So am I the only one?

[rwsmith]

Letter F

Quote:

If you need to use a gun in self defense, you're already behind the curve because:
A) You didn't see the situation coming in time to avoid it.
B) You weren't able to find and take an escape from the situation once it started.
C) You weren't able to control or de-escalate the situation before a gun became your only option.
D) You need a gun RIGHT NOW.
E) Your gun is still in its holster (because you don't draw before you need it, right?)


F) Because you have the living **** scared out of you.

 

[SW01SS]

This is as much of a dead horse as the .22lr for self defense debate.

 

[federali]

Israeli Practice

Before the Israelis retired their Browning Hi-Powers, they carried hammer down on empty chamber. I was privileged to share some range time with members of the Shinbet and these guys could get rounds down range virtually as fast as I could using a Glock 19.

Basically, its a training issue. Carry how you are most comfortable but always train from that mode of carry.

 

[Protected One]

Before the Israelis retired their Browning Hi-Powers, they carried hammer down on empty chamber. I was privileged to share some range time with members of the Shinbet and these guys could get rounds down range virtually as fast as I could using a Glock 19.

Basically, its a training issue. Carry how you are most comfortable but always train from that mode of carry.

What do the Israelis carry now? In what condition?

 

[Arik]

Let's clear up this Israeli thing. 1)we are not in Israel
2) we are not trained the way they are.
3) depending on their MOS a lot of them forgo the empty chamber idea.

My cousin was in the IDF and now does private security. Most carry a loaded gun. He said if you want to carry an empty chamber you might as well just walk over and surrender yourself. A few years ago he got stabbed in the stomach before he was able to draw let alone chamber. The guy didn't care that there were a dozen other soldiers there he went ahead and stabbed anyway, while waiting in line to be searched. If you ride a desk you probably carry on an empty chamber. If you're on duty and on patrol locked and loaded

 

[Protected One]

Yes, but what if his support hand were injured?

...or busy fending off the attacker as you draw?

 

[NCavi8tor]

Please invest in some quality training and education about firearms. Learn every little detail about your EDC including the built in safety features as well as good trigger discipline. I'm afraid that you have purchased a firearm, shot a couple boxes of ammo, read a few internet articles, and started carrying. You are not ready obviously by the original post. Carrying a weapon is a very big responsibility and should be approached with your unwaivering commitment to obtain and secure continuing education. The training NEVER stops!!

NC

 

[Donn]

This again, so here's this again. Go on You Tube, enter the 21 foot rule, watch the videos and ask yourself, even if you're an expert in the Israeli technique, will you have the time to identify the threat, draw, rack the slide, aim and engage?

 

[MrJT]

If you pick up a revolver, don't trade in your 40c. You're new to all this, so you're preferences will develope over time. Chances are you may find yourself coming back to a compact semi after you get more hands on time.

I carry anything from an LCP to a G27 or a 642 inside the waistband, appendix. The semis are carried with a round in the chamber. An appropriate holster and proper handling is needed no matter what gun you carry.

 

[AnthemBassMan]

This is what I like about my SD40-VE. Its trigger pull is more like a revolver. Same 8# trigger pull from first round through the 14th. But for peace of mind, even though there are no external safeties, several things have to happen. First the hinged trigger safety has to be manually pulled back for the trigger to be pressed to the rear. Second, the linkage must pull the sear down to release the striker. And third, the linkage also must press up on the striker block to allow the striker to reach the chambered round. All three of these must be accomplished for the pistol to fire. That being said, I would feel equally comfortable and protected carrying a .38 snub. If a revolver makes you feel more at ease, then by all means get a revolver. The secret is regular practice of whatever you carry. Being completely familiar and proficient with your firearm is the best safety you could have. Good luck with whatever you end up with. I, myself, have been kind of jonesing for a 442/642. I love my Wife's older Taurus 85, but she won't give it up!!

L8R,
Matt

 

[feralmerril]

I am mostly a DA revolver guy. I own the remington rand I showed but seldom carried it. In the past also owned many other old autos. If someone hasnt trained much on a auto and doesnt want to, I recommend a DA revolver. We all live at different levels of risk. Some might be more apt to be hit by a meteorite than having to fight for their life. If they already own the auto, feel more comfortable with having to jack a round in and dont want to or cant get much training, go ahead with what makes you feel safe. Odds are still on your side unless you live like Jack Reacher.

 

[Beemer-mark]

The chances of pulling my gun in a real life situation are prolly nill. Id rather have to rack the slide than keep one chambered. Your thoughts? EDIT: my 40c has no external safety

If you're sure you never going to use it, then why carry it all? That's the safest option.

Unless the revolver is the type where the firing pin doesn't contact the primer directly, there is still a chance of the gun going off if dropped.

 

[Lovmy5906]

Negligent Discharge of firearms are growing at a alarming rate do to untrained carrying. Until you have proper training you must decide if the split second between having enough time and no time at all is worth an accident. If while carrying your firearm it is ever pointed at yourself or someone else you are already breaking one of the first rules of gun safety.

 

[RobzGuns]

Almost everyone I knew at the time was an M1911 aficionado and they all carried in condition one, generally in a level one retention holster with the strap seated between the hammer and the firing pin.

Not knowing any better I carried my 915 like that for 6 months until someone squared me away.

