badkarma56 wrote:I'm pleased to hear that no one was injured or killed in this circumstance. I concur with many of the other's safety recommendations (especially the press-check tip for inspecting the chamber), but I do wish to add my two cents...
The ND in this particular situation would likely have been avoided if the weapon involved had been equipped with a decocker. I currently own four pistols (i.e., Beretta 92FS, H&K USP9C & USP45, and a Sig P226 Navy), and each of these weapons is equipped with a decocker. Although my father owned a 1911 pistol, he always used to gripe about one missing safety feature on these weapons...there's no truly "safe" way to lower the hammer on a loaded 1911 chamber. Pulling the trigger, and "thumbing" the hammer down is not inherently safe and will bypass any passive safety features built into the pistol (e.g., firing pin block, safety intercept notch, etc.).
I realize that the 1911 was designed to be carried in condition-1, but there are occasions with any single-action or double/single-action weapon where you'll want to safely lower that hammer on a "hot" chamber...
Why? There is no reason to do that.