Semi-automatic pistols can be carried in various conditions of readiness. First defined by the legendary Lt Col John Dean “Jeff” Cooper, these conditions are commonly accepted to be:
- Condition 0 – A round is in the chamber, hammer cocked, and the safety is off.
- Condition 1 – known as “cocked and locked”, means a round is in the chamber, the hammer cocked, and the manual thumb safety on the side of the frame is applied.
- Condition 2 – A round is in the chamber and the hammer is down.
- Condition 3 – The chamber is empty and hammer down with a charged magazine in the gun.
- Condition 4 – The chamber is empty, hammer down and no magazine is in the gun.
These conditions are/were designed with a 1911 style pistol in mind. The Glock with no external safety (but with its “safe action” safety measures) technically can’t have the thumb safety applied so it’s condition when loaded and chambered is a matter of debate amongst handgun owners and experts but it’s commonly accepted that a Glock is in “Condition 1” when loaded with a round in the chamber.
Another page on the subject is @ http://www.sightm1911.com/Care/1911_conditions.htm and it elaborates on the different conditions.
In which condition do you carry and why?