Firearm Carry Conditions of Readiness

I was talking the other day with a fellow who worked the counter at a local sporting goods store. He was, I guess, around fifteen years older than me and we ‘chewed the cud’ about various topics for a while (it was a slow day) and when the topic of firearms came up he asked me about how I “Kept” my defensive firearms.

Understanding he was talking about what READY CONDITION I keep my guns in, both at home and when I carry concealed, I proceeded to tell him using terms that I was both raised with and trained with in the military, that is Colonel Jeff Coopers 5 Carry Conditions:

• Condition Four: Chamber empty, no magazine, hammer down.

• Condition Three: Chamber empty, full magazine, hammer down.

• Condition Two: Round chambered, full magazine, hammer down.

• Condition One: Round chambered, full magazine, hammer cocked, safety on.

• Condition Zero: Round chambered, full magazine, hammer cocked, safety off.

Once I explained these simple conditions he then asked me did I think it “safe” to carry a pistol around in Condition 1 when I carried concealed. I politely asked him what is the difference between a civilian like myself carrying a loaded pistol around and a police officer (besides the obvious fact that uniformed police carry their firearms openly). To that he could not give a response.

He then asked me what condition I keep my defensive long guns at home in. I told him the same. Condition 1. Again he was concerned about “safety”. I assured him all of my firearms are kept in a very sturdy safe that only I and the wife unit have access too. To this he still seemed unsure of “the safety factor”.

I proceeded to tell him that being OVERLY concerned with firearm safety when it comes to DEFENSIVE FIREARMS, and by this I mean not having the firearm READY to use in a moment’s notice, can often lead to tragedy on the part of the gun owner. I then did a quick comical impromptu pantomime of a homeowner asking a would-be criminal to “wait” while he got his gun ready so he could shoot him dead…that got a chuckle.

We have to remember that in the real world, seconds matter when it comes to dealing with deadly threats. Lethal force encounters are often over in a matter of seconds, not minutes. So stacking the odds in YOUR favor when it comes to being able to lay your hands on a firearm that is ready to use RIGHT THEN can literally be the difference between life and death.

Lastly, I told him about a firearm readiness term I learned a while back regarding Shotguns: “Cruiser Ready” is a Law Enforcement term that applies to 12 gauge Pump Shotguns that are carried in patrol vehicles. Cruiser Ready is basically Condition 3 where the tube (ie, magazine on a pump shotgun) is fully loaded but the chamber is empty and the safety is on.

Hopefully I left this fellow in a more “informed” frame of mind that when we met!

Stay Dangerous!

Rifle Corner: .300 Blackout in an AR-15? Very Bad Juju

 

Why They Inscribe the Caliber Right On the Gun

Because sometimes the wrong caliber will chamber. Results, FOOM.

Well, that’s why you pay us the big bucks. This is not a mild AR kB! that traces back to an out of battery fire or one lousy handload. In this case, 100% of the round’s energy came back through the firing pin hole in the bolt face. And shattered the bolt and carrier. What could make an AR do that?

An obstructed barrel right at the chamber. Period. Sure, there’s a vanishingly small possibility that you got a rare combination of a round loaded with pistol powder with the previous round being a powderless squib, combined with a tight bore and wide bullet so that it didn’t go the usual 7-8″ into the barrrel. But the 95% probabilty is: .300 Blackout round in a 5.56 rifle.

He doesn’t know what happened, our fourth point of contact. He claims it was ordinary M193 5.56. Hmmm. Maybe the other rounds in the mag were, but we’re betting there’s a .300 supersonic slug lodged in there.

Read the Remainder at Weaponsman