Concealed Carry Safety

[Blaster229]

If you dont trust the internal safeties of your carry gun enough to carry with a round in the chamber, it is probably time to go shopping for a better one.

Internal safeties do not eliminate things that may snag, etc... and actuate that trigger. Nobody is saying is just going to go off because the safety well fail for no reason.
People, especially new, are a little apprehensive at first. That's fine and natural. Carrying is an exciting and new existence at first and definitely had a learning curve that should err on the side of safety. Until they get their confidence and carrying mojo goin on.

 

[EMS Burnout]

SNAG??? What are you snagging a trigger on? Proper way to carry is in a holster (IWB, OWB, in pocket) and always in a holster. You will never snag a trigger skinning it from a holster. Keep your finger off the trigger. If you think that having a round in the chamber of your pistol is too dangerous then maybe a gun is too dangerous for you to carry. Go take some self defense classes with your pistol. You will find out very quickly that you need to put one in the chamber.

 

[Baccusboy]

SNAG??? What are you snagging a trigger on? Proper way to carry is in a holster (IWB, OWB, in pocket) and always in a holster. You will never snag a trigger skinning it from a holster. Keep your finger off the trigger. If you think that having a round in the chamber of your pistol is too dangerous then maybe a gun is too dangerous for you to carry. Go take some self defense classes with your pistol. You will find out very quickly that you need to put one in the chamber.

They can snag on those jumper jackets with elastic band clip thingies that hang down. Happened more than once to different people, including police.

 

[traveller]

Internal safeties do not eliminate things that may snag, etc... and actuate that trigger. Nobody is saying is just going to go off because the safety well fail for no reason.

Well, some semi-autos were known to just go off if someone accidentally snagged something on the exposed hammer or if the gun was bumped into a car-door or motorcycle saddle. Nothing is going to snag your trigger if you wear the firearm in a proper holster.

 

[Biggfoot44]

Never is a long time. In the days when hammers were common , the additional *best practice* of duty holster design included having a desigh feature of the holster ( generally satety strap/ thumb break ) physically prevent the hammer from doing firing-like things. For DA Revolvers or DA autos physically holding the hammer in down positon, SA autos having a piece of leather between hammer and firing pin, so that if the hammer were to fall , it would be blocked by leather , and not contact firing pin.

That said , unintended discharges are far, far more common involving reholstering , rather than drawing.

 

[E.Shell]

Well, some semi-autos were known to just go off if someone accidentally snagged something on the exposed hammer or if the gun was bumped into a car-door or motorcycle saddle. Nothing is going to snag your trigger if you wear the firearm in a proper holster.

"Well...."

traveller, what is you angle here? IOW, why the series of obtuse comments?

Are you actually trying to learn something about this subject, or simply trying to add confusion and/or fuel debate where there essentially is none?

Seeming to play 'devil's advocate' here is not helping clarify things for inexperienced shooters or those new to CCW.

Do you ever CCW?


Anyway...

Most semi-auto handguns made in the last century or so, and almost any modern semi-auto handgun currently sold today has some sort of hammer block or firing pin block to prevent accidental discharge if the hammer falls. Some have several devices, like a grip safety, trigger tab, etc. to ensure the trigger must be intentionally operated to discharge the firearm.

Freak accidents and parts failures can occur, but barring that, cocked and locked with a properly designed semi-auto handgun in a properly designed holster is safer than driving to town to buy the bullets.

If you wish to address potential parts failures, then obviously NO gun is 100% safe when loaded, but of course that's why we have the safety rule about where the gun should not be pointed.

Personal defense weapons MUST be loaded to be of any utility, this SHOULD go without saying and any other approach demonstrates a lack of understanding of the problem the firearm is intended to solve. It is not a magic talisman, where merely having it changes the situation.

Carrying a loaded firearm is quite obviously NOT without some risks, but these risks can be properly managed with solid training and good safety habits.

With concealed carry, the firearm is rather sheltered from impact and damage. It is typically tucked in close to the body in a well designed, secure holster. The hammer may be exposed in the sense of gun design, but it is not exposed to impact during normal carry.

Nothing is ever completely idiot proof, there will always be a better idiot.

 

[RoadDawg]

"Well...."

>snip<


Anyway...

Most semi-auto handguns made in the last century or so, and almost any modern semi-auto handgun currently sold today has some sort of hammer block or firing pin block to prevent accidental discharge if the hammer falls. Some have several devices, like a grip safety, trigger tab, etc. to ensure the trigger must be intentionally operated to discharge the firearm.

Freak accidents and parts failures can occur, but barring that, cocked and locked with a properly designed semi-auto handgun in a properly designed holster is safer than driving to town to buy the bullets.

If you wish to address potential parts failures, then obviously NO gun is 100% safe when loaded, but of course that's why we have the safety rule about where the gun should not be pointed.

Personal defense weapons MUST be loaded to be of any utility, this SHOULD go without saying and any other approach demonstrates a lack of understanding of the problem the firearm is intended to solve. It is not a magic talisman, where merely having it changes the situation.

Carrying a loaded firearm is quite obviously NOT without some risks, but these risks can be properly managed with solid training and good safety habits.

With concealed carry, the firearm is rather sheltered from impact and damage. It is typically tucked in close to the body in a well designed, secure holster. The hammer may be exposed in the sense of gun design, but it is not exposed to impact during normal carry.

Nothing is ever completely idiot proof, there will always be a better idiot.

And that about covers it...

