The Fear Of Carrying Cocked And Locked

[Dogtown Darren]

Oh boy, the can of worms that title will probably open.

Anyhow....All of my carry guns are striker fired. I'd like to try out a Sig P938, but I can't get past the fear of carrying cocked and locked. As a kid, it was drilled into me that a safety is a mechanical devise that can fail. I just can't get past that hammer being back, and all that stands between me and a discharge is a safety and the brush of a trigger.

So, I guess what I'm asking is the fear of a negligent discharge warranted? Or is it in my head? Do they occur do to mechanical failure in real world carry situations?

I'd buy a quality holster, probably a Cook's with the safety molded in the safe position...

I just can't get past that hammer being back. Thoughts?

 

[NY63]

 

[biker_bill]

I've proven it to my self with a 1911 style.
I carried it for months, round in the chamber, but hammer down with safety on.
When the safety never changed positions after months of everyday carry, the hammer went back.
In years the safety has never changed position.

I'm more comfortable than I was with a striker fired gun now.
Then, since there was no safety, only the trigger need to be pulled.
Now, there's a safety and a trigger that needs to be pulled.

 

[Echo 1]

It's more of a mental thing same thing as carrying a Glock loaded.You just don't see the mechanics of it Cock and locked.I have carried a 1911 20+yrs always cocked,locked and ready to Rock!

 

[NY63]

Comparing the 1911-style pistol to the Glock-style pistol ("striker") is like comparing apples to oranges.

Training is key.

Neither are safe in the hands of an idiot. Both are safe in the hands of a competent, safety-conscious person.

 

[Hayata]

The fear is in your head. Probably an unwarranted fear based on the likelihood of having an accident.

If you're not comfortable, don't do it. If you can train yourself to be comfortable give it a try.

I always carry condition 1 when I carry my compact 1911. It has two safeties but something could still happen I guess.

The odds of having an accident are probably slim to none.

 

[VHinch]

I just can't get past that hammer being back. Thoughts?

In 15 years of daily 1911 carry, I can't think of single time I've ever had my thumb safety disengage. I'd suggest carrying it around the house for a few days cocked & locked but with an empty chamber to get some familiarity and a comfort level with the concept.

I carried it for months, round in the chamber, but hammer down with safety on.

How did you manage that? You can't engage the thumb safety on a 1911 with the hammer down.

 

[GlockIssue]

So just FYI, I know the Sig P938 and P238 are practically mini 1911's. But there is one big difference. There is NO grip safety on the Sigs. That being said, on a 1911, in order for that hammer to fall, you really need to disengage the thumb safety PLUS disengage the grip safety. The Sigs only require you to disengage the thumb safety. That's kind of a big difference to me. Keep in mind, I've never owned a P938/238. I've talked to some people recently that have and I've heard more than once that the thumb safety didn't seem to be that sturdy. In other words, it seemed quite easy to disengage it and they had concerns that it might disengage accidentally. I'm skeptical on this, but it's definitely something to be mindful of. I would think that if you have it in a quality Kydex holster, such as the Cook's the OP mentioned, and it's molded in the engaged position, the chance of it being disengaged accidentally are slim.

I, too, am still considering switching to it for a summer carry, but the lack of a grip safety has made me hesitant (they're also not that cheap compared to a $350 Kahr CM9).

 

[biker_bill]

In 15 years of daily 1911 carry, I can't think of single time I've ever had my thumb safety disengage. I'd suggest carrying it around the house for a few days cocked & locked but with an empty chamber to get some familiarity and a comfort level with the concept.




How did you manage that? You can't engage the thumb safety on a 1911 with the hammer down.

I guess because it's not a "true" 1911 it's a Sig P938.
You can milk the hammer forward on a live round and even pull the hammer back to the half cock notch.
Then put the safety on.
You had me wondering if I remembered correctly, so I just took it OUTSIDE and tried it, lol.

 

[VHinch]

I guess because it's not a "true" 1911 it's a Sig P938.
You can milk the hammer forward on a live round and even pull the hammer back to the half cock notch.
Then put the safety on.
You had me wondering if I remembered correctly, so I just took it OUTSIDE and tried it, lol.

Gotcha.