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Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 7:41 pm
by AzRanger
Who's carrying "cocked and locked"? I'm carrying a new Colt Mustang Pocketlite .380. I carry it cocked and locked because I find that's the easiest and fastest way to get it into action. I tried round chambered and cock it on the draw but I find flipping the safety down is the best way!

Anyone??? :?:

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 8:25 pm
by jeep45238
If you have a dingle action with a safety, I can come up with no other safe way to carry it while still being able to effectively employ the firearm in a deadly force scenario.

Not to mention lowering the hammer on a live round is a damn stupid and unsafe maneuver- decockers exist for a reason, and if your firearm doesn’t have one, that’s called a clue to not do said action to me.

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Sun Apr 15, 2018 9:16 pm
by schmieg
jeep45238 wrote:If you have a dingle action with a safety, I can come up with no other safe way to carry it while still being able to effectively employ the firearm in a deadly force scenario.

Not to mention lowering the hammer on a live round is a damn stupid and unsafe maneuver- decockers exist for a reason, and if your firearm doesn’t have one, that’s called a clue to not do said action to me.
I never fired a dingle action. What's it like?

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 5:05 am
by dl1911
Cocked and locked is the only way to carry a 1911 pattern pistol.

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 5:25 am
by jeep45238
schmieg wrote:
jeep45238 wrote:If you have a dingle action with a safety, I can come up with no other safe way to carry it while still being able to effectively employ the firearm in a deadly force scenario.

Not to mention lowering the hammer on a live round is a damn stupid and unsafe maneuver- decockers exist for a reason, and if your firearm doesn’t have one, that’s called a clue to not do said action to me.
I never fired a dingle action. What's it like?

It’s like when a smart phone acts dumb.

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:04 am
by deanimator
When I carry an M1911 or a Browning Hi Power, that's the ONLY way I carry and the only way I ever will.

Since I started working the graveyard shift, I went back to my 2" Smith 36, but when I was working days, I carried a 3 1/2" Citadel. It was ALWAYS cocked and locked.

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:33 am
by wls
This gets discussed way too much.....1911 style pistols need to be carried cocked and locked, and if a person (not implying AZRanger) doesn’t feel comfortable carrying in that condition they should consider other platforms.

My concern is that with a the small, easy to carry 1911 style pistols, they are being purchased by people who don’t understand how to properly carry them. I have witnessed sales people telling a purchaser to “drop the hammer” as a safe carry method. Well, the pistol may be safe once it’s “in” a holster, but how about when they drop the hammer.....or try to fire it in a high tension situation. Too many are sold to people who like the idea of a small carry pistol, without being knowledgeable of operating a 1911 style SAO pistol.

As much as I love 1911’s I tend to steer new shooters away from them....until they have developed proficiency in handling a pistol. Then I always emphasize that it takes continual training with a 1911 style pistol to develop proficiency. With the light trigger and a thumb safety to disengage, plus 1911’s can be finicky, IMO it’s not the best pistol style to start with. And to those of you who say they started on 1911’s, I’ll assume you understood how it worked and were willing to put in the needed training. I going to “assume” a lot of the small, easy to carry 1911 style pistols go home, in a holster or purse , and are never fired or have a round in the chamber.

Sorry for my rant....it’s just one of those subjects that sets me off.

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 7:40 am
by AzRanger
wls wrote:This gets discussed way too much.....1911 style pistols need to be carried cocked and locked, and if a person (not implying AZRanger) doesn’t feel comfortable carrying in that condition they should consider other platforms.

My concern is that with a the small, easy to carry 1911 style pistols, they are being purchased by people who don’t understand how to properly carry them. I have witnessed sales people telling a purchaser to “drop the hammer” as a safe carry method. Well, the pistol may be safe once it’s “in” a holster, but how about when they drop the hammer.....or try to fire it in a high tension situation. Too many are sold to people who like the idea of a small carry pistol, without being knowledgeable of operating a 1911 style SAO pistol.

