Cocked and Locked P938

[powerman]

I realized I had the type/size of gun that I have been looking for.
I have a Sig P938 somewhere in my safe, which is a 1911 style compact. uses either 6 or 7 rd single stack mags.
i normally dont carry but with the things going down its probably a good idea.

Anyhow I never carried it since i need to get over the cocked and locked mental block i have.
I know it has a trigger safety that blocks the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled.

I'm sure others also have the same issue of Cocked and Locked.

Any suggestions, hints, words of wisdom.
best way to carry?
With my body shape and size I'm thinking on a shoulder holster. i may have a sneak Pete holster for it as well.

 

[Picton]

It's what I carry when I really, really, really need concealment. DeSantis Apache ankle rig or N82 IWB holster. It's a fantastic design that's never once failed to go boom. More importantly for your purposes, in over ten years I've never had the thumb safety end up down after a long day's carry after I initially put it up.

I would think a shoulder holster would be wasted on a 938. It's a tiny gun. It'll fit anywhere; a shoulder rig seems like overkill. JMO. When it's IWB, I never even notice it's there.

 

[whatluck]

Totally safe to carry a modern gun cocked and locked.

 

[maltc]

Totally safe to carry a modern gun cocked and locked.

Sig P320 has entered the chat.

 

[Picton]

Sig P320 has entered the chat.

Well, yeah, but that's made by SIG. This one... oh. Wait.

 

[MAGA99]

I sometimes carry my 238 (same gun in 380) in an IWB leather/kydex holster or even a tiny pocket holster. The safety is pretty positive lock into position. Never an issue. And even if the safety came off, you still have to pull the trigger to make it go bang.

You could always carry on empty chamber and have to rack if you draw, but that’s a horrible way to carry!

With the current state of affairs I’d recommend anything with a higher capacity….

 

[SIGNES]

The manual safety is designed to block a an unintentional trigger pull. The firing pin block (#17 on the parts diagram) is designed to block the firing pin if the hammer jumps the sear without a trigger pull. A good holster is your other, and in many ways most important safety. (FOTT etc. notwithstanding.)

 

[SIGNES]

I sometimes carry my 238 (same gun in 380) in an IWB leather/kydex holster or even a tiny pocket holster. The safety is pretty positive lock into position. Never an issue. And even if the safety came off, you still have to pull the trigger to make it go bang.

You could always carry on empty chamber and have to rack if you draw, but that’s a horrible way to carry!

With the current state of affairs I’d recommend anything with a higher capacity….

While, yeah, it's meant to be carried Condition 1 (Cocked and locked, one in the chamber, hammer back, safety on.) and it is low capacity, @MAGA99's suggestion is a way to confirm @whatluck's point. Carry 'Israeli' (nothing in the chamber, rack if you need it) for a week or two with with safety on and notice that the manual safety stays on as a way to get comfortable with Condition 1.

 

[josie wales]

I moved into the 21st century with a Sig P938.and carried it for a year and never could get comfortable with it in condition 1. It is great as a pocket carry. I was always worried about shooting my nuts off .The gun is very accurate. I did for a few days try to carry with an empty chamber....but WTF it is useless. I wish it had a grip safety! I went back to my old S&W 60 to keep my nuts safe.

 

[paracarry]

when I had my 938 (made the mistake of selling it, dumb ass) carried cocked and locked , no issues. Those guns are more accurate than a gun that size has a right to be. Unless of course you suck then it doesn't matter.

 

[paracarry]

when I had my 938 (made the mistake of selling it, dumb ass) carried cocked and locked , no issues. Those guns are more accurate than a gun that size has a right to be. Unless of course you suck then it doesn't matter.

 

[allen-1]

My wife has a couple of the P238 which is essentially the same firearm, but in .380. She typically uses a "bellyband" to carry them in cocked and locked mode. To discharge a round, (intentionally or accidentally), you need to flip the safety off and pull the trigger. Both of these actions require a postitive application of force.

I've got a Colt Mustang in the safe, same design, except that the safety is implemented differently.

Nice little guns.

 

[Rick O'Shea]

Your finger is the safety.

 

[R_Wilson]

Since moving to NH (9/22) I have carried the 938 in a ankle holster without issue. This includes all types of activities, contruction, clearing woods, etc.

