Handgun Conditions of Readiness

["DoubleAction"]

Devised by pistol guru Jeff Cooper, this convention is used to designate the state of readiness of a m1911 pattern pistol. It can also be applied to most other designs of auto loading pistols.

The 5 conditions are:

Condition 0 - A round is in the chamber, the hammer is cocked, and the safety is off.
Condition 1 - Also called "cocked and locked", this means that a round is in the chamber, the hammer is cocked, and the manual thumb safety is on.
Condition 2 - A round is in the chamber, the hammer is uncocked.
Condition 3 - There is no round in the chamber, the hammer is uncocked but a fully loaded magazine is inserted in the mag well.
Condition 4 - The chamber is empty, the hammer is uncocked and there is no magazine inserted in the mag well

Condition 1 is the preferred state of readiness if carrying a Single Action autoloader like the 1911 as it offers the best balance between safety and readiness. It does seem menacing to the untrained as the sight of a cocked hammer makes some people needlessly nervous.

Condition 2 is not recommended in the 1911 as it has no decocker and would entail pulling the trigger and slowly lowering the hammer on a loaded chamber. This both violates a gun safety rule and renders you with a gun that will not fire even if the trigger is pulled. And should the hammer slip you will then have a negligent discharge and possibly a broken thumb when the slide hits it on the recoil. On a DA/SA pistol with a decocker, like the Variant 1 H&K USP, this is a safe and ready way to carry. It is point and click.

Condition 3 offers an added margin of safety as there is actually no round in the chamber but has the disadvantage of taking a relatively longer time to get into action. The IDF is trained to carry their sidearms this way and hence the name "Israeli Draw".

Condition 4 is no way to carry a concealed sidearm unless there are legal reasons you can not carry a loaded firearm. Should you be unfortunate enough to be in such a country, carry a gun anyway, three seconds to put a gun in action still beats running back home to get one.

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["DoubleAction"]

......Loading The Colt Single Action Army Revolver : This was a lesson learned, by reading from Old Western Cowboy Actor "Harry Carey, Jr"....about 25 years ago :

....The lock work of the Colt Single Action six shooters have never changed in the way they have manufactured in over 100 years, and neither has the method by which they are to be decocked.

....No gun slinger of the six shooter is worth his salt until he learns how to properly load and decock his Colt Single Action Army. I'll try to make this quick.

....After checking and rechecking the cylinder to make sure the firearm is unloaded.

....Place only five cartridges, preferably Dummy Rounds of Dummy Snap Caps off to the side; No more than five.

....First begin by bringing the hammer to half cocked, loading position, start by loading one round in the first chamber, then skip chamber 2, rotate to chamber 3 and load, rotate to chamber 4 and load, rotate to chamber 5 and load, rotate to chamber 6 and load. Close loading gate, cock hammer to rear, press trigger, and slowly lower the hammer. The hammer should now be resting on that empty chamber.

...If the hammer is cocked, without firing, and needs to be brought back around to the empty chamber, the hammer needs to be cocked six times in order to bring the empty chamber to be rested again on the empty chamber. One can practice this by using dummy cartridges and a long pencil, eraser first, down the barrel to check the position of the cylinder.

...Although many handgun manufacturers have made great strides and attempts to develop idiot proof systems for a one size fits all society, we are still forced to back track a time when people actually learned from their mistakes ( if they lived so long) and the mistakes of others; I prefer the learning process of the later.

....Although Bill Ruger contributed to the development of the transfer bar on the Single Actions Revolvers, the Double Actions Revolvers was already using this transfer bar system.

["DoubleAction"]

The Passive Firing Pin Safeties

.....In my own opinon; Most accidental discharges are caused by mishandling firearms, perhaps, this is the reasoning behind the passive firing pin safeties being incorporating into the trigger lockwork.It's very sad that firearm safety is not being taught in our public school systems, otherwise, people would possess a common knowledge that Handgun Hammers would never be resting on a loaded chamber with a live cartridge.

......Time after time, the firearms manufacturers catered to the Idiot Proof Handgun, to escape the wrath of expensive legal lawsuits and political attacks. No mention of Safety Courses being taught in our public school systems.

....My First "Conditions of Readiness" is Education



The 1911 Pistol Series 80 Levers works to prevent the movement the Firing Pin, when the hammer is dropped on a loaded chamber.

This how the Thumb Safety works to Block the movement of Sear.

["DoubleAction"]

The Sig Sauer The Passive Firing Pin Safety

....When depressing the trigger to the rear, on the Sig Sauer, This deactivates all Fire Control Safeties.

....Looking at the Trigger Bar in the picture, you will see that The Trigger is not Depressed. Pay close attention to the following item. When the Trigger is Depressed, it will Rise and make contact with the Deactivation Bar, which will Deactivate The Safety Mechanisms within the fire control system.

["DoubleAction"]

The 1911 Pistols : The Half-Cocked Notch Hammer

....I prefer to replace the factory hammers :

the Nowlin Hammer has the half-cock notch which is shaped to protect your sear

What is that shape? It looks like it is a little rounded perhaps?

If you look this picture, you will see that the Nowlin Hammer provides protection from the sear making it's jump over the Half Cock Notch.

Left : Nowlin / EGW - Right :Colt's Factory

In this side view image, you can plainly see that the sear nose don't actually come into contact with the Half Cock Notch. The sear is actually resting on that "Safety Notch" , thus that provides the extra protection needed to prevent sear damage.