 

[RoadDawg]

They can snag on those jumper jackets with elastic band clip thingies that hang down. Happened more than once to different people, including police.

Which is why part of the training in LE is a "holster sweep" when holstering your pistol. It is simply the act of slowly and gently, with your hand, checking the area around your holster to insure that nothing has been trapped inside of the holster or trigger area of your pistol.

If something is found... then you gently and carefully remove the pistol, clear the foreign item from the trigger guard/holster and re-holster the pistol properly.

 

[Blaster229]

Which is why part of the training in LE is a "holster sweep" when holstering your pistol. It is simply the act of slowly and gently, with your hand, checking the area around your holster to insure that nothing has been trapped inside of the holster or trigger area of your pistol.

If something is found... then you gently and carefully remove the pistol, clear the foreign item from the trigger guard/holster and re-holster the pistol properly.

Kinda wish you were still a cop eh?
A holster sweep?? That's not a part of any regime. Except for an admin reload when your pistol is in the holster and you need to add rounds to the magazine. After you re insert the magazine into your pistol, you sweep your hand between it and your body to make sure your didn't put a handful of t shirt in with the mag.

 

[Blaster229]

Foreign items are rarely to never found in a holster. Ever.
Never ever actually.

 

[Multifaceted]

Foreign items are rarely to never found in a holster. Ever.
Never ever actually.

Save for, perhaps, some stray fabric lint...

 

[traveller]

"Well...."
traveller, what is you angle here? IOW, why the series of obtuse comments?

My 'angle' is that there was a time in the dark past when carrying a semi with a round in the chamber was not safe. As I stated, if someone does not trust the internal safeties of ones firearm, they need to go out and buy a modern one that can be safely carried that way.

 

[RoadDawg]

Kinda wish you were still a cop eh?
A holster sweep?? That's not a part of any regime. Except for an admin reload when your pistol is in the holster and you need to add rounds to the magazine. After you re insert the magazine into your pistol, you sweep your hand between it and your body to make sure your didn't put a handful of t shirt in with the mag.

Kinda wish you were retired don't you.

If you're not checking after you holster... I don't want to be near you when you pull up on your jacket.



BANG


Ooops.

 

[Blaster229]

The jacket is fine if you are conscious when you holstered up. You sweep your jacket when you draw. Two hands should be used to reholster. Support hand moves the cover garment out of the way to keep the holster mouth clear and then it's safe to holster the weapon. Never sweep with your weapon in your hand and holster up. This is when things get caught.

 

[pc1256]

I think it is safe as long as it is holstered

 

[RoadDawg]

The jacket is fine if you are conscious when you holstered up. You sweep your jacket when you draw. Two hands should be used to reholster. Support hand moves the cover garment out of the way to keep the holster mouth clear and then it's safe to holster the weapon. Never sweep with your weapon in your hand and holster up. This is when things get caught.

Ahh... Now I see your difficulty. I never said to perform a sweep "AS YOU HOLSTER". I guess I thought the instruction to carefully sweep to make sure nothing got stuck into the holster or trigger guard would have let you know that the sweep is AFTER holstering up.

The Police Chief who shot himself in the leg... Did so because he failed to check after he holstered his pistol. And then when he pulled on his jacket, the drawstring was caught inside of his trigger guard. He pulled the trigger with his own drawstring. He was negligent and felt the pain for it.

 

[Blaster229]

Ahh... Now I see your difficulty. I never said to perform a sweep "AS YOU HOLSTER". I guess I thought the instruction to carefully sweep to make sure nothing got stuck into the holster or trigger guard would have let you know that the sweep is AFTER holstering up.

The Police Chief who shot himself in the leg... Did so because he failed to check after he holstered his pistol. And then when he pulled on his jacket, the drawstring was caught inside of his trigger guard. He pulled the trigger with his own drawstring. He was negligent and felt the pain for it.

There's another video out there of some detective who did the same thing. But again, with a Glock.
People need to realize going back into the holster fast isn't such a good thing. No rush.

 

[Blaster229]

Looky here. A pistol, in a holster, in a laptop bag all safe and sound. And I didn't get purse snatched from the parking lot, into Starbucks

 

[Blaster229]

Out of curiosity, how many purses and/or fanny packs do you own?

I have 1 bmw motorcycle fanny type pack. I don't use it as a fanny pack. I do use it as a storage bag for my pistol,mags and some other stuff when I use a safe deposit box in hotels if I know I am going to have a drink or 5. I don't trust the room safes.

I have 1, 5.11 concealable pocket type back pack when I load up some gear when I go away locally and take more than 1 pistol. I like the dedicated zippered pocket with velcro inside that accepts a velcro holster and mag pouch.

and I have 1 Maxpedition jumbo Versipak with the dedicated velcro holster pocket. I would use that to sling over my back like a messenger bag when I ride somewhere on my motorcycle.

As you can see, these are methods of transport and not actually for a "concealed carry use".
I would never use one for these bags as a substitute to say if I were to go walk around the mall or something "active".

And this pic is just my laptop bag for when I go sit in the corner of Starbucks for an hour or so.

 

[redeemed.man]

For anyone super concerned or scared to carry a Glock with the chamber loaded there is always the Saf-T-Block. I ONLY use it when I am carrying in a bag without a holster which is very rare (it has a tension device built in and will NOT fall out accidentally if installed properly). It does the job and IMHO does not slow readiness in any measurable way. That being said I do NOT use it when I carry in a holster (which is every day). When I carry IWB as I do all day everyday in a good holster there is no need for anything like this.