Help ease my mind.

[MBowman325]

In a previous life I'd describe people (customers usually) to fellow co-workers. Generally it was an "incompetent vs stupid" comparison. Incompetence can be cured with education. (Think: tests of various sorts usually test for competence of some degree). Very few people that we worked with were stupid though nearly a majority were incompetent. Describing them as incompetent was never intended to be offensive though we usually didn't point that out them.

I could give you stats (assuming an alpha = 95) until you're blue in the face.

There are some unusual accidental discharges in the wild (the MRI on a Series 80 1911) but usually ADs occur because someone is doing something they really shouldn't. A good example of this would be my grandfather (Ret TX DPS for 33 years) on troopers having accidental discharges in the bathroom and blaming it on dropping their pants. Chances are high that's not the cause of the AD.

As has been mentioned, developing a familiarity with your weapon (through training, extensive use or both) with develop confidence. It is a deadly tool, so making a bit of a deal on wearing it would seem to be normal because if you must use it, then you shouldn't hesitate which can result in a death. Confidence (based in familiarity) is paramount.

Or that's my nickle for the day.

 

[_CY_]

carried a walther PPK .380 for 10+ years... a round was always in chamber. PPK has two safeties... a 10 lb double action and thumb safety that rotates a block of metal between hammer.

was very comfortable with PPK, bullet in chamber. I knew there was zero chance of it going off accidentally.

fast forward to my EDC a 340PD with only one mechanical safety.. the 10lb double action trigger. after all those years of carrying PPK. was flat not comfortable not having a second safety carrying 340PD loose in my front pocket.

what if something should catch on the trigger through the fabric? since I'm all time working under cars... crawling around attics... moving heavy equipment... etc.... this was a very real fear.

solution was a pocket holster that covered the trigger guard. this eliminated any possibility of something snagging on trigger while 340PD was in my front pocket.

now 340PD loaded of course lives in my pocket... I'm now dead comfortable carrying 340PD all day long.

the point of all this is... because of all the weird positions I get myself into. there can be a real concern carrying what normally is considered a very safe... a J frame.
but once a way to protect the trigger guard with a pocket holster was found. my confidence in the system meant 340PD was comfortable to CCW.

 

[berettaman]

Yep.Nothing wrong with a good quality DA/SA semi automatic weapon for CCW. It won't go bang unless your boogerhook is on the bang switch.

 

[waltham41]

I have a Taurus 24/7 OSS DS 40 that is striker fired, but has a decocker and a double action single action trigger. I feel very safe with one in the chamber in it.

I also have a CZ 82 9x18 that has a hammer that can be let down after you load one in the chamber and is also double action single action.

I feel very safe with these pistols with one in the chamber, perhaps you need to get a pistol with a decocker and a double action trigger?

I personally would not feel safe with a pistol like the 1911 that would be one in the chamber with the hammer cocked and the safety on... that is just my personal preference.

 

[bettingpython]

...

I personally would not feel safe with a pistol like the 1911 that would be one in the chamber with the hammer cocked and the safety on... that is just my personal preference.

This comes down to competency and familiarity with the manual of arms for the platform. Lot's of us carry in just such a manner on a daily basis. My wife and I both carry 1911's in condition one. I have been doing so since 1996.

FWIW I cringe everytime someone decocks a weapon equipped with a de-cocker, when I knew some troopers one of them let me handle his SIG, when he reloaded and de-cocked it I was not happy to see a hammer fall on what I knew was a weapon with a live round in the chamber. Personal preference is what it comes down to.

The only true safety on any weapon is you. Guns don't just go off.

 

[BadgeBunny]

This comes down to competency and familiarity with the manual of arms for the platform. Lot's of us carry in just such a manner on a daily basis. My wife and I both carry 1911's in condition one. I have been doing so since 1996.

FWIW I cringe everytime someone decocks a weapon equipped with a de-cocker, when I knew some troopers one of them let me handle his SIG, when he reloaded and de-cocked it I was not happy to see a hammer fall on what I knew was a weapon with a live round in the chamber. Personal preference is what it comes down to.

The only true safety on any weapon is you. Guns don't just go off.

That always makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up!! Oggoly boogoly!!

 

[bilboben]

Preference, coming from experience, contribute to a greater level of comfort. I am comfortable using/carrying all forms of pistol actions with a loaded pipe. I am more comfortable with one form over another though, because of personal exprience. Example, in the army, I had to carry a loaded Colt 1911, it had a very smooth manual safety (from the years of wear before me), I would not be as comfortable wearing that in cc because most cc rigs do not cover the safety. If the safety shifts on a 1911, without your knowledge, then you only have the one safety left (trigger covered), with a spring tightened hammer. The Army rig I used, had a flap over the top which gave me more piece of mind. I have carried a 1911 in cocked and locked both open carry and concealed, but feel more comfortable with the additional safeties from other actions. I feel comfortable with the trigger safety of a dao, but I prefer to see a hammer move to know the gun is functioning, (hence a preference for sa/da over dao striker fired). I have carried guns for many years (not a LEO), all types and can tell you, I have preference for one style and therefore am the most comfortable with one style over the other. In the end, we carry for piece of mind, so get to a level of comfort where you have that piece of mind. It will take a lot of practice, but more importantly practice on the "action" you like the best, and that will take a search; touching, holding, shooting many types of platforms and knowing how each works.

 

[bilboben]

A comment on the decocker function, how can anyone feel more comfortable riding a hammer down with the trigger pulled, to safe a gun (1911 for example) than using a decocker with a striker block?

 

[bettingpython]

I don't decock a 1911. If you are uncomfortable with your 1911 in condition one then it's probably not the platform you should choose to carry. If it's empty the slide is locked back, if it's loaded the hammer is cocked.

 

[upnover]

i have never understood that fear, i have had several friends carry that way, i told them they should just carry a brick because their unloaded guns were just as useful as a brick. its a mechanical device, if you dont pull the trigger it doesent fire. there was an article a few months ago testing how fast a threat(bad guy) could approach you, 15 feet was i believe 1.5-1.7 seconds, 20 feet was 2 seconds, these tests were done by men in their late 40s. do you think you could draw your weapon fron concealment, rack the slide, hoping it does not FTF aim and fire in less than 2 seconds? if you are hit in am arm or shoulder could you rack the slide? i know i wont bet my life on it.