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How do you carry?

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Carrying chambered 1911?

363K views 941 replies 542 participants last post by  Tim Burke 
#1 ·
I recently purchased a 70's series Springfield Micro Compact. I have been working for a gun dealer as a salesman for almost a year now and I have several co-workers who also carry 1911s; all of which carry theirs chambered. When I asked about carrying it chambered with the hammer dropped my co-worker told me if you drop a 70's series chambered with the hammer down it will go off. He told me if i was going to carry it chambered have the hammer back and safety on. I plan to familiarize myself with the weapon more before i start doing this but in the mean time i have been carrying it unchambered with the hammer back and safety on to see if my safety will ever fail or shift. I have a nice Galco holster and when i bought the gun it came with an extended safety. Just wanted to see how everyone else carries and make sure I am safe before I accidentally blow my leg and buttocks off with a .45 magsafe round.
 
#28 ·
razor777 said:
"little flame" was just a general shot out for a joke. oh and i do now carry con1, i know there is a difference from the M9 to the 1911, trust me if i could i would toss my M9 out the side of my huey and only carry my 1911, the 9mm ball round is worthless (yes i have had to use deadly force with my M9). [sarcasm]Ferretray if you had read my most recent post you will see that i have now been converted by you all to the uber 1911 CCW crowd [/sarcasm], i carry con 1 and am comfortable with it.
I was writing my post before I saw your update ref. your decision to start carrying your 1911 in condition one.
I'm a dinosaur by current standards, never figured I'd be part of an uber-anything. The less dickin' around you do with a loaded firearm to get it goin' the better.
 
#30 ·
Condition 1 Bubba, it's the only way to fly.

Reid
 
#31 ·
razor777 said:
"little flame" was just a general shot out for a joke. oh and i do now carry con1, i know there is a difference from the M9 to the 1911, trust me if i could i would toss my M9 out the side of my huey and only carry my 1911, the 9mm ball round is worthless (yes i have had to use deadly force with my M9). [sarcasm]Ferretray if you had read my most recent post you will see that i have now been converted by you all to the uber 1911 CCW crowd [/sarcasm], i carry con 1 and am comfortable with it.
I'm actually quite fond of the M9 pistol itself, and own one. Unfortunately the little 9mm round just isn't as effective as the .45ACP. I wouldn't mind having the 96 version that comes in .40S&W.
 
#32 · (Edited)
Victimized said:
Funny you should bring up the Glock. I used to love them, then I tried a 1911. Glock isn't safe to carry and I am surprised by the number of LEO and agencies that issue them as standard. The are a fine fairearm, I will agree, but with a round in the chamber your asking for loss off mobility(after shooting yourself in the foot). Don't say only an untrained idiot could do such a thing, we have had not one but two State Patrolmen have their Glock discharge while unholstering. Neither are employed by the state anymore.
OK. A poorly trained smart person could do it as well!! Keep you finger off the trigger while drawing from the holster, with any gun.
 
#34 ·
MARSH2001 said:
OK. A poorly trained smart person could do it as well!! Keep you finger off the trigger while drawing from the holster, with any gun.
The Glock does leave a considerable margine for error on the part of the shooter. I wouldn't be comfortable carrying one as a duty weapon. I also hate Glocks due to their ergonomics. The angle of the grip is something I absolutely despise.
 
#35 · (Edited)
Jack_Stroker said:
I'm actually quite fond of the M9 pistol itself, and own one. Unfortunately the little 9mm round just isn't as effective as the .45ACP. I wouldn't mind having the 96 version that comes in .40S&W.
9mm ball is about worthless for self defense, when a BG takes 6 rounds center mass and is still on its feet, finaly taking a double tap to the brain box to put them down, thats my proof that 9mm ball is not enough,



PS that was a true story that happened to me in Nasariya (SP) Iraq in March of 2003. i had a FTF on my 16 and went to my pistol to stop an Iraqi from taking my head off with a machette. we assumed he had to be cracked out but still, a good 45 acp round would have atleast slowed him down or laid him out.


back on topic con 1 L&C
 
#36 ·
razor777 said:
9mm ball is about worthless for self defense, when a BG takes 6 rounds center mass and is still on its feet, finaly taking a double tap to the brain box to put them down, thats my proof that 9mm ball is not enough,



PS that was a true story that happened to me in Nasariya (SP) Iraq in March of 2003. i had a FTF on my 16 and went to my pistol to stop an Iraqi from taking my head off with a machette. we assumed he had to be cracked out but still, a good 45 acp round would have atleast slowed him down or laid him out.


back on topic con 1 L&C
Well as I said, I like the M9 pistol mechanically, and I like the way it feels, I just don't like the 9mm round itself. Ball ammunition is worthless I'll agree. At least here we can use expanding ammunition which is a big help. Never the less I'll always choose my Kimber over my M9 any day of the week and most certainly the caliber has a lot to do with that decision.

