[CowBoyWay]

For serious use handguns, I have found that my sensibilities have driven me to choose hammer fired handguns for CCW; I'm not young enough for combat.

It might be psychological but when I look at my CCO (or any hammer fired) and see the hammer cocked I know it's charged and ready to fire. If I see that the hammer is un-cocked, I can "see" that the chamber is empty.

I do like various striker fired handguns: the German Luger, Walther PPQ etc; but they don't offer obvious visual clues as to their loaded status.

I think hammer fired handguns offer a more intuitive operating system.

Any thoughts?

 

[Snapdragon]

Not knowing whether a handgun has a round in the chamber has never been a problem for me. Some hammer-fired handguns are DAO or DA/SA and do not fire from a cocked hammer. I would certainly not eliminate a handgun because it does not fire from a cocked hammer.

 

[Arisley]

To me, every gun is loaded. Unless I personally checked it, and it has not left my sight, it is loaded.

If I need to shoot it, unless I personally loaded it, I will treat it like it needs to be loaded.

 

[havanajim]

I personally like an external hammer myself, and the options they offer. While striker fired are fine, they're not my preferred style. One exception is the German Luger, though, I do love those pistols. By the way, Lugers do have a loaded chamber indicator - it's the little tab, marked 'Geladen', that sticks up from the chamber when a round is loaded. Very elegant pistols, and quite accurate, tiny sights and all.

 

[samuse]

You have a very incorrect and dangerous way of looking at a handgun.

A handgun used for carry should be a reliable machine that you are able to use proficiently, in a size that allows you to carry it without undue discomfort or hassle.

A chamber is verified by visually and physically inspecting. No other method.

Get some training and stay safe.

 

[YVK]

but when I look at my CCO (or any hammer fired) and see the hammer cocked I know it's charged and ready to fire..

I own about a dozen of hammer fired guns. About 10 of them are ready to fire when hammer is not cocked, and you can't even cock a hammer on half of them.

There are multiple parameters that I look at when I decide on a pistol. What makes firing pin hit primer doesn't factor in at all.

 

[CowBoyWay]

You have a very incorrect and dangerous way of looking at a handgun.

A handgun used for carry should be a reliable machine that you are able to use proficiently, in a size that allows you to carry it without undue discomfort or hassle.

A chamber is verified by visually and physically inspecting. No other method.

Get some training and stay safe.

Relax my friend. I'm talking about the mechanism not gun handling.

 

[dakota1911]

I think what you are saying is you like what is often called a single action (SA) semiautomatic pistol. So looking at the picture below you would like the Colt Defender on the top which is SA, and not like the Glock which is often called a staged striker fired pistol in the middle or the AMT 45 Backup which is a DAO hammer fired pistol.



So if I am dry firing these I pull back the hammer on the Colt Defender. On the Glock I have to pull the slide back to cock it again and the AMT I can just keep pulling the trigger. By the way you can not cock the little hammer on that guy.

Now a SA/DA semi automatic pistol would probably be O.K. Like the Colt Double Eagle. You can cock it to fire it or pull the DA trigger on the first shot and after the first bang the hammer stays back. If you are done shooting and there is a round in the chamber you can use the decocker to drop the hammer on a live round.

 

[chrysanthemum]

I prefer hammer-fired, but perhaps this is simply because this is what I started with and feel most comfortable with. Not saying anything negative about striker-fired or those who prefer striker-fired; it's good to have a choice.

Maybe I'm just old-school all-steel 1911.

 

[Snapdragon]

I'm talking about the mechanism not gun handling.

Actually you are talking about gun handling.

 

[Ironbutt]

It might be psychological but when I look at my CCO (or any hammer fired) and see the hammer cocked I know it's charged and ready to fire. If I see that the hammer is un-cocked, I can "see" that the chamber is empty.

Maybe I'm missing something, but I don't understand how the position of the hammer has anything to do with a round being in the chamber or not.

 

[CowBoyWay]

The subject came up with a Force Recon Marine buddy. Granted he was addressing combat issues and regarding the 1911 and H&K 45 CT. It was the norm to carry C1 with either handgun.

If one was in the field and you are carrying C1, should you want to quick check, hammer back meant ready to fire. Their manual did not include retracting the slide and see if the chamber was loaded.

Anyway, not trying to score points, just interested in other view points.

 

[Snapdragon]

hammer back meant ready to fire. .

Hammer back means hammer back.

Hammer back does not guarantee that the chamber is loaded. You have to make sure the chamber is loaded with a hammer-fired pistol just as you have to make sure the chamber is loaded with a striker-fired pistol.

Some pistols with either type of firing system have indicators that show easily whether the chamber is loaded. A hammer is not a loaded chamber indicator.

 

[Rick_A]

I prefer either SA/safety or DA/decocker. It has nothing to do with being sure of the condition it's in, but due to liking the particular guns. That's one of those things you can't take for granted regardless of action type.

 

[drail]

"A hammer is not a loaded chamber indicator". I absolutely agree with that statement. It is astounding how many people have no idea what you're talking about if you try to explain that to them. Now that I think of it - all of my guns have external hammers.

 

[buckhorn_cortez]

I do like various striker fired handguns: the German Luger, Walther PPQ etc; but they don't offer obvious visual clues as to their loaded status.

Not true.

Many striker fired pistols have a loaded chamber indicator and some have a striker cocked indicator. The HK VP9 has both of those features.

 

[TRfromMT]

Depending on a variety of factors, I carry either a 1911 or a Walther P99. The Walther does have a red dot on the back of the firing pin to indicate if it is cocked or not. It also has the loaded chamber indicator. My 1911 pistols both have a small notch in the top of the barrel where you can look and see if there is a round chambered.

Regardless, EVERY TIME I take my pistol out of the gun safe, I drop the magazing and verify it is fully loaded. I pull the slide back slightly and verify a round is chambered. I follow the same ritual every time in spite of the visual cues I have to tell me what is going on. I put the pistol in the safe in C1, and I know. Doesn't matter... I check and verify anyway to confirm what I know.

My way of thinking is that I do not deviate from a Principle, regardless of the pistol.

The one time you pick up a 1911 with the hammer down and "see that the chamber is empty" (I'm sorry... the two are not related and I don't follow your logic) may be the one time you are dead wrong.

 

[FrankinCA]

To me, every gun is loaded. Unless I personally checked it, and it has not left my sight, it is loaded.

If I need to shoot it, unless I personally loaded it, I will treat it like it needs to be loaded.

This. Basic firearm safety. All firearms are loaded. The more you are around firearms, complacency can set in.

 

[buckhorn_cortez]

I think hammer fired handguns offer a more intuitive operating system.

In what ways? You've already been proven wrong about your assumption on striker fired pistols not having visual indicators for loaded chamber and the striker being cocked.

Any thoughts?

Yes, I don't agree with you assumptions and opinion as they're not borne out by facts.

 

[dsk]

The only loaded chamber indicator I trust is my own eyeball. Never assume that the position of a hammer indicates loaded status, because it doesn't. I never even waste my time with so-called loaded chamber indicators on firearms either. Whenever you pick up a firearm the first thing you do is check the chamber visually.