deloscielos

I'm just looking for your guys' two cents on daily carry, concealed or otherwise. I mentioned before that I'm about as liberal as they come - with the exception of gun laws, gun control, etc.

I'm ambivalent when it comes to this topic. I do have my concealed carry license, but I have yet to carry in public. On one hand it seems impractical, on the other hand it seems necessary. I found this somewhere on the internet, just thought I'd share.

Also, when you carry publicly, do you carry with a magazine in, and one in the chamber? Or just a magazine in and not one in the chamber? I'm asking because I'm not sure I trust the safety on my Taurus

koorbloh

if I have my pistol on me, it's loaded.

there's nothing an empty gun can do for you.


I'd never carry (for protection) a gun I didn't trust with my life.

FatFugg

Why do you need a manual safety on a personal protection weapon? You want to pull the trigger & have it fire when you are in a life or death situation, not be fumbling with a safety.

Same thing goes for carrying with one in the chamber. When your life is at risk, do you really want to have to rack a round?

The majority of the time when I carry, I carry an XDm "no manual safety" with one in the pipe. If I ever have to draw on someone, I want to be the one that goes home when all is said & done.

Dragon Rider

my favorite, airweight 38, takes +P ammo, hammerless (DA only) and easy to carry iwb, or even in pocket, with an in pocket holster.

(always have a round in each chamber, the safety is the person carrying it)

Damon

I ALWAYS carry when I'm outside my house (where its legal of course). A lot of times I'm carrying inside my house too.

I have been carrying concealed every day for 22 years. I ALWAYS carry fully loaded with one in the chamber.

I used to carry a Beretta 92F Compact. I would carry it with one in the chamber and the safety OFF. I want my gun to fire by just pulling the trigger, I don't want to mess with safeties or racking it to chamber a round when I need it to save my life. I now carry a XD9 that I also use in IDPA and USPSA competitions. I also carry 2 extra magazines on me. Just because you never know...

deloscielos

Well I suppose it's obvious I'm new to all this!

When I purchased my Taurus, I had not intended to use it as a daily carry weapon, but now that I have my concealed carry license and it's all I have at the moment, I guess it'll have to do.

I never even thought about not having a manual safety on a daily carry weapon. DUH.

deadshot2

The main safety device on your pistol is your finger. Keep it off the trigger until you want to shoot and your firearm is as safe as can be.

An unloaded firearm is merely a club. If that's all you want to carry, get a baseball bat. They're cheaper.

Lastly, a firearm safely stored at home can't help you when you are out in public, where you are more likely to be assaulted, robbed, mugged, or whatever. If self protection was your goal when you purchased your pistol than it needs to be carried on your self.

GixxerPete

So a 1911 isn't a good personal protection weapon?? It has a manual safety and you'd be nuts to carry it with one in the pipe and the safety off. It's all about learning your weapon's manual of arms and practicing til the muscle memory is there and swiping that safety off is automatic, you don't even think about it. This does require more practice/training for the shooter though.
Personally I agree with this, but for example the Israelis train to NOT keep one in the pipe and draw and rack the slide every time. The logic behind it is that method ALWAYS works regardless of the action type of the pistol. With practice, this can be pretty much as fast as a straight draw. But there is the obvious caveat that if your weak hand is immobilized or otherwise doing something else, you're going to have to rack the slide off your body or something else, which is a lot tougher.

I also prefer striker-fired pistols for defense, and have several XDs and an XDm. My first was my old Gen2 Glock 19, which I still have but is now retired. I like the fact that they are simple, no muss no fuss to get into action, and always go bang.


But back to the OP, that is really a personal decision. There are many that say if you're going to carry, you should *always* carry. And I do understand and agree with the logic behind that. However, you have to balance that with your lifestyle etc. For example, I work in IT, and often onsite at my clients, sometimes crawling under desks etc. I would have a very hard time keeping a concealed gun concealed. So I weigh the chances of me needing a gun (low, but as they say, you never know) vs the chances of me being 'made' for carrying (pretty high) and that I'd probably lose my job if I client saw my gun and freaked out about it. I also live in a decent neighborhood that doesn't have a lot of crime. If I lived somewhere else, I might think very different and carry all the time.

So I chose not to carry 24/7. There is always a loaded gun in my nightstand. Anytime I'm traveling, camping, or just out in the woods or out and about I carry. I also carry a small pocket knife all the time. It's more of a tool than a weapon, but if it came down to it, it beats bare hands.

deadshot2

The "Israeli Slingshot" method of carry was dictated by the varied pieces of crap they purchased over the years out of necessity. It at least overcame the issue of the marginal safety these weapons possessed.


This method is no longer required with the IMI built pistols as well as the Glock , Sig, and Browning HP variants they now issue.

GixxerPete

Interesting. I never heard ths 'shoddy equipment' part, but that makes total sense. I trust a quality 1911 safety, but some crappy no-name knockoff? Prolly not so much.

It's also interesting to note that the entire time (pretty sure it was the entire time?) the 1911 was issued to our troops, they were trained to carry hammer down on an empty chamber & rack the slide to get the pistol into action. I think this was widely ignored, (I know I would have!) but apparently they didn't think troops could handle cocked & locked carry, or some shit like that. The switch to the M9 was the first time troops could carry a fully loaded sidearm.

deloscielos

This I can vouch for. It's the same in today's army. I just got back from Iraq, and the way we did it was the ONLY time you have a round in the chamber (or even have a magazine inserted, for that matter) is if you're in the gunner's turret and you're outside the wire or in the test fire pit. I suppose it's too much of a liability to trust the manual safety on our m4's.

