Who carries cocked-and-locked?

[Welding Rod]

I favor a 1911 for gun games, but after shooting them for decades, including competitively, don't have complete confidence in them for SD. Some have been great, but I have seen lots of malfunctions too. For carry I prefer a XDM45. In a Kydex holster I think it is quite safe to carry, and all trigger pulls are the same. Good mag capacity too. Lightweight for the firepower.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

I'm actually pretty surprised to see that the majority of THR membership responding carry cocked and locked! I wouldn't have expected that. Guess I'm not as much of a relic as I thought!

Just to clarify I'm not asking if you carry with a round in the chamber; everyone does that, right? An unloaded gun is just an expensive brick with an ergonomic grip.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

How many folks here still carry Condition-One/Cocked-and-Locked?
.
.
.
But with a new crop of very good striker fired autos and a bunch of stellar HKs with LEM triggers, I'm beginning to wonder if it's time to consign cocked-and-locked carry to an honored place in history and "move on to the new?"

What say you all?

My Colt 1991A1 has an honored place in my holster, cocked-and-locked.




Oh, and by the way..."cocked-and-locked" for the 1911 style is the euphemism that describes "Condition 1", which means a round in the chamber, hammer cocked, safety on. So if you're asking if people are carrying "cocked-and-locked" and the answer is "yes", then you don't have to ask if a round is in the chamber...it is by definition.

Just sayin'.

 

[1911Tuner]

I'm actually pretty surprised to see that the majority of THR membership responding carry cocked and locked! I wouldn't have expected that. Guess I'm not as much of a relic as I thought.

Actually, carrying the 1911 cocked and locked is a fairly recent thing that Jeff Cooper kicked off in the mid-70s with his "Modern Technique" teachings.

Before that, only a few did it...mostly the people who lived on the edge and had a genuine need to get their sidearms in play as quickly as possible, and a good many of those carried double-action revolvers.

That aside, most people who carried the big Colt carried it either in Condition 2 or at half cock...or even hammer down on an empty chamber.

Add me to the cocked and locked list, even though I most often carry a revolver these days.

 

[Voodoochile]

Except when I'm at the range or open carry in the woods, I usually just keep all of our autoloaders with full mag but empty chamber.
At the range it depends on the regulations of either all empty or with loaded mag empty chamber.
back country I tend to go C&L.

 

[Phaedrus/69]

Oh, and by the way..."cocked-and-locked" for the 1911 style is the euphemism that describes "Condition 1", which means a round in the chamber, hammer cocked, safety on. So if you're asking if people are carrying "cocked-and-locked" and the answer is "yes", then you don't have to ask if a round is in the chamber...it is by definition.

Just sayin'.

A few of the posts appeared to reflect a confusion about the gun being loaded or not. I was just clarifying. True, without a hammer there'd be nothing to cock and without a safety there'd be nothing to "lock". I thought it was obvious that there'd be no reason to cock the hammer and engage the safety on an unloaded gun.

Actually, carrying the 1911 cocked and locked is a fairly recent thing that Jeff Cooper kicked off in the mid-70s with his "Modern Technique" teachings.

Also true. But I hate to break it to you, 1975 was 40 years ago! So maybe we're still relics.

 

[1911Tuner]

Also true. But I hate to break it to you, 1975 was 40 years ago! So maybe we're still relics.

True that...but compared to the 104 years since the 1911 appeared, it's still fairly recent...since it didn't really catch on until 10 years later.

 

[peacemaker45]

When I carry a 1911, I carry it C&L. When I carry a mouse gun, it's a Kel-Tec P32, which, alas, is DAO. I'd say I carry that one in spite of its trigger, though, not because.

Anyhow, I actually like Glocks, but think 1911s are more fun in competition. Thus, I carry one, too. If not for that, I'd probably save a kilobuck, and go for a G19. Not because they're better, but they are cheap, light, reliable and make it easy to carry most of a box of ammo around with you. Also, I've got a hankering to try one with an RMR, but there goes cheap.

 

[msmp5]

Every cop in my local area that carries the Colt 1911 (or a variant thereof) carries it cocked and locked.

 

[Officers'Wife]

My Commander is carried with a round in battery and the safety on.

Also true. But I hate to break it to you, 1975 was 40 years ago! So maybe we're still relics.

