Chambered or not when carrying?

[jgreiner]

I carry "condition tactical butterscotch" its the latest safety fad that all the cool people are doing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8pU2IOTEZlU

Tactical Butterscotch


That is PRICELESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[eldirector]

One in the chamber, and a topped off magazine.

As others have mentioned, look up the Tueller Drill. It may surprise you how ineffective an unloaded gun is in some/many situations. Heck, even a LOADED gun. There just isn't much time, and you just aren't fast enough.

I can't think of a good reason to handicap myself.

 

[SteviGX]

Carried for one day without one chambered. I think I felt more uncomfortable without one chambered than with.

 

[Armchair Operator]

Only in movies do they have the time to rack the slide whenever they want to use their guns.

But how else will I let them know that I'm serious and mean business? I mean if I don't rack the slide multiple times there's not enough time for a cool music to start in the background...

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

Carried for one day without one chambered. I think I felt more uncomfortable without one chambered than with.

What would you do if you only had one hand to work with when all of a sudden OhCrapINeedMyGunAndINeedItRightThisSecond.... only you only have one hand available...and no round in the chamber...

 

[critter592]

Good info.

Also, chambering a round in a stressful situation could lead to a negligent discharge, which could be really bad news.

Excellent point.

 

[jgreiner]

Good info.

Also, chambering a round in a stressful situation could lead to a negligent discharge, which could be really bad news.

They have medications that can help with this.

 

[LockStocksAndBarrel]

If you think you have time and nerve to chamber a round when you need it, watch how well this guy did.

[ame=http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=086_1260862712]LiveLeak.com - Jewelery Store Shooting in Agra[/ame]

 

[dusty711]

I always carry one in the chamber, as I have never needed to draw my weapon and hope not to I figure the stress alone would cause enough problems without having to chamber a round also.

 

[sig-man]

With no exception. I would never want to waste the time racking the slide. Or worse yet be in a situation where I couldn't

 

[Aaron1776]

One in the chamber, and a topped off magazine.

As others have mentioned, look up the Tueller Drill. It may surprise you how ineffective an unloaded gun is in some/many situations. Heck, even a LOADED gun. There just isn't much time, and you just aren't fast enough.

I can't think of a good reason to handicap myself.

A completely topped off mag with one in the chamber can induce malfunctions and are harder to load when you have high-cap mags, even in quality firearms. I've watched people top off their mags in training and wonder why they were getting type 3s, and I've had them happen myself. You're better off loading a round or two down. (Honestly, would you rather risk a type 3 or have a smoother operating gun with 17 or 18 rds instead of 19??)
Just a thought.
I load 17 rds in a 19 rd mag, 12 in a 13, 28 in a 30 rd gun.

Single stack mags, like a 1911, shouldn't be a problem.

Other than that, the only people who carry without a round in the chamber are people who want to die for one reason or another. There are a few out there who point out that the Israeli Mossad used to carry without one in the chamber. The operative phrase there is used to. They only did it because they had originally bought really old firearms and their agents had a higher chance of having one go off in their pants than using the sidearm. The practice came to an end once the agency bought newer firearms.

 

[LCSOSgt11]

Of course chamber loaded. Magazine topped off too. Carry also two spare magazines.

Condition one (and only).

Revolvers need only a full cylinder. And a speedloader or two.

 

[KW730]

If you think you have time and nerve to chamber a round when you need it, watch how well this guy did.

LiveLeak.com - Jewelery Store Shooting in Agra

Wow. One watch of this video should be enough to change anyone's mind about carrying without a round chambered.

 

[MrHawkins]

I have wondered the same. Glock 17 no safety its all trigger

 

[cbhausen]

G26 here... 10 in the mag and one in the pipe always. With two spare 10-round mags with +2 extensions on me also. Safariland ALS holster for the G26 and a Blackhawk dual mag pouch. I would not think of ever carrying without one in the pipe. It's the next closest thing to an unloaded weapon, at least with a Glock.

 

[cosermann]

... Glock 17 [has] no safety its all trigger

So, are you implying that the definition of a safety is something that prevents you from pulling the trigger?

My brain does that, so it's sort of like a universal "safety" for any handgun I happen to be handling.

See here for an explanation of the Glock mechanism - Our

Where's the safety on a revolver?

Anyone here carry a modern revolver with an empty chamber next up in the rotation? That would be an analogous practice.

 

[ru44mag]

I need to work on this. The only place I have found to comfortably CC has the barrel pointing at some very important parts. With the autos I'm always afraid I will shoot something off that will make me and the wife very sad. With the little revolvers I feel perfectly safe because of the transfer bar. So I have been carrying the revolvers and like it. Problem is with summer coming. CCing the revolvers is going to be more difficult. I would like to OC, then it would not be an issue. But OC is not for me, no matter what anyone says. I will work on my confidence and different options with the small autos and one in the chamber.

 

[Aaron1776]

I need to work on this. The only place I have found to comfortably CC has the barrel pointing at some very important parts. With the autos I'm always afraid I will shoot something off that will make me and the wife very sad. With the little revolvers I feel perfectly safe because of the transfer bar. So I have been carrying the revolvers and like it. Problem is with summer coming. CCing the revolvers is going to be more difficult. I would like to OC, then it would not be an issue. But OC is not for me, no matter what anyone says. I will work on my confidence and different options with the small autos and one in the chamber.

I'm not sure why you feel like the auto is more likely to go off than the revolver. Autos typically have the same or more layers of safety than revolvers...not less. For example a compact 1911 has a grip safety, manual thumb safety, and firing pin interceptor (or whatever you call it), all making it basically impossible for the gun to go off in your pants. An XDs has a mechanism blocking the firing pin and a grip safety. Some M&Ps have a thumb safety and a mechanism blocking the firing pin. Revolvers have a transfer bar.....and that's basically it.
Regardless, get the barrel pointed away from your junk. lol

It sounds like you just need to find a gun that is actually somewhat comfortable for you to carry on your hip or just behind it, or you just need to suck it up for a while and get used it.

I would say OC, but you've already stated that for whatever reason you're against it.

Take some tactical classes and you might change your mind.

 

[ru44mag]

I'm not sure why you feel like the auto is more likely to go off than the revolver. Autos typically have the same or more layers of safety than revolvers...not less. For example a compact 1911 has a grip safety, manual thumb safety, and firing pin interceptor (or whatever you call it), all making it basically impossible for the gun to go off in your pants. An XDs has a mechanism blocking the firing pin and a grip safety. Some M&Ps have a thumb safety and a mechanism blocking the firing pin. Revolvers have a transfer bar.....and that's basically it.
Regardless, get the barrel pointed away from your junk. lol

It sounds like you just need to find a gun that is actually somewhat comfortable for you to carry on your hip or just behind it, or you just need to suck it up for a while and get used it.

I would say OC, but you've already stated that for whatever reason you're against it.

Take some tactical classes and you might change your mind.

It is probably mostly ignorance. I know exactly what it takes for the revolver to go off. I can see it. Trigger pulled, transfer bar up, hammer strikes bar, bar strikes pin, pin strikes primer, bang. I can't see inside the autos. Like I said I will work on it, and study it before summer. I have a P238 and LCP right now. Selling the TCP. When the craziness is over, I plan to get a CM9. One of my FFL guys says when his supplier has them in stock again, he can get me one for $387. I wish I could figure out a way to CC my HP or my GP100.

 

[civilshoot582]

When I first started carrying, I didn't. But after doing so for awhile I realized how silly it was to carry an unloaded gun.