I do not always have a round in the chamber , however I always, always have a gun on me no exceptions.

When the shtf are you going to remember when you have one in the chamber or not. I am just wonder how you remember if today theres one in the tube because its thursday or wait is today friday because I dont chamber a round on fridays. If I am carrying then its lock and load period. My M&P is the only gun I carry as its the only handgun I have and everything stays the same, by that I mean I only carry with an IWB holster at 4:00 always I dont need to worry when the SHTF which gun do I have today? Is that the gun with the thumb saftey or is this the one with out? and is there one in the chamber or not? I keep it simply and very much the same, and I like the saying "never trust a man with only one gun chances are he knows how to use it".
Cracker57

I have not been carrying all that long . But I never carry a round in the chamber ,simply safty precaution. I rely on my situational awareness . Like night going from a building to a dark parking lot . I will rack a round before going out . And try to always be aware of things going on and what is around and stay out of certain places . If any doubts I will have one in ,no doubt . I treat each gun I carry the same . Ya I may get a surprise but I will not have shot myself or someone else by accident .I also open carry for comfort and the oh **** he is armed factor . Ya there is the thing that you may become the first target but as been mentioned before chances are pretty slim and I rate the deterrant factor higher .
2 CENTS WORTH .

to9
Are you saying that when you leave, lets say the mall at night you unholster your weapon rack the slide to chamber a round as you walk out the door. I for one might draw my weapon on you if I was to see you do this. where I stand I would not want to be drawing my weapon to rack a round in a public place. to each their own, however I dont trust the rent a cop with his weapon at the mall not to shoot me if I draw my weapon.

I always carry with one in the chamber.

You have an interesting MO to9. Sounds like a good way to loose your gun, either to the cops or the bad guys, and or get yourself killed to me. Hope it continues to work for you.

My "simply safety precaution" method is to keep the gun holstered and my booger hook off of the trigger until I intend to shoot something. Seems to be working well for me thus far... haven't shot myself or anything else I didn't intend to. I've carried from the time I get up in the morning to the time I go to bed at night for the past several years.

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Life Member B.A.S.S., NAFC

Should have been more clear on that . If leaving the mall for instance or any other place I will slip into the head stall or out of sight . and rack one in , never in the open . Your right that would not be a good thing to do. It also depends on where I am intending to go .

I completed my last day of CC class today. The instructor said the same thing as 99% of the responses here.....he ALWAYS has one in the chamber, and highly recommends it. But he admitted it took him quite a while to become comfortable doing it.

Cracker I am a intelligent man who pays close attention to my pistol and what condition I am carrying it in.I can draw and load my weapon plenty fast. do not concern your self on my behalf. Stay in condition yellow at all times this is your best defense...

As others have said, I also always carry with a round in the chamber.

Racking the slide is easy if it's practiced well however from hands on experience it's difficult to do in a physical altercation. Reason being, we proved it once. If one hand is hurt, then it's a must and is certainly doable. But, if you have to pull your semi auto and rack the slide to chamber a round just as a person is at hand distance grabbing at you, or in cqc (close quarters combat) it becomes difficult because focus is on balance of your body and defense position. Suddenly your mind goes from racking the slide to trying to physically ward off the threat while prepping the firearm for battle. Some guys are trained to do it with ease. But most try to do it and have difficulty doing it and while keeping focused on their environment. Suddenly the tactical mindset goes to retreat and the gun gets in the way. At that pint, the gun becaome useless.

A chambered round is always best because of any carry.

While I understand your concern for safety you should always have a round in the chamber with any weapon you carry for self defense because there could be several things beyond your control that do not allow you to leisurely and privately rack your slide, and it possibly could cost you your life.

Remember I came across a potential adversary who is quite a bit larger man than me and one with great animosity towards me in a place I never thought I would run across him. Not only did I not have my gun with me (it was SAFELY in it's holster in the console of my locked SUV) and it had no round in the chamber, what would have happened if he had recognized me and had a gun...CARRY ONE IN THE CHAMBER AT ALL TIMES, or possibly die while being safe!!! Your gun will not fire even with one in the chamber UNLESS YOU or SOMETHING PULLS THE TRIGGER!!!

