should your gun be chambered and safety off during concealed carry?

[alfsauve]

Safeties?   SAFETIES?

We don't need no stinkin' safeties!

Of all my center-fire handguns only my Series 70 and a very old S&W .32 revolver have any manual safety.
I won't carry a gun with a safety.   I don't care how much practice I do, too many things can go wrong.


CHAMBERED?   That's the wrong question.  The question is:   Besides cleaning and dry fire practice is your gun ever unloaded?

Remember Cooper's #1 COMMAND:  All guns are ALWAYS loaded.

[MikeBjerum]

Just to make sure the point isn't missed:

Cocked and locked!  An unloaded gun is nothing but an expensive rock.  Put in a magazine, rack one into the chamber, put the safety on, remove the magazine and top it off, put the magazine back in the gun, and holster.  You are now ready to go to church 

I have carried a government 1911 for over five years.  Always cocked and locked!

[tombogan03884]

Just to make sure the point isn't missed:

Cocked and locked!  An unloaded gun is nothing but an expensive rock.  Put in a magazine, rack one into the chamber, put the safety on, remove the magazine and top it off, put the magazine back in the gun, and holster.  You are now ready to go to church 

I have carried a government 1911 for over five years.  Always cocked and locked!

Same here.

[Majer]

Just to pile on, I've been carrying a 1911 since 1987 and have always carried it cocked and locked,it's how the Sainted JMB designed it.

[ricco]

I would never tell anyone not to use all the safeties that the manufacturer puts on the pistol. That said, I seen a lot of people miss safeties during FOF training. Just one of the reasons I like Glocks and S&W M&P's.

[Sponsor]

[MikeBjerum]

I would never tell anyone not to use all the safeties that the manufacturer puts on the pistol. That said, I seen a lot of people miss safeties during FOF training. Just one of the reasons I like Glocks and S&W M&P's.

That is why we don't say "practice makes perfect."  It is perfect practice that matters.  I you are carrying a gun and have problems with the safety you are not practicing properly and enough.

My biggest issue when I started competitive shooting was not the thumb safety.  My problem was the grip safety.  When I would grip the gun in the holster quickly I would leave a gap that would allow the grip safety to not be disengaged.  I was very quick and accurate shooting guns that did not have a grip safety,but I could not shoot my guns with grip safeties without adjusting my grip as I came on target.  A little coaching and lots of practice cured the problem.

If you can not manipulate the safety reliably it is time for some more instruction and better practice!

[tombogan03884]

That is why we don't say "practice makes perfect."  It is perfect practice that matters.  I you are carrying a gun and have problems with the safety you are not practicing properly and enough.

My biggest issue when I started competitive shooting was not the thumb safety.  My problem was the grip safety.  When I would grip the gun in the holster quickly I would leave a gap that would allow the grip safety to not be disengaged.  I was very quick and accurate shooting guns that did not have a grip safety,but I could not shoot my guns with grip safeties without adjusting my grip as I came on target.  A little coaching and lots of practice cured the problem.

If you can not manipulate the safety reliably it is time for some more instruction and better practice!

Or a pistol better suited to your hand size.

[MikeBjerum]

Or a pistol better suited to your hand size.

True!  But ten minutes with Rob Leatham was a lot cheaper!

[tombogan03884]

Aren't you supposed to be working ? 

(Probably more fun too !   )

[MikeBjerum]

Yes, but a boy of my stature from Iowa and a clown for NH distracted me 

The dangerous thing with Windows is that I can multi-task*.  You guys are always just a click away as I go from task to task.

*  See M'ette, organized guys can master the finer things in life too