safety between your ears.
4 You have your finger out of the trigger guard.
How many safetys do you need?
you will carry a Glock with one in the chamber and there isn't as many safetys!
And by the way I am not knocking a glock!
I carry my double action pistol with the safety off! It aint gona fire until you pull the trigger!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Handy]

Since your gun is NOT a 1911, cocked and locked may not be right for that gun, especially if carried in a pocket. But to carry hammer down you need at least an inertial firing pin and preferably a some sort of pin block. What kind of gun is it?

If it is a cheap, striker fired gun, your only safe option is chamber empty, loaded mag. This is better than nothing, and can be made to work quickly with practice. If we're talking about a Beretta 950 or the like, hammer down on a load is how it was designed to be carried.

 

[seeker_two]

What kind of pistol is it?

If it's a 1911 or a Hi-Power, I wouldn't worry about carrying it hammer down. I'll often carry my 1911 hammer down. Thumb-cocking on the draw is easy to do w/ practice, and JMB actually designed it to be carried that way (snugging my asbestos underwear up tight... )

Some other models (CZ-52, Star, etc.) have overlong firing pins that can indent the primer & be hazardous. Tokarevs are actually made to carry on half-cock (though I was plenty nervous w/ mine!). I wouldn't carry Condition 2 w/ these.

If you'll tell us the type, we can give you better information....

 

[Drakejake]

The new pistol is a Star PD. This is a compact 1911 style .45 that does not have a grip safety. All of my other pistols are either double action/single action or DAO.

Drakejake

 

[Jim Watson]

Some (but not all) Stars have full-length firing pins and are not safe to carry hammer down. Best check it first. I know of two people wounded by letting the hammer down on a long firing pin and not controlling the muzzle in the process.

The Star thumb safety is more secure than a Colt's, it engages the hammer and locks it off of the sear instead of blocking the sear.

To carry a single action pistol with the hammer down on a loaded chamber, you have to GET the hammer down on a loaded chamber. This requires PULLING THE TRIGGER and hoping you can ease the hammer down without a slip.

At one time years ago this was a very popular mode of carry in my area. We eventually realized that it was on the recommendation of a left-handed dealer before ambidextrous safeties were readily availble. It is pretty scarce now. I still have the Commander with spur hammer installed for the purpose, but the safety suits me better.

 

[Handy]

Jim has it right.

If the PD has an inertial firing pin (internal spring and moves 1/4" or more before it hits the primer) you can carry either way. Hammer down and you have the touchy moment of lowering the hammer. Cocked and locked, the gun is less inert, but more ready to fire.

Really, your call which you think is more likely to cause an AD; lowering or walking around cocked with the safety on.

This quandry is why DA came into being for autos.

 

[mete]

Star PD has a neoprene buffer which has to be replaced after 500 rounds. That bit of info was never given when the gun first came out. The buffer starts to come apart after 500rds causing possible jams and there will be metal to metal pounding damaging the pistol.

 

[Drakejake]

"Star PD has a neoprene buffer which has to be replaced after 500 rounds. That bit of info was never given when the gun first came out. The buffer starts to come apart after 500rds causing possible jams and there will be metal to metal pounding damaging the pistol."

I am aware of that. It is quite bizarre that the PD manual says nothing about replacing the buffer. They could have included extra buffers at a cost of a few cents and put replacement instructions in the manual. I guess they didn't consider that the buffer would fail so fast. Perhaps the buffer was an afterthought that wasn't included in the original design. At any rate, someone who owns a PD now must somehow get some extra buffers and learn how to replace the one already in the pistol.

I saw instructions on replacing the buffer on the Internet, but now I can't find them. I take it the end of the guide rod has to be unscrewed, the old buffer removed, the new buffer installed, and the guide rod "head" reattached.

Regarding the original question. Those who favor cocked and locked certainly have a strong position, since this has been standard procedure for perhaps a century.

Drakejake

 

[concerned citizen]

For me, in a defensive situation I think it would be awful difficult to try to cock that hammer, I think racking the slide would be easier, but this also risk's an AD.

If I were to carry a S/A 1911 type it would be C&L.

Wiat..I do carry a 1911 type.. My little colt mustangs are carried cocked an locked in my pocket or on my ankle...

 

[Old Fuff]

Given the circumstances you outlined, and the fact that no one who posted an answer can check your particular pistol, I would carry it with an empty chamber and the hammer down. When you know more about what is safe with the Star you have then you might decide to carry the hammer down on a loaded chamber.

For the record, I have an early PD, and it is safe to carry with a loaded chamber.

If you don't feel secure carrying the gun cocked & locked then don't do so. Others may feel differently, and they can do as they wish. You however don't have to go this way if you don't want too.