TexasCHLforum.com

Let me try to summarize this thread:

1. My original question as to whether anyone else has had a similar problem seems to be a definite NO.

2. The generic nylon holster I have been using is a bad idea, it was never my first choice as I would have preferred to use the purpose built IMI moulded plastic model, which also has a latch that engages on the trigger guard to stop the pistol from falling out or being pulled out unless the release is pressed.

3. The key to using the IMI holster appears to be having a proper belt that is wide enough and strong enough. So that seems to be the core of the problem that I need to fix.

4. As to why the pistol has a half cock option may be less to do with safety than it is stripping. To strip the baby eagle you have to push the slide back about a 1/4 inch until a dot on the slide and a dot on the frame line up then you can push out the pin. Putting the hammer at half cock will slightly reduce the resistance while performing this procedure.

5. Why do I not simply keep the safety on when it is in the holster. As Wild Bill said that adds a procedure which I would rather avoid. This may be personal but I feel that the SA push down to release manual safety like on a 1911 is easier and more natural to use than the DA push up to release safety on the baby eagle and many other DA/SA pistols going all the way back to the Walther P38.

carlson1 wrote: The halfcock is not to be used ever on a 1911 (I am assuming on any pistol). The reason the 1911 has the halfcock position is because it is a safety and that is it.

Quite true and on the baby eagle (like I think most DA/SA type pistols) the hammer can only be put into the "half cock" position when the safety is off with the "Red Dot" visible. If the safety is switched to the "White Dot" safe position the hammer is automatically de-cocked from both the half cock or full cock position. If the "White Dot" is showing then the hammer will always stay dropped and the trigger is disengaged. Therefore it is impossible to carry this sort of pistol "cocked and locked". For that reason the logical way to carry the weapon is round chambered, hammer down, safety off (showing red dot) in this condition the weapon is no more dangerous than a DA revolver.

Maybe until I get a proper gun belt I should go in the attic and get out my old Army Sam Brown belt, that was strong enough to carry my Sword so why not my pistol.

The pistol is an IWI baby eagle 9mm

The holster in the pic is made in Israel by IMI defence it is specifically marketed for the baby eagle. It has two adjustments one screw to adjust the angle of the holster in relation to the paddle and the other screw that adjusts the pressure against the frame. The critical point being that it squeezes against the frame NOT the slide (this I have checked) so even if adjusted too tight this would not cause a half cock problem.

The half cock issue was caused by my other generic holster (no pic), which I would consider abandoning if I can make the IMI one work comfortably. It is certainly easier to both draw and re-holster with the IMI, but when carrying the grip feels like it is sticking out 6" away from my body.

Pawpaw wrote:Several thoughts come to mind:

2. If the gun is bouncing around, it sounds like you're not using a real gun belt.

3. Any time I holster a hammer-fired pistol (and all of mine are hammer-fired) I put my thumb on the back of the hammer and use that to push the pistol home. If you're pushing on the hammer, it can't go to half cock.

Good point about the gun belt. This really shows my cultural ignorance on these matters, that until a couple of days ago I thought "gun belts" were only used in either the "old west" or full tactical rigs. I only just discovered that such things are also made for routine concealed carry. Maybe one of those combined with the holster in the pic will work, I would prefer to use that as it was made for that gun.

I should have mentioned before that I also have recently been holstering with my thumb on the hammer and once the pistol is fully pushed home use my thumb to feel for any gap between the back of the slide and the face of the hammer.

This is now the end of my second month of concealed carry. Before I got my license I obtained the holster shown in the pic below which was specifically made for that pistol. Unfortunately I have not felt comfortable with it, I feel like it sticks out way too far from my body and the whole rig seems to bounce about as I walk.



As a result I have mostly been using something more generic, it fits my pistol well and holds it snug against my body, therefore does not sick out or bounce around and I generally feel comfortable wearing it, of course (shock horror) it is nylon. On a couple of occasions on returning home I removed the weapon from the holster and found that it was Half Cocked. As it is an DA/SA pistol I have been carrying it with one in the chamber hammer dropped safety off. So finding it in that condition as I removed it was a little disturbing. After the first incident I was even more careful about keeping my finger clear of the trigger. After the second incident I had an idea which I subsequently confirmed by dry experiment. When inserting the pistol into the holster there was sufficient friction between the holster and the slide to rack it to half cock. So the simple fix is, that I now have a new drill, set the safety to "de cock", next holster pistol, then release the safety once it is secure, which I easy enough to do with my thumb.

So I have been wondering has anyone else here had a similar experience. I realise that this issue only applies to DA/SA pistols, OK I guess you could replicate this situation with a SA weapon but why would you want to try and carry it round chambered hammer down?