To address the “red flag” first, I have found that the cross-bolt safety, of a duty shotgun that lives an interesting life, can EASILY BE BUMPED into a position other than the way I left it, so, checking that safety, immediately, is part of picking up the weapon, anytime I handle it. The usual culprit has been pressure from a vehicle seat cushion, but mobile data terminals, notebooks, key maps, seat belts, and various other things are also suspect. I was officially taught cruiser ready for shotguns is to be cocked, chamber empty, action closed on an empty chamber, safety button on SAFE. With firearms policy in effect 24/7/365, and the PD way matching my idea as child-safe as practicable, that is how I kept, and still keep, pump guns.Quote:
Originally Posted by RevolverRob
Notably, though left-eye dominant, and so best practice has been to shoot long guns lefty, I have not opted for left-hand-action shotguns, and have not had the cross-bolt safeties altered to operate in a left-hand manner. I want my shotguns to match the other shotguns in the household, and to match the weapons carried by my colleagues. (My retirement has canceled the latter, but not changed the former.) Actually, a lefty operating a right-hand shotgun has better access to the ejection port, for most-expedient emergency-loading of the chamber.
The Benelli auto-loader system is a bit different than most, if not all other auto-loading shotguns. I keep the action cocked, safety ON, and a round chambered, in my most-ready defensive M2, and, this most-ready M2 is my usual go-to home-defense long gun. I can make it safer, quickly, by cycling the bolt, which does NOT chamber the next round in the mag tube. As the Benelli system is not applicable to the original post, I will not go into the esoteric parts, here.
“I” am not the only thing that can “slap” an AR15’s bolt release, so, I never store an AR15/M4 in a condition that would allow chambering a round by mere contact with the bolt release. When I carried a “patrol carbine,” as part of my duties, I was trained to use cruiser ready, and that is how I kept the weapon, 24/7/365, until it was time to do otherwise. At this time, an AR15/M4 weapon is not a “go to” weapon, except on the rare occasion it suddenly is, so cruiser ready is about as ready as they get, with totally empty being the norm.
I may yet elevate one or more AR15/M4 weapons to go-to status, and if so, will consider a 1911-ish Condition One as a potential storage condition.
