Carrying a DA/SA pistol

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  • How do you carry


    • Total voters
      0

    NapalmFTW

    British dude
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    1   0   0
    Aug 30, 2011
    1,699
    38
    Lowell
    I've been doing some thinking.

    Some friends of mine are fans of the 1911 and they carry them "cocked and locked". I have my Smith and Wesson 659 which is DA/SA. I have been carrying it "condition 3" (for want of a better phrase). Full magazine empty chamber.

    Tonight I decided to go "Condition 2". Full mag, round in the chamber, hammer down (and safety on).

    I know its all personal preference but I don't yet feel like carrying it Condition 2 with the safety off.

    What do you other DA carriers do?
    (Poll is included).
    David,.
     

    kawtech87

    Grandmaster
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    44   0   0
    Nov 17, 2011
    7,100
    113
    Martinsville
    ALL of my pistols now are SA/DA. Save my Kimber 1911. I ALWAYS carry hammer down on a LOADED chamber when not carrying the 1911. Most of my carry guns do not have any kind of safety and I feel they only get in the way. Again save the 1911 that is always cocked and locked and Ive found that way I grip I naturally deactivate the saftey on the draw with the 1911 so its a none issue.

    Personally I think the best safety is NOT PUTTING YOUR FINGER ON THE TRIGGER!

    To each thier own though. If you feel more comfortable with the safety on with a loaded chamber then practice deactivating it on the draw until you do it naturally.

    Also I dont see a poll?

    And prepare to be flamed for not carring with a round in the chamber.

    Edit: Nevermind now I see the poll.
     

    Boz

    Plinker
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    0   0   0
    Aug 15, 2009
    79
    6
    Muncie
    My DA/SA carry pistols are Sigs, so they have no safety, only a decocking lever. I carry with full mag and chamber loaded. It's not any different than carring a double action revolver.
     

    NapalmFTW

    British dude
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    1   0   0
    Aug 30, 2011
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    Lowell
    Personally I think the best safety is NOT PUTTING YOUR FINGER ON THE TRIGGER!

    To each thier own though. If you feel more comfortable with the safety on with a loaded chamber then practice deactivating it on the draw until you do it naturally.

    And prepare to be flamed for not carring with a round in the chamber.

    Edit: Nevermind now I see the poll.

    I agree re the safety being my finger... I know in my head it can't just "go off" on its own, its purely psychological.

    I want to get comfortable carrying it for now, getting used to it being there before I carried "hot". I didn't want to jump in at the deep end.
     

    sloughfoot

    Grandmaster
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    26   0   0
    Apr 17, 2008
    7,153
    83
    Huntertown, IN
    It is not a safety on your 659. It is a decocker. I did not vote in your poll because it is not a safety.

    I was trained in the Police Academy to carry my 5906 with a round in the chamber, decocker off. Long double action pull for the first shot.

    Also to decock after firing for real and before re-holstering.
     

    LEaSH

    Grandmaster
    Site Supporter
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    43   0   0
    Aug 10, 2009
    5,803
    119
    Indianapolis
    Cz 2075 or 75:

    I carry them safety off w/ a round in chamber most of the time.

    If I'm doing some work that requires bending and moving between tight spaces, I have the 75 in half cock with safety on to prevent the hammer from getting cocked fully without me noticing. The RAMI won't go into safe in half cock so it try not to carry it when doing the above activities.
     

    NapalmFTW

    British dude
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    1   0   0
    Aug 30, 2011
    1,699
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    Lowell
    It is not a safety on your 659. It is a decocker. I did not vote in your poll because it is not a safety.

    I was trained in the Police Academy to carry my 5906 with a round in the chamber, decocker off. Long double action pull for the first shot.

    Also to decock after firing for real and before re-holstering.

    Good point... I realised it was a decocker after making the post/poll. Long day.

    The first shot has a very long pull I admit. I'll progress to decocker off loaded chamber eventually.

    (safety is easier to say even if its not correct).

    Edit: My 659 is one of the ones with a half-cock position even though its not needed on this model. According to the manual some of them still had the hammer/trigger assembly with the half-cock position even though its not required.
     

    kawtech87

    Grandmaster
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    44   0   0
    Nov 17, 2011
    7,100
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    Martinsville
    I agree re the safety being my finger... I know in my head it can't just "go off" on its own, its purely psychological.

    I want to get comfortable carrying it for now, getting used to it being there before I carried "hot". I didn't want to jump in at the deep end.


