I will not venture so far as to say that he is wrong outright. But he may be confused. Double action means that the trigger both cocks AND drops the hammer. Double action pistols as a rule do not need to be "cocked and locked". In fact there are many double action pistols which CANNOT be cocked and locked as the safety serves double duty as a decocking device. Most Double Action Only (DAO) pistols cannot be carried this way either as the hammer simply cannot be locked back. Therefore double action pistols are the LEAST likely to require being carried this way.
It may be he had confused his terms. Single action pistols such as 1911 style pistols ARE designed to be carried "cocked and locked" as that is the safest way to carry them. He may have meant SINGLE action semi automatic pistols should be carried "cocked and locked"
If it was a simple matter of confusion of terms, a gentle correction should suffice. If your freind at the range insists that double action pistols MUST be carried this way, I would hand him an (unloaded) M-9 Berretta and ask him to demonstrate his technique.
One further note - there is a LOT of debate (smoke and hot air) over how to best carry the 1911-style pistol.
One school of thought says to carry it "cocked and locked" - IE with a round in the chamber, hammer cocked back. In this mode of carry, you have two actions from draw to bang. 1) Click safety off. 2) Squeeze trigger.
The other school of thought says to carry it "hammer down" Which means you have two actions from draw to bang. 1) Cock hammer. 2) Squeeze trigger.
The debate rages on.
This is why I like my revolvers and my M&P 45 (which has a trigger-mounted safety). ONE ACTION from draw to bang. (Squeeze trigger. Repeat if necessary.)
A glock is not any better than a revolver pull the trigger the weapon will discharge.
Pulling the trigger on a wheel gun that does not go bang could result in a hang fire that blows up your gun. With a semi the dud is ejected.I always have been a 'wheel gun' person. A double action revolver, pull the trigger and it goes BANG! If it doesnt pull it again and odds are the next one goes BANG! A round malfunction can stop a semi-auto, which can be a disaster. Whatever your gun is be safe and learn how to use it. You cant beat 'hands on training' from a knowledgeable instructor.
Where in MA? What type of instruction? NRA cert? PM is fine.. Thanks...
Not only don't you HAVE to, with some of them, you CAN'T.guy at local range was argueing that a semi auto pistol double action needs to be cocked and on safety?? is this true that there is a specific way you need to carry your weapon?:hang3:
My experience with misfires versus hangfires is something like 20 or more to one.Pulling the trigger on a wheel gun that does not go bang could result in a hang fire that blows up your gun. With a semi the dud is ejected.
My experience with misfires versus hangfires is something like 20 or more to one.
I don't recall ever having a hangfire in with a modern commercial cartridge. The last hangfires I recall were with FN .30-06 ball loaded in the '50s that a friend had in college in 1980.
My club has a double-action revolver league every spring. It's fired double-action ONLY, with slow, timed and rapid stages. There has NEVER been a hangfire, much less damage from one in all of the years that league has been in operation.
The odds of you getting a factory round with NO powder at all vastly outweigh those of a hangfire.
Pulling the trigger on a wheel gun that does not go bang could result in a hang fire that blows up your gun. With a semi the dud is ejected.