Loading and unloading your carry gun

[Smoke]

I have always been taught to minimize unnecessary administrative handling of my firearms. Because of this I make a point of never unloading my carry gun unless I am cleaning it.

When I get home from work I take my employer's gun out of my holster and put it in my gun safe as is. I don't unload it at the end of my shift and reload it before work (Setback).

Similarly my personal weapon is in the safe loaded if I'm not carrying it.

So my question is do you unload your carryguns (I'm not talking about a hunting rifle that you only shoot during deer season)when you store them or do you leave them loaded?

 

[Retired LTC USAR]

No. Keep them loaded all the time, wither when stored or being carried.

 

[bigwheelzip]

Everything larger than .22LR is loaded and chambered with SD ammo.

 

[Rpg]

Everything gets unloaded when put in storage.

I've seen more than one instance where the pistol was stored loaded and the owner succeeded in discharging it taking it out of storage: at least once with nearly deadly consequences to the owner.

If you can't quickly load your pistol from storage and get it operational, you need lots more practice in gunhandling.

 

[petepeterson]

I do it the same way as you. I usually have 3 loaded handguns available for carry, and they stay that way.

When I take one to the range, I shoot the one in the pipe to minimize re-chambering. Occasionally, I'll shoot out the whole mag.

Wheelguns, no worries.

 

[BAM-BAM]

My every day carry guns are loaded in the quick access ready safe in the master bedroom........also 1 or 2 spare magazines...........
3913/14
PC 6906
3" 66 (for going to the cabin or handing to the wife)

These guns are not in "storage"

Also the issue of rechambering rounds in an auto "compressing" the bullet back into the case.

 

[pcgunner]

All guns in my house are loaded and chambered with defensive loads - no kids, no problems - the wife knows it and acts accordingly

I do however rotate my defensive mags - usually about once a year I'll swap them out and rotate.

 

[Kid44]

I have always been taught to minimize unnecessary administrative handling of my firearms. Because of this I make a point of never unloading my carry gun unless I am cleaning it.

When I get home from work I take my employer's gun out of my holster and put it in my gun safe as is. I don't unload it at the end of my shift and reload it before work (Setback).

Similarly my personal weapon is in the safe loaded if I'm not carrying it.

So my question is do you unload your carryguns (I'm not talking about a hunting rifle that you only shoot during deer season)when you store them or do you leave them loaded?

"administrative handling of my firearms", sound like something Gwenyth Paltrow would say.

 

[armorer951]

If this is a duty gun or a gun used for self defense, it should be emptied, inspected and cleaned periodically. A function check should be performed on a regular basis, along with your regular qualifications and practice.

How often to do this is up to you, but consider the daily conditions in your work/carry environment and use that consideration as a guide. When your carry firearm is exposed to harsher environments, more care and vigilance is required, both for the gun and the ammunition.

Some officers function check and reload their duty guns every day, or perhaps once a week, and rotate/replace the ammunition periodically, consuming the old ammo for training.

 

[hardluk1]

Only time my carry pistol is unloaded is to insert a full mag or to clean it .

 

[Cal44]

I unload before putting a carry gun into the safe, and then reload when I take it out in the morning.

I keep speed loaders handy to load quickly if needed.

 

[Okie21]

Being a new handgun owner, I'm constantly loading/unloading my one and only gun. I live alone, so I practice stance and grip all the time at home. And when I do, I clear it first. My IWB holster should be coming in the mail tomorrow. So then I'll be practicing drawing too.

 

[cgt4570]

I leave my edc gun loaded in its holster on my night stand with my keys, phone and wallet when it isn't on me. They all go together as a package deal when I leave the house.

 

[Protected One]

Everything gets unloaded when put in storage.

I've seen more than one instance where the pistol was stored loaded and the owner succeeded in discharging it taking it out of storage: at least once with nearly deadly consequences to the owner.

If you can't quickly load your pistol from storage and get it operational, you need lots more practice in gunhandling.

I would say that the owner(s) who can't remove a loaded gun from storage without discharging it are the ones MORE in need of practice/training.

My guns are loaded...with the exception of my safe queens that rarely see the light of day - and even then only for range time.

 

[Ransom]

Rule #1: All guns are always loaded

Rule #1: All guns are always loaded. I keep my defensive guns loaded at all times except to shoot and clean. For my carry weapons, I do not even remove them from their holsters. I have a few range-only guns that are kept unloaded, but I assume every gun in my safe is loaded until verified otherwise. Every member of my household shares this philosophy and knows every gun is loaded.

 

[arjay]

The guns I keep handy are always loaded

 

[dmar]

I store my carry guns/home defense guns in small, quick access safe boxes. These guns are loaded, and the carry guns are kept in the holsters. All my other guns are kept in the main safes, and they are all unloaded. This works well for me.

I don't understand why you'd want to unload and load your carry piece everyday, unless you don't have a safe and there are kids around. Or, maybe if you are keeping them in a safe with a bunch of other guns that are kept unloaded, and you might not keep it straight...

My method works for me because I know any gun that is in one of the small safe boxes is loaded, and all guns in the big safes are not loaded. Of course, we all need to assume that all guns are loaded, and I am very careful to check all guns that I take out of the safe.

I guess whatever works best for you, but that's what I do.

 

[Smoke]

Everything gets unloaded when put in storage.

To me "in storage" means the gun is going to be in the safe longer than a day my work gun sometimes goes in and out of that safe in less than 8 hours.

When I'm getting ready for work my gun goes in the safe and theirs comes out and when I get home I reverse the process.

My rifles are "in storage" and they're not loaded

 

[Smoke]

"administrative handling of my firearms", sound like something Gwenyth Paltrow would say.

What I'm hearing you say is that you have nothing substansitive to add to the discussion

 

[ImprovedModel56Fan]

Loaded, unless I'm putting it away for a couple of weeks or more. Also, my loaded ones, usually only two or maybe three, have conspicuous "loaded" tags on the box, if boxed (rare), or over the gun hanging on a hook on the inside of the safe's door. With even this rare loading/unloading indoors, I prefer revolvers mostly just because I don't like loading autos indoors.