 

[tuna]

Use it as a backup with the empty chamber. Carry it cocked and UNLOCKED. After seeing you don’t pull the trigger randomly with the safety disengaged, you’ll feel better with it on.

Just have something loaded just in case.

 

[Sf Becket]

I wouldn’t carry anything chamber empty. I understand some people aren’t comfortable carrying cocked and locked or even a DAO with one in the chamber. Probably a better option for someone like that might be a revolver IMO

 

[Wickedcoolname]

You know the drill. Finger off the trigger until ready to fire, etc.
Practice carrying around the house & yard with an empty gun cocked & locked for a few weeks. If you don't hear a click, you're good to go.

 

[Mesatchornug]

Isn't this what the thumb break leather holsters are for? (That is, the strap goes between hammer and firing pin, providing yet another safety...)

 

[rogersmithiii]

I moved into the 21st century with a Sig P938.and carried it for a year and never could get comfortable with it in condition 1. It is great as a pocket carry. I was always worried about shooting my nuts off .The gun is very accurate. I did for a few days try to carry with an empty chamber....but WTF it is useless. I wish it had a grip safety! I went back to my old S&W 66 to keep my nuts safe.

I do not carry any cocked pistol (1911, striker, etc) in a way that has it pointing at my body. So no appendix etc. I carry mine behind the hip so it’s pointing away from my body.

All of my pistols have a thumb safety, and trigger safety, so it’s just another layer of protection.

 

[tuna]

It seems that the root of the problem is that you're afraid of an accidental discharge shooting yourself while carrying cocked and locked. The way to minimize the danger is to "inoculate" yourself from gunshot wounds, much the same way that a vaccine used to work before we changed the definition of vaccines.
Start slow by shooting yourself with airsoft guns. After a week or two, you should develop a tolerance and can move to BBs and .177 pellet guns. From there you can continue with higher caliber pellet guns, or go straight to .22lr. Continue up the scale until tolerance and calluses make the potentially affected area bulletproof.

I would never try this myself, but I've seen it posted on the internets several times and the science seems to pan out when you think about it, so it must be valid.

 

[rogersmithiii]

It seems that the root of the problem is that you're afraid of an accidental discharge shooting yourself while carrying cocked and locked. The way to minimize the danger is to "inoculate" yourself from gunshot wounds, much the same way that a vaccine used to work before we changed the definition of vaccines.
Start slow by shooting yourself with airsoft guns. After a week or two, you should develop a tolerance and can move to BBs and .177 pellet guns. From there you can continue with higher caliber pellet guns, or go straight to .22lr. Continue up the scale until tolerance and calluses make the potentially affected area bulletproof.

I would never try this myself, but I've seen it posted on the internets several times and the science seems to pan out when you think about it, so it must be valid.

If it's on the Internets, it MUST be true.

 

[peterk123]

I realized I had the type/size of gun that I have been looking for.
I have a Sig P938 somewhere in my safe, which is a 1911 style compact. uses either 6 or 7 rd single stack mags.
i normally dont carry but with the things going down its probably a good idea.

Anyhow I never carried it since i need to get over the cocked and locked mental block i have.
I know it has a trigger safety that blocks the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled.

I'm sure others also have the same issue of Cocked and Locked.

Any suggestions, hints, words of wisdom.
best way to carry?
With my body shape and size I'm thinking on a shoulder holster. i may have a sneak Pete holster for it as well.

That gun is my edc. One in the chamber ready to go at all times. Cocked and locked, as you said. 1911 type safties are awesome. You can unlock it while drawing no problem. No worries carrying that gun.

 

[whacko]

I realized I had the type/size of gun that I have been looking for.
I have a Sig P938 somewhere in my safe, which is a 1911 style compact. uses either 6 or 7 rd single stack mags.
i normally dont carry but with the things going down its probably a good idea.

Anyhow I never carried it since i need to get over the cocked and locked mental block i have.
I know it has a trigger safety that blocks the firing pin unless the trigger is pulled.

I'm sure others also have the same issue of Cocked and Locked.

Any suggestions, hints, words of wisdom.
best way to carry?
With my body shape and size I'm thinking on a shoulder holster. i may have a sneak Pete holster for it as well.

