Question for the gun experts out there: about Zimmerman's gun

[CatWoman]

how hard would it have been to take the safety off (assuming it was on at one time) while tusseling with someone on the ground?

I'll admit I don't know anything about the weapon in question.

Also, about chambering the rounds - is that difficult to do while scuffling with someone?

[aikoaiko]

1. There isn't a saftey lever on that type of firearm

Many pistols don't have them.

Eta: That's a Keltec PF9 in your picture.

here is an example of a pistol that has one... the venerable Colt 1911.

You can see the lever just under the slide all the way toward the back. When flipped up it causes everything to lock up.

[atreides1]

6. No safety lever,

Hammer block

A hammer block is similar to a firing pin block. It is a latch, block or other obstruction built into the action and normally positioned to prevent the hammer contacting the cartridge primer or firing pin when at rest. Similar to the firing pin block, the obstruction to the hammer's travel is removed as a consequence of pulling the trigger. This allows the hammer to contact the primer or firing pin only when the trigger is pulled.

[CatWoman]

7. thanks

I updated the pic

[atreides1]

2. Not an expert

From my own experience you could use your thumb to release the safety...but you would need two hands to chamber a round!

Anyone one else want to jump in?

[michreject]

9. It was probably carried in condition one

meaning a round was already chambered before the confrontation.

Never carry a gun on an empty chamber.

[justiceischeap]

3. As it was explained by his good friend on TV

the trigger is a "long pull" trigger, so it's a "built-in" safety. All Zimmerman had to do, provided a round was already chambered was get the gun out of his holster and pull the trigger.

[TorchTheWitch]

4. that doesn't appear to be the right gun

It's a Kel Tec PF9.

http://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/2012/03/foghorn/the-truth-about-george-zimmermans-kel-tec-pf-9/

Notice that this article about the gun says it has a significant recoil.

[CatWoman]

5. thank you

and here I was thinking Google was my friend

[TorchTheWitch]

15. I cheated - I had that page bookmarked

When I googled for it the first time I had a hard time finding it since I couldn't recall the name of the gun or the model.

I hope all the said on that page helped. I know next to nothing about guns, so I don't know if I really understood half of what they said about it... like the safety and stuff like that I have no idea what that even means or what it would look like or how it would work. I can pretty much tell one end from the other though, but that's about it.

[CatWoman]

16. it helped greatly as I learned a lot

thanks again

[Jenoch]

8. The Kel-Tec PF-9 is a double action only semi auto handgun.

The reference to the double action is also referenced by the term 'long-pull'. This gun does not have a safety in the traditional sense. This is not unusual for this type of handgun. Zimmerman had a round in the chamber. I read somewhere that there were seven rounds in the magazine after he fired the gun. That is the capacity of the magazine, so there was already a round in the chamber.

[Nevernose]

18. I read somewhere that the gun was modified

Allowing for an easier pull of the trigger. I have no idea if that's true or not.

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. Gun had bullet chambered already

And safety...they are not that hard to take

[krispos42]

11. That kind of gun is operated like a revolver

A modern, double-action revolver.

Assuming he was carrying with a round chambered and a loaded magazine, all he had to do was draw the gun and squeeze the trigger.

[Lizzie Poppet]

12. Others have discussed the safety matter...

...so I'll just point out that chambering a round while in a scuffle would probably be very difficult, largely because it requires both hands. You continue holding the pistol with your shooting hand and rack the slide with your off hand. It takes a fair bit of force for most pistols. I have small-ish hands and am not very strong, and chambering a round in my 1911 takes a deliberate effort, although I'm used to it. In a scuffle with an assailant, I wouldn't be able to do it.

[Gravitycollapse]

13. Anyone who's smart and carries would have a round chambered.

The entire point of carrying is being able to immediately and efficiently respond to a threat. It would be absurd to carry a handgun that wasn't already chambered. Load the magazine and pull back on the action and your good.

As far as trying to chamber a round while fighting, it would be very difficult as you would need both hands. But the actual chambering takes only a split second. If it is true that the firearm has no safety, which is often the case with compact, composite conceal carry pistols, then obviously there would be no safety to switch off.

What this means is that shooting Martin would be as simple as unholstering the weapon, pointing and pulling the trigger.

[Duckwraps]

14. Likewise FWIW

all models of Glocks, probably the most popular handgun sold, have no so called external safety. Its safety is part of the functioning of the trigger itself. Its called a "Safe action" system.

[GreenStormCloud]

17. Semi-auto are always carried with a round in the chamber.

If you need a gun for self defense, you are likely to need it in a real hurry and won't be able to say to you attacker, "Please wait a bit while I chamber a round." Further, you may not have the use of both hands.

The safety is to make sure the gun won't fire if dropped. Guns like the 1911 pictured above had a hammer that had to be cocked before the first round could be fired. The safety allowed the gun to be carried cocked without fear of an accidental discharge. Z's gun was drop-safe and could only be fired by pulling the trigger.

[CatWoman]

19. kick

glad I asked this question as there's a firearms expert testifying now......