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Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: June 10th, 2017, 6:06 pm
by shooter16
I changed the hammer spring with a Wolf replacement and the recoil spring they included as well. The original double action trigger pull was awful, no way I could shoot with any accuracy with that spring. I can't believe the Polish factory issued the gun with that heavy a hammer spring installed.
Now the double action trigger pull is still heavy but acceptable for a safe first shot, and the follow up single action trigger pulls are super crisp.
After a couple of boxes of bullets through it, it hasn't missed a beat and throws its empties 20 -30 feet away, I've never seen anything like that.
My question is how safe is the gun to carry concealed with a round in the chamber, hammer down for a double action first shot, and safety set on shoot? Is the firing pin under spring tension and therefor under control?

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: June 10th, 2017, 8:20 pm
by OG17
I just did what you are asking and I tried to push the hammer into the FP and it wouldn't budge. When the safety is engaged it rotates to prevent the hammer from striking the FP. You can do it the way you are asking about, but I would not recommend it. Too many things can go wrong and make it go BANG.

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: June 11th, 2017, 1:14 am
by Ketchman
I will tell you the opposite of what my friend OG says, sort of. Carrying with one in the chamber, hammer down and the safety on fire is almost as foolproof as with the safety one because of that hard long double action trigger pull AND if you carry it in a holster that properly covers the trigger. This is the same way double action revolvers, which do not have a safety, were carried for a hundred years with minimal incident. Is there a danger, yes, there is a danger that the hammer or trigger COULD possibly get snagged and moved enough that the hammer could fall with enough force to cause an AD, it has happened, we have members here who this has happened to so I am not going to say it is completely safe as it is not. However, given that most AD's occur while the gun is being handled or manipulated in some fashion and occur because the gun was not properly checked for loaded / unloaded before handling I personally do not feel that the small increase in the possibility of an AD is worth the extra time it takes (and the possibility of FAILING on the first attempt) to remove the safety during the draw when / if I seriously need to use this pistol requires me to carry it with the safety off and a round in the chamber. What I am saying is cops carried double action revolvers for millions of man hours with a very small amount of AD's for years and carrying with a round in the chamber and safety off is the same condition for the P-64. The risk to me / those around me is very very small but the possible benefit is large, even life saving you might say. BUT, YOU, and ONLY YOU must decide how you will carry your sidearm because ALL sidearms can be dangerous to all around it if used improperly and not respected for what it is, a gun. Personally, I have decided that the need to get the gun into usefull action as soon as possible with as few manipulations as possible IF / WHEN needed is worth that small risk. I know many of the Brotherhood here will be shaking their heads and thinking me a reckless type, but please consider this, I have carried as a professional and in some fairly high risk situations and have had some experiences that have made me carefully consider my carry options and this is the choice I have made. This is also why I STRONGLY suggest to ANYONE that is considering carrying a sidearm, GET TRAINING! And not only in how to use, but WHEN to use and what WILL happen to you afterward. It is that important.
I now respectfully step down from my soapbox and turn the floor over to the next opinion speaker. :hi:

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: June 11th, 2017, 4:09 pm
by soram
With all things being equal, I agree with Ketchman.

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: June 11th, 2017, 8:18 pm
by Weasel640
I didn't know the Safety had a "shoot" setting. I thought that was an option on the Trigger.

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: June 11th, 2017, 9:16 pm
by Ketchman
LOL! It does have a "shoot" setting didn't you know? It is spelled "Fire"!

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: June 12th, 2017, 1:38 am
by snailman153624
Safety makes it 100% safe, right? :lol:

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: June 28th, 2017, 10:28 pm
by Rdinks
I just registered for this sight, and this was the first ? I had on the subject being discussed. Thanks for the info as I think having as few steps as possible to get the pistol in action could be a life saver.

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: June 29th, 2017, 12:51 am
by Ketchman
Welcome to The Brotherhood Rdinks, hopefully this discussion and the others you will find here give you an answer that you need or some information your looking for or an idea to solve a problem you have or just entertain you.

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: June 29th, 2017, 1:35 pm
by Curly1
Welcome to the forum.

You can start here for some discussion on the topic.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=3942&start=15

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: September 2nd, 2017, 6:07 pm
by J.D.
My 2 cents... by and large I believe it is safe and I carry this way in the inside the breast pocket of my coat. Aside from the heavy DA trigger pull as a safety feature with this method, with the P64, the hammer cannot make contact with the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled all the way. The problem with the P64 is with the safety off and hammer down, the firing pin is not captured and is free-floating. (In safety "on" the firing pin is captive.) This is really only a problem in that it is not 100% drop safe in this configuration. While the P64 passes all normal drop safety requirements, (such as California's requirement to be legal in that state) it is still possible if the gun were dropped straight down muzzle first that the firing pin might have the mass and inertia behind it to strike the primer hard enough to detonate. (Sending the round straight into the deck) Being that a pretty narrow set of circumstances is required for that to happen, I am okay with the calculated risk. I figure too, that if I drop it due to the fact I'm drawing it to respond to a life or death incident... if it goes bang at that point is really the least of my worries in that instant.

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: September 2nd, 2017, 9:15 pm
by Ketchman
+1 sir, I agree with your logic.

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: September 3rd, 2017, 11:51 am
by Curly1
+2 on the money JD.

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: September 3rd, 2017, 8:25 pm
by J.D.
A little extra insurance? fill your mag with one of the several self defense rounds available in 9x18, but chamber a military surplus FMJ. Milsurp eastern bloc primers are harder than hell and need a good solid strike to go bang. Just make sure your springs are up to the job of detonating a milsurp primer first, lest you find out the hard way.

Re: Is concealed carry safe with one in chamber and safety on shoot?

Posted: September 7th, 2017, 10:09 am
by jb1911
The double action trigger pull on the P64 is so atrocious that you could carry in your pocket, safety off, with a round in the chamber and never worry about it. No way in hell you're going to pull the trigger accidentally.