As much as I love 1911’s I tend to steer new shooters away from them....until they have developed proficiency in handling a pistol. Then I always emphasize that it takes continual training with a 1911 style pistol to develop proficiency. With the light trigger and a thumb safety to disengage, plus 1911’s can be finicky, IMO it’s not the best pistol style to start with. And to those of you who say they started on 1911’s, I’ll assume you understood how it worked and were willing to put in the needed training. I going to “assume” a lot of the small, easy to carry 1911 style pistols go home, in a holster or purse , and are never fired or have a round in the chamber.

Sorry for my rant....it’s just one of those subjects that sets me off.
Great response wls!!! I posted this to see how many people would take the chance of NOT carrying cocked and locked. I am a cowboy action shooter and I'm use to cocking a SA revolver but that little hammer on a 1911 type pistol is NOT easy to cock especially in a tense and dangerous situation. I worked at a local gun shop/range part time for awhile and I always carried a 1911 Colt .45 cocked and locked. I feel safe and ready with my little Colt Pocketlite but you're right it's not for everyone!

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 8:13 am
by schmieg
wls wrote:This gets discussed way too much.....1911 style pistols need to be carried cocked and locked, and if a person (not implying AZRanger) doesn’t feel comfortable carrying in that condition they should consider other platforms.

My concern is that with a the small, easy to carry 1911 style pistols, they are being purchased by people who don’t understand how to properly carry them. I have witnessed sales people telling a purchaser to “drop the hammer” as a safe carry method. Well, the pistol may be safe once it’s “in” a holster, but how about when they drop the hammer.....or try to fire it in a high tension situation. Too many are sold to people who like the idea of a small carry pistol, without being knowledgeable of operating a 1911 style SAO pistol.
There is a reason that in the old west, they carried the SAA with the hammer on an empty chamber. And I don't think carrying a 1911 with the hammer down on a loaded chamber is safe even in the holster. What if you fall, or something hits you a good smack that happens to his that hammer. Trying to get stuff off a high shelf, I've dropped stuff before that was heavy enough to probably set off a round if it hit the hammer on the way to hitting my foot (almost everything I drop seems to land on my foot).

I love my 1911's, but cocked and locked is the only way to carry. Just make sure you have the right holster. I have found that many of them are made so that they will disengage the safety. Before Zlongie stopped making and selling holsters, I had several made especially for my 1911's that met my requirement not to interfere with the safety.

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 8:21 am
by wls
I love my 1911's, but cocked and locked is the only way to carry. Just make sure you have the right holster. I have found that many of them are made so that they will disengage the safety. Before Zlongie stopped making and selling holsters, I had several made especially for my 1911's that met my requirement not to interfere with the safety.

If you are carrying a “true” 1911, not the new small ones, you still have a grip safety and trigger to engage before it will fire. Even if the thumb safety disengages in a holster, you still have a very safe pistol. Now with the new, small one with no grip safety, that presents another issue.....now your trigger is your last safety feature.

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 9:38 am
by schmieg
wls wrote:I love my 1911's, but cocked and locked is the only way to carry. Just make sure you have the right holster. I have found that many of them are made so that they will disengage the safety. Before Zlongie stopped making and selling holsters, I had several made especially for my 1911's that met my requirement not to interfere with the safety.

If you are carrying a “true” 1911, not the new small ones, you still have a grip safety and trigger to engage before it will fire. Even if the thumb safety disengages in a holster, you still have a very safe pistol. Now with the new, small one with no grip safety, that presents another issue.....now your trigger is your last safety feature.
If the thumb safety disengages and you aren't aware of that, it is much easier to have something grab the trigger while drawing and squeezing the grip. I've never stopped carrying 1911's because of the holster problem, but I preferred finding holsters that didn't have the problem. I found that the Miami Classic II shoulder holster does not have it, so I used it for a guide when I had my custom belt holsters made. I have some expensive holsters that will disengage the safety.

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:01 am
by qmti
wls wrote:I love my 1911's, but cocked and locked is the only way to carry. Just make sure you have the right holster. I have found that many of them are made so that they will disengage the safety. Before Zlongie stopped making and selling holsters, I had several made especially for my 1911's that met my requirement not to interfere with the safety.