I wouldn't mind owning a Beretta 96, as it would be a more respectable caliber while maintaining everything I like about the 92FS.
 
#38 ·
i can't fully remember my shot placement for the 6 rounds in his torso, i know i hit both lungs, the liver and the stomach and some how all six managed to miss his heart thats why i put two in his brain housing group. one hit him just below the nose and the second in the hammer pair went just above his left ebrow. i know if i had HP rounds i would have stopped him sooner but ehhh, thats what we deal with in the military, oh and i like the M9's safety features and how it feel, now i have big hands so the 2x4 grips doesn't bug me. now when i had a M9 i carried modified CON1, magazine in, round in chamber, hammer forward, safety OFF, there are so many safety interlocks on the M9 plus its ability to fire double action is why i could carry like this.
 
#784 ·
Type G safety on that sucker would've solved those issues fast. You could've had the nice ability to fire DA, but carried in a modified condition 1 of C&L (type G safety is "decocker only"), which is essentially carrying "Like a GLOCK", and afterwards, safe the weapon by safely dropping the hammer.

I like the Beretta mechanism, but the 92/96 series 2x4 frame is totally off-putting.
 
#39 · (Edited)
The only reason I know about the heart shot is because it was when I was an LEO (after my military time), so there was an autopsy. My first shot was right through the left ventricle, and this guy not only stayed on his feet, but kept coming. The second and third shots were from close rentention, and hit the liver. By then the shock and blood loss were enough to stop his forward progress, but he stayed on his feet for another 3-5 seconds (hard to really say how long, since I definitely experienced temporal distortion). This was from a S&W Mod 19 (DA .357mag, Win. Silvertips). Had I needed to do anything more than draw and fire, I probably would have sustained at least some sort of injury.
 
#41 ·
Funny you should bring up the Glock. I used to love them, then I tried a 1911. Glock isn't safe to carry and I am surprised by the number of LEO and agencies that issue them as standard. The are a fine fairearm, I will agree, but with a round in the chamber your asking for loss off mobility(after shooting yourself in the foot). Don't say only an untrained idiot could do such a thing, we have had not one but two State Patrolmen have their Glock discharge while unholstering. Neither are employed by the state anymore.
i switch between carrying my glock 22 and my SA milspec. both are always carried C1. i feel completly safe carrying either weapon. the bottom line is if you dont put your finger on the trigger. your gun will not fire.

remember, all firearms classes teach you to always assume a gun is loaded. if you practice this, there is no reason for ND's.
 
#43 ·
we have had not one but two State Patrolmen have their Glock discharge while unholstering. Neither are employed by the state anymore.
i have seen officers who didnt take their gun out of the holster unless it was at the range to qualify.

i have seen these same officers have to help clear a house, or do a felony arrest, and you can tell that they are nervous that they are even holding a gun. makes the rest of us uncomfortable!!

guys that dont handle their pistol until it is a second nature extention of their hand will more often grab their gun from their holster, and not instinctively keep their trigger finger out of the trigger gaurd. the " grab" as they would anything else. its poor practice for someone to carry a firearm and not handle it, shoot it, practicing drawing until its a reflex, ( and a correct reflex!)

russel
SDMF
 
#44 ·
I prefer my 1911s cocked and locked with a loaded chamber.
 
#47 ·
Personally I agree that Condition 1 (Cocked and Locked with one in the pipe) is the way to go, but there is something that most 1911 users seem to forget. Many of the current 1911 pattern pistols have firing pin block safety. This is a safety that actually blocks the firing pin and prevents it from striking the cartridge unless the trigger is pulled. This makes it safe to carry the pistol with the hammer down and one in the chamber.

However, not all new pistols have this and Springfield is one of those manufactures that does not. So, in your case you DO NOT want to carry in Condition 2 (one in the pipe with hammer down).

