"Smart Carry" - One in the pipe?

[GunGoBoom]

The way I adjust the Kahr MK9, with the muzzle just to the left of ma boy, the muzzle is pointed right at my femoral artery of the left leg. I know logically that the gun cannot go off, since the trigger guard is covered (virtually no chance), but still I can't help but feel a little uncomfortable, so I'm considering carrying in condition ?? (3?) - not chamber-loaded, which goes against what I've always done. I'm reminded every time the muzzle pushes into my thigh - a busted femoral would be no bueno. What would you do; DO you do with smart carry, in guns with no manual safety?

 

[NineseveN]

Um, buy another gun with a manual safety?

Seriously? That's a tough choice. I'd say you'd be fine, but what does it matter what I'd say anyway? I imagine drawing from a smart carry and having to rack the slide before you aim/shoot would balloon your draw time to a point where you might as well have left the gun at home. I don't know, personally, I'd be hesitant.

 

[coltrane679]

Um, buy another gun with a manual safety?

That's what I did, although I was going to buy the gun anyway. I got a USPc 357 and it's the only gun I'll carry that way--decocked AND manual safety on. Easy enough to shoot quickly (from that carry anyway) and no worries whatsoever of any kind of AD down there.

 

[Island Beretta]

When I jog I smart carry and I always take one of out of the pipe whether Glock or Beretta (with manual safety). Life is difficult enough w/o playing statistics..

 

[Erich]

I always carry in my Glock in my SmartCarry with one in the pipe. But I use a Saf-T-Blok because of the Glock's short trigger pull (and 3.5# connector). Other DA semi-autos (SIG-Sauers, S&Ws, etc.), I just carry one in the chamber and safety off. Browning Hi-Power I carry cocked and locked with one up the spout.

SmartCarry seems pretty safe, but I do worry that there's a minute possibility that the Glock trigger could get snagged through my pants and then through the SmartCarry - hence the Saf-T-Block.

 

[Lobotomy Boy]

One thing I don't get is having a 3.5 trigger in a carry gun. Hell, I won't carry a Glock in any form without a good holster that covers the trigger because of the standard trigger. I will pocket carry a snubby revolver without a holster, but not a Glock.

 

[WayneConrad]

When I carry my Glock-like P99 in my SmartCarry (which isn't often... it's grip is too fat to be comfy there), I carry with one in the pipe but decocked so that the trigger has the long, hard double-action pull.

Try this:

Check that your gun is unloaded.
Make sure it's really unloaded.
Make there be no ammo in or near the gun.


Now, put on your SmartCarry and holster your gun. Try to pull the trigger on-purpose through the smartcarry. Try from the front, from the back, with your finger, with a pen, whatever you can think of. If you can't pull it on purpose (I couldn't), then I wouldn't worry much about pulling it on accident.

 

[Erich]

Lobotomy Boy, I find that I shoot more accurately with the 3.5# connector (which gives about a 5# pull). And, shooting more accurately is what I want in a self-defense gun.

I pocket-carry the G26 all the time, in a holster that securely covers the triggerguard. I also don't have any other junk in my pocket, but that's true whenever I pocket-carry, regardless of the handgun type (I don't want to reach for my gun in a stressful moment and come up with my keys! ).

Wayne, I worry about snagging it on a nail or similar protruberant object . . . you can't duplicate the forces thus produced with your finger, so I'm not sure yours is a legitimate test. Of course the truth is, as we all recognize, it's pretty darn unlikely that anyone is going to inadvertantly pull the trigger of any handgun through the thick front of a SmartCarry. Nevertheless, better safe than sorry . . . .

 

[dave3006]

98% of the time I carry my Glock IWB with one in the pipe.

When I Smartcarry, I carry condition 3. I would rather the bad guy shoot, beat, or stab me any day than shoot my own nuts off. Mr. Murphy is alive and well. I don't carry a loaded gun that close to the "boys".

 

[Erich]

Unless you're wearing your SmartCarry in some way I can't imagine, your handgun is in front of your package, so I can't understand how you could injure your testicles, Dave.

 

[dave3006]

They are real big.

 

[NineseveN]

 

[Tomac]

They are real big.

Medical science can now treat Elephantitis, it's no longer something to be ashamed of...
I SmartCarry my Makarov in Condition Two w/one in the pipe, hammer down & safety off. Anything that could manipulate the DA pull through my pants and SmartCarry enough to make it go off is probably going to leave me maimed or dead anyway...
Tomac

 

[Yowza]

I've carried my Sig P225 and my S&W 1076 in my smartcarry and I always keep a round chambered in those pistols. In fact, I bought the smartcarry originally to carry a compact 1911, but I actually feel slightly less comfortable with that. It seems to me that it would be a good bit easier to accidentally disengage the safety on the .45 than it would be to pull the long DA trigger on the other two pistols. Having said that though I really have no problem with any of them.

