Carry with one in chamber?

[wdk535]

Saw a news story about a guy who walked into a store, pulled a gun & robbed the place. Think I read he even shot somebody.
Anyway, on the way out, he shoved the gun into his belt. It went off, & now he's singing in the boy's choir. There is a God in Heaven!
But the question arises, to carry with one in the chamber or not? I personally don't, for this very reason.

 

[The Sarge]

All depends on your comfort level, confidence level, degree of training & practice and owning a quality holster that covers the trigger and trigger guard. To me a pistol with an unchambered round is almost useless. Bad things happen very fast and then rapidly get worse. You might not have time to chamber a round or even have an arm free to do so.

The problem in your story was not the chambered round but the idiot who shoved the pistol in his belt with a probable finger on the trigger. Bill

 

[Jaysq]

The Sarge hit it on the nail! Always carry in a quality holster that covers the trigger. I have a Shield and I carry with a round chambered and use the safety to holster and then slide the safety off.

The chances of being able to chamber a round under stress are not good at all.

 

[jimmib]

I agree with above post and always carry with round chambered....as the saying goes...."the original point and click".....not load,point and click...I think it depends on the pistol and your comfort level as stated earlier

The problem in your story was not the chambered round but the idiot who shoved the pistol in his belt with a probable finger on the trigger

 

[gnystrom]

You are then carrying a great brick to use on your attacker. Very few people are well enough trained to reliably chamber a round in less than one second from the draw.
Since most muggings happen in just few seconds, you will be required to draw, reliably chamber a round requiring the use of both hands, judge what is beyond your target, aim accurately, decide to fire or not fire, all in under three or four seconds.
You are putting a lot of faith in your ability to do all of the above. I personally, am not that good.

 

[Voyager28]

Bingo on all the above.

Defensive situations are, at best, volatile, fast paced and pressure packed. Going through a prescribed defensive drill is just not going to happen. In situations like that threat assessment and reaction happens in fractions of seconds, not seconds.

Like someone said above, I'm not that good and do not trust myself to react exactly correctly in a pressure packed and volatile situation like that so I try to make it as fool proof as possible. My carry weapon is a Walther PPK. It has a exposed hammer and a positive safety. I prefer the exposed hammer so I can tell at a glance if it is cocked or not. I do keep a round in the chamber so all I have to do is draw my weapon and click off the safety. First round is double action and each subsequent round is single action. The extra time it would take to chamber a round might possibly prove to be fatal if a bad guy comes in already cocked and loaded.

Bob

 

[NYlakesider]

Defensive situations are, at best, volatile, fast paced and pressure packed. Going through a prescribed defensive drill is just not going to happen. In situations like that threat assessment and reaction happens in fractions of seconds, not seconds.

Like someone said above, I'm not that good and do not trust myself to react exactly correctly in a pressure packed and volatile situation like that so I try to make it as fool proof as possible. My carry weapon is a Walther PPK. It has a exposed hammer and a positive safety. I prefer the exposed hammer so I can tell at a glance if it is cocked or not. I do keep a round in the chamber so all I have to do is draw my weapon and click off the safety. First round is double action and each subsequent round is single action. The extra time it would take to chamber a round might possibly prove to be fatal if a bad guy comes in already cocked and loaded.

Bob

I carried a PPK for a while and the safety was OFF. I use a good holster and fell quite confident and secure.

O you could add my Indian .380 (SS copy of a PPK), S&W 6906,Bodyguard .380 and XDs.45 to the above.

 

[RobzGuns]

If you're not yet comfortable carrying with a round chambered, then don't, but you'll probably need to increase your situational awareness comfort radius.

Pistols don't fire themselves. If you're good about keeping your finger OFF the trigger until you're on target, you will eventually get comfortable enough to carry +1.

 

[Florida J Frame]

Not everyone is comfortable with an auto with one in the chamber. Have you considered a J Frame?

 

[timn8er]

I carry my Shield chambered & with the safety on. I make sweeping the safety off with my thumb as part of my draw & presentation when I practice.

 

[P&R Fan]

My Glocks always have a round chambered when I carry them. They are there to keep me, my loved ones, and occasionally my clients alive.

Now, if I ever get asked to guest star on 24 with Jack Bauer, I'll carry condition 3, without a round in the chamber.
Don't want Jack Bauer mad at me.
Jim

 

[71velle]

If you don't want to carry with one in the pipe you might consider a revolver. With an auto the only thing that is for sure is the first round and without one in the pipe you loose that.

 

[andrewcdub]

My opinion is this. If you aren't going to have one in the chamber while carrying your gun, carry a bat or rock. It will be just as affective. No gun will just "go off". The only time I get twitchy carrying with a round in the chamber is when I carry appendix. But even then I tend to forget about it.

 

[murphydog]

Saw a news story about a guy who walked into a store, pulled a gun & robbed the place. Think I read he even shot somebody.
Anyway, on the way out, he shoved the gun into his belt. It went off, & now he's singing in the boy's choir. There is a God in Heaven!
But the question arises, to carry with one in the chamber or not? I personally don't, for this very reason.

May have stuck his finger (or something inside his waistband caught) inside the trigger guard. Or he put a cocked revolver there? It's at least instructive on what 'not' to do in life, on several different levels.

 

[Smitty357]

Insert pic of guy beating a dead horse here.

 

[gunny4053]

This subject has been discussed so many times on so many forums, it's scary.
Here's my opinion on it and strictly my opinion. If you aren't carrying with one in the chamber, you may as well not carry at all. Keep in mind, in a defensive scenario, YOU are the target. The bad guy has already sized you up, he's figured out how he wants to approach you, and is on the way to do the deed before you even know there is a situation. At the moment he is upon you, drawing, loading, and engaging your target is not an option. That single split second spent attempting (again, attempting) to load a round, is an additional split second your attacker has to shoot you, stick a knife in you, or just get in that first blow that takes you out of the fight. Remember," HE" already has a plan, you are at a disadvantage because you have to react to a plan you know nothing about.
If you're that uncomfortable carrying with one in the chamber, carry a revolver with an empty chamber under the hammer. At least when you have to pull the trigger, there's a round in there to go boom, albeit you're starting one round short from jump. Just some things to consider.

Good Luck and good shooting.

PS... Another lesson to be learned here, DON"T rob a store.

PSS... Also makes you rethink appendix carry ;(

 

[zonker5]

Consider that when the stuff hits the fan you may not have both hands available to rack the slide.

I carry with one in the chamber, safety off. First shot will be double action, I bought a Beretta for just that reason.

 

[Marie13]

I appendix carry my Shield with one in the pipe and the thumb safety on. I also have a good kydex holster that covers trigger (and safety). I'm not worried about it.

 

[MSG Glenn]

My answer is the same one I've used on every gun forum - Round in the chamber because that's the only way I know to carry a full mag +1.

 

[pharmer]

I was trained on revolvers back in the 70's. I am comfortable with a D/A revolver in any holster. For that reason I carry my 6906 with a round in the chamber, safety off. First shot is just like I remember, the rest are S/A. Works for me. Joe