Cocked and Locked

Of the many things that have shaped my opinion of future weapon selection, either by reading of practice, is that Single Action pistols are probably the way to go. If you are defending your life you want the speed and accuracy SA offers.

There is a small compromise, where you use a Double Action combination pistol. The hammer is down and the first shot is fired double action, but when the slide racks back after the first the weapon is in single action for the rest of magazine. The chances of accurate firing on that first one is reduced, but it MAY hit, and it certainly may make a goblin you are trying to put down a bit more nervous after that bang. But I can see why police officers, accustomed to DA revolvers originally, would prefer their old habits not get them in trouble, but also not require slide racking in an shooting situation. Cops aren’t known for first shot accuracy. And too many are known for poor 2nd through 14th accuracy.

I am not sure how I feel for that compromise, but I am also wary of the single action alternative. To be fast when action is called for it is necessary to keep your weapon holstered in Condition 1. Jeff Cooper is where I learned the Condition numbers from, and Condition 1 for a single action is round in the chamber, hammer cocked, and safety on. That part about the hammer being cocked and relying on a mechanical safety is what will take some getting used to. And TRAINING. 1911 style .45 have a grip safety you have to be squeezing to fire it, so it has a double safety going on, and the pistol should be safe in a holster, certainly, where the biggest risk for a negligent discharge, perhaps, is when drawing it from the holster and letting your finger touch the trigger, violating the 3rd Gun Safety rule (keep your finger off the trigger until your sites are on the target.)

But Condition 1 is one of the reason that phrase, ‘cocked and locked’ comes from. ‘Lock and Load’ is a rifle term, where you engage the safety and then insert the magazine. Of course with a Garand it is funny. You have to load it before you engage the safety, generally, but and order of ‘Load and Lock!’ sounds funny. Though why you don't just engage the safety the moment you pull the bolt back to load it, I have no idea

But if you keep a 1911 at a higher safety number you’d have to cock the hammer manually if in Condition 2, or rack the slide if in Condition 3.

When I was in the Navy, in peacetime in friendly ports, the .45 was kept in Condition 4, chamber empty, no magazine inserted. Much safer condition unless you actually need to USE the weapon to fend off bad guys running up the brow.