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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.
 
#54 ·
Zorak said:
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.
Who cares if your thumb safety swipes off in the holster? Granted, it is not ideal. But, it doesn't hurt anything. It really doesn't matter even if your thumb safety comes off and for some reason you squeeze your grip safety. If you have a good holster, the trigger is always covered. I am not aware of any GALCO 1911 holster that doesn't keep the trigger covered until you pull the pistol from the holster.

ranburr
 
#55 ·
well i finally convinced my wife to back off me about me carrying C1, she was Junior NRA so they pounded gun safety and all into her head and she had this whole freak thing about me even carrying laod (C3). she said cause one of the gun safety rules is "keep the weapon unloaded till you intend to use it" or some BS like that. i told her that the whole point of me having my CCW and carrying is so that i have it and can draw and engage in under 2 seconds. she final got my point and leaves me alone about it now so my 1911 stays C1 all the time, even in my night stand.
 
#427 · (Edited)
I realize that this thread is a couple of years old...but here's what I thought when I read the statement "Keep the weapon unloaded until you are READY to use it". By definition, carrying concealed IS being ready to use it!!
 
#56 · (Edited)
razor777 said:
well i finally convinced my wife to back off me about me carrying C1, she was Junior NRA so they pounded gun safety and all into her head and she had this whole freak thing about me even carrying laod (C3). she said cause one of the gun safety rules is "keep the weapon unloaded till you intend to use it" or some BS like that. i told her that the whole point of me having my CCW and carrying is so that i have it and can draw and engage in under 2 seconds. she final got my point and leaves me alone about it now so my 1911 stays C1 all the time, even in my night stand.
Well you asked for that!! LOL...just what you get when you ask your wife how you should carry your own gun. The NRA statement is very strange (although I have seen that before, its somewhat contradictory to the whole philosophy) ;) If its on your hip, isn't its intent to be used if needed? By her/NRA condensed theory, you would also have to load the mag on presentation...what would that be? Condition "***, I'm dead?" :p take care and glad she saw the light. :cool:


BTW, your wife needs to brush up on her safety rules, especially if she feels compelled to doll them out:

The 1st Law of Gun Safety - The Gun Is Always Loaded!

The 2nd Law of Gun Safety - Never Point A Gun At Something You're Not Prepared To Destroy!

The 3rd Law of Gun Safety - Always Be Sure Of Your Target And What Is Behind It!

The 4th Law of Gun Safety - Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until Your Sights Are On The Target!


Stay safe, shoot straight, and listen to your gut. :p
 
#57 ·
i never asked her how i should carry, she final stopped bitching at me for carrying CON1, and i told her to suck it up its my gun. its our ass thats on the line if i need it and can't fire intime cause i either have to rack the slide and fire our if she had her way i would carry the gun and mag seperate and have to as you say load while presenting the weapon and i told her all thats going to do is get me killed in a gun fight.
 
#58 ·
razor777 said:
i never asked her how i should carry, she final stopped bitching at me for carrying CON1, and i told her to suck it up its my gun. its our ass thats on the line if i need it and can't fire intime cause i either have to rack the slide and fire our if she had her way i would carry the gun and mag seperate and have to as you say load while presenting the weapon and i told her all thats going to do is get me killed in a gun fight.
;) ;)...excellent.
 
#59 · (Edited)
no time for anthing but con1

If one has never been under instruction for defensive pistol work, it may be unclear. If one has never been under instruction for defensive pistol work, it may be imperative to see some video of an instructor/warrior in action. It would quickly become evident how much time is of the essence, and how there is absolutely no time for anything else but the necessary. Anything else is failure waiting to happen.

edit
as my uncle told a LEO at a trffc stop, and was asked
"is it loaded"
he replied "what the hell good is it to me if it isn't?"
"Have a nice night sir"


JBO
 
#62 ·
Good Discussion

Good discussion gents. I'm new to carrying but not to guns. I was not sure what the best carry condition is. But after reading about my Kimber Tactical Custom II and understanding its safety/firing sequence, this forum has convinced me CON1 is the only ready way to carry. Thanks a lot!:rock:
 
#64 ·
Thanks

I've posted a pic in the picture forum, check it out. She shoots straight and true. I was pretty impressed. Still am!
 
#65 ·
If I could lawfully carry a firearm for protection of life & limb it would be in Condition One.

Damned society of victims...:grumble:
 
#67 ·
razor777 said:
well i finally convinced my wife to back off me about me carrying C1, she was Junior NRA so they pounded gun safety and all into her head and she had this whole freak thing about me even carrying laod (C3). she said cause one of the gun safety rules is "keep the weapon unloaded till you intend to use it" or some BS like that.
The problem with the NRA weapon safety outlook is that it is designed for sporting use, not self defense use where you might need the gun in an instant and might not have both hands available or even the time to rack the slide.

If someone or someones jump you, you may need to draw the gun and fire it immediately as soon as the gun clears the holster and the muzzle is pointed at them. You may be caught n a hand to hand struggle and not have both hands available to rack the slide. You may be so close to them that if you try to extend the gun any distance to rack the slide they may grab it out of your hand.
 
