What Condition of Readiness to you carry in? I prefer condition one. When I started looking for a concealed carry weapon I had decided that I wanted one where I could have it locked, cocked, and ready to rock and for my own piece of mind that required one with a manual thumb safety. Others may disagree and that is fine. This is the ultimate personal preference issue. No one can say you are right or wrong, just that they prefer it another way. You need to carry in a state that you are comfortable with not with what someone else tells you to do. After all, if you make a mistake you are the one that pays for it, not the guy who says you should carry another way. Nobody really knows how they will act WTSHTF and with repetitive training I trust that I can disengage the safety as I pull and level my weapon.
I have seen several descriptions for "Condition of Readiness" and this article in Gun Magazine a few years back seems to sum it up nicely.
GUN MAGAZINE
Condition One: Ready To Rock
In Condition One, the pistol has a cartridge in the chamber and a fall magazine inserted into the magazine well. This state of readiness occurs just prior to firing the gun.
In Condition One, a Glock handgun is brought into action simply by being brought on target. When placed on the trigger, the shooter's finger disengages the safety lever located in the middle of the trigger.
In Condition One, 1911 pistols are in a mechanical state commonly called "cocked and locked." In this mode, the hammer is back and the thumb safety is up and in a locked or "safe" no-fire position. The magazine is full and in place.
To bring into action, the 1911 is brought on target, the thumb safety depressed into fire mode and the trigger is accessed. The 1911 also requires that the grip safety located at the back of the frame be depressed in order to fire the pistol.
In Condition One, a firearm is in its fullest state of readiness. The operator is simply required to draw or present the pistol to the threat and apply the mechanics necessary to make the pistol fire. Condition One would be a correct choice when it is necessary to carry the pistol in a state of readiness for potential imminent use.
Condition Two: Dangerous And Awkward
In Condition Two, the pistol has a cartridge in the chamber and a full magazine in place. Glocks cannot be carried in Condition Two as they have no external hammer. When a 1911 is carried in Condition Two, the thumb safety is off and the hammer is down. The grip safety is still in place but does not come into play until the hammer is brought back for firing.
This Condition of Carry offers the dual disadvantage of being both dangerous and awkward. To bring the pistol into action, the operator must first cock the hammer to the rear, making this method of operation slower than the "cocked-and-locked" method of Condition One. Furthermore, Condition. Two could be dangerous if the hammer slips during the risky "dropping" process or if the gun itself is accidentally dropped while in this hammer-down mode. This mode of carry is not recommended under any circumstances.
Condition Three: Is It Child Proof?
In Condition Three the chamber is empty and a full magazine is in place in the magazine well. Condition Three is applicable in both the 1911 and Glock systems and is a common method of carry for military organizations around the world.
The Israelis have gone so far as to include drawing, crouching and reciprocating the slide as a technique of instruction. U.S. military units have long carried pistols in this half-loaded configuration while walking or serving on guard- and duty-stations. U.S. military sentries have even developed a technique of one-handed drawing by reciprocating the slide on the belt or holster to charge the weapon.
It has been suggested that Condition Three is a safe condition in which to store a handgun in a child-occupied home. This theory is based on the assumption that a youngster could not easily reciprocate the slide and thereby load the weapon.
To dispel that myth, I personally know of a young couple whose 3-year-old daughter gained access to their Government Model 1911, cycled the slide and discharged the firearm in the bedroom closet. Fortunately, no one was injured, although everyone involved was quite shaken by the incident.
For this reason, I recommend that Condition Three is appropriate for firearm storage only if the half-loaded guns function as secondary weapons and are stored in locked vaults or lock boxes.
Condition Four: Ultimate Security
In Condition Four, which applies to all handguns, the gun is completely unloaded and the magazine is removed. In its most technically correct form, the slide of the pistol should be locked to the rear. This condition should be used when inspecting firearms as well as storing them in secure areas. For long-term storage, it is best to put the pistol into Condition Four, making sure that it is unloaded, and then bring the slide forward to rest with the hammer down.