    Totally understandable. It was not my intention to flame you just to let you know its coming. I started shooting very early and had firearms safety drilled into my head by my dad since I was 5 or so. I felt comfortable the first time I carried just bc of that. Thats not the case for everyone and if you feel more comfortable having the safety on then thats up to you.
     

    the1kidd03

    Grandmaster
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    5   0   0
    Jul 19, 2011
    6,717
    48
    somewhere
    I'm not familiar with your particular model, but the long/heavy trigger pulls are meant for combative purposes. Designed to prevent accidental discharges when the "fight or flight" syndrome kicks in and you draw the weapon. I whole heartedly believe anyone wishing to carry should do so with one "hot." Although, they should not do so until they feel confident and comfortable in doing so. It takes a lot of carry time and training for some to get to that point. Personally, I view mechanical safeties as "idiot safeties" rather than weapons safeties. By which I mean, in case some idiot tried and somehow managed to get the weapon from me, he is likely to not realize the safety is on and this could buy me a valuable second or two to react. Other than that, YOU are your weapon safety.
     

    TR1032

    Plinker
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    10   0   0
    Jan 25, 2012
    138
    34
    Johnson County
    When I carried my Ruger P89 I carried it with a round in the chamber, decocked and the safety on. It was easy to flip the safety up to fire when necessary and fire the first round DA.
     

    Sylvain

    Grandmaster
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    1   0   0
    Nov 30, 2010
    77,313
    113
    Normandy
    I dont see the point of carrying a gun with the chamber empty, no matter what type of gun it is.
    The guns I like have no external safety and no external hammer so I cant really take that poll.
     

    Tactical Flannel

    Sharpshooter
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    2   0   0
    Jan 28, 2012
    302
    18
    West Central Indiana
    Round in chamber, hammer down and safety/decocker on.
    Obviously personal preference, but round in chamber so I only need to present, deactivate safety and sqeeze.
    I find for me the deactivating of the safety is a matter of training and comfortable. Even under stress.
    I also carry in holster that minimizes the un-intentional deactivation of the safety or hammer being lifted/dropped.
    Just my preferences anyway.

    Stay safe
     

    mike63502

    Plinker
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    2   0   0
    Jul 4, 2010
    58
    6
    I like all of my guns to perform the same way. If I ever need to fire I dont want to have to remember which gun I picked up. My 642 revolver and my P226 perform the same. Pull the trigger and they go boom. When I am carrying my holster acts as a safety as well. If you cant reach the trigger you cant accidentally fire it. If my finger goes to the trigger I am intending to fire the gun. I compare this to trying to hunt with several different shotguns in a field environment. I learned with a O/U Browning with the safety on top. When I am in the field my thumb still goes there to take it off. However my latest acquisition is a really cool AYA S/S with the safety in front of the trigger. More than once I have missed the safety and the shot as the bird flew away laughing. I dont want to miss the safety on my handgun if my life depends on it.
     

    geronimojoe85

    Master
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    26   0   0
    Nov 16, 2009
    3,716
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    It's all in your head.

    But not that uncommon. When I first got my Lil' pink card, I carried a revolver, but didn't feel comfortable putting a round under the hammer, so I pulled that round out. After a few days I realized S&W made their revolvers drop safe decades ago, and I felt like an idiot.
    Sometimes it takes a while to get comfortable strapping something to your body that controls a small explosion and launches a projectile at roughly the speed of sound.

    Carrying a gun is like sex, the more you do it, the more comfortable you are around prostitutes... Wait, that's not right.
     

    NapalmFTW

    British dude
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    1   0   0
    Aug 30, 2011
    1,699
    38
    Lowell
    It's all in your head.

    But not that uncommon. When I first got my Lil' pink card, I carried a revolver, but didn't feel comfortable putting a round under the hammer, so I pulled that round out. After a few days I realized S&W made their revolvers drop safe decades ago, and I felt like an idiot.
    Sometimes it takes a while to get comfortable strapping something to your body that controls a small explosion and launches a projectile at roughly the speed of sound.

    Carrying a gun is like sex, the more you do it, the more comfortable you are around prostitutes... Wait, that's not right.

    Rep inbound. Made me laugh.

    Yeah I am going through the mental stages you did. At first I carried it around the house empty just to get used to it being there, then I had a full magazine and the chamber empty. Then I went out of the house like that.

    I KNOW logically that the gun will NOT fire unless I pull that trigger all the way to the rear (and its a super long DA pull too) but the left side of my brain (or right, who knows) still is in the mindset that it will go bang just by looking at it ;)
     
    Rating - 100%
    139   0   0
    Sep 3, 2010
    1,439
    48
    Rep inbound. Made me laugh.

    Yeah I am going through the mental stages you did. At first I carried it around the house empty just to get used to it being there, then I had a full magazine and the chamber empty. Then I went out of the house like that.

    I KNOW logically that the gun will NOT fire unless I pull that trigger all the way to the rear (and its a super long DA pull too) but the left side of my brain (or right, who knows) still is in the mindset that it will go bang just by looking at it ;)

    Unload completely then drop a snap cap in the chamber and make it as "ready to fire" as possible. Carry it around the house for an evening, and you'll realize its not just going to go off. :twocents:
     

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