#68 ·
I just recently started carrying cocked and locked in Condition 1. I was orignally scared to do it with kids and just was afraid that during the ritual of loading/unloading it would go off (wife didn't want it condi 1 in the house). I was also afraid the safety would click off when I was carrying and it would go off.

So here's what I did.

1) I carried it with a loaded clip and an unloaded chamber for about 1 month with the safety on.

After a month of carrying with the safety clicking off a grand total of zero times, I took the next step.

2) I carried with a round in the condition 1 but never in the house for about two days...until someone told me that chambering and unchambering the same round multiple times can cause major damage. Plus, I figured that the chances of me yanking off a round when manipulating the slide and safety twice a day was better than if I carried condition 1.

I have been carrying condition one for about a month now. I come in from work, put it in my portable safe, lock it, and the key stays around my neck until bedtime. At bedtime, I put the key in the lock and sleep like a person with a Kimber Ultra CDP by his bedside! :D

Go condi 1....there really is no alternative.

New
 
#69 ·
I don't mean to be rude, but it's late and I'm tired so here goes. There are 13 people who replied to the poll that need to find something besides a 1911 to carry. The ONLY way I would ever carry a 1911 is cocked and locked. If I was uncomfortable or unabe to do so, then I would find another pistol to ccw. I don't care what the Israeli's do, and I don't care what Uncle Bob said about half cock.

BTW, I've been ccwing a 1911 style pistol of one sort or another for over twenty years now. Never ONCE had any issues that made me rethink my choice in pistols or in C&L carry. Good luck.
 
#70 ·
well seeing as how i was one of your original 13 that "need to find a new CCW weapon" yet i know chock what i said and did up to in-experince with CCW and the 1911, since i made my initial post i have gone to L&C 24/7 on it and i even just upgraded to a 8rnd mag. some yeah it took a day or two to get use to it and now i am fine with a Con1 pistol, and i don't have the high speed low drag holster like 99% of the people on here, my poor ass can only afford a Uncle Mike IWB pouch style holster, why cause i have a 10 month old daughter that is going through clothes at the cyclic rate of a GAU-17. (bonus point to anyone who can ID that weapon system)

most people that don't carry con1 on a 1911 do not need to find a new CCW weapon they need to be educated and reasure that con1 is how the damn thing was ment to be carried.



please excuse the attitude its late and i am tired
 
#73 · (Edited)
glocker1911 said:
I don't mean to be rude, but it's late and I'm tired so here goes. There are 13 people who replied to the poll that need to find something besides a 1911 to carry. The ONLY way I would ever carry a 1911 is cocked and locked. If I was uncomfortable or unabe to do so, then I would find another pistol to ccw. I don't care what the Israeli's do, and I don't care what Uncle Bob said about half cock.

BTW, I've been ccwing a 1911 style pistol of one sort or another for over twenty years now. Never ONCE had any issues that made me rethink my choice in pistols or in C&L carry. Good luck.
Dude, you gotta get off this bandwagon.

If someone wants to buy a 1911 and carry it with an empty chamber, the only person they are hurting is themselves. You telling them that they shouldn't carry a 1911 is eliteist and irresponsible. The gun can certainly be carried like that completely safely. Some may feel the chances of an AD or ND are greater than ever needing the gun to defend themselves, they then SHOULD NOT CARRY condition 1. You say that it is dangerous to carry an empty chamber because of the time involved with chambering a round. Someone else may say that there is a greater chance of an AD during drawing if one is chambered. The point is that everyone is right, when the choice is made based on their circumstances. Yes, training often changes the mind of the unchambered round folks, it changed my mind. I agree that for ME condition one is best....but I don't think for one minute that it is best for everyone.

If your local police officers were carrying a 1911 with an empty chamber, then you might have a valid reason to complain--they are charged with possibly stopping someone from killing you.....possibly.

I say carry your gun the way you want to carry it. It is your life. Unless you are carrying in an unsafe mode...like half cocked or hammer down on a loaded round, no one should be criticized for their choice of carry nor method.

New
 
#74 ·
Gau-17

razor777 said:
well seeing as how i was one of your original 13 that "need to find a new CCW weapon" yet i know chock what i said and did up to in-experince with CCW and the 1911, since i made my initial post i have gone to L&C 24/7 on it and i even just upgraded to a 8rnd mag. some yeah it took a day or two to get use to it and now i am fine with a Con1 pistol, and i don't have the high speed low drag holster like 99% of the people on here, my poor ass can only afford a Uncle Mike IWB pouch style holster, why cause i have a 10 month old daughter that is going through clothes at the cyclic rate of a GAU-17. (bonus point to anyone who can ID that weapon system)

most people that don't carry con1 on a 1911 do not need to find a new CCW weapon they need to be educated and reasure that con1 is how the damn thing was ment to be carried.



please excuse the attitude its late and i am tired



With the greatest tool at our fingertips, you'd think this would have come up sooner.

http://www.answers.com/topic/gau-17

Not an easy CCW.
 
#78 ·
I guess you would say im different or not carrying a real 1911.
I carry a Para-ord LDA14.45, since its a double action only 1911 the hammer is always down. I know some don't like this trigger. but mine shoots 100% of the time hitting what I shoot. once i got used to this trigger I want nothing else
 
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