How Do I Carry Without A Round Chambered?

[TheGunman]

Condition Zero

every other way is pointless

 

[meaneyedcatz]

The mag will go in but it needs some force. Do not lock the slide back then insert the mag. I did that and gave the mag a whack to lock it into place and the slide released, therefore a round was chambered without my intensions.

 

[kbm6893]

Do not carry that pistol until you are comfortable carrying it with the round chambered. Period. Stick with the revolver with which you are familiar and comfortable.

From a purely mechanical perspective, one of the safest handguns to carry ready to use (round chambered, cocked, safety engaged) is a 1911. You have the mechanical safety, the grip safety, and the one between your ears that helps you keep the booger hook off the loud switch. One has to be really really dumb and really really clumsy (more than I am, which is a feat) to have an ND with a 1911. I carried one as a duty weapon off and on for several years and it is a very user friendly weapon and quite safe if one is properly trained.

It is not all that hard to have an ND with a revolver, if one is careless. It might be a little harder to do than with a pistol, but the level of negligence required either way is indicative of needing a guardianship far more than a pistol, a car, or a real knife. If you have gone 5 years without being that careless with a revolver, you should easily transition to the pistol without any real risk as long as get a little help with the transition in terms of psychomotor skill training.

I'm a gun guy. Very comfortable around guns. And I would love to have a 1911. But I know I will never carry one. The idea of walking around with a hammer back is just alien to me. I know about the grip safety and the manual safety, but it doesn't matter. I see the hammer back and I just get nervous.

But the majority of gun accidents happen while reholstering and by THINKING the gun is empty cause you dropped the mag but forgot the one in the chamber. So to me, a revolver is much safer. The NYPD allows the SIG 226, the S&W 5946, and the Glock 19. At the time I retired, EVERY ND with a semi was the Glock. Not ONE with the other two. We were taught to holster with thumb on the hammer to prevent a trigger snag, which is a very real possibility while wrestling with some dude or on a felony car-stop. Not to disparage small agencies, but I know I unholstered my gun probably 10 times a tour.

 

[Smitty357]

If carrying a semi makes u worry about carrying hot.

IMO, i'd go back to carrying the revolver. At least it'll be ready to get the job done and may very well save ur life.

 

[Malpaso]

At the time I retired, EVERY ND with a semi was the Glock.

Don't blame the gun, blame the person. There's never been an occasion where a gun has gone off without a human present. If there was an ND with a Glock it was because the person involved was not sufficiently trained on that platform.

If you are not comfortable with carrying a semi-auto in condition 1, do not carry it. Train, train, train until you are as comfortable with it as you are with a revolver, which is in condition 1. You are doing yourself a dis-service in the level of protection you are providing yourself and your loved ones if you are not as ready as possible, both physically and mentally.

I am a revolver guy as well, but I've trained with a Glock, a 1911 and a PPK to the point that I can carry any of them in condition 1 and myself in yellow.

 

[kbm6893]

Don't blame the gun, blame the person. There's never been an occasion where a gun has gone off without a human present. If there was an ND with a Glock it was because the person involved was not sufficiently trained on that platform.

If you are not comfortable with carrying a semi-auto in condition 1, do not carry it. Train, train, train until you are as comfortable with it as you are with a revolver, which is in condition 1. You are doing yourself a dis-service in the level of protection you are providing yourself and your loved ones if you are not as ready as possible, both physically and mentally.

I am a revolver guy as well, but I've trained with a Glock, a 1911 and a PPK to the point that I can carry any of them in condition 1 and myself in yellow.

I don't blame the gun. But the Glock design (and safety-less striker fire gun especially) are less forgiving of human error, and we are all human. The training of all the cops I worked with was the same, yet somehow the S&W and SIG guys didn't have a problem. I carried the Glock. Chose it when I knew nothing about guns. I sold it and the Glock 26 I had right after retirement.

 

[Malpaso]

I don't blame the gun. But the Glock design (and safety-less striker fire gun especially) are less forgiving of human error, and we are all human.

How is a safety-less semi any less forgiving than a safety-less revolver if both have a round chambered?

 

[Mapko]

Yes but,
No way Jose will I ever carry my Shield 9 with chambered round no matter what the possible eventualities. I'll take some chances over other chances and hopefully..................................

Mark

 

[kbm6893]

How is a safety-less semi any less forgiving than a safety-less revolver if both have a round chambered?

Holstered? No real difference. Handling the gun? WAY different. 9 pound revolver trigger where the hammer comes back to an invisible striker on a 6 pound trigger? I love both revolvers and semi auto's, but the odds of an ND are much higher with a semi auto.

 

[Malpaso]

Holstered? No real difference. Handling the gun? WAY different. 9 pound revolver trigger where the hammer comes back to an invisible striker on a 6 pound trigger?