Personally I agree with most that Condition 1 is the best way to carry. I also happen to like Springfield, one of the reasons is that they do not have a firing pin block. As already mentioned by several posters, carry it cocked and locked without one in the chamber for a week or two to become comfortable with it.
 
#48 ·
primersinmyshoe said:
Will a 1911 fire if while thumbcocking the hammer slips off of the thumb and strikes the firing pin?
If a properly functioning Series 80 pistol Colt variant, definitely not, as the firing pin is only unblocked when the finger is on the trigger...

In an older pistol, probably not; if the thumb slips before the half-cock notch, there might not be sufficient hammer momentum....

If after the half-cock notch, the half-cock notch should intercept the hammer's slip/fall....

In any event, the safest way approach is to simply carry cocked and locked. (No reason to ever lower hammer manually, but for those determined to do so, ... certainly not with just a single thumb, but with a finger in the way to block the hammer should the thumb slip!)
 
#49 ·
tcotariu said:
Personally I agree that Condition 1 (Cocked and Locked with one in the pipe) is the way to go, but there is something that most 1911 users seem to forget. Many of the current 1911 pattern pistols have firing pin block safety. This is a safety that actually blocks the firing pin and prevents it from striking the cartridge unless the trigger is pulled. This makes it safe to carry the pistol with the hammer down and one in the chamber.

However, not all new pistols have this and Springfield is one of those manufactures that does not. So, in your case you DO NOT want to carry in Condition 2 (one in the pipe with hammer down).

Personally I agree with most that Condition 1 is the best way to carry. I also happen to like Springfield, one of the reasons is that they do not have a firing pin block. As already mentioned by several posters, carry it cocked and locked without one in the chamber for a week or two to become comfortable with it.
It may be safe to actually HAVE the hammer down on the pistols with the firing pin block safety. However, getting the hammer lowered on a loaded chamber and cocking the hammer under stress are, IMHO, not safe gun handling.
 
#50 ·
Being a newcomer to the 1911 platform (Jan 07) I too was concerned about C1 carry. But thanks to great advice from many here on this site, it didn`t take long to overcome any and all concerns. Now it is simply C1. Every time all the time.
 
#51 ·
ferretray said:
It may be safe to actually HAVE the hammer down on the pistols with the firing pin block safety. However, getting the hammer lowered on a loaded chamber and cocking the hammer under stress are, IMHO, not safe gun handling.

Agreed, this is why I prefer Condition 1 over Condition 2. I used to carry a Browning Hi-Power many years ago and always carried in Condition 2. This is something I would not do now. The issues with Condition 2, as you pointed out, are the lowering of the hammer and then cocking it under stress.
 
#52 ·
msjdgman said:
Being a newcomer to the 1911 platform (Jan 07) I too was concerned about C1 carry. But thanks to great advice from many here on this site, it didn`t take long to overcome any and all concerns. Now it is simply C1. Every time all the time.
That's the only way to go. The pistol was designed to be carried that way.
 
#139 ·
Please don't misinterpret this as trying to be a smart a$$, but how do we know TODAY that a gun designed close to 100 years ago was designed for cocked and locked carry? Did Mr. Browning make/leave any notes, is there any documentation that this was what he intended? I understand how the 1911 works, and I understand how cocked-and-locked is the safest, fastest way to use the 1911, but I've always heard that "it's designed to be carried that way," without any solid information that that's true. I'm just curious...I just got my first 1911 in almost 30 years and I'm looking forward to range time this weekend with it. I'm wandering around my house with it cocked-and-locked to get used to it (even though I can't carry it anywhere but around the house due to Wisconsin's idiot governor and his anti-gun agenda). It just feels more right to me than the Glocks I used to have, although quite a bit heavier than my M&P40.

Now please excuse me as I go put on my flame-retardant suit :)
 
#53 ·
Condition 2 safety

Condition 2 is probably safe. Not ready, but safe. Problem is, getting pistol into condition 2 cannot be done safely, as others have noted.

By DESIGN, dropping the hammer on a loaded chamber is supposed to
make the gun fire. Dropping the hammer to get the gun into condition 2
has to be done by some gerry rigged method, in hopes of defeating the
gun's design. Do you use your offhand index finger, the thumb and forefinger,
the thumb, a pencil ? There is no safe method with a 1911. You may get away with it a few times, but you are asking for trouble.


Joe
 
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