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Thread: Storing Rifle With Hammer Cocked (empty chamber) & Safety On

  1. #41
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    Quote Originally Posted by ToddG View Post
    I have a serious aversion to dropping the hammer on a supposed-to-be empty chamber. There have been way too many people who AD'd trying to prove an loaded gun was unloaded.
    I can respect that. but ANY time I got to squeeze the trigger on my AR or to dissassemble my glock, I go into super focus mode. And I double or triple check the chamber with an almost OCD approach.

  2. #42
    ToddG Guest
    markm -- I don't doubt it. And certainly I dry fire my guns, too. But especially in the context of setting a gun aside in a "ready condition" which necessitates having ammunition nearby, it's just one more opportunity for a brain fade.

    I guess the question I'd pose is this: What benefit do you see in dropping the hammer for storage or for putting the gun in a ready condition? If you have some reason that justifies the possibility of an AD (slight though it may appear), fair enough.

  3. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by ToddG View Post
    What benefit do you see in dropping the hammer for storage or for putting the gun in a ready condition?
    For me it's the idea that I can check that my rifle isn't "hot" when I pull it out by checking that the Safety won't move from the fire position.

    I can just toss the gun in the truck and go... or if for some reason I'm casing the gun, I can toss it in the case without going thru a whole clearing process.
    Last edited by markm; 02-12-09 at 12:12.

  4. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by markm View Post
    Honestly, my safety is almost NEVER "on".

    If there's a good enough reason to have a live round in the chamber, then the gun is in my hands. And if the guns in my hands a safety does nothing. I suppose if I'm letting the gun hang I'll put the safety on to prevent gear hitting the trigger from firing the gun.

    I suppose if I lay my rifle down with a live one in the chamber I engage the safety too. But that doesn't happen too often...
    I'm with you except, while I'm here in Iraq. I only unload my weapons for two reasons: shooting and cleaning. They are hot 98% of the time.
    Praise be to the LORD my Rock, who trains my hands for war, my fingers for battle. Psalm 144:1

    Owner of MI-TAC, LLC .

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  5. #45
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    Well, since someone else changed the discussion from Storage to Deploying/In Use/At the Range/ etc.; I'll throw my 2-cents' worth in there (these are for my ARs only).

    Stored:
    - No magazine
    - Bolt forward and Hammer down
    - Safety lever on FIRE

    Stored but for immediate deployment (ie: trunk, home defense "closet" etc.):
    - Loaded magazine in magazine well (if possible - some cases prevent this).
    - Bolt forward and Hammer down
    - Safety lever on FIRE

    At the range when not firing:
    - Bolt locked open
    - Hammer back
    - Safety lever on SAFE

    At a hot range when under my immediate control and slung:
    - Chamber loaded (bolt forward)
    - Loaded magazine inserted
    - Hammer back
    - Safety lever on SAFE

    When shooting:
    - Safety lever on FIRE as soon as I am on target and stays on unless returning to previous condition. The Safety lever goes to SAFE only when no immediate threat or target has been identified otherwise it stays FIRE.

    When reloading (regardless of whether from the bench or not):
    - Safety lever stays on FIRE until the reload is completed. I then assess if I will continue firing. If no further engagement necessary or allowed, the Safety lever goes to SAFE. NOTE: I caught myself automatically going to SAFE when my gun goes dry even when reloading during a drill because that is what I had been doing when shooting off the bench. This is why I do not manipulate the Safety lever except at the beginning of a drill or at the end of a drill. When I am carrying it slung, I always check that the rifle is on SAFE because I've had it switch to FIRE when it brushes up against the equipment.

    I hope that makes sense?
    Last edited by CarlosDJackal; 02-12-09 at 12:14.
    We must not believe the Evil One when he tells us that there is nothing we can do in the face of violence, injustice and sin. - Pope Francis I

  6. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by The_Katar View Post
    Certain training organizations promote the idea.
    I cringed watching this last night. About five minutes in as the Detroit SWAT team was still in their truck they all went off safe...they verbalized it so it must be part of their SOP.

    http://www.hulu.com/watch/53379/swat...-27#s-p1-so-i0
    Last edited by thopkins22; 02-12-09 at 12:20.

  7. #47
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    In my opinion the bigger danger with a safety on a long gun is the damned thing being on when you want to fire it.

    Not so much with the AR since it's positioned so perfectly that it becomes instinctual to feel that it's off.... but still. I think if you otherwise follow the firearms safety rules, a safety being on when you don't think it is is more risky than the safety being off when you think it's ON. (unless you check that the safety is on by pulling the trigger)
    Last edited by markm; 02-12-09 at 12:25.

  8. #48
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    F-it.

    Securely stored weapons are unloaded.

    Guns in my house used for defense are loaded, chambered, and in the case of the AR safety on.

    Treat every firearm like it's loaded.... because in my house, it most likely is. YMMV.

  9. #49
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    Are you able to say which organizations do that?

    So I never go to or suggest those places to anyone else.
    Last edited by trunkmonkey; 02-12-09 at 13:08.

  10. #50
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    Quote Originally Posted by markm View Post
    For me it's the idea that I can check that my rifle isn't "hot" when I pull it out by checking that the Safety won't move from the fire position.

    I can just toss the gun in the truck and go... or if for some reason I'm casing the gun, I can toss it in the case without going thru a whole clearing process.
    I think a "brass check" should be performed any time a weapon is picked up that has not been in your possession.
    I don't care what condition you think it is in beforehand.

    I'm not sure how long it takes some to do a whole clearing process. But it takes about two seconds for me.

    In the end it's just bad juju pulling the trigger when it really is unnecessary.

    "In my opinion the bigger danger with a safety on a long gun is the damned thing being on when you want to fire it. MarkM"

    I can think of only one weapon off the top of my head that's safety truly is a pain in the ass to flip to fire in an instant.
    That would be the AK47.
    In the case of the AR15 that is just plain bad practice running around with the safety off.

    I remember one excercise we were doing setting up an ambush in the woods. When one of the boys that thought it was "better to be ready" had his trigger pulled inadvertently by a small branch in the brush.

    Accidents do happen, triggers can be pulled by more than just your finger.
    Safeties are that layer that prevents those brainfarts.

    I'm not sure who would think an AR15's safety is on fire, when it in fact is on safe.
    my thumb rests on the safety, ready to flip and fire. Kind of elementary to figure out if it's on or not depending on your grip.
    Last edited by trunkmonkey; 02-12-09 at 13:18.

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