Shotgun State Of Readiness

Kel-Tec KSG with 12 Federal Tactical #1 Buck in the mags, hammer down, empty chamber. A quick rack and it's hot.

Plus, a few other guns around. :)
 

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Handguns are generally drop safe. They're designed so that a firing pin safety or other internal mechanism keeps the firing pin from contacting the primer unless the trigger is pulled. Even in a 1911 without a firing pin safety, you can make it drop safe with a titanium firing pin and/or an extra power firing pin spring.

My understanding is that long guns don't have such passive safeties and can fire if dropped with a live round in the chamber. Even having a manual safety engaged won't prevent this from happening as they don't restrict movement of the firing pin.

As I've said before, I'm not a long gun guy, so I could be wrong, but this has always been the way it was explained to me.


Neither am I (shot gun)which is why I asking. I have several defensive shot guns but do not keep them loaded I have the shells on a stock shell holder. For home I prefer a handgun
 
Having worked for, and taught firearms for, 3 separate agencies, I can tell you that there is no uniform "one way" to carry it that every agency uses.



The largest was a federal agency ( now over 12k) carried "tube loaded, action locked, "on cock" (meaning the action bar lock had to be depressed to rack it), and on safe. This took 3 actions to accomplish before firing was possible. (action bar lock depressed, fore end racked, safety taken off).
Sometimes called "Assembly area load".


The second (also a federal agency of over 2100) carried it "off cock" (dry-fired on an empty chamber), off-safe, tube loaded. This required 1 action before firing was possible (fore end racked). Sometimes called "Gun box" or "gun bag" load.


The third, my first agency required "off-cock", tube loaded, safety on, requiring 2 actions before firing (fore end rack, safety taken off).


It all came down to whether the need was perceived to be immediate and the amount and frequency of training each officer or agent received, as viewed by the administrators. They all will work, but none had a round in the chamber, as noted in previous posts. I currently tell those that are on a multi-agency task force to check with the others, and be sure how each carries their shotgun - just as each family member should know, if neccessary, in the home.
 
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The largest was a federal agency ( now over 12k) carried "tube loaded, action locked, "on cock" (meaning the action bar lock had to be depressed to rack it), and on safe. This took 3 actions to accomplish before firing was possible. (action bar lock depressed, fore end racked, safety taken off).

Was this because there was a perception that if a bad guy managed to get the gun out of the car, it was unlikely that he could figure out how to operate it to chamber a round?
 
While that would be a definite benefit, I suspect it was that they generally kept the guns unloaded in storage, and didn't want triggers operated during loading, which generally happened pre-raid, in the presence of others.
 
Handguns are generally drop safe. They're designed so that a firing pin safety or other internal mechanism keeps the firing pin from contacting the primer unless the trigger is pulled. Even in a 1911 without a firing pin safety, you can make it drop safe with a titanium firing pin and/or an extra power firing pin spring.

My understanding is that long guns don't have such passive safeties and can fire if dropped with a live round in the chamber. Even having a manual safety engaged won't prevent this from happening as they don't restrict movement of the firing pin.

this is correct- ALL shotgun manual safeties are ONLY trigger blocks. The firing pin is not kept from mechanically failing & going forward into the primer.
 
I keep the barrel loaded. I have carried a shotgun unknown how many days and miles while hunting in fields, woods, crossing ditches and creeks with the barrel loaded and never had the gun go off(ND). I am lead to believe I can keep it setting in the corner and pick it up and point it down the hall without the gun going off (ND). Larry
 
Shotgun isn't my first choice but this tube is full of whatever birdshot I last used in the Ithica...
 

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