Luger safety useage

[Rick W.]

i

[Frank]

Hi Rick,

I seldom, if ever, use the safety at the range. The only exception is when I am showing someone unfamiliar with the Luger operation.

As far as combat usage, I would think that the pistol would be fully charged and when drawn, the safety would taken off and the trigger finger would be positioned off the trigger on the trigger guard. At least that's my 2�¢ worth!

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[Stu]

I suspect Frank is spot on as to the safety usage.

I confess that when I'm at the range I load the pistol, fire and clear and never use the safety as I'm always pointing downrange. The only exception being is I when get a jam I can't clear by cycling the slide.

Has anyone else read that the practice of 'finger outside the trigger guard' is relatively recent ?

From a safety point of view it can't be faulted but the real objective is to make sure the finger isn't on the trigger. I believe the 'outside the trigger guard' practice was introduced so that range officers could tell that peoples fingers were off the trigger more easily ?

Looking at a few period photos they seemd a little more cavalier about gun handling during the war ! One recently for sale on ebay showed some germans messing around and one of them was pointing his Luger at his bayonet wielding colleagues; his finger was certainly within the trigger guard ! Glad it wasn't me it was pointed at...... [img]smile.gif[/img] (I got shot once with the edge of the pattern from a 12 bore, once is enough for this wus !)

[Edward Tinker]

Well, after 20 years of Range Safety NCO's and being a Range Safety Officer and NCO, I plop mine onto safety EVERY time I go to change a target or can (I shoot out in the field near the house) or when I place the gun into a holster.

I developed these habits because of the army and so many stories of cops getting killed because they were picking up their brass during a firefight and other bad habits picked up from the range during the 60's.

So, I always try to do the same thing I would in action, while at the range. At least to an extent... [img]wink.gif[/img]

As Frank stated .. [quote] As far as combat usage, I would think that the pistol would be fully charged and when drawn, the safety would taken off and the trigger finger would be positioned off the trigger on the trigger guard. <hr></blockquote>

That is how I carried a 45 the times I locked and loaded and when playing on the range and need to adjust something. At a military range, we would clear the weapon prior to going down range and almost never have a loaded weapon when moving, and always place the weapon onto safe.
However, I have been to a couple of live fire ranges where targets popped up and you shot while moving for the M16, 45 and later 9mm. Those were the most fun, when they realized you needed to know how to do that [img]wink.gif[/img]

[MarkC]

As a Massachusetts state firearms instructor and a long time NRA instructor the rule of the range on my watch is when a pistol is not in use it should be placed down with the muzzel pointing down range and action open with the magazine removed. (if a semi auto)

I am also a range officer at two of the clubs that I belong to and remind people of this safety rule. Additionally, it is your responsibility, in a nice way, to warn people of any unsafe activity. They may be a little offended at first but will come to realize the importance of gun safety.

[Roadkill]

I've never been a strong beleiver in the internal safety system of any firearm, especially an old one. Never cared for system where if a round is in the chamber it is cocked and you are depending on a mechanical system to keep it from firing. I always load, shoot, lock back bolt, remove magazine, the put gun down before going down range. And never point a gun anywhere you couldn't stand to have a hole.

rk

[Frank]

Mark C said

[quote]As a Massachusetts state firearms instructor and a long time NRA instructor the rule of the range on my watch is when a pistol is not in use it should be placed down with the muzzel pointing down range and action open with the magazine removed. (if a semi auto) <hr></blockquote>

These are the exact rules that apply at all the ranges I frequent

[Rick W.]

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[Heinz]

When I went through basic training (Iniantown Gap 1966) we were told to carry the 1911 with an empty chamber in the holster unless in a combat situation. I understand that that advice varied from time to time and place to place. The 1940 Bluejackets Manual says of the 1911 Colt "Never carry the pistol in the holster with the hammer cocked and safety lock on, except in an emergency or unless directed by proper authority.

I have never been able to see the point in keeping a round chambered in a holster you could not drag the pistol out of in a hurry no matter what. The buckled P08 holster almost takes two hands for me to get it open. Why carry it with a round up the pipe?

[Edward Tinker]

Heinz, because if your life depends on a 1911A1, then you don't want to waste a second (but read all, I agree with you, [img]biggrin.gif[/img] ).

One day I was working patrol supervisor and I received a vehicle, as I "hot-seated it" (you re-dispatch it and it doesn't sit overnight in the motor pool), I noticed a hole in the upper right windshield. I went to the desk sergeant and said, "hey there's a %&^^*& gun shot in the windshield!" He said, "oh yeah, meant to tell you about that".

Turns out a pizza delivery guy was stopped at a stop sign, a guy walked up to him and shot him, right in front of one of our patrol cars. The sergeant in the car, locked and loaded, chased after the guy and lost him. Since we weren't supposed to carry locked and loaded, he unloaded it, unfortunanately he unloaded incorrectly and popped a cap through the windshield...

(They caught the guy later that night, the patrolmen had caught most of the license plate)

So, if your life depends on every second, I would rather carry locked and loaded then to not carry locked and loaded.
With the gun empty, I practiced unholstering, locking and loading many, many times. That was because the rules were you weren't supposed to carry locked and loaded, although John Browning said it was safe...

Sooo....

{But Heinz, I don't see a reason to carry my P08 locked and loaded unless it is a combat zone either}
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[Rick W.]

i

[Heinz]

Ed, excellent post. I would also note that many of the 1911 Auto Police holsters I have seen look like you could get the wolf loose a lot quicker than the GI issue bucket.

Unfortunately today, police work is always a combat situation.

regards Heinz

[unspellable]

The various range and social occasion scenarios above are all well and good, but suppose I am carrying the nickle plated abomination with rabbits in mind. I'd probably have an open topped holster. I'm also likely to be carrying a shotgun. I see a lot of rabbits while pheasant hunting and the 12 gauge always makes a mess of the rabbits. But it would be difficult to rack a Luger while holding a loaded shotgun in the other hand. So the Luger would be carried cocked and locked or else it's back to a revolver.

[HÃ?Â¥kan Spuhr]

I do engage the safety when i compete in PPC competitions with my luger.
But as the lugers safety is so difficult to reach i have converted it to look like and work like a 1911 extended safety.

I belive that its far faster to manually rack the toggle than to disengage the safety.

Regards HÃ?Â¥kan