Carrying a round in the chamber

[C_Carson]

Lately I've been debating between carrying with a round chambered or not. My thought for not carrying that way was "If I don't have time to rack my gun, then I'm probably screwed anyways." but watching this video changed my mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syxrpLbaEuY

Do y'all carry with a round chambered or not?

 

[ConditionOne]

For the first few months I carried, I did so without having a round chambered. My logic was pretty much the same as yours.

After considering it for a while and absorbing the lessons I learned in my concealed carry class, I decided if push came to shove I wanted to be ready as quickly as possible. I've been carrying with one in the chamber ever since. It felt a little odd at first, but I'm generally comfortable with it now.

That being said, I still can't bring myself to appendix carry, at least not yet.

 

[C_Carson]

:lol: at the appendix carry comment

I'm realizing that I want to carry chambered, but with my finger being the real only safety my gun has, I'm still hesitant to actually do so. I guess it's a confidence/comfort level thing I'll just have to build up to

 

[Dave29461]

Lots of dry fire practice to break 'the finger on the trigger before the gun is clear' habit. You may not even have that habit so then its just confidence building. I have always carried with loaded chamber. I've also put in a lot of dry fire practice in the privacy of my workshop. A gun without a chambered round is just a very short handled club. Be safe before all else.
Dave

 

[Schultz]

Always one in the chamber and when I carry my 1911 it's cocked and locked, I have gotten pretty good flipping the slide lock off when I draw it. My other is a early saur 38H and I am just getting good at flipping the safety off on it. Practice practice practice.

 

[Bdbys59]

Always cocked and locked, started carrying back in the day, a model 19 S&W, they have no safety, learned to keep the finger out of the trigger guard until you were ready to fire.

 

[HHB Guns]

I always carry chambered. This is the only way I know. Being in Law Enforcement for 12 years I can tell you having been in situations where I had to draw my gun my adrenaline was going so much that the last thing on my mind would have been chambering a round. People often get what is called tunnel vision when they are put on the spot and the last thing you need is for you to be face to face with a gunman and forget to rack a round because you are so excited. Bang your dead! Just something to think about.

 

[C_Carson]

I'm not too terribly worried about the finger in the trigger guard; I haven't cultivated that habit so far. My main concern lies with friends or family that would want to see my gun (since it's new to our little collection) and I'll be so used to knowing I've got one in the chamber that I'll forget to warn someone else. Granted, most people I socialize with wouldn't be stupid enough to fire it while handling, but there is always that chance...

 

[Dirk Pitt]

I'm not too terribly worried about the finger in the trigger guard; I haven't cultivated that habit so far. My main concern lies with friends or family that would want to see my gun (since it's new to our little collection) and I'll be so used to knowing I've got one in the chamber that I'll forget to warn someone else. Granted, most people I socialize with wouldn't be stupid enough to fire it while handling, but there is always that chance...

Well that comes back to the treat every weapon as if it were loaded bit.

Whenever I've had a gun in a holster I've got a round in the chamber. For those few situations were I just tucked the gun in my waste band in a hurry I don't keep a round in the chamber. My rule, if the gun is in a holster it's got a round in the chamber if the gun lives outside of a holster than there isn't a round in the chamber.

 

[tigerfan00]

I ALWAYS have a round in the chamber if I'm carrying it

If i am going to hand my gun to someone else...i clear it and lock the slide back or leave the cylinder open

 

[Glockrunner]

Lately I've been debating between carrying with a round chambered or not. My thought for not carrying that way was "If I don't have time to rack my gun, then I'm probably screwed anyways." but watching this video changed my mind.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syxrpLbaEuY

Do y'all carry with a round chambered or not?

Look up Tueller Drill (21' feet knife Drill) and this will open your eyes as to WHY nobady should approach closer than that distance with a draw. A person can cover that distance and kill you with a knife before you ever get the gun out, even with one in the chamber.

Carrying a tool requires you to be responsible enough to practice the use of that tool to become proficient in it's use. A gun weapon is nothing less.

Finally, two rounds into the perp may only just piss them off unless they are both leathel hits which under those circumstances presented in the film probably won't be. They still need time to bleed out before the threat may go away.

 

[Schultz]

I ALWAYS have a round in the chamber if I'm carrying it

If i am going to hand my gun to someone else...i clear it and lock the slide back or leave the cylinder open

+1

 

[thebrasilian]

I'm not too terribly worried about the finger in the trigger guard; I haven't cultivated that habit so far. My main concern lies with friends or family that would want to see my gun (since it's new to our little collection) and I'll be so used to knowing I've got one in the chamber that I'll forget to warn someone else. Granted, most people I socialize with wouldn't be stupid enough to fire it while handling, but there is always that chance...

First, I always carry one in th chamber. That's like trying to use a cordless tool with no batteries.

Secondly, You always run into people and have these conversation and the questioins pops up..."can I see it?" If I trust the person sure. But I always empty the gun and cycle it a few times and lock it open before I hand it to them. 2 things: You are showing them that you know how to operate it and your not handing them a loaded gun. I've found that this really relaxes the person that I'm talking to.

 

[lafayette gregory]

One in the pipe. I was a believer of the opposite some years ago. You grow and learn every day.

 

[C_Carson]

Thanks for all the awesome insight guys! Since I'm brand new to carrying daily (just got my crossbreed supertuck :mrgreen: ) especially with a new gun, these are the things I need to learn and practice and make second nature.

Glockrunner, that tueller drill was definitely interesting to watch. I really want to practice FOF and other scenario drills after I'm able to start shooting again.

 

[Frost]

The ones I don't carry but might have a loaded magazine.
The ones I carry are ready to go bang.
The range only guns are completely unloaded.
I never leave a Glock cocked that is not in the carry rotation.

 

[Enjay]

I hadn't really considered carrying one in the chamber yet (I'm still waiting on my CWP) but it makes sense to do so. Nerves cause fumbles, so does adrenalin, I can easily see myself trying to chamber under pressure and winding up with an expensive but useless rock to throw at an assailant. I do practice regularly and manipulating the gun now is almost second nature but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Or in my case, 9mm LOL

I looked up the tueller drills. Very interesting and my son and I will be working that into our drills. I watched a video of family drilling in their front yard. I wish I lived in their neighborhood, my neighbors wouldn't appreciate the exercise at all.

 

[Pops]

My first gun was a Glock 22 and it took me a while to get used to the idea of the "safe action" feature.
So, I put a Slider Lock safety in it. Crossbar Safety for a Glock.
The first night I had the safety in the gun I put it in the bedside gunsafe and as I always did before I went to sleep I reached up and fumbled the buttons in the dark and reached in to pull the gun out. (building a habit so I would not have to think about it if the situation ever arose) As I lifted the gun I realized I was pulling on the trigger and not the trigger guard.
If I'd not had the Slider Lock in place I'd have shot a lamp, a wall and a toilet at 11:30 on a Sunday evening.

The argument for carrying a round in the tube is, in my opinion, quite valid, but it has to go with training and safety measures. Just like driving on icey roads.

I figure practicing safe handling of weapons gives me something to do and a good reason to play with my guns.

:shock: