Safety concern pistol vs revolver

[Danmc]

Hello folks, new to the forum. I am new to concealed carry, have had permit about 2 years. I have hunted most my life using rifles & shotguns, but hand guns are fairly new to me. I am by no means an expert on any type of firearm, but I sure have taken a liking to hand guns over the past couple years. I will probably be asking a lot of questions, some of which may seem dumb to gun-educated folks, but to me they are real, so don't beat me up too bad. So with that said, I have a question. Maybe it is just a mental state, but I feel ok carrying a revolver with all the holes filled, but when it comes to a pistol, I feel uncomfortable carrying with one in the pipe. So my question is this: Mechanically speaking, is there really any difference carrying condition one, pistol vs revolver? Or is this just something I need to overcome? Thanks.

 

[golddigger14s]

As long as you handle the weapon safely, and it is mechanically sound it will be fine. I have a Taurus 24/7 DS PRO, I open carry all the time with one in the pipe. After racking a round I push up the safety all the way to de-cock it. If I need to fire the first round is DA, then SA after that for follow-up shots.

 

[TX_CHL]

2 things on this topic... 1, as long as your trigger guard is covered while it's in the holster it won't shoot. 2, if you do decide to carry a semi auto with out one in the chamber and something happens, you might as well give your gun to the bad guy. They're not going to wait for you to load it. Cops carry there gun in condition one and they don't have any issuses with them going off.

 

[Bighouse Doc]

I am not aware of any modern autoloaders that are not safe to carry ready to go.

Even the 1911 was designed for safe carry in that condition.

-Doc

 

[Eddie_Car]

The old single action revolvers were carried with an empty chamber under the hammer because any sharp impact could potentially cause the hammer to hit the primer. (no firing pin block) same is true for some older semi auto pistols.
This issue has been been addressed with most modern pistols by adding a firing pin block.

 

[Rich_S]

Hello folks, new to the forum. I am new to concealed carry, have had permit about 2 years. I have hunted most my life using rifles & shotguns, but hand guns are fairly new to me. I am by no means an expert on any type of firearm, but I sure have taken a liking to hand guns over the past couple years. I will probably be asking a lot of questions, some of which may seem dumb to gun-educated folks, but to me they are real, so don't beat me up too bad. So with that said, I have a question. Maybe it is just a mental state, but I feel ok carrying a revolver with all the holes filled, but when it comes to a pistol, I feel uncomfortable carrying with one in the pipe. So my question is this: Mechanically speaking, is there really any difference carrying condition one, pistol vs revolver? Or is this just something I need to overcome? Thanks.

A semi auto can be safer than a revolver if you choose one with an external user controlled safety. I know of many people who carry 1911's with a round chambered, hammer cocked back, and safety on.

 

[NavyLCDR]

I have a question. Maybe it is just a mental state, but I feel ok carrying a revolver with all the holes filled, but when it comes to a pistol, I feel uncomfortable carrying with one in the pipe. So my question is this: Mechanically speaking, is there really any difference carrying condition one, pistol vs revolver? Or is this just something I need to overcome? Thanks.

Why do you feel there is a difference?

 

[wallyb]

My 709 Slim has multiple safety features and I feel comfortable carrying it ready to fire "with one in the pipe" after I simply press down on the external safety lever under my right thumb.

 

[kelcarry]

Hey Danmc: Welcome to forum. Do not be afraid to ask questions--if you don't ask you will never get an answer. Worked for me thru schooling and career--usually your question is something someone else wanted to ask but felt silly asking. You will mostly see helpful replies and an occasional smart-guy dumb answer--just ignore the ignoramous. Try using the "search" feature on the forum--with the right words the forum library will supply answers that relate to your question and provide you with many answers to your questions.
As far as pistols are concerned, I guess you've seen some creditable and useful replies. All I can say is I have a big semi with ambidextrous safeties and I also have a 380 with a heavy trigger pull and no safety--as with any firearm judicious attention to safety is paramount and I have no problem having a cartridge in the chamber--just makes no sense to me to be walking around with a firearm that is required in a mini-second, that I have now wasted putting a cartridge in the chamber.

 

[Nightmare45]

Carry cocked and locked 24/7 including home. Safety.

 

[fudo]

Welcome aboard Danmc. Be advised that revolvers are a type of pistol. Calling semi auto handguns pistols and not calling revolvers, Pistols is a British colonial custom practiced about a hundred years ago

 

[The_Outlaw]

Hello folks, new to the forum. I am new to concealed carry, have had permit about 2 years. I have hunted most my life using rifles & shotguns, but hand guns are fairly new to me. I am by no means an expert on any type of firearm, but I sure have taken a liking to hand guns over the past couple years. I will probably be asking a lot of questions, some of which may seem dumb to gun-educated folks, but to me they are real, so don't beat me up too bad. So with that said, I have a question. Maybe it is just a mental state, but I feel ok carrying a revolver with all the holes filled, but when it comes to a pistol, I feel uncomfortable carrying with one in the pipe. So my question is this: Mechanically speaking, is there really any difference carrying condition one, pistol vs revolver? Or is this just something I need to overcome? Thanks.

