Guys,
I hate to sound pompous, but I sense a little confusion here. 7th fleet referred to Condition Two as "chamber empty," and Jeff says he plans to carry his 1911 in Condition Two?
Condition One has been correctly described as "Cocked and locked," i.e., chamber loaded, full magazine in place, hammer cocked, and manual (thumb) safety engaged. The manual safety must be released by the firing hand thumb before the pistol can be fired.
A cocked and UNlocked 1911 would be in Condition Zero, as described above. So far, so good.
Condition Two is hammer DOWN over a LOADED chamber, with a loaded magazine in place. To fire the pistol, it is necessary to deliberately cock the hammer. This is clumsy to perform one-handed, especially under stress, and at best is cocked with the thumb of the support hand as it is presented, assuming you have both hands available in a fight. It also requires the shooter to hold the trigger back while easing the hammer down past the half-cock notch. Let the hammer slip, and....
Condition Three is hammer down over an EMPTY chamber, with a loaded magazine in place. This is also know as military half-load, as it is the mode of carry most often authorized for and used by military personnel. Must feel good to be a U.S. Marine on Embassy duty in some of the less friendly countries, huh? This requires two hands to get the pistol ready to fight, and again, one may not always have two hands available, right? Of course, there are tricks to rack the slide one handed, but these are usually difficult to perform quickly and efficiently under stress.
Condition Four is chamber empty, no loaded magazine in place. This is the only proper condition for a pistol that must be left lying unattended; if the pistol isn't on the owner's person, the magazine should be.
Jeff, a 1911 pistol in Condition is as safe as a loaded handgun can be (y'know, Rule #1 and all that). Assuming the pistol is in good maechanical condition, it will not 'go off' all by itself. You'll have to press the trigger to make it go bang. The only difference between a 1911 in Condition One and a Glock is that with the 1911, the shooter has to press the grip safety correctly and release the thumb safety to fire the pistol. With the Glock, it is only necessary to press the trigger, automatically releasing the passive safeties.
Jeff, please don't carry your 1911 in Condition Two or Three. Condition Two can lead to a negligent discharge, and Condition Three can make it very difficult to get the pistol ready to fight. Until you feel comfortable with Condition One carry, I would suggest that you carry your Glock, although if you can safely carry a fully loaded Glock, you can safely carry a cocked and locked 1911. It's your responsibility, and your life, so it's your choice, but it's usually best to carry a gun in the mode it's designed for.
Good luck, and stay safe.
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Roger Shambaugh
Ottawa, Kansas
"No man who's in the wrong can stand against
a man who knows he's right and keeps on
a-comin'." Capt. Bill McDonald, Texas Rangers