Safariland 6004: Do you carry your sidearm cocked & locked?

[Torque]

I keep my gun chambered but not cocked.

[CDN_Stalker]

Originally Posted by mcguyver

Cocked means ready to fire. In a gun with an exposed hammer, that means it's quite visible. Round chambered in a Glock means it's cocked.

But when I use a SERPA, the gun can have the slide open and still be 100% retained in the holster. Not so with a Safariland.

And in a Glock, when you rack the slide back, you are puling back the firing pin and it's retainer. When you pull the trigger, you release the retainer, and the firing pin (more like a firing spring really), gets released. Pull the slide off a Glock and you'll see. You can release the retainer manually, even though the manual says not to.

Fair enough. Just recalled that when you want to take the Glock apart, you clear it first, dry fire it, then pull the slide back a 1/8" or so, pull the slide keeper down and remove the slide.

Anyways, I dont' use a Safariland, just a Blackhawk Omega drop leg (still love it!), but I carry my KSC G19 with a round in the chamber and the internal hammer cocked........... largely because I get a LOT of use out of my pistol. But I always double tap too, so if there doesn't happen to be a round in the chamber, at least I have one flying out when I need it.

[Crunchmeister]

I always have a round chambered. If it's a single action, then it stays cocked. If it has double action, then the hammer is at rest.

[dpvu]

I don't think springs weakening is that big of a deal. As long as you don't leave it that way for months at a time in storage I doubt you could weaken the spring carrying it cocked during games.

Personally I carry my USP with a round in the chamber and the hammer in the half-cocked position.

[Styrak]

I keep my TM 5.1 round in the chamber but hammer down. No sense in putting extra stress on it like you say Illusion. All it takes is a thumb to cock it.

[JTF27]

TM Desert Eagle. Round in the chamber but hammer down. Thumb cock it while drawing.

[ILLusion]

Let's extend the question a bit more now: how about you guys who carry real firearms for job/service? Do you carry cocked & locked or hammer down?

[Armedsask]

Originally Posted by dpvu

I don't think springs weakening is that big of a deal. As long as you don't leave it that way for months at a time in storage I doubt you could weaken the spring carrying it cocked during games.

Personally I carry my USP with a round in the chamber and the hammer in the half-cocked position.

Springs weaken from being compressed and uncompressed. They don't weaken by sitting still, or being compressed.

As for what condition to carry, if the gun isn't ready to fire its pretty damn pointless.

[Blackthorne]

Originally Posted by Armedsask

Springs weaken from being compressed and uncompressed. They don't weaken by sitting still, or being compressed.

As for what condition to carry, if the gun isn't ready to fire its pretty damn pointless.

X1000 to both.


Always as ready as the gun can be. Glocks only bite you if you can't keep your finger off the trigger.

[pamparius]

is it safe for any gbb to be thumb cocked instead of slide cocking before shooting??

[AngelusNex]

Originally Posted by pamparius

is it safe for any gbb to be thumb cocked instead of slide cocking before shooting??

as long as it does something. (my we hicappa had to have the slide racked for the hammer to do anything if it was all the way down rather than half cocked, not sure if all 1911/2011 models are like this)

[sgtscarfy]

Well if its thumb cocked there is no round in the chamber so when you fire it'll cycle but no round. If i understood your question correctly...

[m102404]

Cocked and locked...what's the point otherwise?

I suppose that you could try to drop the hammer on a 1911-variant, but I don't think that's a safe practice/habit.

To my understanding, 1911's are ON with a round chambered, hammer cocked, safeties (thumb/grip) on. Or they are OFF with chamber clear, hammer down.

When in play, cocked/locked/holster retention on. When out of play, hammer down/chamber clear. No mix-ups that way.

As to whether the mainspring weakens being compressed throughout the day...mainsprings = cheap
...fast switch to a secondary and dropping the op-for = priceless

[Styrak]

In real steel, yes dropping the hammer with a round in the chamber probably isn't the best idea. But in airsoft I chamber a round and then drop the hammer, and put the mag back in.

[Ming_the_Merciless]

Originally Posted by ILLusion

Let's extend the question a bit more now: how about you guys who carry real firearms for job/service? Do you carry cocked & locked or hammer down?

My carry gun is Springfield Armory's XD 45 Compact. And to be honest, when I first started to carry, I was extremely hesitant with carrying in condition one. It wasn't because I lacked the skills or training, but it was drilled into my head since childhood that one does not chamber a round until they are on the line ready to fire. I overcame that hesitation, by gaining the confidence, understanding the details of the various safety mechanisms on my carry gun; what had to happen for the round to discharge due to a mechanical failure opposed to negligent discharge.

The XD is one of the, if not the, safest polymer pistol out there. It has a grip safety like that of the 1911, similar Glock trigger, striker-indicator (displays if the weapon is cocked or not), chamber indicator, and on the newer Service model has an external thumb safety. Moreover I carried a dummy round chambered for some time to get accustomed to the idea of "one-in-the-tube". As for the topic regarding the 1911, it's equally one gun I would not hesitate to carry with one-in-the-tube.

Remember if one does carry a firearm for duty or defense, condition one is a must! In a gunfight, every second counts, you lose precious time having to rack the gun, and adding one additional step can slow down your response to situations like shooting while wounded. However, I have seen and heard the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) guys train to rack the gun through the presentation of the firearm, and do quite well with it. Whatever your comfort level is, if you prefer condition one or three, ensure you make adjustments to your training regime, and it is second nature to you.