Do you carry with a round chambered?

[MinuteManMike]

For me, it's "almost always" so I voted sometimes.

For some reason, sometimes carrying my Taurus PT145 with the round chambered makes me queasy. I don't know why. I feel silly just typing that sentence.

 

[Bigum1969]

For me, it's "almost always" so I voted sometimes.

For some reason, sometimes carrying my Taurus PT145 with the round chambered makes me queasy. I don't know why. I feel silly just typing that sentence.

Maybe 'cus it's a Taurus


J/K!

 

[MinuteManMike]

Trust me, I can't wait to get a good 1911. I just have a lack of funds flowing.

 

[VN Vet]

I voted never, but sometimes it just feels better to chamber a round. At my age, I try to stay out of situations that may put me in harms way. I don't party at night any more. Too old. I do most everything during the daylight hours now. Too old. I keep my eyes open and I plan for a way out. I am also a motorcyclist. I plan on how I will lay the bike down. Where will I go if the stupid driver pulls out in front of me. I treat my firearm like my motorcycle. Practice developes muscle memory. Your brain is a big muscle. I know I have been lucky, but I am tired of killing. I hope I never have to take another persons life. Howere, if I must shoot, I will not shoot to wound or just to stop the perp. It is shoot to kill, or do not fire your weapon at all. A firearem has two major purposes: to punch holes in paper or to kill. Period.

I had a perp break into my home about twelve years ago while I was there. A young kid and as far as I know, not armed. I always have my firearm within easy reach. It was dark in the house. I was in the back room watching TV. I heard him break in. My cat got scared and ran. I had my firearem ready. I saw him before he saw me. I told him don't even think about it. Then immediately I racked the slide. I think the sound of racking the slide scared him enough that he turned and ran away. I called the police and the perp was eventually cought. Yes I know I was lucky, but so was that young kid. I have no problem with killing a bad guy. Form some reason I didn't think of him as a bad guy. Why? Only God know that answer.

When I leave the house and I carry, yes the firearm is fully and completely loaded. I carry a Glock, so there is no Cocked and Locked. I like the Glock's system once I got used to it. I feel I can control my home, but not the streets.

I am not recommending one way or the other. Any person has a right to feel safe. In their home or on the streets. In a Hotel room, alway loaded and ready to Rock and Roll. An old man or not. I still know a thing or two. A few tricks that some younger person does not.

I trust in God first to keep me safe. Then comes my Glock.

 

[shooter521]

Howere, if I must shoot, I will not shoot to wound or just to stop the perp. It is shoot to kill, or do not fire your weapon at all.

You do realize you just admitted premeditation on a public forum, right?

When I leave the house and I carry, yes the firearm is fully and completely loaded. I feel I can control my home, but not the streets.

So you're carrying in two very different modes (chamber loaded vs. chamber empty) depending on whether you're at home or not? Oy; that sounds like an OODA loop waiting to happen. Besides, the very fact that you're in a fight for your life means the "control" thing failed somewhere along the line...

 

[cce1302]

You do realize you just admitted premeditation on a public forum, right?





So you're carrying in two very different modes (chamber loaded vs. chamber empty) depending on whether you're at home or not? Oy; that sounds like an OODA loop waiting to happen. Besides, the very fact that you're in a fight for your life means the "control" thing failed somewhere along the line...

from your knowledge of OODA, you are military? Have you ever heard anyone anywhere in the military say that shoot to wound is a good idea? or even possible? "less lethal" or "less than lethal" force is not possible with a handgun.

Would you shoot someone if you didn't want them to kill, and why?

Back on topic, though, (and not my style or my recommendation) the recent Ruger LCP recall letter said this:

We want to remind gun users that, for maximum safety when carrying any pistol with a loaded magazine in place, the chamber should be empty, and the slide should be closed. Any gun may fire if dropped or struck.

My recommendation is this: Treat every weapon as if it were loaded. Never drop or strike a weapon.
Can you call timeout on the bad guy while you drop a round into the chamber?

 

[Vigilant]

How does it defeat the purpose? As long as it's there and it only takes a half second, then it's still there. That's like saying you might as well not have a gun on you if it's not chambered. THat's just stupid talk.

in the scenario of being at home, carrying IWB, you answer the door, only to be bum-rushed by one or two (or more, your story) determined home invaders. Do you really feel that you can react to being overrun, and chambering a round all at the same time?

