How Long Before You CC With a Bullet In the Chamber?

[H3lpADing08MyBaby]

I Have been carrying for about a month and i have NOT loaded a round yet,This may be odd to some but to me i'm wondering if i need to give myself more time.
I'm just now getting used to the Holster and weight.we don't have kids so i'm not locking up my gun anymore it stays close to me .

WHen i'm carrying i think about what if something happens and i need to fire (we are talking intent and ability is there)...and if i pull my XD i have to rack it....now i'm thinking is it time to load a round.

Any Advice ?

 

[HK4U]

I always have carried with one in the chamber. As far as I am concerned there is no reason to not chamber a round on a DBL action auto. If something goes down and you need to use your weapon you will most likely already be behind the curve without having to waste time racking the slide. IMHO.

 

[dendrokeeper]

As long as it took me to rack the slide. As soon as I started carrying concealed, I carried with a live one in the pipe. As mentioned before, if something goes down you may fumble trying to load a round under the stress of the situation.

 

[rmarcustrucker]

I went from 1911 right to revolver and then slid over to Glock 27. Now I'm revolver or Glock user.

For you? As long as it takes.

Once your living and breathing the rules of gun safety. I mean that finger NEVER goes near the trigger, you always assume it's loaded, you don't point it at a play stuffed animal (that you wouldn't want to destroy) and you know where your neighbors bedroom is in relationship to where you are in your home.
That being said some always carry with an empty chamber. I won't judge. I have an xd45 and trusted it with one in the chamber. It just wasn't comfortable to carry the service model like my baby Glock or wheel gun, but I'd never think of going without an extra one in the pipe or 4 instead of 5 chambers full on my revolver.

Biggest safety rule I use is my gun is ALWAYS in a holster. When I arm or unarmed my carry system allows me to put on holster with gun every morning. Once holstered I do a safety check (most days) and then reload and re holster. When I come home I secure it and it's my back up to the long guns.

I agree that racking takes time and if your defending or moving (which you should be in a tactical situation) you might not have two hands to do it, but it's better to have an empty chambered gun then a chambered gun that you keep at home and don't carry.

 

[DebS]

Excellent

I went from 1911 right to revolver and then slid over to Glock 27. Now I'm revolver or Glock user.

For you? As long as it takes.

Once your living and breathing the rules of gun safety. I mean that finger NEVER goes near the trigger, you always assume it's loaded, you don't point it at a play stuffed animal (that you wouldn't want to destroy) and you know where your neighbors bedroom is in relationship to where you are in your home.
That being said some always carry with an empty chamber. I won't judge. I have an xd45 and trusted it with one in the chamber. It just wasn't comfortable to carry the service model like my baby Glock or wheel gun, but I'd never think of going without an extra one in the pipe or 4 instead of 5 chambers full on my revolver.

Biggest safety rule I use is my gun is ALWAYS in a holster. When I arm or unarmed my carry system allows me to put on holster with gun every morning. Once holstered I do a safety check (most days) and then reload and re holster. When I come home I secure it and it's my back up to the long guns.

I agree that racking takes time and if your defending or moving (which you should be in a tactical situation) you might not have two hands to do it, but it's better to have an empty chambered gun then a chambered gun that you keep at home and don't carry.

This is the most excellent answer to this question I have read.

I can think of nothing to add to this except that I'm pretty crabby about all Obozo's crap tonight, so any compliment given from me right now is well earned.
:wacko:

 

[vn6869]

I went from 1911 right to revolver and then slid over to Glock 27. Now I'm revolver or Glock user.

For you? As long as it takes.

Once your living and breathing the rules of gun safety. I mean that finger NEVER goes near the trigger, you always assume it's loaded, you don't point it at a play stuffed animal (that you wouldn't want to destroy) and you know where your neighbors bedroom is in relationship to where you are in your home.
That being said . . .. I won't judge.

I agree that racking takes time and if your defending or moving (which you should be in a tactical situation) you might not have two hands to do it, but it's better to have an empty chambered gun then a chambered gun that you keep at home and don't carry.

+1 AGREE. Well put. :yu:

 

[H3lpADing08MyBaby]

I'm trying to get a routine down and i ALWAYS doing safety checks...I realize what everyone is saying about Loading a round while carrying.
Thank for the guidance and direction this helps alot..
Also when you was talking about knowing where the neighbors room would be i never thought that far...
I'm looking to take Handgun Level I II & III sometime in the near future.

thanks for the help

 

[John Wesley]

FWIW - It took me about a month.

One thing I did was put a brand new snap cap in the chamber. I attached a tiny piece of paper with a small circular piece of clear tape over the "primer".

I checked it occasionally and saw that the "primer" had never been struck.

Maybe it was a bad idea but it helped convince me that nothing I might be doing was going to set off a round with live ammo.

 

[tattedupboy]

When I first got my LTC, i carried Mexican style without a round in the chamber. Unfortunately, lots of people where I'm from carry like this (including my brother, who taught me a lot of what I know about guns today) and I just followed suit. It wasn't until I joined the now-defunct Packing.org that I learned that the best and safest way to carry is with a round chambered in a holster that covers the trigger guard.

 

[Desertrat]

As soon as you feel confident with your choice of weapons and know that you are ready for whatever comes along!

 

[pb_beaker]

It took me about three months and every know and then I still dont.

I do use a holster but still have the "what if" mentality. What if when i sit down it puts pressure on the trigger and goes off? or when i take it off i hit the trigger?

I carry the XD-40 sub and i know it has multiple safetys..... I guess its something ill work into.

 

[Tea For One]

I Have been carrying for about a month and i have NOT loaded a round yet,This may be odd to some but to me i'm wondering if i need to give myself more time.
I'm just now getting used to the Holster and weight.we don't have kids so i'm not locking up my gun anymore it stays close to me .

WHen i'm carrying i think about what if something happens and i need to fire (we are talking intent and ability is there)...and if i pull my XD i have to rack it....now i'm thinking is it time to load a round.

Any Advice ?

I carried for about a month or two unloaded at first, until I got comfortable with the idea, weight, learning how not to print, etc. Now i almost always carry everywhere I go, excepting of course where not allowed per state law. However, I am not comfortable keeping a round chambered. I want to know I have to pull that slide back to chanber a round before there is any chance of accidentally firing.

With that said, I practice enough with my handguns and know them well enough, that in the time it takes someone to raise that pistol up to fire, I can chamber a round and be ready to fire in the same time. i also think about where I am and make sure my pistol is within about a one-two second or so time frame to grab, chamber and fire. For instance, if I carry in the car, the pistol is in my lap or by my knees and is right there ready to go.

I did go to Lone Wolf Distributors and ordered a Siderlock trigger for my Glock 26, so when I carry that, there is one additional level of safety, because the trigger itself actually locks twice. Now that one I would be okay with keeping chambered, though I still do not. I usually keep that one IWB and in front, so I can draw it in a split second, chamber it while raising it and fire.

I usually keep 1-2 rounds less than capacity in my magazines when carrying, and I keep at least three of each on hand and rotate them monthly so I don't wear the springs out.

Hope it helps.

TFO

 

[Glockster20]

I carried "condition 1" (chambered) right out of the gate. A good holster with a trigger guard and a loaded Glock.... no worries.

 

[svrivera]

good question, I never really thought about not having one in the barrel..It was just habit to rack it. and just my 2 cents.... when people Mexican carry, they are just asking for problems. carring the right way with holsters and or clips is just smarter...this is just my 2 cents..leasantry:

 

[torontogunguy]

Biggest safety rule I use is my gun is ALWAYS in a holster. When I arm or unarmed my carry system allows me to put on holster with gun every morning. Once holstered I do a safety check (most days) and then reload and re holster. When I come home I secure it and it's my back up to the long guns.

QUOTE]

Depends on what I am carrying. I have a problem with carrying my baby Glock with one in the chamber until I put a heavier trigger pull on it. Just too easy for an AD to happen. On the other hand, I will carry a 1911 with one in the chamber as they generally have both a thumb safety and a grip safety and I have a level of comfort that works for me. I have just purchased a Sig - DAO - and will carry with one in the chamber as the initial trigger pull is about eleven pounds. No thumb nor grip safety. It's a matter of what you are comfy with. And the speed to your first accurate shot is indeed important but so is not blowing your hand off or putting a round through an artery by accident. Be comfy. Use a top quality holster. Make sure your gun is in good repair. Funny, never had a problem with loading up a revolver in all chambers - it was my baby Glocks that got me going.

I must comment on the comment above about using the handgun as a backup to a long gun. If it is being used for home defense this is a HUGE boo-boo. Keep in mind there are several DISadvantages to using a long gun in defending your family. First and foremost is that the round is going to enter the perp and exit the perp and will very likely go through the wall behind the perp and perhaps even the next wall as well. I have seen it happen in these parts and a fellow was killed last year like that. Secondly, having taken some home defense training I would not attempt to clear my home with a long gun... too difficult and too chancy. Much easier to "slice the pie" in clearing your home rooms with a handgun of sufficient caliber.

Having said that, a good old shotgun, properly and safely secured, when racked, will often scare the crap out of a burglar. In my case, we have had two home invasions in my lifetime and in both cases there is no way that even pointing the shotgun at the nose of the perps would have stopped them they were so high. In our last event they were still trying to pry their way into our FRONT door when taken down at gunpoint by twenty LEO's arriving with lights and sirens and with our home alarm system howling and all of the lights in the house main floor and outside lit up like daylight. And we had our front doors replaced last year and they are half glass, to boot!

For my part, I want a round that will do the job, I want the presence of mind to take the right shots and I want the ability to get that first accurate shot off without fumbling to cock my weapon. Carrying concealed is a different situation for me and I work with it accordingly. Not an easy decision - many variables. YOU need to be comfortable and safe. I am playing with the HK P7M8 and the Sig P229 at the moment; no problem with one in the tube in the P7's as they are squeeze cockers. Think the Sig's trigger is safe enough to allow me to be comfy carrying with one in the tube as well. Remember, you gotta invest in a top quality holster too if you are going to do that. Tuck your shirt in and have someone pull it out for you and get it caught on the trigger and you figure out the rest. At least an 8 or 10 pound pull gives you some chance to recover before bang. I dunno. I can keep my finger off the trigger with the best of them but I still worry. Both ways.

 

[NCjones]

The day the permit came in the mail. If not, what's the purpose of concealed carry.

"Hold on a minute Mr. Robber/ rapist/ psycho with a gun pointed at me. Give me a second to find those bullets and get one into the chamber." Let me see, did I put that mag in the left rear pocket or right rear pocket?

 

[torontogunguy]

The day the permit came in the mail. If not, what's the purpose of concealed carry.

"Hold on a minute Mr. Robber/ rapist/ psycho with a gun pointed at me. Give me a second to find those bullets and get one into the chamber." Let me see, did I put that mag in the left rear pocket or right rear pocket?

Agreed. But not quite that simple. I would not carry with one in the chamber, concealed and tucked in, with a target trigger pistol for isntance and I consider the 3.5# pull on standard Glocks just too light for concealed carry but alright for duty carry OWB enclosed holster for instance. I strongly recommend NY1 trigger mods. On the other hand, the Sig concealed carry pistols come with 5 - 8 pound trigger pulls and I consider them fine for concealed carry with one in the chamber. Revolvers as well - they generally have slightly heavier trigger pulls and you can also see the cylinder turning before that BANG. AND... revolvers holstered are much less likely to go BANG as the cylinder is generally held in place pretty well and therefore the gun is out of battery and can't fire (unless you are carrying cocked).

So, all I am saying is that (a) YES YES you must carry with one in the chamber for fastest first shot possible; and (b) you must must must ensure that you are carrying safely with one in the chamber and that does not mean "keep the booger hook off the bang button" or use "what's between your ears as your safety" or "keep your finger off the trigger".

There is a recent case of a store owner who shot a robber and stopped the threat by doing so. His trigger pull was relatively light as he was using a target pistol for self defense and as the robber turned and fell to the ground the store owner's trigger finger twitched (as is apt to happen during a lethal force incident) and he shot the bad guy again, in the back, and killed him. I don't know the ultimate ending but do know that the store owner wound up in a world of hurt and expense as a result. Sure the trigger finger should have been removed from the trigger immediately, etc., etc. but that fact is that in a lethal force encounter with the adrenaline running at max your senses and muscles do NOT act as they normally do.

Do yourself a favour of the highest order and research the subject thoroughly. I think you will come to the same conclusion as you are seeing on here. YES a round in the chamber is essential for rapid first shot as you are probably in REACTION mode (slower than first to ACTION mode) and secondly a heavier trigger pull than target trigger so that you don't shoot yourself in the jewels while carrying, tucking, reholstering, etc.

In all of the articles I have read, very few mention the huge advantage of a revolver for self defense. Generally a heavier trigger pull to get that cylinder turned and into battery AND that cylinder, once in contact with the holster is a 'safety' of sorts in itself. No cylinder twirl - no battery - no bang.

A complex subject that boils down to "that fraction of a second in REACTION time can make the difference between life and death - carry with one in the chamber".

And those that know me and have seen me post on here know that it took me almost two years of research before I was comfy with what I am saying - it is an educated opinion (I'm not saying that I have a Ph.D., just that I have done the research).

In the end you will do what you are comfy with and the most important rule of a lethal force encounter is simply that you have a gun to protect yourself, one way or the other. I am down to three that I carry concealed and am comfy with; Glock 26, Glock 30 and Sig P239 Tactical 9mm. All heavier trigger pulls and all serve their purpose... small and light for when I dress light and heavier for colder weather when penetration is needed through leather jackets and I have more cover clothing. And I am not opposed to carrying a full sized gun OWB when it is colder in .45, .40 or .357 to get that penetration when I have sufficient cover clothing. All with one in the tube and all comfortably safe in my mind.

 

[tcox4freedom]

I went from 1911 right to revolver and then slid over to Glock 27. Now I'm revolver or Glock user.

For you? As long as it takes.

Once your living and breathing the rules of gun safety.

I mean that finger NEVER goes near the trigger, you always assume it's loaded, you don't point it at a play stuffed animal (that you wouldn't want to destroy) and you know where your neighbors bedroom is in relationship to where you are in your home.
That being said some always carry with an empty chamber. I won't judge. I have an xd45 and trusted it with one in the chamber. It just wasn't comfortable to carry the service model like my baby Glock or wheel gun, but I'd never think of going without an extra one in the pipe or 4 instead of 5 chambers full on my revolver.

Biggest safety rule I use is my gun is ALWAYS in a holster. When I arm or unarmed my carry system allows me to put on holster with gun every morning. Once holstered I do a safety check (most days) and then reload and re holster. When I come home I secure it and it's my back up to the long guns.

I agree that racking takes time and if your defending or moving (which you should be in a tactical situation) you might not have two hands to do it, but it's better to have an empty chambered gun then a chambered gun that you keep at home and don't carry.

I agree. This is excellent advice!

The other thing I would recommend is additional "Training".

When your fairly new to carrying/handling firearms, NOTHING helps more than seeking out a professional instructor and go through additional firearms training.

(Going through a basic or advanced firearms course with a good trainer/instructor not only increases one competence; but will do wonders for your confidence and peace of mind.)

 

[Glockster20]

Agreed. But not quite that simple. I would not carry with one in the chamber, concealed and tucked in, with a target trigger pistol for isntance and I consider the 3.5# pull on standard Glocks just too light for concealed carry but alright for duty carry OWB enclosed holster for instance..

A 3.5lb trigger on a Glock??? I own several Glocks and every one of them came with a 5.5lb trigger right out of the box. In fact, the official Glock website shows a standard 5.5lb. trigger with every one of their models. It is under technical data. Just fyi...:biggrin:

 

[NCjones]

I guess it depends what you're used to. I went from a Beretta (thumb safety) to a cocked-and-locked 1911 for a duty pistol in Houston. I walked around uneasy for several weeks until I got comfortable with it. There was just something about that cocked hammer sitting over a chambered round that was unusual even tho the retention strap was between the hammer and firing pin.