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I carry a Springfield XD 45 Mod 2. One of the several reasons I chose this handgun is because it has several safety features built into it, without it needing a manual "safety". In the past, I've carried semi autos that were sa/da, and always carried with one in the pipe, with the safety engaged. But over the years I came to the conclusion that anything that adds a step, or time, or requires conscious thought from holster to fire, is more of a hazard to the carrier than it is to the target. In a situation where you are faced with an attacker who is threatening your life, your reaction needs to be smooth and without having to put a lot of thought into it. As mentioned already, having to jack a round into the chamber or flipping the manual safety to the "fire" position could very well use up that half second of time you require to bring the attack to a favorable conclusion. It is for these reasons that I feel that anyone who carries with an empty chamber, or with a manual safety engaged, should pretty much expect to die, or at least come out on the losing end of the situation. Its imperative to keep in mind the reason why one carries in the first place. It's to be prepared for, and able to defend against the unexpected. Anything you do to purposefully slow down your reaction, should be viewed as foolish.

I am an insurance investigator. As such I daily find myself in seedy areas of town, with equally seedy individuals milling around or wandering past me while doing my thing, or while simply sitting in my car doing paperwork or talking on the phone. To prepare for the unexpected, in my mind I continuously run thru dangerous scenarios I may encounter in my daily life. I practice at the range on a regular basis, and keep my weapon clean and in good working order. One thing I never let myself forget is that 9 times out of 10, if an attacker decides to make you a victim, he's not going to broadcast his intention ahead of time, leaving you to be surprised and at a disadvantage. While I hope that my luck (in never being robbed or otherwise attacked) never runs out, I am confident that if the situation occurs, nothing as silly as not having a round in the pipe, or having a manual safety engaged will get me killed.