Condition One: Shake Ready
In Condition One, the gun carries a cartridge in the chamber and a full magazine inserted into the broach of the magazine. This state of the enlistment takes place just before firing the weapon.
In Condition One, a Glock pistol comes into play simply by reaching out and taking it to the target. When you place your finger on the trigger, the handle disengages the safety lever protruding in the middle of the trigger.
In Condition One, a tactical pistol has a full loader inserted into the cradle of the magazine and carries a cartridge into the chamber with all relevant insurances activated.
In Condition One, the 1911 guns are in a mechanical state commonly called ‘cocked and locked’. In this state, the hammer is mounted, ready to strike, and the flap catch is up, activated in the ‘safe’ position. The magazine is full and in place inside the gun.
In order for a 1911 pistol in this state to come into action, it is taken to the target, the safety flap is pressed down to the firing position and the trigger is accessed. In addition, in order to open fire, 1911 requires that the handle lock, which is on the back of the handle, is pressed. You have to be more careful in case of having 1911 custom grips.
In Condition One, a gun is in its most complete state. It simply requires the user to draw and/or carry the gun into the threat and apply the mechanics necessary to make the gun fire. Condition One is the correct choice when it is necessary to carry the gun in a state that allows for imminent use of the weapon.
Condition Two: Dangerous and Complicated
In Condition Two, the gun carries a cartridge in the chamber and a full magazine in its place. Glock pistols cannot be carried in Condition Two for the reason that they do not have an external hammer. When a 1911 pistol is carried in Condition Two, the wing latch is deactivated in the fire position and the hammer is lowered. The grip is on but will not play until the hammer is assembled for firing.
Although not applicable to some modern striker-fired pistols, 1911 pistol can be carried in Condition Two by lowering the hammer with a cartridge in a chamber, although this procedure is extremely dangerous.
This Condition offers the double disadvantage of being dangerous and complicated. In order to start the gun, the user has to pull back the hammer to load the gun, which makes this method of operation slower than the ‘cocked and locked’ method of the Condition One. In addition, Condition Two could be dangerous if the hammer slips during the risky process of ‘lowering’ the hammer or if the weapon itself falls accidentally and gets hit on the hammer while it is being shot. In this way of carrying a gun, it is not recommended under any circumstances.
