[jammer]

I'm about to get my CCW and am wondering how most of the Browning High Power owners carry their weapon or have them ready at home for self defense. The hammer has 3 positions, dropped, half cock, & full cock. The manual says that the dropped position is the recommended carrying position whether a round is in the chamber or not (then it says do not carry a round in the chamber). It says do not carry in half cock position. (It is provided as a means of catching the hammer if it slips from the thumb). I have tried leaving it in the drawer with the hammer cocked and safety on and all you have to do is release the safety and fire. I have also tried leaving a round in the chamber and leave the hammer dropped, then you have to pick it up and manually cock the hammer and fire. I haven’t tried leaving the chamber empty as it is pretty hard to rack and takes precious time. It is an older HP (about 1972) model. I feel uneasy about carrying it with the hammer cocked and safety on, but that might just be me.
Any ideas?
John

[c3shooter]

Before the lawyers got into it, John Moses Browning designed that gun to be carried with a round in the chamber, hammer cocked, safety on. If the weapon is in good mechanical condition, and you have learned to keep your finger OUT of the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot, it should be a non-issue.

[masterPsmith]

Condition One, cocked and locked, just as I carry my 1911. Train,train,train, until you are comfortable with carrying condition one....


Jim.................

[hiwall]

carry it around for a while with the chamber empty but cocked with the safety on. once you see that it is safe to do so then you can carry it with one in the chamber (condition one).

[JTJ]

It is a lot easier to rack when the hammer is cocked.

[BikerRN]

I feel uneasy about carrying it with the hammer cocked and safety on, but that might just be me.

I can assure you that it's just you.

Get some proper training in how to manipulate and use a Single Action Autoloader and you won't have that issue.

For the record, I carry my Hi Power with a round in the chamber, hammer back, and the safety on. I rest under my bed that way when I sleep and in my holster when awake, if I even use a holster that day. Sometimes I just shove it in my waistband and go, "Mexican Carry".

[sweeper22]

MY BHP is occasionally carried. Whether on my hip or at the computer desk, it lives its life in a constant state of "condition one".

A BHP was designed be carried this way.

[trip286]

Just got a 1911, and I'm already carrying condition 1. Makes me slightly nervous because this is the first semi auto I've owned, but it's really not much different than packing my DA revolver, of course with the hammer down.

Also, these guns designed by JMB have a damn good record.

[rugerjazzkohai]

At first I wasn't too crazy carrying cocked and locked, but I realized that in a true self defense situation, I may not have enough time racking it back (especially if the supporting hand is blocking or getting my cleared). If you have kids make sure you have a gun vault or something similar. In the car I have one as well. I started off practicing with an empty gun or with snap caps in the holster (or by the bed). Then draw the same way all the time. For me...1) clear the holster (if u haven't practiced already, keep ur finger off the trigger until u r pointing it at ur target) 2) disengage the safety 3) bring the piece up while clearing clothes out of the way and then support the piece with the hand that cleared ur clothes. 4) present the piece forward 5) if necessary and ur life is endanger, shoot. Go slow! Slow is clean and clean is fast. Speed will eventually happen. I'm lucky that I have a range that allows me to practice this. I'm thinking of disengaging the safety after I present. I started each steal like 2-3 seconds in between each step. I increased speed when I didnt go out of order 30 times in a row (which is the number of times it starts to be a habit). Stay safe and hopefully we don't see u on YouTube under the "handgun fails" section.

[MrWray]

If your that nervous that the hammer could prematurely fall causing a discharge "wont happen", then get a holster with a thumb break. That way the hammer portion of the gun is protected by the thumb break making the hammer unable to strike the firing pin.