Who carries a gun with safety/ and without...Why?

[possum]

i personally carry DAO pistols, and none of them have external safeties So i was wondering who's carry piece has an actual safety, thumb safety, not a grip safety like the 1911 or the safe assurance system(xd, glocks). Why do you carry a gun with a safety if you do, or if you don't why not! I am curious how you guys think. everytime i take someone to the range they ask "where is the safety" i tell them that there is no external safety, and that the safety is an internal thing when appropriate, and they say stuff like "i don't like that", or" that is dangerous", "don't you have a small child" so on and so on. Thanks.

 

[Redneck with a 40]

I usually carry a Taurus millenium pro 40. This gun is a DAO with an external safety. For me, the external safety adds a comfort margin. I carry one in the chamber, safety on. That way in an emergency, all I have to do is thumb the safety off. I've heard horror stories about glock's, the trigger gets depressed when re-holstering and.....bang! Not good! Its just my personal preference, I like the external safety.

 

[RickSavage]

Sorry, DAO ???? whats that mean ?

 

[10-Ring]

DAO = Double Action Only
Now, when I do carry, it is w/ a loaded chamber, hammer down, safety off
No DAO in the group

 

[MNgoldenbear]

RickSavage:
DAO = double-action only (trigger cocks hammer and releases for every shot)

possum:
Tell them a manual safety has nothing to do with small children! You don't let small children handle guns until they're mature enough to do so (various ages for various individuals). "Dangerous" -- so they think revolvers are dangerous (i.e. prone to ADs/NDs)?

Redneck with a 40:
(is that caliber or ounce? ) I've heard the stories of Glock NDs reholstering as well. A SF area PD was changing from Glocks for that reason. The problem was obvious -- TRAINING! The officers had just switched from revolvers which had holsters that left the trigger guards exposed. They were used to drawing and holstering with their finger on the trigger! Swap to an auto (without manual safety or with safety off) and covered trigger guard and ... BOOM!.

 

[possum]

Sorry, DAO ???? whats that mean ?

Double action only, means there is one consistant trigger pull everytime you pull the trigger.
DA/SA or double action/ single action means that there is a longer, harder trigger pull on the first pull, and a lighter pull everytime after that, unless you pull the hammer back, if the pistol you are shooting allows this.

possum:
Tell them a manual safety has nothing to do with small children! You don't let small children handle guns until they're mature enough to do so (various ages for various individuals).

MNGOLDENBEAR,
no no my dauhgter is 19 months old she dosen't get no where near my weapons. and when she is old enough, i think around 7 yrs old if she is mature enough and ready as you mentioned, about the age i was, then she will be able to learn about them and shoot them, but i am definetly gonna be in her hip pocket anytime there is a weapon involved. Hell i hate giving some privates m16's and there in there 20's.

 

[mattw]

1911 here. cocked and locked, baby! condition one, ready to rock and roll!

 

[Nitrogen]

No external safeties, other than a holster that covers the trigger guard, and the one between my ears.

I know enough about myself that If I need to draw my weapon, there's a 50/50 chance i'll not take a safety off.

 

[ugaarguy]

I voted both. My BUG/ primary gun for gym shorts & t-shirt is a Kel-Tec P3AT, which is DAO; my other primaries are a S&W M66 snubbie, obviously no safety there, and the BHP or 1911, both carried cocked & locked.

 

[MCgunner]

DAO auto and a DA revolver, no safeties. Prefer not mixing trigger types too much in the interest of proper training. I do have a decocker on my .45. I carry it now and then.

 

[hankdatank1362]

I've heard about those ADs with GLOCKs as well. It's the only thing keeping me from getting one. Does anyone know if that's just a rumor, or if there is some base of truth to this? (I've also heard about GLOCK KBs, and was wondering if that was a rumor as well)

 

[gbelleh]

I usually carry either a DAO with no safety or a DA/SA with hammer down safety off. Any gun I carry will fire when the trigger is pulled. No manipulation of a safety needed, even if one is present. That keeps everything consistent.

 

[Lennyjoe]

At one time I used to carry one of each. 1911 cocked and locked and a DAO P3AT for back up.

Now its either/or. Kimber 1911 or a Glock 20.

 

[MCgunner]

I've heard about those ADs with GLOCKs as well. It's the only thing keeping me from getting one. Does anyone know if that's just a rumor, or if there is some base of truth to this? (I've also heard about GLOCK KBs, and was wondering if that was a rumor as well)

I don't like Glocks because of how easy the thing can go off with 4 lbs of trigger pull. Heck, that's only a pound more than I adjust my hunting rifles. Any lighter on those rifles and I can't properly feel the sear with gloves on.

I'm sure there's a little hype and exaggeration to some of the AD stories from guys that hate plastic, but I'm also sure there are ADs considering the number of agencies that carry the things and the minimal training some of their cops get.

If I carried one, there'd be one of those plastic safety things behind the trigger, forget what they're called and too lazy to google it. It's a red thing that snaps in behind the trigger and will not allow trigger movement, but will pop out with a push of the index finger. That seems like a good safety compromise if you just love Glocks. They make some nice sized guns in about every caliber. The G19 is a nice sized double stack 9, the G30 and 36 in .45ACP are impressively compact in a powerful caliber. But, I prefer a real DAO. If I was an auto kinda guy (prefer revolvers for outdoors, SA at that), I'd probably carry a G20 in the field. I've fired one, nice gun, light recoil for such a powerful (10mm) round. It's an acceptably accurate gun to 50 yards, too.

If I ever do go with a glock, another thing I'd add is the 8 lb "New York" trigger spring, for safety reasons. It'd be a little more like a DAO with an 8 lbs trigger, even though it's an awfully short trigger travel. I'm an old revolver guy and a true DAO is comforting to me knowing I can shoot it well, just draw and fire, yet it's ready for action and safe as safe gets in a pocket holster.