Now in case I haven't made myself explicitly clear here I walked around with a cocked and unlocked pistol in my holster for 6 months.

Now as UNSAFE as I now KNOW this is, I have to admit the pistol never "went off" during that time.

But ya know... Even though it was uncocked, you had it in a level one retention holster with the strap seated between the hammer and the firing pin.

On another note...
What I usually tell people who are new to carry and who are unsure, is this:
Carry an UNloaded (cocked) pistol for a day or two. Don't be easy on it... Be overly active, bending, twisting, knock into stuff, etc. At the end of the day, take the empty pistol out (you know it's empty... right?), point in a safe direction and check the trigger. Is it still cocked? or did something set it off during the day? Something tells me it will still be cocked. If not, there's a problem with either the holster, or the pistol and it needs to be checked.

 

[CO_Kid]

Having been in Law Enforcement my entire adult life I can't even imagine any way to carry than one in the chamber....When I started we had revolvers and there was never ever a question on how you carried. When we went to the 39-2 it was carried ready for first double action shot...Even with a 1911 style it was carried in condition one...I admit police firearm training is a little different than civilian carry..More a mind set than anything else....I watch movies and you see even Cops rack the slide, what foolishness. I never knew a policeman that carried with a empty chamber..I will take that back I watched Israeli police shooter's draw and rack slide in split second movements and hit the bulls eye....They spent months getting that proficient. That was at Bianchi Cup....

I had the misfortune of working with a jackwagon that didn't carry one in the pipe when I was a cop in Virginia. He was the volunteer desk officer, which says a lot, but happened to stop out with me at an alarm call with an open door on his way back to the station after code 7. He gets out of the car, draws, and racks one in the chamber.

I asked him what in the ever lovin H E double hockey stick he was doing not carrying a round in the chamber. He said he didn't trust Glocks with a round in the chamber.

 

[Don 73]

No one is going to give you grief for switching to a revolver if it gives you more peace of mind and confidence.

As long as it's a S&W revolver

As long as your finger is not on the trigger, IT WILL NOT GO OFF. I have also trained for double-digit years, but with a semi-auto rather than a revolver like one of the other posters. It all comes down to what makes YOU comfortable. If you're not comfortable with carrying a semi with one in the pipe, carry something else until you are. Just keep practicing and soon you'll be just as comfortable with a full loaded (one in the chamber) semi as you are with a wheelgun. Don't rush it, you'll get there when you get there.

 

[Smoke]

But ya know... Even though it was uncocked, you had it in a level one retention holster with the strap seated between the hammer and the firing pin.

I think you need to go back and read what I actually wrote.

The first handgun I ever owned was a S&W model 915, it was designed to be carried decocked, in DA mode but I didn't know that.

Almost everyone I knew at the time was an M1911 aficionado and they all carried in condition one, generally in a level one retention holster with the strap seated between the hammer and the firing pin.

Not knowing any better I carried my 915 like that for 6 months until someone squared me away.

Now in case I haven't made myself explicitly clear here I walked around with a cocked and unlocked pistol in my holster for 6 months.

 

[vito]

If you feel uncomfortable with one in the chamber, then it doesn't matter what the rest of us are comfortable with, or what we tell you. But my guess is that you are plain uncomfortable with carrying right now. You might want to carry your gun without a magazine in it, so you can feel totally safe. If you have your draw your gun and there is no time to insert the mag, rack the slide and aim, then you can use your gun as a short club.

BTW, I thought you were already dead. You were a great President of the NRA.

 

[Jaysq]

i think the difference would be a chambered striker round and a chambered double/single action revolver

If you would be comfortable with a DA/SA revolver, you might also be comfortable with a S&W 3913

[/url]Guns 048edcrf2 by Jerry Jaynes, on Flickr[/IMG]

Or how about a Double Action 640

[/url]Guns 039ed2cf by Jerry Jaynes, on Flickr[/IMG]

 

[Charlton Heston]

This question comes up from time to time. It's a perfectly understandable response considering the fact that a gun was designed to inflict serious injury.

No, it doesn't "freak me out" and hasn't for at least 7 years now. I believe my calm with this is due largely to my intimate understanding of how the gun works.

For the M&P, as long as the striker block is functioning, the gun won't fire unless the trigger is held back. It can't be dropped, hammered or kicked to make it go off. Still, this is my own understanding and others may still be concerned.

So, I have a suggestion to help. Carry your M&P with an empty chamber. At the end of every day, check to see that the sear is still cocked. After some time, this will give you confidence that the sear will not release inadvertently. After a week or so you'll gain enough confidence to carry with one in the chamber. It will still feel weird, but that will fade over time.[/QUOTE

Ding ding ding, Ive picked a winner. Thanks to all who have responded. Ive read every response concisely. Yall make loads of sense. Besides A quick tutorial in basic training (when I prolly could barely keep my eyes open due to being smoked all day and fire watch) my training is very little. As you can imagine from original post im extremely careful with my handgun. My finger is never on the trigger loaded or not unless im about to fire. Its holstered in a cross breed supertuck. Ive fired about 6 to 700 hundred rounds through it. My fear is not me accidentally discharging it, rather it doing itself for whatever reason. Im beginning to expect its my paranoia. Thanks again for all the responses. You guys and gals are the salt of the earth and I appreciate your comments. I plan to take some courses on cc that are offered at one of my lgs. Yall the best, be safe and thanks again.