How Do You Carry A 1911

[Troy Brown]

I have a Colt Combat 45acp.
My dad always drilled it into my melon that if Im to carry it, or use it for defence around the house, to chamber one and just put the hammer down until needed. Then, pull back the hammer when picking it up/drawing on the target.
Not saying it is right or wrong, best or worst. Its just the way I was taught when I was young. So it just feels right "for me". no real reason other than that.

 

[Leatherhead]

Let's go ahead and chill it on out in here

[Broken External Image]:

 

[H4zY]

Look, we get it. You prefer to keep your weapons in condition 3. I carry a 1911 in condition 1, cocked and locked.
But with all the noise and confusion, some people have forgotten that there are, in fact, valid reasons to carry a handgun with an empty chamber. Here's a few:

If you will change outfits frequently (e.g., EMT, petroleum engineer, actor), or are doing something that could potentially turn you upside-down (climbing, auto repair), it might be worth it to prevent the freak accident of the gun falling out of the holster, landing on something that engages the trigger, and discharging (since most cc holsters don't have a retention strap).
If you use the same gun as your carry gun and nightstand gun, keeping it in condition 3 might be worth it to avoid the freak combination of you forgetting to empty the chamber the same night your 2-year-old decides to be horribly disobedient.

If circumstances make it so you can't carry your gun in your usual rig, and the only way to carry it is in a container that doesn't protect the trigger, it would be irresponsible to carry it with a loaded chamber.

If you accept the possibility that a freak combination of circumstances has the possibility of causing your gun to discharge unintentionally, you could reasonably believe that the risk of that accident occurring is greater than the freak combination of circumstances that could lead to you needing to draw your gun without having time to chamber a round.

Carrying a gun doesn't need to be an absolute (although for some of you it is, and that's fine). It can also be about risk/reward and balancing probabilities. Sometimes, the risk of becoming a crime victim is so low that the risk of a freak accident outweighs it.

Relax-BLT FED just busting your chops. I won't be so quick to judge other people's perception of risk. They probably understand their own situation more clearly than I do.

 

[Gunfighter]

My next poll will be
How many of you carry a glock with an empty chamber


And cross reference

Hahahahahaha

 

[Leatherhead]

My next poll will be
How many of you carry a glock with an empty chamber


And cross reference

Hahahahahaha

Itll be the same guys with no confidence that carry un-chambered 1911's.....

 

[offbeat404]

good thread. i noticed condition 1 on the 1911 the owner of gun smoke had holstered cpl days ago and wondered about the same thing.

excuse my ignorance for i have never handled or shot a 1911.

 

[bakerconch]

C&L, daily.

 

[oxbat]

C&L here too! I have on occasion found the thumb safety disengaged as previously noted, but my holster has a strap that goes between the hammer and firing pin. So it's still not a major safety concern to me.

 

[Dirt Ball]

Cocked & locked.

 

[rOmiLaYu]

Condition 1 OWB. If I go IWB, a carry something else.