Just my 2 cents here ansld I may catch hell from the nes peanut gallery.

A cocked and locked 1911 style handgun (I know this model lacks the grip safety) is probably "safer" than the myriad of striker fired handguns out there that don't have an external safety. A glock or m and p with no external safety can be discharged when holstering.....if there is clothing or other object in the holster. That's way less likely with a 1911 style sa handgun as long as you ensure the safety is engaged....holster the gun.....and don't f*** with it. As someone else has already stated it takes 2 distinct deliberate actions to fire that gun. Disengage the safety.... then press the trigger. You just need to get over the fact that the hammer is back. It's fine.

 

[powerman]

Thanks lots of good info so far.

You just need to get over the fact that the hammer is back. It's fine.

That's my hang-up.

Glock or m and p with no external safety can be discharged when holstering

That's a good point.

 

[maltc]

While, yeah, it's meant to be carried Condition 1 (Cocked and locked, one in the chamber, hammer back, safety on.) and it is low capacity, @MAGA99's suggestion is a way to confirm @whatluck's point. Carry 'Israeli' (nothing in the chamber, rack if you need it) for a week or two with with safety on and notice that the manual safety stays on as a way to get comfortable with Condition 1.

Had a thought (this is NOT revolutionary, but just occured to me)… w/ a da/sa/sao hammer fired sidearm, like a 1911, ever heard of people dropping one in the chamber (10+1)- then pulling the hammer on the draw?

 

[Mesatchornug]

Had a thought (this is NOT revolutionary, but just occured to me)… w/ a da/sa/sao hammer fired sidearm, like a 1911, ever heard of people dropping one in the chamber (10+1)- then pulling the hammer on the draw?

to drop one in the chamber, the slide must be back. this will have cocked the hammer.

also, many 1911 extractors are not designed to snap over the rim of the cartridge as the slide closes, so you risk breaking the extractor when you do that.

 

[ProGun]

I really like mine. Probably what I carry most these days. In a kydex holster at 4 o'clock.

 

[TJ4]

Thanks lots of good info so far.


That's my hang-up.


That's a good point.

I believe that the p938 is designed so that even if the manual safety got released, and the hammer somehow slipped out of cocked position, the firing pin is blocked until the trigger is pulled, so the hammer wouldn’t be striking it? I always thought that the p938s were basically series 80 designs in that regard? I believe folks here can correct me?

I always loved those and often think of grabbing one.

 

[Toast]

I believe that the p938 is designed so that even if the manual safety got released, and the hammer somehow slipped out of cocked position, the firing pin is blocked until the trigger is pulled, so the hammer wouldn’t be striking it? I always thought that the p938s were basically series 80 designs in that regard? I believe folks here can correct me?

I always loved those and often think of grabbing one.

As luck would have it, I posted a thread today about a range issue with my P938 which involved the gun not firing due to a stuck firing pin block. The block is held up by the extractor until the trigger is pulled, at which point the extractor drops and the block slips down. In my case, a bit of gunk kept the block up, thus locking the firing pin in place.

Details here: "Click."

 

[SIGNES]

Had a thought (this is NOT revolutionary, but just occured to me)… w/ a da/sa/sao hammer fired sidearm, like a 1911, ever heard of people dropping one in the chamber (10+1)- then pulling the hammer on the draw?

Not recommended. Even if you avoid the very real issue that @Mesatchornug notes by racking the slide to strip the top round from a magazine and then toping off the magazine, there are other problems.

Putting it into that state (Condition 2) has some risks. Hammer slips from grasp and drops while trigger is pulled to 'set it up'. Yes, there are safe(r) methods (other thumb in front of hammer for one) to lower the hammer on a firearm without a decocker but the concern is doing this repeatedly leads to errors of familiarity. And, there are problems with cock on draw. First, it's a much more fine motor skill than dropping the safety which can be part of your first draw step of establishing of grip. 'Training' the cocking of hammer is where the accidents will be most likely to happen because would have to be part of your draw drills and see preceding where the risk of an ND increases. (Yes, the half cock notch helps but I am not sure a 938 even has one, nor should it be relied on if it does) Third, a slip up in a stress situation massively increases the risk of premature unaimed discharge during an actual draw for all of the preceding reasons. Don't.