Cocked and locked baby!

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newarcher

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Tonight while walking my dog, I carried cocked and locked for the first time ever. No one died and I must admit that I felt great doing it. Carrying it with the hammer down in a half cocked position was how I usually do it and OF COURSE it is the safest! :D Just KIDDING. I always carried it with an empty chamber. Knowing that if the SHTF I would have a gun ready in 1-2 seconds was reassuring as was not having to worry about whether or not I could rack the slide in time.

I am going to get a fingertip safe and then leave it C&L. I have two kids and just don't feel it is safe enough with an 8 year old to do it C&L full time.

I will unload it when I come into the house and reload it when I leave for the day.

How cool is this cocked and locked thing! ;)

New
 
Do you have a sand pail to aim at when you load-n-unload every day?
One of the best things about a CCP is you don't have to handle/manipulate the gun so much.
I am a believer in numbers, the more you are in contact the more the chance of a problem. that just my .02

So if its all around safer for you to have your defensive weapon at Con. 3 you will probably be better off staying there. Remember when its time to react, you will most likely default to what you do most or train to.
 
It takes very little time to rack a slide and it shows the BG you mean business. Of course, If you find yourself stranded in the combat zone or down at the docks at midnight... well.... I guess it depends on the situation. I wouldn't be locked and loaded at my sister's wedding, but when I take the dogs to shore at night (we live on our sailboat in the summer) that's what I do too.
 
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I guess it depends upon where you live and the odds of needing to shoot quickly.
If you live in a nice neighborhood and you're not a cop, I really don't see the need to carry locked-and-cocked.
And with a child in the house I just think it's a bad idea.
All it takes is for you to be forgetful just ONCE.
 
Parrothead What is wrong with recycling the same round??? Are you not doing that if you reload your own ammo anyhow?? Thanks, SteveB
 
It causes the round to sit to deep in the brass, causing high pressures. I agree with an above poster, the less you fool with it, the better off you are. I keep all my guns loaded and cocked at home, that way, I never have to worry thinking "is this one loaded?"
 
I carry on an empty chamber. I look at it this way...step one is pulling your weapon on a BG. Step two is racking the slide. If that doesn't send him packing, step three is aim & fire!

I do agree, however...if you live in a rough neighborhood, locked and loaded is the way to go. (My neighborhood ain't so bad...)
 
There are THREE safeties with Cocked and Locked on a 1911. The thumb safety, the grip safety and the keep your cotton pickin finger off of the trigger.
 
Right all.

I am thinking of it this way....probably my greatest chance of getting jacked is at a drive up ATM or in my car (since I spend more time in my car than out...thanks Atlanta traffic).

In my car, I have to open the center console (not a movement that is in any way fluid), somehow pull the gun out of the holster which is tight, rack the slide, aim, and fire. This is likely to be happening when someone has the strategic advantage of being able to move around and while I am trying to make haste and get out of there. Not enough hands.

Smart idea on the ammo.

Here's another...probably dumb question....why can't I take the round out of a magazine and drop it into the chamber and then manually let the slide down? I thought that would work but the slide won't close completely....designed that way?

New
 
I assume you are talking about a 1911 style of pistol, Buy another pistol for carry that is DAO or where the first shot is DA. Even a revolver would be safer.

Next step is to train your children. Take all curiosity out of the gun. Let them handle it, shoot it and explain what it can do. As a former LEO, I had a loaded gun around the house for 25 years without a problem. I worked on a Dept. 7,000 strong and the rest of them had loaded guns around the house. I never heard of an accident involving a loaded gun. Any time they want to know anything about the gun, get it out, unload it, and let them handle it. Show them from the time they are big enough to hold it how firearms are dangerous and how to handle them.
 
I do let both my 8 year old boy and my 4 year old girl handle the gun and even pull the trigger if they like (after quardruple checking the gun is unloaded). I wouldn't say that they have an enormous fascination with the guns. But you never know.

I took my son to a range and let him shoot an old, cheap 22 pisol I had and it had a really bad tolerance that let powder hit his hand. So he doesn't want to shoot any more handguns right now...but accidents happen.

Yes, it is a 1911 model and I wouldn't agree that something like a Glock would be safer. But that's me. Glocks and many other similar DAO or DAF guns don't prevent anyone from picking it up and yanking off a round. At least with the 1911, they have to defeats more than 1 safety.

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Racking the slide is the best way to save a life

Even though we probably don't have any sympathy for a would -be assailant, I don't think any sane person is actually LOOKING for a chance to whack someone. Carrying your weapon should be looked at as a deterrent, not an ambush. If you do things right, the display of confidence you exhibit, as well as the display of the weapon and the sound of chambering a round will dissuade anyone thinking about making you his midnight snack.

By racking your slide, you create that unmistakeable metal on metal sound, informing your attacker that you mean business.

Racking the slide takes a fraction of a second if you are training at the range this way.

I would take the top round in your magazine and rotate it after each "walk".

I would also only load 75% of capacity in the magazine to save wear and tear on the springs.



newarcher, I'd have to agree with you. The ATM is a very likely mugging scenario. Your best ally there is vigilance. Scan the area thoroughly before pulling up to draw cash.
 
JoeBlack,

I once thought like you and then really started thinking about it.

Most incidents happen at arms length and are generally a surprise attack of some sort...or else most incidents would happen at 20 feet or more.

While it really does only take a fraction of a second to rack the slide, you may already be 3 seconds in the hole to the bad guy before you have an opportunity to take that chance.

I wore my CDP with it cocked and locked (with no round in the chamber) for some time .... same with my Tactical Custom II...and never once have I had the hammer drop unexpectedly.

Someone asked about a sand bucket and no I don't have one. I just aim it at the ground in the back yard when unloading it.

Lastly, I am certainly not looking for a fight and definitely wouldn't ever want to harm anyone. HOWEVER.....the statistics don't lie. If I ever do have to employ my gun in battle, the overwhelming odds are that I am NOT going to have a chance to rack the slide before I am dead/injured.

New
 
IMO carrying a 1911 other than in Condition 1 is limiting it's capability foolishly.

Condition 3 is more of a liability than a safety issue. The locked and cocked argument has been done to death...the 1911 was designed to be carried in Condition 1 and is completely safe in that condition...it is also the quickest method of employment.

The way I see it, the probablity of my other hand being used or otherwise occupied is very high. That is why I would ONLY carry my 1911 cocked and locked. The expectation that I will have two free hands in order to get my gun in firing condition is a presumption that I am not willing to risk.

This notion of the sound of "metal on metal" is IMO not nessassary and not worth the time it wastes in order to engage the threat. When I draw my weapon, it is to employ it...not use it as a "suggestion".
 
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If you do any scenario work, if you understand the ranges that shootings occur at, you will realize how truly time sensitive they can be.

When you are in condition 3 you need extra time and you need to have a free hand. Any one that tells me how they can do a one handed rack under duress 100% of the time has never had to do it. When it hits the fan, one hand is busy, your heart is pumping, you are wearing the wrong clothes, you are carrying your crappiest defense weapon and murphy has thrown in a few other things.

Condition 3 is safe for you and the bad guy.

Loading and unloading your pistol is exponentially increasing your chances of an AD.

Load it and leave it in a gun vault when its not on you.
 
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