 

[dburkhead]

in the scenario of being at home, carrying IWB, you answer the door, only to be bum-rushed by one or two (or more, your story) determined home invaders. Do you really feel that you can react to being overrun, and chambering a round all at the same time?

Or you're out with your children when an attack happens. You use one hand to sweep your children out of the way, one to draw your firearm, and one to rack the slide. Oh, wait, that's one arm too many.

Or you're tackled by someone with a knife. You manage to get a grip on his knife hand, keeping it from sinking into your left eye. You draw your firearm, stick it in his gut and pull the trigger. Oh, wait....

There are endless scenarios out there where you won't be able to rack the slide.

I carry a 1911 which is single action only. So not only is there a round chambered, the gun is cocked. However, that's not a safety issue because an accidental discharge requires multiple independent failures to happen.

- There is a firing pin blocking safety that is released by the trigger being pulled. No pull on the trigger and even if the hammer falls, the fining bin is blocked so no discharge.
- Thumb safety blocks the sear so that the hammer cannot be released even by a pull of the trigger.
- Grip safety prevents the trigger from being pulled if the grip is not held (no "it falls and the trigger catches on something).
- When the gun is not locked up in a safe, it's holstered, with a holster that completely covers the trigger area so that the trigger simply cannot be pulled.
- My OC holster has a retaining strap that I route between the hammer and the firing pin so even if, by some mechanism, multiple failures cause the hammer to fall and another failure causes the firing pin block to fail, the hammer will be caught by the strap so the gun still won't fire. (I'm less happy with the IWB which has no such retention strap and am searching for one that does--fit is an issue with this particular 1911 variant.)

There is essentially no chance of the gun "going off" unless I do something truly stupid.

You might want to truly look at what is necessary for your firearm to go off "accidentally." Get in the guts and learn how it works, with all the various safeties both internal and external.

 

[SavageEagle]

It's going to take a determined burgalar a good 10-15 seconds to get through a broken window which would be enough for me to have it out and chambered at the sound of broekn glass. If they bust through my deadbolted door it's going to take longer. I don't unlock the door for anyone I don't know without my gun in hand anyway. I've been carrying locked and loaded lately but not often unless I'm going out. I haven't been out much lately. Wife keeps me locked up most days!

My point is if you are fairly secure it will take a BG time to break down those defenses to get in. If you open the door for strangers you'd better be loaded. Even if I do answer the door to someone I don't know and I'm unloaded I always have a blade with me. I might not get them all but I'm taking a couple to hell with me!

 

[SavageEagle]

Or you're out with your children when an attack happens. You use one hand to sweep your children out of the way, one to draw your firearm, and one to rack the slide. Oh, wait, that's one arm too many.

Or you're tackled by someone with a knife. You manage to get a grip on his knife hand, keeping it from sinking into your left eye. You draw your firearm, stick it in his gut and pull the trigger. Oh, wait....

There are endless scenarios out there where you won't be able to rack the slide.

I carry a 1911 which is single action only. So not only is there a round chambered, the gun is cocked. However, that's not a safety issue because an accidental discharge requires multiple independent failures to happen.

- There is a firing pin blocking safety that is released by the trigger being pulled. No pull on the trigger and even if the hammer falls, the fining bin is blocked so no discharge.
- Thumb safety blocks the sear so that the hammer cannot be released even by a pull of the trigger.
- Grip safety prevents the trigger from being pulled if the grip is not held (no "it falls and the trigger catches on something).
- When the gun is not locked up in a safe, it's holstered, with a holster that completely covers the trigger area so that the trigger simply cannot be pulled.
- My OC holster has a retaining strap that I route between the hammer and the firing pin so even if, by some mechanism, multiple failures cause the hammer to fall and another failure causes the firing pin block to fail, the hammer will be caught by the strap so the gun still won't fire. (I'm less happy with the IWB which has no such retention strap and am searching for one that does--fit is an issue with this particular 1911 variant.)

There is essentially no chance of the gun "going off" unless I do something truly stupid.

You might want to truly look at what is necessary for your firearm to go off "accidentally." Get in the guts and learn how it works, with all the various safeties both internal and external.

You bring up good points and is why I have started carrying chambered. I have gotten comfortable with the idea but I still stay unchambered at home. I take my kids safety above all. So I lock my doors. That gives me plenty of time if someone's breaking in.

