That was the point he made to me after many drills with and without the slide safety engaged. He reinforced that by demonstrations with an unloaded 1911.

With your unloaded 1911, try the following:

1. Bring the hammer back and without touching the grip safety, pull the trigger as hard as you can and make the hammer fall. This simulates something snagging on or depressing the trigger.

2. Again with the hammer back, the grip safety depressed this time and your thumb on the hammer, pull the trigger just enough to release it and gently follow the hammer forward with your thumb after letting off the trigger. Your hammer will more than likely stop at a half-**** position.

In order for your 1911 to fire, two things must happen: you must depress the grip safety, and the trigger must remain depressed until the primer is struck. If the grip safety is engaged again or you let off pressure on the trigger while the hammer is falling, the hammer will be blocked mid-travel. I can't tell you how important it is to experiment on your own with your unloaded 1911. Think of any manner of "accidents" that might cause that hammer to fall, something snagged, a fall, etc., and then in very slow motion attempt to replicate how the firearm will react.

I've also done this with my exposed-hammer DA and SA autos and revolvers, as well as a Winchester 94 in order to become familiar with each of their safety features Not a single one of my Beretta, Ruger, S&W, Winchester or Sig hammers will fall and contact the firing pin UNLESS the trigger is pulled at the same time. Not only would the hammer have to snag on something or be struck by something, but the trigger would have to snag at the same time and be pulled fully to the rear.

I also have a Ruger MkII. No exposed hammer, none of the above apply. I carry it with the safety engaged.

Most modern handgun safeties today involve something getting between the hammer and the firing pin. You may not even be aware of some of these redundant safeties. Think about how many hunting rifles and shotgun safeties that do nothing more than prevent the trigger from being pulled accidentally? But how many times have you carried them to the field and never given it a second thought?

I much prefer hunting and shooting when I know that the people around me focus far, far more on muzzle awareness (where that weapon's muzzle is pointed) than whether a safety is engaged. An accident or malfunction is always possible.

Get some formal training though. The money you spend to improve not only your "carry confidence" and draw -- but more importantly your judgements of and reactions to situations -- will be far less than the legal fees and inconvenience you'll endure mounting a defense in court.