If you are carrying a “true” 1911, not the new small ones, you still have a grip safety and trigger to engage before it will fire. Even if the thumb safety disengages in a holster, you still have a very safe pistol. Now with the new, small one with no grip safety, that presents another issue.....now your trigger is your last safety feature.
I carry a Springfield EMP 1911 style pistol. It's cocked and locked when carried. To empty, drop the mag and then work the slide. To drop the hammer with a live round beginners should practice this without a live round. Practice, practice, practice.

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:14 am
by schmieg
qmti wrote:
wls wrote:I love my 1911's, but cocked and locked is the only way to carry. Just make sure you have the right holster. I have found that many of them are made so that they will disengage the safety. Before Zlongie stopped making and selling holsters, I had several made especially for my 1911's that met my requirement not to interfere with the safety.

If you are carrying a “true” 1911, not the new small ones, you still have a grip safety and trigger to engage before it will fire. Even if the thumb safety disengages in a holster, you still have a very safe pistol. Now with the new, small one with no grip safety, that presents another issue.....now your trigger is your last safety feature.
I carry a Springfield EMP 1911 style pistol. It's cocked and locked when carried. To empty, drop the mag and then work the slide. To drop the hammer with a live round beginners should practice this without a live round. Practice, practice, practice.
Dropping the hammer on a live round is inherently unsafe. Just a thumb slip and a round goes where you don't want it to and you probably will have broken thumb.

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:20 am
by wls
qmti wrote:
wls wrote:I love my 1911's, but cocked and locked is the only way to carry. Just make sure you have the right holster. I have found that many of them are made so that they will disengage the safety. Before Zlongie stopped making and selling holsters, I had several made especially for my 1911's that met my requirement not to interfere with the safety.

If you are carrying a “true” 1911, not the new small ones, you still have a grip safety and trigger to engage before it will fire. Even if the thumb safety disengages in a holster, you still have a very safe pistol. Now with the new, small one with no grip safety, that presents another issue.....now your trigger is your last safety feature.
I carry a Springfield EMP 1911 style pistol. It's cocked and locked when carried. To empty, drop the mag and then work the slide. To drop the hammer with a live round beginners should practice this without a live round. Practice, practice, practice.


I don’t know you and not trying to offend you but, dropping a hammer on a live round is not good practice regardless of how much practice you do.......hammers can slip from fingers.

I recently purchased a CZ Shadow 2, really nice pistol. It is advertised as a DA/SA.....but there is no decocker. I did some research to find that in some competitions (USPSA, not sure what division) you start with the pistol in DA position meaning....you have to drop the hammer on the CZ. I was rather surprised by this, but have to assume it’s done in a very controlled environment. Whoever runs the competition obviously knows what they’re doing, and the shooters are likely trained and carefully monitored when decocking. This might be the one acceptable time to drop a hammer on a live round, but I still wouldn’t want to recommend a newer shooter, regardless of how much practice, do this. Just my opinion.

Re: Carrying cocked and locked

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2018 10:33 am
by schmieg
wls wrote:
qmti wrote:
I carry a Springfield EMP 1911 style pistol. It's cocked and locked when carried. To empty, drop the mag and then work the slide. To drop the hammer with a live round beginners should practice this without a live round. Practice, practice, practice.


I don’t know you and not trying to offend you but, dropping a hammer on a live round is not good practice regardless of how much practice you do.......hammers can slip from fingers.

I recently purchased a CZ Shadow 2, really nice pistol. It is advertised as a DA/SA.....but there is no decocker. I did some research to find that in some competitions (USPSA, not sure what division) you start with the pistol in DA position meaning....you have to drop the hammer on the CZ. I was rather surprised by this, but have to assume it’s done in a very controlled environment. Whoever runs the competition obviously knows what they’re doing, and the shooters are likely trained and carefully monitored when decocking. This might be the one acceptable time to drop a hammer on a live round, but I still wouldn’t want to recommend a newer shooter, regardless of how much practice, do this. Just my opinion.
Dumb design.