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59,M&P9,40,40C,357,(2)45,G26

Points well taken guys . Things I should have realized . Carrying new to me just have to get over it . A round will be chambered from now on . Thanks

It would seem from this post that most people who carry do so to save their or a loved ones life. They do so by carrying a weapon all the time with One in the tube. However there are those who have ESP and by being awear of whats going on around them they will know when and where a threat is going to take place. Then they will sneak into a bathroom or someplace no one will see them and they will rack the slide and be ready to rock and roll in just the matter of a minute or two. Some have stated they can rack the slide one handed because they have done it a time or two at the range. It appears that most who do not chamber a round think they are going to have the jump on the bad guy when in real life you will be behind the 8 ball when the shtf and you as the good guy will not know the bad guy until he has the jump on you. Then it is catch up time and seconds will count. Good post but it seems that for all the reasons to have your gun locked and loaded some think there is a reason not to. I will carry one chambered, keep it holstered, and when and if I ever have to draw it I will use the saftey between my ears and keep my finger off the trigger until it is time to destroy something or someone. I wonder how many LEOs carry without a round chambered?
Best of luck to those who walk around with an empty chamber. To9 glad to hear you are now carrying a round in the chamber, keep a clear head, remember the saftey rules, Practice, practice, then practice some more. Stay safe, stay alert, stay armed!
Cracker57

In my opinion, comaring a LEO to a common citizen makes no sense at all. They have folks with grudges in their view on a daily basis. It's a different situation altogether. I'm almost 60 years old and have never been shot at or had a fight picked on me...I'll take my chances on knowing when I need to rack my slide...prolly never....however...I'm bettin I win when it happens. Safety first...

spricks

Seems to me that the argument is that carrying a semi-auto without one in the chamber is safer. So why not take that argument to its logical conclusion? Carrying it without the magazine in is safer still. And not carrying it at all is safest. Ah, but wait, you say. The choice is balancing safety against needing it quickly, thus having it close to hand while still having it in a condition that guards against NDs, shooting an innocent person, etc. Right? That's why there are manual safeties and training. If you aren't well trained enough and proficient enough in the use of your weapon to the point where the only way you can not have a ND or shoot the wrong person is to not carry a round in the chamber, you're better off leaving it at home. Or at least the rest of us are. And, please, spare me any rhetoric about how fast you can draw and rack the slide, your outstanding marksmanship skills, your superior ability to sense danger, etc. Those are straw man arguments used to bolster your defense of tactical nonsense.

You better hope so, because you're betting your life.

I carry a S&W 3913LS. I always havea round in the chamber. They are a very safe gun.

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OHH NOOO!!!

Most folks don't carry a weapon at all. I happen to carry one...that's plus one for me. It's not any less safe with a loaded Magazine...to say it is unsafe is just plain nonsence...I handle weapons daily... Don't assume you have one up with one in the chamber, unless you are on the offense....it's not a safe assumption at all. Mine is for defense and remains a safe tool until I need otherwise.

spricks

Most folks are not robbers, rapist, gangbangers or thugs high on crack or meth. However those that are most likley are carrying guns. I dont think I have one up on the bad guy because I have a round chambered, I always think the bad guy is going to have one up on me. Thats exactly why one is in the chamber, Hope that makes sense if not I give up.
Cracker57
Over and out

If I were to carry my gun in public, I would carry with a round in the chamber so that it is ready to fire when drawn (no safety). But I've had the CC permit for nearly a year and have not yet seen a reason to carry. I live in a pretty safe town and do not venture into high-crime areas at high crime times. If I were a retired or off-duty cop, that would be different because then I would know I was contributing to public safety.

I am reading Ayoob's Gun Digest Book on carrying. I am now even more convinced I don't need to carry. So why am I shopping for a CC gun? It will give me a challenge on the range.

Like most others I too carry with a round chambered.

I will say though, that my first pistol was a Glock 22 and I was so paranoid about a round chambered. Having no manual safety was what kept me from putting one in the pipe. After that, I had a Sig then a Chief's Special then a Taurus and they all had a manual safety so I carried all with one in the chamber.

Now, my new carry piece as of this weekend is a M&P9 with no thumb safety and I have no worries carrying chambered. Keep the trigger guard clear and there is nothing to worry about.

I wonder which of these there are more instances of?

1. Self-inflicted injury or death while having a round chambered.
2. Injury or death from not having a round chambered.

BCDWYO hit the nail squarely on the head. It is pointless to carry a weapon unless it is effective; if you are going to carry a handgun (i.e. semi auto pistol), then it is pointless if it is not loaded. An un-chambered semi is barely better than being unloaded. However, if you do carry a handgun, and with the round chambered, then you must be 100% trained and practiced on it, especially in unloading/clearing, which is were most negligent discharges occur. If you are not comfortable with carrying your pistol with a round chambered, you may wish to consider some serious training before even carrying it in any condition.

Lemmee check...

Yep
Yep
Yep
Yep
Yep
Yep

Practice, practice, practice on a hot range, with an instructor, until you feel completely confident in your ability to handle the situation.

Geoff
Who carries condition 1 + (DAO pistols with a round chambered and ready) or with a field holster Condition 1 (M1911 with full load and safety on.)

