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SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:32 pm
by MikeStone
Newbie here...
Just picked up a Sig P938 that I intend to use as my EDC. SAO, with ambi thumb safety. No de-cocking lever.
Is the best way to carry with a round chambered and hammer cocked, safety on? Or is it better/safer to carry without a round chambered? Seems to me that's one action extra in a life and death scenario.
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:48 pm
by snatchel
Seems to me that's one action extra in a life and death scenario.
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 8:59 pm
by tomtexan
There's your sign!
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 9:24 pm
by MikeStone
So, a SAO is considered "safe" in an IWB holster, round chambered, cocked, with the safety on?
Guess I just have the jitters!
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 9:27 pm
by AEA
The jitters will fade, you only have one life!
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 9:58 pm
by chasfm11
MikeStone wrote:So, a SAO is considered "safe" in an IWB holster, round chambered, cocked, with the safety on?
Guess I just have the jitters!
That was why I chose a Sig P250 (DAO). While it has no safety, I felt more comfortable, at least to start, carrying a chambered round. The key for me was to have a setup where, no matter what happened, the trigger was covered. I was most concerned about those times like having to pick our granddaughter up at school and having to disarm.
I bought a Galco OWB holster with a good retention strap. When I have to disarm, the gun goes from the IWB to the Galco. The only exposure is the transfer time between them and I did that at home a bunch before I tried to do it in a car.
I just picked up a Glock 30sf. I don't yet have that outfitted for EDC because I have to get my jitters past the 3lb trigger that it has. I want to work with it around the house unloaded for a bit before I put myself in a position to have disarm with it in a vehicle.
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Thu Sep 13, 2012 11:38 pm
by 74novaman
I carried 1911s for several years with no worries. A quality holster helps. My safety never disengaged accidentally.
I practiced my draw and incorporated sweeping the safety off with my thumb into the draw stroke. I never had to do it under real stress, but I practiced the draw enough that I was comfortable with the idea that I could if I ever needed to.
That being said, my daily carry now is either a Glock 19 or a Sig Sauer with the traditional DA/SA trigger and no manual safety.
I like the idea of not having to worry about messing with a safety. If you don't want to mess with a manual safety on a carry gun, get one without.
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 8:08 am
by rentz
74novaman wrote:I carried 1911s for several years with no worries. A quality holster helps. My safety never disengaged accidentally.
I practiced my draw and incorporated sweeping the safety off with my thumb into the draw stroke. I never had to do it under real stress, but I practiced the draw enough that I was comfortable with the idea that I could if I ever needed to.
That being said, my daily carry now is either a Glock 19 or a Sig Sauer with the traditional DA/SA trigger and no manual safety.
I like the idea of not having to worry about messing with a safety. If you don't want to mess with a manual safety on a carry gun, get one without.
Yeah, i bought a lightweight 1911 to carry and I never do, I like the idea of a weapon with no safety so it's one less thing to worry about IF I ever needed to use it.
If you get a good holster that covers the trigger well it shouldn't be an issue to carry one in the chamber. If you ever had a life and death situation do you want to have to rack the slide ?
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 11:31 am
by Salty1
It all depends on your training and how much you practice, one of my carry guns is a 1911, the only way to carry it is cocked and locked, any other method creates issues if you need it to function quickly, having to rack the slide and load a round takes unecessary time that you may not have.
A properly working safety will not disengage on its own, remember the best safety is what is between your ears, always know what condition your gun is in when you holster it and don't be tempted to fondle it while carrying.. guns do not go off by themselves, keep the booger hook off the bang switch and your good to go..............
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:08 pm
by 7075-T7
Your P238 was designed to be carried in that manner (Round in chamber, Hammer back, Safety on). With a properly fitting holster of course. Most quality holsters for that firearm will have a depression in the area near the safety that aligns with the safety lever when it's on.
Just gear up, cover up, and leave it alone
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 1:08 pm
by fickman
I had the same fears. In fact, it's kind of funny if you think about it. . . in general, people seems more concerned about carrying a single action cocked and locked with a physical mechanism actually preventing the gun from firing than they are about double action (or striker fired) pistols with no manual external safety physically preventing the gun from firing. Is it the lighter trigger pull that makes people more nervous about the single action? Seeing the hammer back? I don't know, but it seems ubiquitous among new CHLers.
Most 1911s also have the grip safety in addition to the thumb safety. Both of these must be disengaged AND the trigger pulled before the hammer will drop.
Cock it, lock it, and cover the trigger with a holster. Not only is this the best for an emergency, it gives you an extra round.
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 3:06 pm
by 2firfun50
fickman wrote:I had the same fears. In fact, it's kind of funny if you think about it. . . in general, people seems more concerned about carrying a single action cocked and locked with a physical mechanism actually preventing the gun from firing than they are about double action (or striker fired) pistols with no manual external safety physically preventing the gun from firing. Is it the lighter trigger pull that makes people more nervous about the single action? Seeing the hammer back? I don't know, but it seems ubiquitous among new CHLers.
Most 1911s also have the grip safety in addition to the thumb safety. Both of these must be disengaged AND the trigger pulled before the hammer will drop.
Cock it, lock it, and cover the trigger with a holster. Not only is this the best for an emergency, it gives you an extra round.
For me, it is the light trigger pull. Especially the striker fired type with the safety on the trigger and no manual safety. (Glocks aren't alone on that point) Give me a 1911 style manual safety or a long & strong striker fired trigger. Since I have a habit of handling a pistol with a proper grip and trigger finger out of the trigger guard, the grip safety is of no help as it is depressed anyway.
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 3:11 pm
by OldCannon
A p938 has a much heavier trigger pull than a Glock (5.5lbs vs about 8lbs). So the "double action" takes less pull than a "single action".
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 4:54 pm
by SATX-Scrub
Nice choice of gun! Gain confidence in the safety and the trigger by pointing down range and trying to fire the P938 with the safety on. It won't happen. Its only meant to fire when you manually click the safety down and put 8lbs on the trigger.
Good confidence is the key!
Good luck with a fine gun!
Re: SAO best carry strategy?
Posted: Fri Sep 14, 2012 7:10 pm
by MikeStone
Thanks for all the advice!
Great forum for newbies to learn from the experiences of others!
By the way, I ran 200 rounds through it today. It's a mean little bugger and I'll feel very confident using it as my EDC.