[Dang3r]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

Ugh, I read that till my eyes bled. Consensus was don't carry with hammer down on a live round. Coincidentally this gun has a half cock option which did not fire the gun when I tried it

My 225 has the option to "click" the hammer one notch back manually and the plunger before the loaded chamber stays released. This condition remains until you cock the hammer fully or fire a shot stead after pulling the pistol outta the holster. The 229 hasnt this option and for absolutely safety I carry both weapons w/o any bullets into the chambers to avoid to mix it inadvertently.

[Fundguy1]

The problem with not having the round in the chamber is you need time to rack one into the chamber. Most times you don't have the time as most times you need a pistol its at 25ft or less.

[fravel]

Shiiiiiit.... my Sig P320 has no safeties whatsoever, just the bang switch.

I carry it in Condition 0.

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by fravel

Shiiiiiit.... my Sig P320 has no safeties whatsoever, just the bang switch.

I carry it in Condition 0.

Same with my p229 and ruger LCP. The LCP has no exposed hammer so it won't go off dropped, trigger is heavy and holster covers trigger. The p229 has internal safeties to stop a drop discharge and again long trigger covered by holster. Both were designed to be carried this way.

[Mr Tonka]

I just pull my pistol out of the holster and pull the trigger. Seems to work well.

[Fundguy1]

Originally Posted by Mr Tonka

I just pull my pistol out of the holster and pull the trigger. Seems to work well.

That's it brotha. My LCP has a green laser that turns on automatically when you take it out of the holster. No prep, just point and shoot.

[1MOREMOD]

Put together another trunk gun last night, under 450 with colt carry handle, larue apeg grip, sling, and badger tac latch

[davis449]

Here's my small, humble handgun arsenal and their typical defense load out. Federal Premium in the Springfield, Hornady Critical Duty in the FN, Hornady Critical Defense in the Walther, CCI minimags in the PPQ .22LR.

Daisy Powerline Model 93 (BB's ~400 FPS)
Walther PPQ .22LR
Walther PPQ 9mm
FN Herstal FNS-9 Compact 9mm
Springfield Armory XD(M) 3.8 9mm

I've been around guns my whole life. Being from West Texas, originally, I was basically born with a shotgun in my hands. I would shoot rifles across the caliber range, on occasion, but growing up we were solely a shotgun household. My dad never looked favorably upon handguns and we didn't have any rifles because we weren't deer or varmint hunters AT ALL. I've always loved handguns and wanted one (more on that shortly ), but I think his deference to them ingrained some kind of, for lack of a better word, fear of them in me when I was in their physical presence. I wasn't so afraid that I couldn't pick one up and shoot it, as I did on rare occasions previous to this past June, I just didn't feel comfortable. I think I just heard too many stories about kids and morons shooting themselves with dad's handgun they somehow got a hold of and, even though I was hard coded by my father with gun safety from the very beginning, I knew these were mostly isolated incidents. The MSM just made it seem as though a handgun was guaranteed to kill you by merely being in the presence of one. Those incidents were just some of the scare tactics used by my parents and the MSM polluting my mind at a young age. It really boiled down to my father just believing more in the motto of Lynrd Skynrd. Also, there was that nagging disapproval from him that I feared.

Well in June of this year I went out with my best friend of 31 years to shoot his new AR. He was allowed by his dad to bring out the Gen 2 Glock 22 he had that was bought in 1994 or 1995 brand new and hadn't been shot in at least ten years. This was a HUGE deal since his "gun nut" father was VERY possessive of HIS firearms. Hard to understand from the outside looking in, but growing up it was laughable how possessive he was. Let's put it this way. The gun cabinet (really a display case with a half-assed lock) resided in my friend's closet from the day he was born until it was relocated somewhere else when they happened to move to Denver in 1994. By then he was 12. Hell, the handguns he had, and ammo, were stored in the drawers with no locks below the locked glass\wood door that contained the rifles and shotguns. Any kid that set foot in that household was SO scared of his dad (including me) they wouldn't even LOOK at that cabinet when we went in their to retrieve his toys.

Anyway, after we screwed around with the AR for a while, we headed to the handgun range to shoot the G22. He left me alone with it to shoot while he went to go talk to the rifle range officer about something with the AR. I felt the fear ping, but loaded it up and went at it. Believe it or not, this was the first time I'd shot a handgun by myself without someone watching over me like a hawk (the handgun range officer doesn't count for me here) in my life. After the first magazine, I felt the fear completely disappear and I became instantly comfortable. It was the strangest thing ever.