Don't mind the kid, he lives in a very safe neighborhood and only thinks he needs light armament.

Geoff
Who is considerable more cautious, but I'm a professional paranoid, don't try it at home kids.

There's a mistake. No, wait, that's two mistakes!

Pretty sure all those McDonald's shootings were in nice neighborhoods. And suburban high schools don't score well either.

-- Chuck

Thats a no brainer, thats what the gun is made to do to shoot not to use as a club,you gotta be ready to roll.

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Take it easy. Chris

I would never load the chamber in public not in the bathroom or anywhere else. I will load the chamber if it goes to orange. esp why does it annoy that I, on occasion do not carry a loaded chamber.

Leos carry because they are always in a threat environment. I am friends with several cops and most do not even carry off duty. so does that mean I should also not carry unless I am in a uniform. well?

Do not push your opinions on another, new shooters need to take classes and read ayoobs books and decide for themselves whats best.

I think every weapon should have thumb safety. does it annoy me if you do not. nope not all. your life ,your foot..

Its great to hear from couch experts.. what are the total number of gunfights all of you have been in. you watch to much tv..

When i was a Az state correction officer we never had a round in the chamber not in the shotgun or the 223 or the pistol.. any one want to guess why...

again I carry a round in the chamber most of the time unless i am carrying a SA with no thumb safety. however I cannot help but to debate this with know it alls... and the term shtf needs to go away . its turned into a phrase used by yahoos everywhere..

Interesting. I just bought a Model 64 that was a recent (2011) Ohio Department of Corrections trade. You know, the guns Corrections Officers carry. It has rounds in each of six chambers. And it has no thumb safety.

As a matter of fact, I'd be hard-pressed to find any revolver with a thumb safety. Hmmm ....

By the way, to say that "new shooters need to read Ayoob's books" is pushing your opinion on others, n'est pas?

DA revolvers and pistols have no need of a safety. put that revolver into single action (cock it) then holster it. whats the matter ,its a 4-6 pound trigger and it wont go off unless you pull the trigger...

Guns do not go off by themselves. If anyone here has a logical argument to dispute this fact i would love to read it. If you always treat a gun as if it were loaded even when it is not loaded. (As we all should) There is no reason not to keep the weapon hot. If you are storing it properly in a holster on your person, concealed or on your belt the weapon will not go off. Keep your booger picker off the kill switch unless you intend to do exactly that and all is safe.

guns do not go off by themselves. you have to handle the weapon to holster it and unholster. and you are a fallible human being..
Glock handguns -- another accidental discharge - Sleepless in Midland
and you should also keep your finger out of your nose disease spreads that way and its just gross, use a kleenex ,dont want your finger having a AD

You are 100% right. Those darned weapons are always going off when people pull them in and out of holsters. Especially when they are not touching the trigger.

With that highly logical argument you have swayed my choice to never EVER carry any weapon hot again. in fact i am from now on never EVER going to have ammo anywhere near my weapons since i now believe it is just too unsafe. I will now use my weapons as paper weights. (See... I can be sarcastic too)

Seriously though if you read the link you just posted and read my challenge to a logical argument you would notice the same thing that i noticed.
#1: The gun did not go off by its self. The person was handling it in an unsafe manner.
#2 The person who shot their self admits to not clearing the chamber before pulling the trigger. This is why at the end of the email the person says CHECK CHECK CHECK it. And yes, I bet they check it next time.

What was the persons hand doing in front of the muzzle when they set off the gun anyway? i don't care what anyone says. Keep your finger/hand off the trigger unless you are ok with destroying whatever is in front of it. So, They must not treat fire arms as if they were loaded even when they think they are not.

As for my finger in my nose. Well they don't call it a booger picker for nothing. Might as well use it.

I have no desire to talk you out of carrying a loaded gun. read all of the replies. I am debating those that say I should not carry , not ever, a weapon with the chamber unloaded. again I am fine with you carrying a fully loaded pistol. what you didnt hear me. I said load that pistol up and carry it, all the time. wont do you any good if its in the car..

