Pistol safety

S

stickk130

Inactive
Is it true that all revolvers if dropped and lands on the hammer if loaded could discharge? I don't have much knowledge on weapons, I go to a practice range once a year, I just leave one chamber empty that way I shouldn't have any problems. My Dad keeps his revolver full and him being in his 80's I'm not saying anyone is too old to handle guns but his ballance ain't all that good and I feel a little uneasy when he gets it out to show someone.
I shy away from revolvers for that reason, I own a sw 357 mag for home protection.
I won't carry any weapon if it doesn't have a saftey on it. Everyone has there own opinion and I would enjoy reading your responce to my thinking about revolvers and auto's for as that goes. I do own a 45 Glock it was a gift, it wouldn't be something I would ever carry. It's usless empty but having no saftey bothers me!! A LOT
 
Pretty much any revolver manufactured in the last 60 years has some sort of built in safety device that prevents the hammer from contacting the primer of a loaded cartridge. Your S&W probably has a hammer block, which is a bar that rests in front of the hammer and slides down out of the way when you pull the trigger, allowing the hammer to move all the way forward to fire the round. Another popular safety mechanism is called a transfer bar. Google will tell you more than you'd ever want to know about these devices.

Older pistols, including modern replicas of old single action revolvers (cowboy guns), may not have these devices and should NOT be carried with the hammer over a loaded chamber.
 
Femoral

I carry a 6 inch S&W .357 mag model 686+ IWB Inside Waist Band (inverted, inside my jeans). When I sit in the car this points the muzzle directly at my right leg femoral artery. Why would anyone feel okay doing this? Let me answer my own question. Most Smith revolvers have a hammer block that unless you pull and hold the trigger back will not allow the hammer to strike the frame-mounted firing pin. It just isn't going to happen. I have experimented (not in my jeans!) "twanging" said hammer, trying to cause an AD (Accidental Discharge) and I ran out of time. Accidents can happen... and of course do. I'm not condoning one method of carry over another, but you must learn your gun. Know how if functions.

Having said that, I have on occasion found myself "soprano" if I'm in a hurry getting in and out of the car.

The best rule is "Be Sure, no exceptions" we can't tell you 100 percent for sure.
-SS-
 
Well you should not try to use a gun you are afraid of, but you owe it to yourself to know the subject.
S&W revolvers have been fully drop safe since 1945, and safe against all but a very bad fall even before.
Colt double actions have been drop safe since about 1908.
All Ruger double actions are drop safe, as are the New Model single actions introduced in the 1970s.
Some of the minor makes like H&R were drop safe even before the big names.

Your Glock is about as safe as a modern revolver, not going to go off until you pull the trigger.
 
For most modern firearms, a properly made hard holster that covers the trigger essentially renders the firearm inert.

Older firearms, and some modern replicas of older firearms may need to be carried chamber empty.
 
stickk130 said:
I don't have much knowledge on weapons, I go to a practice range once a year
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My friend, you suffer from a very common condition known as ignorance, and yes, it can be lethal. Fortunately, Ignorance is very curable with a treatment that has been around since the dark ages: Education.

I am glad that you have begun your first steps down the path to treatment, but I must strongly suggest you seek the assisstance of a professional. By taking Firearms Safety/Training classes beyond what is neccesary for your concealed carry, you will develop not only skills, but familiarity with your firearms.

WARNING: Ignorance, left untreated, can progress to stupidity. Stupidity is much harder to treat, and is often much more lethal. Signs of stupidity include seeking advice and failing to heed it, assuming a greater set of skills than one already has, and the inherrent desire to exclaim to others "Watch this!."

TL;DR: Get some additional firearms training from someone who can work with you, and someone you will be able to verify if that have adequate credentialing more easily than a bunch of internet bozos like me.
 
JimmyR
Senior Member

My friend, you suffer from a very common condition known as ignorance...
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Seems a bit unkind. Ignorance is not asking the question.

I've never taken any instruction except what I had to for my CWP course and that guy was a comedian. There are some very ignorant instructors out there that are simply not worth the money and frankly not qualified.

To the OP I'll say it again... know each and every gun you own. That may include dismantling and investigation, there are many videos online and you can bet someone has already done the investigation for you. Following rules of safety is not enough. Study is the only way.
-SS-

Edit: "Ignorance" is what put the hammer locks on modern Smiths. Well intended, but misguided and motivated by bad politics and fear.
 
I won't carry any weapon if it doesn't have a saftey on it.
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Well, IMHO, the biggest 'safety' is the one between our ears.... Know (learn) what you have, and treat it accordingly. For example, the old SAA revolvers don't have a safety. Hammer--firing pin rests right on cartridge. No biggie.... You just 'learn' to always carry five up (empty under hammer). Simple and effective. It can fall from a 1000 feet and it isn't going to go off. Other revolvers have a hammer block, some have a transfer bar .... Just learn about what you have and treat it accordingly. Guns are not dangerous in themselves. It is the guy using it.... So read up, learn, use, and all is well :) . And I mean use.... I like to get out at least once a week and shoot. This week I've been out 3 times already (granted it was mostly for some loads I am testing, but still). So, my opinion then is if you don't want to learn about and your revolver (or any gun) and shoot it periodically you should not own one. Some would say I don't shoot my CC revolver as often as I should as I shoot it once a month, just to stay familiar with it. Nuff rambling....
 
