DaveT319
Regular Member
I wouldn't say I'm "worrying" about it; more, it's a thought that has spawned further thoughts.
Ok, for those that use a friction holster, do you carry with the safety on or off (assuming your weapon of choice has an external safety)? I would think it would be best to leave it on, as if it IS snatched the BG might not be expecting that, and so it would give you a little extra time to react and be able to fight for the weapon.
I carry mine with the safety on, but uhm, yeah, it's a 1911. Cocked and locked, and all of that. A safety is of no hindrance to a person who trains their draw a lot, so there's little reason to have it disengaged anyway. Unless of course, it's some kind of really awkward design, and I can't even think of an example right off hand.
My CZ 85 B isn't a 1911, but it's of the same philosophy. From Jeff Cooper's conditions for his M1911:
Condition Four: Chamber empty, empty magazine, hammer down.
Condition Three: Chamber empty, full magazine in place, hammer down.
Condition Two: A round chambered, full magazine in place, hammer down.
Condition One: A round chambered, full magazine in place, hammer cocked, safety on.
Condition Zero: A round chambered, full magazine in place, hammer cocked, safety off.
Most people think Condition One is more "ready" than Condition Two, but they're wrong:
Condition One: Draw, flip safety off, fire.
Condition Two: Draw, fire.
As for "safeties," I don't know about your firearm, but mine has a firing pin interlock tied to a near-full pull of the trigger, which is protected by the holster. That's four physical safeties and a fifth between my ears:
- holster covers the trigger
- retention holster
- firing pin interlock
- 6.6 lb trigger pull
- brain engaged
Thus, I always carry it in condition two. That's also the condition required for most U.S. Armed Forces.
In fact, the ONLY condition in which I can even apply the safety is Condition One. After twenty-five years of experience carrying both OC and CC, and talking with a few experts, including a CZ rep, I'm convinced the purpose of Condition One is only after having drawn and fired your weapon. Mine doesn't have a decocking lever, so instead of the unsafe maneuver of manually decocking it in public, I would flip the safety on, holster it, and secure it until I could reach a safe environment in which to manually decock it.
Put simply, it makes no sense to carry "cocked and locked" when that requires three steps to fire as opposed to Condition Two, which requires one less step. No matter how practiced you are, Murphy's Law loves to rear its head during the worst times of need. The only way to beat it is to keep it simple.
Most people think Condition One is more "ready" than Condition Two, but they're wrong:
Condition One: Draw, flip safety off, fire.
Condition Two: Draw, fire.
I would agree with that, just like the politicians when they don't get their way they revert to demonizing instead of using common sense, and logic.
That is the first time I have ever seen the words "Politicians", "Common sense", and "Logic" all in the same sentence.....lol
I... just like the politicians when they... get their way... using common sense, and logic.