Rick

Edit - Now I've got that AC/DC song in my head!

 

[Erich]

Most amusing!

 

[NineseveN]

I suppose if the firearm in question is one you'd feel comfortable carrying IWB in an Uncle Mike's type soft holster, then doing the same in a smart carry is no big deal. People, places and things should not be prodding or poking around your boys in bags during the course of a normal day. If they are, then you have bigger issues than what condition to carry your gun in.

 

[geekWithA.45]

It took me a while to trust my thunderware rig till I carried with one in the pipe, but now it's SOP and NBD.

 

[cmidkiff]

Smartcarry

I carry a Kel-tec P11 with one in the chamber in my smartcarry. With the trigger on this thing, I'm not worried a bit.

Of course, I don't reholster in a smartcarry without dropping my drawers, either. Seems to me that if a ND were going to occur, that'd be when it was going to happen.

 

[Too Many Choices!?]

Glock 23(OWB) and Taurus PT-145 Millinium(IWB UNCLE MIKES)

Both are carried cocked and ready at a moments notice at 3 O'clock, whichever I am carrying. The Glock has too light and short of a trigger pull(plus no manuel safety except the one on the trigger ) for me to trust it next to my package, so it goes into a Fobus paddle holster. It works great and I have no worries except bunching my shirt up into the holster and snagging the trigger while reholstering(I just pay extra attension while doing so). On the other hand,the Taurus, with it's loooong double action trigger and manual safety, worries me a lot less and only gets placed on safety while I am reholstering the weapon into the Uncle Mikes at 3 O'clock IWB. I am now comfortable with carrying either weapon and don't have to worry about switching between the to weapons. One with a manuel safety that I don't use(for the most part) and one without a manual safety (for all intents and purposes). I like to think of my carry guns as Hi-capacity(compared to most revolvers),semi-automatic,double action revo's, so they get treated as such with one in the pipe at all times and safety off(as revo's have no safety). Like on,"Black Hawk Down", when the Delta guy is getting some chow with his M16 in a ," Hot" conditon and a commander tells him to," Safe that weapon soldier" and he responds," This is my safety sir", while wiggling his index finger, safe/safety is relative !

 

[Guy B. Meredith]

Revolvers are the ultimate in manual safety. No danger unless there is a finger on the trigger.

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

I'd say get a better holster, myself.

 

[stolivar]

MK9 and smartcarry

I carry a MK9 in a smartcarry all the time. the trigger is covered and it takes a pretty good pull to get it to fire. Plus I carry one in the pipe. Now I would never carry a glock in one. I do carry an XD40SC and a PT145 mil pro in it also.


steve

 

[71Commander]

I bought the smartcarry originally to carry a compact 1911, but I actually feel slightly less comfortable with that. It seems to me that it would be a good bit easier to accidentally disengage the safety on the .45 than it would be to pull the long DA trigger on the other two pistols.

Even if the slide safety is disengaged, you would still have to depress the grip safety and pull the trigger in order for it to discharge.

 

[GunGoBoom]

Check that your gun is unloaded.
Make sure it's really unloaded.
Make there be no ammo in or near the gun.


Now, put on your SmartCarry and holster your gun. Try to pull the trigger on-purpose through the smartcarry. Try from the front, from the back, with your finger, with a pen, whatever you can think of. If you can't pull it on purpose (I couldn't), then I wouldn't worry much about pulling it on accident.

That's a great idea - that's what I will do...thanks.

I'd say get a better holster, myself.

OK, Andrew, such as? Please tell me if you know a better lower abdomen holster, cuz I'm all ears. And don't tell me belt cuz this is summer / no covering garment carry.

A true DA, such a revolver, would be the best trigger type, but unfortunately it's too thick for smartcarry carry (for the level of "wow, you related to John Holmes?" questions I'm willing to entertain).

Now I've got that AC/DC song in my head!

Bwaaahahaha - took me a minute to get that.

 

[roo_ster]

It is kind of amazing how big of a hog-leg you can conceal with a SmartCarry. They are a bit slow to get into action, however.

I use SmartCarry about 0.25% of the time I carry. I can go either SW686 4" or SW1911. Nobody makes any "John Holmes" jokes, either, since I don't wear spandex shorts.