That being said, we still had a few ND's / AD's (negligent discharge / accidental discharge)

The only ones who get issued the M9's are officers and medics, and the same rule applies to them - only it was never their job to be in the turret, so they never had a round in the chamber.

PiNk TCP

If your gonna pull it out, you better be 100% committed to using it, if not, your own weapon may be use on you.

PiNk

1911er

Not only do I carry all the time , But I open carry all the time and its not for any of the reasons the OP mentioned it is because it's my constitutional right to do so. And if we don't use our rights we will lose them.

stumprat

Carrying a weapon is a personal decision. Carry however you are comfortable and confident.

I carry everywhere that I am legally allowed. ALWAYS!

I carry loaded and chambered. None of my carry guns have external safeties.
As far as not trusting your Tauruses safeties, YOU ARE THE SAFETY FEATURE FOR ANY WEAPON.
I also carry a spare magazine.

A good way to get comfortable carrying loaded. Is to carry for a few days with your pistol cocked but NOT CHAMBERED. After a couple days. Check to if your pistol has had an accidental discharge.

migxdm

i pack the LCP cuz im not worried about something actually happening, because the chances are just so slim, but Be prepared is what i was taught. and i would rather have something little that is easy to deal with 24/7 then something im always worried about exposing or whatever. but it depends on the situation completely.. if you know you will be somewhere you arent sure about then choose the right tool for the job b4 you leave the house.

sunofnun

I've never carried..

I know I'm in the vast minority here. I am all for our first amendment right.
I will vote to protect it on my behalf, your behalf and the behalf of every future gun owner who will benefit from my support. My dad is never without some kind of firearm (even by the bathtub lol)


SO why the fuck don't I carry a gun?


I dunno.. I guess I figure after 37 yrs I kind of know how to avoid trouble. It's not the smartest argument. You never know what your gonna get right? and "It happened to me" stories.

I think carrying is important and necessary for some/many.. I'm just too lazy.


The other side of the stick is would I protect other citizens in harms way out in public? I'm pretty damn sure if it wasn't my kids/family I'd have to answer no. That makes me a little sad. I believe in our country and the rights provided to us.. but the problem to me is the same as home defense.. In some cases it seems the bad guys have more rights than the victims esp in long drawn out liable suits..

If I use a weapon off my property I am very very very likely to face legal follow up. End up with names on lists.. bla bla bla. ya.. I'm paranoid. Whatever.


ANYWAY.. rambling on long enough. I'm glad you fellas carry and will be happy to be standing by you in that jewelry store when the bad guys come in.. Just remember to look for me on the floor.

ha ha












PS. Hey deloscielos / LaCenter I grew up in Amboy!

Nutty4Guns

I carry every day that I possibly can. I always have at least a .380 in my pocket. Usually I have a .357 Sig IWB and the LCP in my pocket.

philster

Well, there may be more to it. How many "series 80"s were floating around? Consider the loads (as in packs, etc. Not the 230 grain ball ) being carried and possibility of guns hitting the ground. Guns that weren't "drop safe". I get crap sometimes about my Sig 1911s series 80 pin safety. I WANT that thing! A couple minutes more work in a total tear down, but worth it!

philster

As to the "carry every day" thing. It's probably a good idea until you can carry without "checking yourself". Concealing is easy. Not checking it with a "subtle" pat or brush of the arm from time to time took a while for me... Not proud of it. Just telling the truth

deloscielos

Yeah I've been carrying for a few days now, and I keep doing that! Not sure why.. maybe to make sure it's still there? To check if it's covered all the way? Strange habit..

I like this idea, I just may give it a try!

Thanks for all the input fellas. Much appreciated

GixxerPete

You have a good point there... I'm not sure how "drop safe" an old original 1911A1 was/is? I wouldn't worry about dropping my Springfield or Kimber, but an old A1? Not so sure.

I spose it comes down to risk assessment. Are the odds you'll need that pistol and need it RIGHT NOW higher than the odds of dropping it just right so it goes off? If I'm a soldier in combat, I'd want my sidearm ready to rock.

But the people who could truly answer this question would be combat vets from WWII, Korea or Vietnam that carried 1911s. Were they cocked and locked or hammer down on an empty chamber? We know what the training was, but was it ignored in combat?

deadshot2

I've been carrying a little longer. Approximately 17,155 days. It was pretty much no big deal after a week. It becomes one of those things where you know it't there without having to check.

As for carrying a weapon that has one in the chamber, if you aren't sure of the safety inherent in that firearm, perhaps you should consider a different firearm. When you find yourself in a situation where you need it right now, it could be fatal if you drew, pulled the trigger, and suddenly your brain connected with the fact that you didn't cycle the slide first.

I've always carried double action firearms. Revolvers in the early days and then as the double action Semi-Autos became more available, one of them. The last 10 years a nice Sig P-229 has been on my hip with the exception of the days I decide to carry my CZ75 SP-01. Both pistols will only fire when there is a finger on the trigger. No safety to "forget" either.