So JP over at the Empty Mags Podcast takes one of my posts, and turns it into a show topic on 1911 carry.
Now JP talks about all the conditions of 1911 carry, and talks about them specifically with the M1911 pattern pistol. I won’t riff much on what he said because he was pretty much spot-on. I will say that M1911 pistols can discharge if the hammer is down on a live round unless the gun is on the half-cock notch. Furthermore JP points out expertly that it is an ergonomic nightmare to deploy a 1911 and fan the hammer on the draw. It can be done, and its less of a pain than say Condition 3 carry where the slide is racked on the draw. Personally I believe that when I NEED my gun, seconds count, and I want to be able to take as much advantage of that as possible, so I carry in Condition 1 (cocked and locked) because I can quickly, and safely deploy the pistol with one hand. Now my HD gun is in Condition 3 with an empty chamber because its not on my person. Other than that Its cocked-and-locked, or being cleaned.
Still JP doesn’t talk much about OTHER models of guns. Now I’ll note that the 4 conditions of readiness were made specifically for the M1911 pistol so there is really a LOT of gray area in the carry methods. Like how does one consider the “Safe Action” striker fired guns? Like your Glocks, or your M&Ps, or Kahrs. Or guns like the Para LDA or the Ruger LC9 where the hammer is partially charged just like the striker. These guns are KINDA cocked, and KINDA not. Frankly I see a long and not-quite-as-heavy-as-necessary trigger pull as close-enough for carry like a true DAO gun like my S&W642 revolver that has a completely concealed hammer. Same for guns like the Springfield XD or the Walther PPS which the striker is 100% cocked, but for mechanical reasons I’m unaware of the gun mimics a partially-charged striker on the trigger pull. I also consider these guns to be essentially DAO, so for all of them their ONLY method of carry is Condition 2. We can argue mechanics, but logistically its Condition 2.
All revolvers, be it a modern Double-Action, or an Oldschool Single-action are carried Condition 2 (tho SA guns without a transfer bar, or hammer-block safety they’re KINDA carried Condition 3 as the hammer should be lowered on an empty chamber).
Also traditional hammer-guns can have some extra issues as well, like a traditional Beretta gun, or other guns with a decocking safety where the gun can have the hammer down AND the safety on, which you can’t do with a 1911 that has a safety that blocks the hammer. Now while I don’t think its smart to carry a SAO gun like the M1911 with the hammer down, there are some DA/SA guns that have a 1911-style safety that blocks the hammer. The best example is the traditional CZ-75, now I haven’t done much work withe the 75, but overall I think its a VERY groovy gun, I own a CZ-82 which has a similar operation. The 82, and its .380/.32 ACP cousin the CZ-83 are REALLY cool and affordable guns, that give you a Double-stack compact gun in a light caliber. When shooting my 82 I find my hands are a bit too big for manipulating the thumb safety on the gun. If I were to carry my 82 I’d lower the hammer on a live round and holster. Now the CZ-82 has both a hammer block safety AND a rebounding hammer so its VERY safe to carry in this way, still this DOES mean pulling the trigger on a loaded gun. Now easing the hammer down, and maybe keeping a finger between the hammer and the firing pin will make you mostly safe, I’d still get myself a bucket and fill it with sand and just keep the muzzle pointed down into the bucket while I decock, and the sand will stop just about anything. But while carrying the gun will be in condition 2 and the safety cannot turn on, and to fire you simply draw and make a double-action trigger pull. Of course guns like this, or guns that use a 3-position safety like FNH and H&K among others you can choose to carry the gun hammer back, or hammer down safely.
With guns that have no manual safety at all but are DA/SA like most Sig Sauers or the Walther P99 Condition 2 is the only game in town.
That’s one of the first steps to finding what carry gun is best for you, how would you like to carry. Me personally I like a crips SA trigger pull every time with a manual safety that I can swipe off and hold off while assuming my normal firing grip. Of course the M1911 is the king of this but there are many guns that are similar.
Also I very much like an identical DA trigger pull for every shot, and I like that with a trigger like that no additional safties are required, so guns like DA Revolvers, and guns like the Glock and M&P appeal to me.
Some people prefer the added safety of having a manual safety to disengage as WELL as that DA trigger pull. So long as you train with it, there isn’t much problem with that. Further if the gun you have has a Decocking safety or a DAO trigger and a manual safety it might be wise to practice sweeping the safety off on the draw in the event that it gets bumped on in your travels.
So yeah, Condition 2 can be cool, given that your gun is designed to be carried hammer-down, and has a DA trigger that doesn’t demand you fan the hammer before you fire. Certainly I love it in “DAO” type guns like Glocks, M&Ps, and Kahr, and in Revolvers, and I’m a fan of the classic Sig Sauers, and I have no problem with the Walther P99 (tho frankly I find that piece to be a very Vanilla gun with very little that knocks my socks off).
And I like it LOADS better than Condition 3 for carry as you are dependent on having a 2nd hand to rack the slide, and you may only have one hand available in a time of need.
So go Listen to JP’s Podcast, and Go carry your guns!
