I have no beef if people want to legally carry a handgun.
I think it is beyond reasonable to carry any gun cocked and loaded. it is simply inviting trouble.
I was a soldier in several war zones. I always carried an automatic pistol, A Browning, identical to a US .45 ACP, except it was a 9mm with a thirteen shot magazine. It was a single action weapon, carried in a web holster on my belt, with a lanyard.
Yes, I have fired it in anger at a human target(in combat in a war zone, in 1964.) I have been a weapons instructor, and a range safety officer, for all army small arms. I was an expert marksman for every year I was in uniform (30 years)
I never, ever carried a gun with a round in the chamber in a holster. I was never in a situation where that kind of a quick response was necessary to any threat. I could draw, rack (load) and cock my weapon as quickly as any situation would have required. Occassionally I carried my pistol drawn, cocked and loaded in my hand. but with the safety on except when actually confronting an enemy, when I would release the safety and kill his *** if necessary.
I state bluntly that carrying any handgun with a round in the chamber under the hammer is extremely dangerous.
If you live where such a threatening situation exists that you must carry a handgun cocked and loaded in a holster, I would get the hello out of there, if you can.
It is never reasonable in a civilized environment to carry a cocked and loaded weapon as a routine practice. A revolver is another question, because one usually loads all the cylinders, but then it must be cocked before firing, unless it is a double action weapon. Of course, Police and other such agencies have certain protocols that require werapons to have a round under the hammer when holstered or drawn. Poor bastids.
Guns are deadly enough in trained hands. Carrying charged weapon routinely, for a civilian, is stupid, dangerous, and may be illegal in some jurisdictions.
That is how I really feel, but then I am not stupid, paranoid, nor heroic. I don't have to be, I do not live in a ghetto.
Somebody wants to shoot you suddenly by surprise or ambush, on the street or anywhere else, even a loaded gun in a holster wont save your ***.
That is why it is stupid to carry that way.
I know that I am farting against thunder by posting my opinion, so thunder away. It will not change my opinion, nor a lot of other peoples opinions. Now I am going to shaddup..and go safely to bed, leaving my guns locked in a cabinet, unloaded. My big two big dogs stand guard here in the night. Some sumbitch comes without an invite will lose his huts to that dog, or to me. I was an army combat ranger, so I know some moves, without a gun. don't piss me off, ok.
Jix
