imported post
I carry a Para Ordnance S-14.45 in a Serpa CQC, and about 90% of the time I carry in Condition 3.
The only time I carry Condition 1 is on the range, or when I'm CCing in an IWB holster with a thumb strap that crosses the slide in front of the cocked hammer. In such a holster, even if the manual and grip safety should somehow fail me and the trigger somehow get depressed, the thumb strap should keep the hammer from impacting the firing pin...
I NEVER carry in Condition 2. It is, IMO, inherently unsafe for 1911's.
When I get my next .45 (which is going to be a Para Ordnance LDA compact) I WILL carry it in Condition 1, because the LDA action is fundamentally much safer to carry that way than an traditional Model 80 1911.
The way I see it, if Condition 3 carry is good enough for the IDF and Mossad, it's good enough for me. Racking the slide on the draw, if you know how to do it (and practice it regularly), only adds about 3/4 second to your "holstered-to-BANG" time.
If anyone out there is cocky enough to badmouth the tactics and weapon skills of the IDF, then frankly, I wouldn't put much credence in anything they would have to say about firearms...
In most self-defense situations, that additional fraction of a second in deployment is rarely critical to successful outcomes. Most self-defense scenarios happen in a timeframe where the "potential victim" has several seconds to assess the situation and make the decision to draw. I will gladly accept an additional 3/4 second on my draw time for the huge amount of safety provided by Condition 3 carry.
An added note--My Para has NEVER gone off safety while carrying, whether CC or OC, in any of the four holsters I have--Serpa CQC, old-style Galco IWB with thumb strap, old Bianchi IWB SOB-style without retention, or Galco Paddle Lite with thumb strap...
cuss
