Help ease my mind.

[blutch]

I don't have my CCW yet, but should around the first of the year. I've been practicing carrying my gun around the house and sometimes in the car. Yeah.. I know.. not legal there... or am I?

I have a S&W M&P 9mm. I cannot afford a 1911 yet just fYI.

I'm not yet comfortable carrying the gun with a round in the chamber. It makes me very very nervous to do so and I'm wondering how you get used to it. I would feel much more comfortable if it had a manual safety and could be cocked and locked. I know they make this gun with one now, but mine doesn't have it.

Is my worry (fear) irrational? How do those of you who carry a striker fire pistol with only a trigger safety deal with it?

In terms of drawing the gun and making it ready to fire, with practice I can get pretty fast at drawing and racking the slide. Not quite as fast as releasing a thumb safety, but maybe only a second slower. For now, that second is worth the peace of mind. Someone talk me out of it please. :

Thanks

B

 

[the tR]

I don't have my CCW yet, but should around the first of the year. I've been practicing carrying my gun around the house and sometimes in the car. Yeah.. I know.. not legal there... or am I?

I have a S&W M&P 9mm. I cannot afford a 1911 yet just fYI.

I'm not yet comfortable carrying the gun with a round in the chamber. It makes me very very nervous to do so and I'm wondering how you get used to it. I would feel much more comfortable if it had a manual safety and could be cocked and locked. I know they make this gun with one now, but mine doesn't have it.

Is my worry (fear) irrational? How do those of you who carry a striker fire pistol with only a trigger safety deal with it?

In terms of drawing the gun and making it ready to fire, with practice I can get pretty fast at drawing and racking the slide. Not quite as fast as releasing a thumb safety, but maybe only a second slower. For now, that second is worth the peace of mind. Someone talk me out of it please. :

Thanks

B

if you feel safer doing thatthen do it after you get your ccl.....but if you have to rack your gun to shoot, you lose the element of suprise, and or cause the bg to shoot first............speed kills

 

[NikatKimber]

I had a friend who carried that way, and he could pull it and rack it pretty fast. But, (BIG BUT), my one issue with this, if someone is mugging you, up close and personal, you are holding them off with your left hand/arm, and pull with your right, watcha gonna do now?

 

[bigcountryok]

If you're not that comfortable with your M&P that you feel its safe to carry with a round in the chamber then I would suggest that you get a pistol that you have confidence in and will carry in condition 1.

I have an M&P and Glock for CCW. I have full confidence in both pistols. Always practice gun saftey, treat them as if they could go bang at any second, but have full faith that they will not go off until the trigger is pulled.

IMO carrying a gun in condition 3 is a waste. Keep in mind, your fine motor skills will be shot if you're in that situation. If you are lucky enough to be able to use two hands trying to remember to rack the slide is going to be difficult. Thats one of the things l like about the "trigger saftey" pistols, less things to do between threat recognition and pulling the trigger.

Spend time shooting, getting familiar with the pistol, and carry it around the house with one in the chamber. Before long you will get use to it.

 

[Burk Cornelius]

If you're not that comfortable with your M&P that you feel its safe to carry with a round in the chamber then I would suggest that you get a pistol that you have confidence in and will carry in condition 1.

Best advice you could get. Don't carry it if you are 100% comfortable with every aspect. That doesn't mean sell it, it just means get comfortable with it before you carry it.

BC

 

[Michael Brown]

Your fear is irrational unless you are not competent. That is the way your gun is designed to be carried.

That said, I'm not sure the majority of gun owners would meet most instructors' definition of "competent".

If you're uncomfortable with a round in the chamber, you are likely not competent yet and you should get professional training ASAP.

Michael Brown

 

[Burk Cornelius]

I probably should have used the word "competent" in lieu of "comfortable"

 

[jej]

Until you get your permit, no, your loaded, concealed car carry is not legal, if my CCW instructor was right. That's how I read SDA, too. Here's the SDA. Several sections make the point.

http://www.ok.gov/osbi/documents/SDA_Lawbook_NOV_2007_2_.pdf

Get caught, kiss your hoped for license goodbye.

On carry - you get comfortable with practice. Much of practice is mental preparedness. Before you carry concealed, in public, for real, you must be completely comfortable with your weapon and with your skills. Lots of practice assessing situation, making sure of the target and the background, drawing, presentation, firing. Lots of practice will make you comfortable with how to carry safely with your weapon. I like dry fire. Lots of it, before you go live at a range. Really, until you can do this in your sleep, with either hand, you should reconsider your readiness to carry. A thousand dry fires does not cost you anything. A thousand a week will get you where you need to be with your weapon.

About carry without one in the chamber, racking the slide...that is how they train in the Israeli army, or used to when I was in the U.S Army. They get pretty quick with it. It does, of course, take two hands. And, its for military application. I don't like it for civilian concealed carry, where responding to a surprise is a big part of the whole deal.

I carried Glock for a couple years, and I am comfortable with carry of striker fired pistols. I am very careful to always keep finger, shirt, whatever out of the trigger guard until I am ready to fire.

Now, I carry a DA revolver most of the time. I like its reliability, I can hit better with it for first shot, and I accept the limited capacity and slower reloading. You might be happier with a J frame, too.

jej

 

[Preacher99]

Get a good holster and keep your finger out of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot and you will be fine. Practice without a round in the chamber as you are now and practice drawing the weapon.

I was uncomfortable as well at first but practice makes you feel more comfortable. Just don't get too comfortable.

 

[Zombie]

the biggest and best safety is you.

Are you comfortable in handling the weapon? Do you practice muzzle awareness and avoid putting your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot?