One in the chamber? Or not!!

[use enough gun]

I must be old school, every handgun I own is a single action. If I'm not carrying my handgun is in my work truck. Everyone I work with knows this and many times co-workers have 'borrowed' it to shoot a varmint. At one time I carryed a semi-auto, to many people would borrow it and forget to empty the chamber or forget to put the saftey on. I traded it for a single action, the cylinders are always full. Dave

 

[hk boy]

if one in the chamber is uncomfortable, get a double action revolver

 

[TatankaGap]

yes, always one in the tube; double-action ready to go -

 

[Ranger984]

If I'm not going to have one in the chamber then I'm not going to carry, there won't be time to rack one in when its Life or Death and Seconds count. The key is learn the fundamentals of your Firearm and Practice,Practice,Practice until you are comfortable with your Firearm the Life you save may be your Wife,Mother,brother,Father,Child or even your own. I always carry HOT one in the Tube and 10 in the Magazine. You have to be prepared to Defend yourself against the BG because basically you are the only Defense you and your Family have, Remember the Police are only minutes away. Who is going to help you until they can get to you? Member of Georgia Carry.Org

 

[Ironhorse]

Absolutely- 1 in the chute, and no empty cylinders. If I ever need my gun, chances are good that I will need it RIGHT NOW, and don't want to die while racking the slide or trying to index the cylinder - I want BOOM when I pull the trigger.:sarcastic:

 

[dadoo]

+1 on one in the pipe

I just started carrying a 1911 handgun in January. Previously I had a Taurus PT145 that I carried with one in the chamber, so I trusted my 1911 cocked and locked. I keep the thumb safety on, although I would trust it without, but I have practiced my draw so that my thumb is always on top of the safety, and by the time it is out of the holster, the safety is already off.
However you decide to carry, practice, practice, practice.

 

[ricardo900]

Since we are on the topic!

I always laugh at hollywood movies when they show the actors of action movies checking their magazines for ammo before the firefight. Or when they are carrying a hammerless semi-auto(glock) and make that click noise when they draw as if they are pulling the hammerback. Or even when they are threatening a bad guy who refuses to talk and then they rack the slide to show they are serious, hilarious.

 

[LongRider]

With only one exception, all the pistols that I might carry have manual safeties. I have found no difference in the time it takes to draw and shoot with these, than it does with the one I have that doesn't have a safety. When I draw to shoot, the safety is off before the gun is lining up on the target. No lost nano-seconds here.

Have you drawn and fired under life threatening stress? As far back as Fairbairn & Sykes trainers have recommended removing manual safeties from SD weapons as their presence are a primary cause of FTF and ND under stress due to confusion about whether the safeties are on or off.
Another thing trainers will pound into your head is practice with what you carry and don't switch between guns with different controls. Either carry ones with safeties or carry ones without but not both

What concerns me is this. Police officers (two) here in the Great State of Indiana have told me that carrying chambered is against the law.

It appears both were morons. So a fair response would be is "Well officer my guess is than you will need to arrest me as we know only an idiot would carry a gun unchambered" or "Officer if you could please show me that law I'd be happy to comply."

 

[Big Gay Al]

Have you drawn and fired under life threatening stress? As far back as Fairbairn & Sykes trainers have recommended removing manual safeties from SD weapons as their presence are a primary cause of FTF and ND under stress due to confusion about whether the safeties are on or off.
Another thing trainers will pound into your head is practice with what you carry and don't switch between guns with different controls. Either carry ones with safeties or carry ones without but not both

It's been almost 30 years, but I did once. The pistol I had then was a Colt MkIV series 70 Gov't Model. I now wish I'd kept it, but after I got it back from the police, I sold it.

 

[LadyFaire]

I would rather walk down the street without clothing on, than without my pistol on. I ALWAYS carry cocked and locked. If I need my gun, I am NOT going to have the leisure to jack a round in... As for the safety question, all of my pistols have built in safeties, and I have an even better one - right between my ears. I have been known, if I know I'm going to be in a 'questionable' area, to reach down and slip the manual safety OFF. Do I think that makes my gun unsafe? No. Because I always act as if the gun doesn't HAVE a safety, and is loaded.

So, in answer to your question, YES, always one up the spout. And remember, the best safety your gun has, is your brain, and your 'training'.

 

[Badman400]

One in the chamber always.

If there isn't one in the chamber, it may as well be a rock.

The time it takes to rack the slide will seem an eternity in a SHTF situation.

 

[twobanger]

One in the pipe.

Train like you fight. In a high stress situation you should not have to fumble with safeties or cambering your weapon. Keep it simple. Train, train, train. Back in the revolver days when cops were training they used to have the students empty the spent cartridges into their hands and then drop the spent brass into the brass can. They found that in a firefight that cops were not reloading but catching their brass. I'll say it again, keep it simple and train,train,train.

 

[rayven]

At first, I carried without one in the chamber. As a "newbie", I had the fear that the thing would go off with just the slightest bump or whatever was going through my head back then.

Now, I have a few guns, and every single one of them are loaded and chambered, including my carry weapon. My carry gun doesn't really have safeties on it, which is good since if I ever have to use it in a life/death situation, I don't have that extra second or two to slow me down.

Many people, like me, start off afraid of carrying a fully ready weapon. You get over the fear rather quickly after you get comfortable with concealed carry in general.

 

[Eiht]

Same here, always one in the pipe. On top of always being immediately ready you get one more round before reload too. I carry my wheel gun fully loaded too. My PT145 Mil Pro is DAO so I always keep one in the hole and sometimes safety on sometimes off. If I'm just riding down the highway or something I run the safety on but if I go somewhere I wish I had a gun I reach back and flip the safety off(regardless which way it is I aways practice safety off in holster a split second before or as drawing because I'm left handed and safety isn't ambidextrous) because as was mentioned earlier with the long trigger pull that's a safety in itself and the holster I use is full combat grip and covers the guard completely so no chance of an accidental fire draw(plus I practice draw and re-holster on a constant basis so it's very comfortable). The main thing is I won't CCW a gun until I've shot it and feel comfortable with it so it's an extension of me at the point should I ever need it.

sorry guys I'm really long winded today.

 

[brodrick]

I have carried a firearm most of my adult life both on and off duty. For safety sake don't carry one in the pipe. You can carry safely with a round in the chamber but if, God forbid, you must use your weapon it is not THAT time consuming to rack the slide when you are presenting your weapon during the draw. ERR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION but it is personal choice.

carry condition 1 or 3 never, never, never #2

 

[Hardshell]

"One in the Chamber"

As a matter of being prepared, and safely so, always keeping in mind the idea that the muzzle pointed in a direction away from harm unless intended - will be well directed and timely when necessary. You won't have another chance to second guess your approach to chambering, especially after confronted by someone with one already in your face or pointed at a loved one or neighbor within your protected community. Do you think they'll wait for you to get one ready to fire?

 

[brodrick]

if they already have the gun in my face i dont think it matters. the gun is still in my holster

 

[mikecu]

I keep one in the chamber.

 

[fnsmoak]

Every weapon carried for the purpose of defense should be condition RED. Otherwise, what good is it?

I don't believe in "BackUpGuns" - Every weapon you carry should be a PRIMARY.

 

[SnakeEater06]

If the original poster of the thread is feeling unsure of themselves then I would recommend some type of CQC course. Basically, it is a course like they would give the police recruits. It will give you confidence, teach you how to draw, when to draw. A good confidence builder.

I keep one in battery at all times when I carry. A unloaded gun is just a paperweight otherwise.