Okay, I carry 4 inch .38 revovler with a hammer typically.
Suppose I catch a perpetrator breaking into my house, car, robbing my neighbor or friend, holding me or them up with a gun or knife etc. and I pull my gun and tell him to put his hands over his head, kneel down, cross legs or spread his hands on the car, or whatever to get him under control.
How do I approach him to search him?
Do I walk up and start going over him with the gun uncocked?
Do I cock the gun and walk up with my thumb over the trigger?
Do I cock the gun and hold the trigger down keeping my thumb over the hammer holding it down?
If I do the first, if he were to grab for my gun and get his hands on it, then I might not be able to fire because his hands might be holding the cylinder in place.
If I do either of the latter two, all I need do is let go of the hammer with my thumb and the "gun struggle" is over.
on the other hand, some ACLU or NAACP thug might file suit against me for killing or endangering the life of this wonderful upstanding member of the community
OR should I hold him at gunpoint until the police get there. (on the other hand, what if there are say 4 or 5 perpetrators, I need to be careful watching everthing all of them are doing if I don't search them. But I guess that's okay, as long as I can see their hands)