So me, him, and another very good friend of mine went out with just handguns the next weekend (third friend here had three). Me and my other buddy took a straight shot from the range to a local gun store here we both knew well and I bought the XD(M). I had done all the research I wanted to do beforehand and rented a few at the range as well, no boring details about that. I liked this WAY too much. 9mm isn't "expensive", per se compared to .40 and .45, but it was enough to make me realize I needed a .22 to run rounds through. I don't really do compact guns, so the full size PPQ chambered in .22LR was a logical choice. Shouldn't have done that, because the ergonomics, trigger, and its reset are STUPID good on that gun. Had to have it in 9mm. Went to Bass Pro and bought one. So now I had three. I am getting my LTC here soon and that third very good friend convinced me I needed a carry pistol. It wasn't a hard sell. He's a FN and Glock guy, but he just didn't like the double stack compact. He did not pressure me at all, but he was ready to sell his FNS-9c. I had shot it several times, I could shoot it well, so it was a logical choice. Sold it to me for $300 with all the original stuff that came with it plus two extra mags.

So within the span of less than a month I went from weird aversion to handguns to owning four and pursuing my LTC in complete comfort. Sorry for the long post, I just wanted to share my journey with the other firearm enthusiasts in this forum.

[Fundguy1]

You aren't alone. I have seen many people with this programmed fear, often very antigun before, try one at the range and then realize their fear was unfounded. Glad to hear of your cure.

[1MOREMOD]

Yep I had similar thoughts about guns and motorcycles for some reason. Bought an r1 and yz250 and dozen guns fixed

[Dalko43]

The only way I would carry a hot sidearm without any safeties is if it is a double action/single action (e.g. Sig p229 or p226). That way I can at least keep a thumb on the hammer as I holster it to make sure I'm not inadvertently yanking the trigger on something and you have a safety of sorts with that long and hard first pull.

Those internal striker pistols without safeties though I'm not a fan of.

[Irishsig]

Just picked up this Off-Roster beauty, barely used for a steal.
At least by CA standards.
Going to PPT a Sig 1911 Scorpion Carry tomorrow.
My wallet is begging for mercy at the moment.

[davis449]

^Looking very hard into a 1911 next and that's the combo (color and grips) I've been staring at most.

You aren't alone. I have seen many people with this programmed fear, often very antigun before, try one at the range and then realize their fear was unfounded. Glad to hear of your cure.

Yep I had similar thoughts about guns and motorcycles for some reason. Bought an r1 and yz250 and dozen guns fixed

Thanks both of you for not ridiculing me and making me feel comfortable telling my story.

The only way I would carry a hot sidearm without any safeties is if it is a double action/single action (e.g. Sig p229 or p226). That way I can at least keep a thumb on the hammer as I holster it to make sure I'm not inadvertently yanking the trigger on something and you have a safety of sorts with that long and hard first pull.

Those internal striker pistols without safeties though I'm not a fan of.

Funny enough I, of all people, should feel the same way, but I am 180 degrees of this. I have no issue with lack of a manual safety and/or hammer on my guns. But, as I said before, my gun safety training both professionally and by my father has served me extremely well here. I still have a HEALTHY respect for them. I am comfortable now, but no cocky.

[Fundguy1]

Best safety is your finger.

[KenB925]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Best safety is your finger.

and a good holster, if carrying

[CatOrtega3881]

Here are mine:

Sig p226 mk 25 with threaded barrel, X-ray sights, g10 hogue grips

FNX 45 tactical with trijicon rmr and streamlight tlr 2s

Sig p320 rx compact with crimson trace rail master pro

FNS 9c with trijicon rmr, top slide serrations, crimson trace rail master pro, rubber talon grips

Sig mpx with holosun red dot, magpul pro buis, surefire infrared light/laser, sb tactical sliding brace, Lantac dragon muzzle brake

[upstatedoc]

Another bump in the night gun Glock 20

[Dalko43]

Originally Posted by Fundguy1

Best safety is your finger.

No, the best safety is an actual safety. If I'm carrying a sidearm that lacks a safety, it's because I've made a conscious decision to assume some risk in return for some added benefit.

[Lucky John]

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

Another bump in the night gun Glock 20

Doc, I just gotta say that looks really familiar...fifteen rounds of Winchester silvertips in 10mm with a Spartan Lasermax light laser combo and some upgrades from TMT.

[PINeely]

Y'all just make sure to test those silver tips, my G29 hates them.

[Fundguy1]

I'm a critical defense guy myself.

[PINeely]

Likewise. I also love underwood for the 10mm, they're loaded to original spec. XTP HP is getting close to 1500 fps and about 750 ft pounds