And yet they are the same if you follow the three rules of safe gun handling.

 

[gdauth]

No, I understand about the long trigger engagement, etc. I just wanted to actually handle the weapon at the range and get used to it before I start carrying with a round chambered. A friend of mine who is a competition shooter went through the blocks, etc with me, so it isn't a fear of having a chambered round, it;s just my personal desire to become a little more familiar with this gun first.

Don't let some of these guys give you a hard time. You are wise to want to be familiar with a new weapon. Go to the range and practice, practice, practice. I would rather have you carrying a weapon than someone who is overconfident.

 

[tblt44]

the smith has a striker blocker,it will not go off unless the trigger is pulled.Rack the slide open and you can pull the striker back and see it wont go forward because of the striker block.just like a revolver wont go off without pulling the trigger to raise the bar for the hammer to contact the fireing pin.

 

[sipowicz]

I just transitioned to the M&P and I must be honest...all my carry autos have always had hammers I can see (except my P7 but that's a whole nother case)....striker fired guns do make me a tad nervous and it will take some getting used to...one thing I did learn at my dept.training is how important a good holster is with these kinds of guns...so choose wisely....stay away from soft leather than can fold into the trigger guard.....from what I have read and seen, kydex is a popular choice for these kinds of guns...

 

[fyimo]

When I took my conceal carry permit class the Arkansas State Trooper giving the class was asked that question. He looked up and said because at that point it's an empty gun and before you can get a round in the chamber you would have a high probability of being shot. He was very serious when he spoke and he said he highly recommended never to carry a gun without it be loaded and ready to shoot.

 

[Nedroe]

I Carry This One............

IN this condition, every day, all day. I love S&W wheelguns, but this is what I carry. A Colt Silver Stallion. Stainless Steel, Officer's Model slide on a full length alloy grip frame, 1 of 500 from Colt, before everybody else started doin' it. Dura Coat black, added nite sights, & Crimson Trace grips. Been in my belt since the day I bought it new, many years ago.

Ned

 

[Doug M.]

I don't blame the gun. But the Glock design (and safety-less striker fire gun especially) are less forgiving of human error, and we are all human. The training of all the cops I worked with was the same, yet somehow the S&W and SIG guys didn't have a problem. I carried the Glock. Chose it when I knew nothing about guns. I sold it and the Glock 26 I had right after retirement.

*
One problem NYPD has is the lack of time to do real training, and the staggering percentage of the agency that are NDP (non-dedicated personnel). Most agencies have too many who fit that description; agencies like NYPD are saddled with more of them. This is especially sad when one considers that they are very likely to draw - as you noted, 10X a tour.

I can see it being a little easier to have an ND with the Glock, because there is less tolerance for error. However, we are having a huge thread drift here, too. The OP's issue is transitioning to the M&P, which is foreign based on his experience with the revolver. He is on the right path, as long he does not carry it until he is comfortable enough with carrying it properly loaded - with a round chambered.

As for those uncomfortable with the hammer back carry of a 1911 - not a problem. Don't carry, own, or shoot one.

 

[PastureOfMuppets]

Not helpful but might be interesting… when I first started keeping and carrying a pistol I had the same intention. It lasted around 24 hours - we had gunshots in our street and that sucker went into a round chambered and on my hip straight away. Got me right over it the irrational but somewhat natural fear.

I have no problem with people easing into it. That whole "don't carry unless it is fully loaded" thing… well, I would rather someone carried a day or two without one in the chamber than went the rest of their life without carrying.

 

[rickyfinch]

First off, don't let these guys give you too hard a time. When I carried my old 4053 s&w it didn't have a safety which I hated so I carried it without a round chambered. However now I have my shield and I keep a round in the chamber plus a full mag.

Personally until you get range time, carry it however you are ccomfortable. But keep it mind that it isn't loaded and train that way until you put a round in the chamber. Even without range time, work on your draw and rack so you are ready as you can be until you get ready and comfortable with it being loaded.

Train how you fight.

 

[Gunsnwater]

Yes but,
No way Jose will I ever carry my Shield 9 with chambered round no matter what the possible eventualities. I'll take some chances over other chances and hopefully..................................

Mark

The shield has a safety. It would be half cocked and locked. Its a bit large for pocket carry. How do you carry it? To each his own and never do uncomfortable things but the main thing is don't pull the trigger. Finger off trigger and trigger covered in holster. That is for any and all. The very basic. Watch people. Most grab a gun like a monkey with the finger on the trigger. Hand a kid a squirt gun, you'll see it's natural. We all have to break the habit at some point, hopefully sooner rather then later.

 

[UncaGrunny]

After fighting with those mags, I decided to try a LULA loader. We'll have to see how that works when it gets here later in the week.

I fell in love with mine the first time I used it - - my thumbs have threatened divorce if I ever get rid of it.