 

[Field King]

I carry full revolver

I carry one ready but it is a revolver, some carry a revolver without one under the hammer but mine is a S&W bodyguard with shrouded hammer and little chance of being struck.

 

[sonovasailor]

A Police officer inlightened me. " An auto Pistol is just a club unless there is one chambered". He pointed out; If your left arm is grasped in an altercation, you can't chamber a round. He showed me by grabbing my arm, at the wrist, out the car's driver side window. I was unable to chamber a round in my Sig.

 

[Mr.Hoppes]

I do now

 

[Vigilant]

You bring up good points and is why I have started carrying chambered. I have gotten comfortable with the idea but I still stay unchambered at home. I take my kids safety above all. So I lock my doors. That gives me plenty of time if someone's breaking in.

Back to training, you cannot possibly believe that if you go armed, you have the split second decision making capability, UNDER STRESS, to remember if you draw, snik, present, scan, press, OR draw, rack, present, scan, press? Two TOTALLY different manuals of arms! Your brain reverts to what is ingrained under stress, so you practice two totally different manual of arms, depending?

 

[Soundslikejosh]

To those of you who are trying to apply logic-- Shame on you!

 

[shooter521]

from your knowledge of OODA, you are military?

Nope.

Have you ever heard anyone anywhere in the military say that shoot to wound is a good idea? or even possible?

"Shooting to wound" is ridiculous. Shooting to stop is not. See below. But the military, by and large, trains its soldiers to shoot to kill, because that's their job. That's not our job as civilians, however.

Would you shoot someone if you didn't want them to kill, and why?

If I have to shoot someone, it will be to stop an attack that has placed me in fear of death or grievous bodily injury, or to stop such an attack against a loved one. Further, I will continue to shoot until the attacker is no longer an immediate threat. Whether the attacker ends up living or dying makes no difference in that regard.

 

[SavageEagle]

Back to training, you cannot possibly believe that if you go armed, you have the split second decision making capability, UNDER STRESS, to remember if you draw, snik, present, scan, press, OR draw, rack, present, scan, press? Two TOTALLY different manuals of arms! Your brain reverts to what is ingrained under stress, so you practice two totally different manual of arms, depending?

I carry a DA/SA Baby Desert Eagle. It would be no "snik" involved in process one. It would be draw present scan press. In process two yes, that's how it would be. So why not practice both? If you train both ways you learn to improvise. Not every situation is going to be BOOM I'm here to kill you BANG. If it's a home invasion, 9 times out of ten it will be a random person coming to rob. Serial killers and people who intend to murder are less likely although a good possiblity also.

My point is that while I may not be militarily trained, or I may not have the ninja skills everyone else here possess, that doesn't mean that I am not capable of defending my home just because I don't walk around my home with a round in the chamber. To make that assumption is to judge a book by it's cover. Didn't you daddy ever tell you not to do that?!?!

 

[Vigilant]

I carry a DA/SA Baby Desert Eagle. It would be no "snik" involved in process one. It would be draw present scan press. In process two yes, that's how it would be. So why not practice both? If you train both ways you learn to improvise. Not every situation is going to be BOOM I'm here to kill you BANG. If it's a home invasion, 9 times out of ten it will be a random person coming to rob. Serial killers and people who intend to murder are less likely although a good possiblity also.

My point is that while I may not be militarily trained, or I may not have the ninja skills everyone else here possess, that doesn't mean that I am not capable of defending my home just because I don't walk around my home with a round in the chamber. To make that assumption is to judge a book by it's cover. Didn't you daddy ever tell you not to do that?!?!

Actually, my daddy taught me that you react as you train. Now, with your situation, how are you going to react, or rather, WHICH way are you going to react? BTW no ninja skills here, although I've been on my share of two way ranges, I make no bones about the fact that under stress, you WILL react how you've practiced, and if your practice is flawed, so will be your reaction!

 

[bwframe]

When all else fails, light the smoke bomb!

 

[SavageEagle]

Actually, my daddy taught me that you react as you train. Now, with your situation, how are you going to react, or rather, WHICH way are you going to react? BTW no ninja skills here, although I've been on my share of two way ranges, I make no bones about the fact that under stress, you WILL react how you've practiced, and if your practice is flawed, so will be your reaction!

If only I could afford proper training....

When all else fails, light the smoke bomb!