Handgun Carry Condition

[Guest ProguninTN]

If I'm carrying a semi, then loaded and chambered.

If I am carrying a revolver, then it is hammer down (DA mode).

[James Yeager]

A friend (police officier) once told me if I need more than one mag, I need to get back to the range.

MidTNShooter

Let's talk to that Cop AFTER he has been in a gunfight. I assure you that his opinion will change.

[RandyC]

Condition One, always.

And I agree with James on that cop's advice. It's easy to be cavalier about someone else's safety.

[Guest jackdog]

if you dont want to carry cocked and locked then dont carry sat all.

Jackdog

[Guest salb3039]

Always condition 1. Now that I carry and before when it sat around for home defense.

[James Yeager]

Carry in condition 1 everyone. PLEASE.

[Guest Archimedes]

There's no other way to carry a Glock....unless you don't even have one in the tube.

~Archi

[Guest db99wj]

My XD has one on the pipe at all times unless it is in pieces being cleaned.

[saintsfanbrian]

Personal opinion again, there is no other way to carry a firearm than condition 1. A gun that is not ready to be fired might as well be a paper weight or a rock. If you need it, you need it now, not in 2 seconds.

All of my hand guns keep a round in the chamber, the rifles aren't even loaded because I have 2 small children and the safe isn't big enough to put them in.

[shaftbass]

Courtesy The Ayoob Files:

In the Southwest, a well-intentioned good guy who was apparently a little ambivalent about his choice, decided to carry a gun. He purchased a Glock 23 and kept it in a fanny pack, loaded with a magazine of .40 S&W training ammunition but with nothing in the chamber.

The day came when he was faced with armed robbers. He grabbed the Glock out of the fanny pack and tried to chamber a round. but fumbled with the slide and jammed his pistol. The robbers shot him down. He survived--and sued Glock, Incorporated.

[Guest drewi]

Courtesy The Ayoob Files:

I'm really sorry that guy got robbed and shot. But I am disgusted that he sued Glock for his lack of training, common sense, and decency.

Another argument for protecting firearms companies (and any company for that matter) from frivolous lawsuits.

[saintsfanbrian]

The robbers shot him down. He survived--and sued Glock, Incorporated.

And this is Glocks fault? I don't think Glock recommends carrying a weapon with out a round in the chamber, I don't recall seeing that in my owners manual. I am sorry dude got shot, but he lived, and had he had one in the chamber, probably would have been better off.

[shaftbass]

Yes, that is the point I was making.

[Guest Loaded247]

Dangit, he sued Glock? That's sad. Carrying without one in the chamber is, well, to each his own.......

On top of that, carrying it in a fanny pack? Hmmm....well, once again, to each his own......

Getting shot down because you had an unchambered gun in a fanny pack? Well, it sounds to me like he was just a really nice guy who wanted to make sure that the bad guys had 'more than a fair chance', because, after all, he probably didn't want to hurt anybody, and he knew that most likely nothing would happen, and if something DID happen, just having it would 'scare the bad guys away', without him having to fire a shot. Besides, once he pulled it out and racked it, it would warn them off, right???

I'm sorry to hear of this guys misfortune, but it wasn't Glock's fault!

[dunndw]

Condition one....topped off mag.

[Daniel]

im guessing condition 3 is loaded mag but not charged?

[molonlabetn]

im guessing condition 3 is loaded mag but not charged?

Yes.

Condition 0 = Loaded magazine, loaded chamber, cocked action (striker or hammer), manual safety off (or no manual safety, ie Glock)

Condition 1 = Loaded magazine, loaded chamber, cocked action, manual safety on

Condition 2 = Loaded magazine, loaded chamber, de-cocked action (hammer down or striker at rest)

Condition 3 = Loaded magazine, empty chamber

Condition 4 = Empty magazine or no magazine, empty chamber

I believe the condition # is meant to describe the number of actions typically required in order to prepare the gun to fire.

[Marswolf]

I'm wondering if any people said condition 1 when they really meant condition 0?

Anyway, I carry either condition 2 (my carry guns are all SA/DA or DAO) or condition 0. That's why I like a hammer. I can can carry hammer down for safety but still fire with just a DA trigger pull if needed; but if things start looking strange, I can cock the hammer for a SA shot.

I have to agree with Glock's philosophy that manual safeties don't belong on a duty/carry weapon. I just don't agree with them that you shouldn't be able to de-cock and re-cock the weapon.

[creeky]

One in the chamber, decocked, safety off...

(This has been a recent change, I used to keep the safety on.)

At home... no loaded weapons left unattained. I don't live in a high crime

area, my drive is a thousand feet long, and I have a dog outside.

(I'm sure some find this foolish.)

I believe should I need to, I can load my weapon and chamber a

round quickly. I also have two small kids.

[Guest 2HOW]

If you carry a 1911 and dont carry in condition 1 you are a fool. That being said I carry my other semi loaded ,charged with safety on.

[dariks]

Condition 1 1/2 I think.

Loaded chamber, decocked, manual safety on.

[Daniel]

imo its more likely someone else be attacked and you be able to assist than being attacked yourself. so charging the weapon wouldnt be a problem especially if you move to cover first. i dont know maybe im stuck with how we were trained. we patroled with safeties on at all times and flipped them when we needed to fire and since we always did it that way we knew what to do automatically. we also didnt stand there firing we got to cover first.

i think ill carry in 3 regardless of how the rest of you feel. i know that i will be able to load it but then again i think its more likely that someone else will be the victim than myself and i could be in for a rude awakening.

[Marswolf]

If you carry a 1911 and dont carry in condition 1 you are a fool. That being said I carry my other semi loaded ,charged with safety on.

That may be a bit strong. Many a shooter has forgotten to take the safety off when the adrenalin started flowing when the SHTF. Many of us think you are a fool to have the safety on with a carry weapon.

Condition 0 works just fine for a 1911 in a good holster.

[molonlabetn]

One of the (few) reasons that I prefer the XD over the 1911 for carry is the lack of a manual safety to get in my way... I consider the grip-safety to be sufficient protection for carry.

[Guest db99wj]

One of the (few) reasons that I prefer the XD over the 1911 for carry is the lack of a manual safety to get in my way... I consider the grip-safety to be sufficient protection for carry.

Agreed. And if you put your thumb on top of the slide, over the rear site, that will disengage the grip safety when you are reholstering it.