Sweet Shooter said:
Seems a bit unkind. Ignorance is not asking the question.
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That's not what my dictionary says:

Merrium Webster said:
ig·no·rance noun \ˈig-n(ə-)rən(t)s\ : a lack of knowledge, understanding, or education : the state of being ignorant
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While my post was tongue in cheek, i think the point is the same. We all need firearms instruction. Many get that from parents growing up. Mine came largely from Scouting events and an NRA Basic Pistol Class.

While I think Sweet Shooter has a valid point, I disagree with the idea that one's education on firearms should come from internet videos (or forums) without enough of a foundation to know what to look for. A professional instructor who has been endorsed by either a state licensing body or national association (e.g. NRA) would be, IMHO, a better place to start for someone who doesn't have much experience with firearms.
 
I've never taken any instruction except what I had to for my CWP course and that guy was a comedian. There are some very ignorant instructors out there that are simply not worth the money and frankly not qualified.
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I ate at a restaurant once. It was horrible! There are a lot of bad restaurants out there, and it was frankly not worth the money. I will never eat in another restaurant again. If I want to eat out, I can always grab something from the gas station. That's a lot cheaper.

pax
 
pax said:
I ate at a restaurant once. It was horrible! There are a lot of bad restaurants out there, and it was frankly not worth the money. I will never eat in another restaurant again. If I want to eat out, I can always grab something from the gas station. That's a lot cheaper.

pax
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:D :applause:
 
Quote:
Pax:
I ate at a restaurant once. It was horrible! There are a lot of bad restaurants out there, and it was frankly not worth the money. I will never eat in another restaurant again. If I want to eat out, I can always grab something from the gas station. That's a lot cheaper.
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So what's your point? Fact is—we'd like to think we get what we pay for. Reality is—you seldom get what you pay for, and rarely what you'd expect.

Yeah -Applause- just like on the internet.
-SS-
 
Sweet Shooter said:
Pax said:
I ate at a restaurant once. It was horrible! There are a lot of bad restaurants out there, and it was frankly not worth the money. I will never eat in another restaurant again. If I want to eat out, I can always grab something from the gas station. That's a lot cheaper.
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So what's your point? Fact is—we'd like to think we get what we pay for. Reality is—you seldom get what you pay for, and rarely what you'd expect.

Yeah -Applause- just like on the internet.
-SS-
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Her point is that just because someone had a bad experience with an instructor doesn't mean they shouldn't seek instruction. Just like restaurants, there are bad instructors, decent instructors, and amazing instructors. I've had the privilege of having some excellent instruction from some amazing instructors.

Just like restaurants, you need to do some research if you want to find the good instructors without having to risk encountering the bad ones. And, by the way, some of those excellent instructors I've mentioned have trained with Pax and have nothing but good things to say about her (she's an instructor too).
 
Good job on answering the new member's question. And good for him or her to ask.

I carry a 6 inch S&W .357 mag model 686+ IWB Inside Waist Band (inverted, inside my jeans).
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I've been trying to visualize this. A 6-incher carried appendix carry inside the waistband?? SS has certainly found a very personal method of carry :D

But "inverted". I keep seeing the tip of the barrel sticking up out of the pants. :p

All kidding aside SS, I am interested in how you carry a 6-inch sixgun (7-gun? Mine is a 7-shooter) inside the pants. I could learn something useful from you.

Bart Noir
 
When I was taught to shoot revolvers 50 years ago, it was drilled in to my head to always carry on an empty chamber. I must admit that it is a hard thing to break - I do carry my C & B revolvers on an empty chamber. However, as already stated, there are safety features built in to many of the revolvers that have been built in the past 60 years. My favorite CC is a Model 36 S & W snub - only a five shot - and I carry it full. There is always a possibility of any handgun discharging when and if it falls - semis and revolvers. As they say "s _ _ t happens" but the trick is to always be aware of your handgun and avoid such things. It's probably more prone to happen if carrying in a holster that doesn't grip the handgun - I still utilize a safety strap regardless of what some folks say about 'em. That's why you practice your draw (with an unloaded weapon). But, it could happen anywhere if someone knocked your handgun off of a table, range bench, etc. The key is to practice good safety and keep alert so it doesn't happen.
 
Ha ha Bart... when I say inverted, I mean the grip frame is is pointing up and to the right (my right) so front sight down and to the left... I'm regular right handed.
-SS-
 
I do carry my C & B revolvers on an empty chamber.
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Sheesh, I thought I was old-school :eek:

Now I have to ask if you carry with balls or bullets in your C&B.

Actually, bedbugbilly, the pins on the Colt design and the notches on the Remington design will allow you to lower the hammer between chambers. I would think that is plenty safe. What do you think?

Bart Noir
 
empty chamber

I've seen this "empty chamber carry" business too, displayed by folks toting revolvers and auto pistols. If there was no mechanical safety, they got the notion that somehow carry with a round in the chamber was unsafe.

The fear seems, in some of these believers, enhanced if the auto has an external hammer with no safety, say as in a SIG P series. When my outfit made the switch to SIGS from DA revolvers, there was alleged to be old hands carrying their new SIGS with an empty chamber, as the SIG did not have a manual safety, though I never witnessed it. But I have personally inspected DA revolvers and found an empty chamber under the hammer from this same type of breed.

I think all this is spill over from misunderstanding the traditional Colt SA and early Ruger SA, combined with the US military using the Colt 1911 with an empty chamber outside the combat zone. My experience is that no amount of reasoning or instruction will change these folks view of the matter.
 
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