 

[Danmc]

Thanks for the replies. I realize that having to rack the slide in a BG situation opens the door in favor of the BG. I'll just have to overcome what increasingly seems to be an unwarrented fear.

 

[Danmc]

Welcome aboard Danmc. Be advised that revolvers are a type of pistol. Calling semi auto handguns pistols and not calling revolvers, Pistols is a British colonial practiced about a hundred years ago

Thanks for the info. When I take my son out shooting I generally refer to the guns by their caliber size: "Hey son, load up the 9. Hey son, grab the .357. Hey son, load up the .22". Should I aquire more than one gun in a caliber, then I will refer to them by brand name. In the OP I referred a semi-auto as a pistol only because the word pistol has fewer syllables than semi-auto, LOL.

 

[rob929]

Welcome aboard Danmc. Be advised that revolvers are a type of pistol. Calling semi auto handguns pistols and not calling revolvers, Pistols is a British colonial practiced about a hundred years ago

So you're saying that it's important to refer to both as a pistol? Really not even sure why this needed to be mentioned, it seems pretty anal. Prime example: qualifying with a revolver during a concealed carry class does not authorize me to carry a semi-auto pistol. So you can be technical all you want but there are distinct differences causing me to believe that the term pistol rarely causes someone to think of a revolver.

In response to safety, no difference. As long as your sidearm is in good repair it's safe as long as you are.

 

[evergreena3]

Danmc,

Others have given you some very good advice here. None of it will help you to overcome your own fears, though, until you carry your firearms and practice with them. Experience is a great teacher.
If you have concerns, though, might I suggest purchasing a semi-auto pistol with a decocker? My H&K P-30 has such a feature. This allows you to have a round in the chamber while the hammer is 95% (or thereabouts) down. It cannot fire unless you pull the trigger fully...just like in a revolver.

Good luck!

 

[pj_england]

Welcome - it is safer for you to carry with one in the tube

Welcome to the forum. I recommend you do a search for some of your questions. Many questions have been addressed many times before. That said, there are no dumb questions.

Getting trained on using and carrying a handgun can go a long way to answering questions, providing you confidence, and making you a safer carrier.

I attended a training session to learn to run an automatic with one hand. The idea was, what if the initial assault took out my weapon hand. How can I implement the weapon with my weak hand? It is possible to draw and rack a slide with the weak hand. It is slow. Having your weapon in class 1 (shooting) condition is safer for you. As mentioned by others, modern weapons are designed to be carried ready to fire.

 

[shermr]

safety concern pistol vs revolver

The real concern I see here is that you may feel the semi-auto with a cartridge in the chamber has the ability to fire at will, with no outside stimulus, while the revolver will wait for human intervention. In reality the trigger will operate either firearm only after the conditions that will allow the firearm to fire. When I turn on a light switch I want light, I don't want to turn on the breaker, then turn on the switch. If you cannot overcome this concern I believe you should carry a revolver until you have been cured of this fear.

 

[wuzfuz]

I have been shooting since I was five years old, and am a former police/security officer, as well as an amateur gunsmith and reloader. I did an inspection on my men once as a security sergeant, and one had only five rounds in his duty revolver. I informed him that a modern double action revolver of reputable make could be pounded on the sidewalk until the hammer broke and would not go off. I now carry a Springfield XD-40. It has two safeties which act automatically if the weapon is held correctly, and will not fire without a finger or something pressing the trigger. I dislike manipulating safeties when in a serious suituation, so I like the XD or XD(M) lack of safety levers. They give you a false sense of security and do nothing to make the weapon safer. My XD operates just like a DA revolver, but it is not a novice's gun. The whole pistol/revolver argument is pure semantics and has no business in this discussion. In either case, a finger on the trigger is the only way they will fire, and the best safety is your brain. Welcome to the world of handguns, and put your mind at rest. there are no dumb questions. Ignorance can be cured with education, but you can't fix stupid. - Ron 'Tater Salad' White

 

[lotthall]

I carry a .40 Cougar with one in the pipe and the safety off. In case you don't know it is a DA/SA semi-auto. I also have a .380 that is DA only and a small .38 revolver, just to name a few. There is no difference in carrying a loaded revolver and carrying a DA auto with the safety off. It comes down to training, keeping the trigger covered while carrying, and not putting your finger on that trigger until ready to discharge the weapon. According to the late Jeff Cooper, Condition 1 refers to the 1911 style autos that are "cocked and locked" or others that do not have a decocker style safety. Condition 2 refers to revolvers and DA autos that are loaded and, in the case of the DA auto, if it has one, the safety being off.

To say guns kill people is to say automobiles drive drunk and matches commit arson.

Lott