And, before some Glockster says "safety is between the ears", I'll just add that it don't hurt to have some hardware safety in the gun to go along with the between the ears thing. No one should carry a gun that doesn't know safe gun handling, I don't care what design, but a safe design is a desirable thing to me.

 

[Cousin Mike]

Used to be a 1911, cocked & locked kind of guy when I first started with this whole carrying thing.

Now my carry gun is my Sig Pro, which has no external safety. I just like the idea of deploying a weapon ready for use in case I ever need to. Also, the grip safety on my 1911 recently just stopped working, which has reduced my faith in safeties quite a bit. I could only imagine what would happen should someone need to pull their sidearm and have the thumb safety prove non-functional. Ew, I don't even like to think about that.

I will also carry my new Taurus revolver, which technically does have a safety. However, it's a hammer lock which uses a key, and will never be in use unless it's left here when no one's home.

As for AD/ND's with Glocks, I suggest you take a trip on over to Glocktalk forums and look around. It seems like everyone over there has shot themselves at least once while field stripping or re-holstering. I'm one of those who just doesn't care for Glocks anyways though, so I'd probably never buy one based on that. But based solely on what I've read, either Glocks or their owners (or both) seem to be a tad bit accident-prone.

 

[Pistol Toter]

Well fellows, I carry a Glock 21 about 40 percent of the time the balance it's a SP101. If I'm carrying the Glock a lot, every few days I wipe off the slide with a silicon rag and brush the lint from the magizine well, but I also wipe down my Ruger witht he same regularity. If I strip the gun: (1) I drop the magizine, (2)eject the chamber round, (3)collect the magizine and that round and remove it from the area, usually put in my desk drawer. (4)Next I retract the slide and lock it open, (5)stick my finger in the action and into the breech, (6)then I make an additional visual check, (7)drop the slide, point it in a safe direction and (8)pull the trigger. (9)Continue disassembly. (10)That's the only time I put my finger inside the trigger guard unless I going to fire the gun and that only immeadiately prior to discharge. I carry my Glock in a pancake style holster that covers completely the trigger guard and has a retention strap. If I am going to carry the G21, I put the holster on my belt interlocking the holster between belt loops and only then do I holster the gun, being very careful and cognizent of the position of the retention strap and the position my my index finger. My Glock has the stock 5.5 lb trigger connector. Is extra care required when carring the Glock? In my opinion, that is a definite YES. But, all guns are loaded and must be treated as such. Keep your finger off the trigger and don't point it at anything that you do not want to distroy, all common sense. You maybe saying that I'm a Glock affectioniado. Let me assure you, I'M NOT! It is a very dangerious tool, a tool with little to keep it form killing, maming or tearing the heck out of something but so is an automobile. So why do I carry one? Well it is basicly the same manual of arms as a revolver. A revolver does not have a safety either, just a stiff trigger unless it is cocked. the first line of saftey is your brain in conjunction with appliances for carring a weapon, and well thought out planning and practice if depolyment is required. Are there safer guns? YES. Ones that are unloaded with no firing pins.

 

[Pilot]

I carry both types, but most of my guns do have an external safety.

 

[ccw9mm]

No external safety, since I believe it detracts from the utility as a defensive weapon in defensive situations.

On my original pistol, a 1994 vintage Browning BDM 9mm, its ambidextrous decocker/safety was, for me, a useful feature to help with learning proper firearms safety. Easy to manipulate, easy to put into safe/fire modes. From that pistol, I have learned to value the use of a decocker. I've had DAO or decocker models strictly, since then.

 

[cslinger]

No external safety as it is something I just haven't practiced enough with. I prefer being able to simply draw and shoot hence no other buttons or gehaws to worry about.

 

[Ala Dan]

Safety

Cuz its a 1911A1 .45 ACP~!

 

[redneckdan]

cocked and locked

 

[browningguy]

I'm with the cocked and locked crowd.

Browning High Power 40 S&W (x2)
Browning High Power 9mm (x2)
Witness PS 9mm
Witness Match 40 S&W
Even my little Beretta 21 in 25 ACP, my Bersa .380 has a safety/decocker so you can't carry it the right way.

Why? Well I grew up shooting 1911's and High Powers, my uncle had a SA revolver for hunting but every other pistol I shot was an SA semi automatic. In the Navy we had 1911's, all my rifles and shotguns have external safeties. So for me it's the right answer, I see the DAO's as just too easy to make a mistake/have an accident/ND/AD/etc. And if you can't learn to swipe a safety off...

 

[TexasRifleman]

I carry a little of both, Sig239 which has no safety, and 1911 now and then which is always cocked and locked (Is there any other way with a 1911?)

That said, when I get questions like:
"Isn't it dangerous to have that cocked?" or
"Isn't that dangerous without a safety?"

I usually just answer "Yes, it's very dangerous, have a nice day".

 

[kokapelli]

Redneck with a 40
I usually carry a Taurus millenium pro 40. This gun is a DAO with an external safety. For me, the external safety adds a comfort margin. I carry one in the chamber, safety on. That way in an emergency, all I have to do is thumb the safety off. I've heard horror stories about glock's, the trigger gets depressed when re-holstering and.....bang! Not good! Its just my personal preference, I like the external safety.

Redneck, actually the millennium Pro is a single action, but will revert to double action when you get a fail to fire.

In other words, when you rack the slide to chamber a round, the gun is c-ocked and has a very short single action trigger.

If there is a misfire the trigger will revert to a long DAO mode and c-ock and fire.

 

[shield20]

Yes safety on a single action of course, but no use on a QA, DAO, DA/SA etc. I do however love a decocker .