vstromrider
As this yahoo sits here on the couch watching TV about the SHTF I have one in the chamber. Sorry I could not help myself. All kidding aside I hope in none of my post did I come across as saying you HAVE TO HAVE A ROUND CHAMBERED. If someone doesn't feel safe with one in the tube then I for one do not want that person walking around with one in the tube ( if they dont feel safe then how can I feel safe around them). I do however feel if you are going to carry you should get the training so you ARE safe with one in the pipe. I know people get over confident when they handle guns all the time and then they get in trouble by ignoring the basic saftey rules. Like the glock owner in the link you posted. Lets see he broke the rule of treating every gun as if it is loaded ( this time, wow it was loaded.) Do not point at anything you do not wish to destroy (this time it was his hand) Do not pull the trigger if you dont want to hear it go bang (this time it did go bang.) Do you really think if you break some or all or one of the saftey rules a thumb saftey is going to stop guys like in your link from doing something stupid? I bet if he wanted to pull the trigger on his EMPTY gun he would have taken the saftey off. I dont see where I personaly attacted you for not always being locked and loaded but if you feel that way I am sorry. I am like you if you want to carry without one in the tube by all means carry that way and thank you for letting me carry locked and loaded. This is a very interesting thread and like all thread take it for what you want. You are 100% right I have never been in a gun fight, I am not A LEO, I do try to prepare myself to be safe and feel safe and that means one is in the chamber. thats how I roll if you like rolling another way then by all means roll the way you feel comfortable and safe.
Cracker57

I'll bet ya most street thugs carry with a round in the chamber. They expect to use the pistol. Maybe against you or me.

I carry with the chamber loaded and my M&P9 has no frame safety by design. My M1911s have one, but they're a different design and the lever is positioned where it can be easily depressed and held down.

-- Chuck

Fair enough.

Peace.

If you're carrying to protect your life, there's always one in the pipe. The safety on the gun is between your ears.

You need to add and third option:

3. Unintentional injuries or deaths while chambering or unchambering a round.

I'll bet #3 has more victims.

now lets get back to a easy subject.. say politics.....

No Way, I hate politics more.....I'm tired of most of the folks that carry full battery say ...YOU NEED MORE TRAINING....hogwash.....I have more training than most folks and it's my choice to carry the way I want and also take the 2 seconds to rack the slide if needed. There...now I'm done too!

spricks

I agree with you sir 100%!!! This is The United States Of America. Carry how you want, Chambered or not. But there is left wing liberals out there more interested in making new gun laws telling us how to carry. And i will bet it is more likely that those liberals will be telling people to not carry with a weapon hot than you will see people insisting that people carry weapons hot as you say that the people in this thread are. So i ask you. Please support us who prefer to carry our weapons how we like and i will agree to disagree on carry preferences and call it a day.

Edit: I am not LEO or Military trained however I have been shot at. I have been in a gun fight. And it doesn't matter if you have one in the pipe or not. If you get shot first you are likely not going to come out alive. I am lucky that i did. And from that experience alone i will carry all my weapons hot or condition one where ever it is legal for me to do so.

I carry with one in the chamber AND THAT'S IT. no magazine. Im that good. I can kill 3 assailants with one 9mm bullet.

These are the people i am worried about. You should be too!

I've never understood the "don't carry one in the chamber" crowd. Probably never will.
I agree, Carry your weapon any way you like. It's your life. Or your family's , or both. Either way, it's not going to affect me much, if at all.
Give this some thought though the next time you step out of the house.
I've been in more "gun" fights than I care to remember, and that's not many. The bad guy (s) always have the element of suprise. They pick the time & place of the attack. You, well your just going about your daily business, right? You'll have to take a leap of faith with me here. Your "spidey" sense doesn't work most of the time. You think it does, but you'd be wrong. Your mind is distracted with, kids, converstion, what chores you have to get done that day, etc.
Gunfights happen, fast. within a blink of the eye. They are brutal, savage & deadly serious! There is no glamour, or glory.It is kill or be killed, period! Your fine motor skills go out the window. Your mind & body will fall back on it's training. No matter what or how much of it you've had. 99.9 & 9/10's of the time, you will panic & point your weapon & keep pulling the trigger until it runs dry. That's just the way it is. You can't even imagine the stress your subjected to until you live through it.
Anyway, sorry for the lecture. My point is carry a round in the chamber. When you need it, YOU NEED IT NOW! Not two seconds later after you've drawn & racked the slide.(if you even get the chance) I'm going to bet that in that situation, your going to forget. Your going to draw & start yanking the trigger, not even knowing that the weapon isn't even going off & your going to die. (if the bad guy also didn't forget).
Maybe you'll get lucky & the bad guy or guys will wait until your ready before they attack.
Remember, it's not just your life gents, it's your wifes life. Your childrens life. Your friends life & the aftermath is worse on them if you lose, than if you win.
( I was really only going to make a short point but once I got started I couldn't stop). I apologize but I hope I've given some of you something to consider.

Here's my guess; they were all sitting on on couches when they should have been training how to carry and use their weapons. They probably didn't carry weapons when off duty for the same reason.

If you can't safely carry a loaded weapon within it's intended design to fire and function, than you have no business being in a profession that requires it's use.

I always carry 1 in the chamber.