One in chamber? Yes / No

[Genesis1]

I currently have two pistols I carry concealed, a S&W SD40 and my BUG is a Ruger LCP.380.

Do any of you carry your concealed pistol(s) with a round in the chamber? Currently I do not. I am curious if many others do, and if so give your reasoning on the safety aspect.

Thanks in advance.

 

[50SR9]

Always and forever.

 

[50SR9]

Always and forever, only unloaded for cleaning.

 

[fuhr52]

How fast can you draw and rack the slide under duress? Do you also drive your car with no seat belt thinking you can put it on prier to a crash? Always carry with one in the chamber.

 

[50SR9]

Always and forever, only unloaded for cleaning.

 

[Deserteagle]

Do you keep your car's gas tank empty until you want to drive it?
Do you keep the blades on your knives dull until you need to actually cut something?
Do you only put batteries in your remote controls when you are ready to turn the TV on?
Do you keep your cell phone off until you need to make a call?

Save yourself the trouble and keep your tools ready to be used, including guns.

 

[jcreek]

Always. Don't be the guy that thinks the sound of racking a slide or pumping a shotgun is enough to scare somebody off. That craps for Hollywood. If you need to use you're weapon it better be ready to use.

It's not so much a safety issue as it is a proficiency and confidence issue. Your finger should never be on that damn trigger until you're ready to fire. It needs to be second nature. With proficiency comes confidence. Carrying one in the chamber is only as dangerous as you make it. Guns don't shoot themselves.

 

[Firefighterchen]

I currently have two pistols I carry concealed, a S&W SD40 and my BUG is a Ruger LCP.380.

Do any of you carry your concealed pistol(s) with a round in the chamber? Currently I do not. I am curious if many others do, and if so give your reasoning on the safety aspect.

Thanks in advance.

I believe you are in the very small minority that has not come to the conclusion that carrying chambered is not only smart but safer

It's safer for me to keep my handgun chambered because when I need it, I want it to be ready.

 

[mmastell]

If you are carrying you should always have a round in the chamber. If you don't, you will regret it.

 

[apvbguy]

I currently have two pistols I carry concealed, a S&W SD40 and my BUG is a Ruger LCP.380.

Do any of you carry your concealed pistol(s) with a round in the chamber? Currently I do not. I am curious if many others do, and if so give your reasoning on the safety aspect.

Thanks in advance.

Please accept this in the spirit intended:

I guess you like carrying a useless paperweight.
You need to do yourself a big favor and seek out a good trainer that is well versed in self defense tactics and train, train, train!

 

[Rocketgeezer]

I currently have two pistols I carry concealed, a S&W SD40 and my BUG is a Ruger LCP.380.

Do any of you carry your concealed pistol(s) with a round in the chamber? Currently I do not. I am curious if many others do, and if so give your reasoning on the safety aspect.

Thanks in advance.

It just seems funny that this still come up, but being that your new to carry I understand, and dont let anyone BS you a lot of us did at first, you should do whatever your comfortable doing, but you have to realize there is no way your going to draw your weapon and rack it if needed in a emergency, at least not before you get shot, also I do not recamend any gun with a manual safety being used by a new shooter, for the same reason, you may forget about the safety, and get shot while trying to get it off, ........keep your gun loaded, racked, and ready to shoot with only a pull of the trigger, as its really the only safety that counts

 

[Michael Ramsey]

Here's just a little hypothetical...

You're right handed, standing at an ATM and some dude with a knife runs upon you and he's already slashing and he's cut your left hand up bad... cause you're going to shield yourself... how in the world do you put a round in your empty chamber?

Ohhhhh, I get it.... you're gonna ask a person who's willing to end your life if he'd give you a couple of seconds to rack a round..... NOPE....

ALWAYS ONE IN THE CHAMBER!

 

[guitargain]

yes, not much good if not.

 

[Pir8fan]

Every firearm I own always has one in the chamber. BGs aren't going to wait until you're ready.

 

[beachbum17]

It takes some time to get use to. Just jump into it and go. The Lcp has suck a long trigger pull its not going to shoot itself ever. I use a pocket pistol holster to put it in. $5 off eBay works great with no printing! Plus the Lcp is one of those if you didn't rack it right the round would get jammed I played around with it enough to figure that out. Very reliable piece though

 

[the dark]

This hasn't come up in a while...

Consider the less drastic, but perhaps more probable example of a close quarters assault where you need your off hand to strike or fend blows or control your assailant. Consider needing it to control or shield someone you are protecting. How will you chamber a round to fire from retention? Adding a need to chamber a round destroys any economy of motion and, under duress, is likely to lead to juggling your firearm.

Yes, do what you are comfortable with, but recognise the limitations. A pistol without a round in the chamber becomes a striking instrument.

 

[spdracr39]

Condition One always. If you don't you might as well carry in a fanny pack or purse because you won't have time to use it. If you do have time to pull it rack it and bring it to bear you probably had time to avoid the scenario in the first place. My weapon requires me to use the safety because it is SAO but if it weren't I wouldn't even do that.

 

[golocx4]

A friend of mine carries his revolver on an empty chamber. Because it is what his first pistol instructor told him to do.
That verifies "Primacy" That which you learn first you retain the longest, as well as, just because you are a certified teacher, it doesn't mean you don't know what you are talking about. Think about that as your children come home from school hearing the Department of Education's propaganda all day everyday.

My Beretta's are DA and SA so to carry an empty chamber is kinda defeating the purpose.
My 1911 is cocked and locked with safety on.
My revolvers are always loaded to the max.

 

[Andrew49417]

I just watched "The Fugitive" yesterday. I noticed Tommy Lee Jones racked the slide every time he drew his weapon. Pretty funny. He must have been trained in Israel.

Movies - I guess that is why so many of us think it is the way to go at first. I started out carrying condition 3, but now I carry a reliable drop-tested gun and load one in the chamber.

 

[dad45acp]

I like the answers here. Mine is the same. If you're not going to carry with 1 in the pipe, DON'T CARRY AT ALL. In a high stress deadly force encounter, your slide is going to feel like pulling a hundred pounds and fine motor skills are not going to work.