Let the record reflect that out of respect to honored ancients involved I chose not to comment.

 

[Sergei Mosin]

I carry either a 1911 or a revolver. Mostly the revolver, these days. The 1911 goes cocked & locked, the revolver is DAO.

 

[saturno_v]

DA/SA, one in the pipe, hammer down, 9mm. Simple, safe, effective.

+1


I do not own any pistol that is not DA/SA except for my little P11.

I may buy a 1911 one day but it will be a range toy only.

 

[CraigC]

1911, cocked & locked.

 

[loose noose]

Since my early days (1971) on the police force, when we went to the Colt 1911, .45acp I've been taught and always carried locked and cocked, never had a problem. Due to the bulk of such an arm, I usually only CCW it during the colder and bulkier weather days, which here in southern Nevada are far and few between, except for recently. Other than that I usually carry my PF-9.

 

[Spats McGee]

Like several others in this thread, I would need for the poll to be multiple-choice, because I have several different carry options. In fact, the only one I don't use is this:

I carry a DA/SA auto hammer down on a live round, DA first shot.

So yes, I do carry cocked and locked, at least from time to time.

 

[Skribs]

All of my carry pieces are reado to go with a squeeze of the trigger. Doesn't matter if its DAO, LDA, or SFA, or even a revolver, they're ready with a single control.

 

[mongoslow]

my 1911 is cocked and locked, my shield is safety on and my glocks are glocks

 

[krupparms]

I have carried a handgun since I was 17. The first were revolvers. But I soon started using the 1911A1. I was taught that it was meant to carried cocked & locked ( condition 1). The BHP was also carried that way. This was both in military & L.E.! I carry a G26 or a S&W SD9 most days now. But if I thank things call for it, I grab my 1911A1 & a rifle or PSG.I also use a HAFDASA, BALLESTER- MOLINA. It is alot like the 1911 with no grip safety. I have fixed it up some & it is very accurate & reliable. It is also carried cocked & locked.

 

[medic_guns]

MK 23 in condition 1 all day

 

[asia331]

1911 Condition one. No issues for decades, thank God.

 

[orionengnr]

How did he say it?

I don't always carry a 1911, but when I do, I carry it C&L.

 

[gun_with_a_view]

If I were to carry a semi auto pistol again, it would be carried without a round in the chamber, AKA Israeli draw. This ensures absolute safety of the gun no matter what while adding a mere fraction of a second to deployment of the weapon. Where there is not enough time to rack the slide, my BUG is always a J frame revolver and my preferred knife is a fixed blade.

 

[RetiredUSNChief]

If I were to carry a semi auto pistol again, it would be carried without a round in the chamber, AKA Israeli draw. This ensures absolute safety of the gun no matter what while adding a mere fraction of a second to deployment of the weapon. Where there is not enough time to rack the slide, my BUG is always a J frame revolver and my preferred knife is a fixed blade.

???

So, your BUG is ready for action at the pull of the trigger, but your primary would not be simply for being a semi-auto? Then why would your primary be your primary in that instance?

As for the "absolute safety of the gun no matter what", 1911tuner is fond of saying: "Is gun. Gun not safe."


By the same safety logic, your knife should not be a fixed blade...it should be a folding, non-assisted opening knife.


Note that I'm not saying there are no times when carrying a gun without a round in the chamber is appropriate. But if one's express purpose for carrying said gun is self-defense, then I question this decision. Turning one's primary defensive firearm into a weapon that requires two hands to ready in an emergency seriously limits one's options.


All that said...if you, or anyone else, WANTS to carry "Israeli style" (Condition 3 for 1911s, which is as old as the hills), more power to you. The world is full of choices. Just train appropriately.

 

[SpentCasing]

Majority of the time I have a G19 Gen4 as primary with LCP backup. round in pipe ready to go on both.

If I want to carry my heavy guns its=

1911- cocked 'n locked
92FS- half cocked, safety off

 

[smalls]

A gun should be ready to go in to a fight just as fast as you are. I know this is unpopular to some, but if you don't feel safe carrying a gun in condition 1, it's not the equipment that has an issue. You should really rethink carrying a deadly weapon.

Hell, the only reason I carrymy 1911 with the safety on is because I'd think something was wrong if I didn't feel the safety click off. Just the way I learned to shoot it, and too lazy to change my training now.