Cruiser ready, six 00 buck in the magazine tube, six slugs in the sidesaddle. Locked in my safe in my safe room. Loaded handguns readily available.
Shotgun State Of Readiness
- Thread starter Kanewpadle
- Start date
LoboGunLeather
US Veteran
For the past 48 years, including 24 years as a cop with a shotgun in the car with me every day, always the same way. Never any need to stop and think, when the time comes to deploy the shotgun the drill is always exactly the same.
Remington 870 pump 12-gauge. Magazine full, chamber empty, action cocked, safety engaged. Relatively safe for any routine handling. When needed, hit the slide release, cycle the slide to chamber a round, release the safety, and ready to fire. Far faster in practice than it takes me to write this, and I can easily do it in the dark without even looking at the shotgun. Never any questions, never any doubts.
Added benefit, here in Colorado anyway, is that the shotgun is perfectly legal for carry in an automobile. Fish & game laws prohibit long guns with a round chambered, but OK with empty chamber and full magazine, so if I choose to add the shotgun for a road trip it is always ready to go and in the expected condition if needed.
Remington 870 pump 12-gauge. Magazine full, chamber empty, action cocked, safety engaged. Relatively safe for any routine handling. When needed, hit the slide release, cycle the slide to chamber a round, release the safety, and ready to fire. Far faster in practice than it takes me to write this, and I can easily do it in the dark without even looking at the shotgun. Never any questions, never any doubts.
Added benefit, here in Colorado anyway, is that the shotgun is perfectly legal for carry in an automobile. Fish & game laws prohibit long guns with a round chambered, but OK with empty chamber and full magazine, so if I choose to add the shotgun for a road trip it is always ready to go and in the expected condition if needed.
scooter123
Member
Four rounds of #1 Buck in the tube and One in the chamber. Someone kicks in my door they aren't going to hear Chak Chak, if they listen closely they'll hear the snick of the safety going to Fire. BTW, no kids in the home.
Why not? He proved he was competent.
Two guys were discussing with me how this captain made major - one said, "Pole turtle." Neirher of us knew what that was, so he told that if you're driving on a country road with barbed-wire fence on either side of the road, then you suddenly see a turtle sat squarely on a fence pole you ask, "Well, how in Hades did he get up there??" - then you've experienced a 'pole turtle.' In policing you'll meet more than one.
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BlackTalonJHP
Member
Magazine full, safety off, hammer down, chamber empty
Cruiser ready behind bedroom door.
hotshot357
Member
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cyphertext
US Veteran
All hammer down, empty chamber, full magazine here as well. Doesn't matter if a Mossberg or a Remington is grabbed, rack the slide and it is ready.
charlie sherrill
Member
As a retired LEO with over 40years on the job I carried mine cruiser ready while at work. At home it's a different story. I hunted with an 870 for many years. Still do. In my opinion that's better than any short lived training you may get. Now I keep mine by the bed and another in the other end of the house. They are fully loaded with #4 buckshot, safety on, including one in the barrel. No kids live here and when the grands come over everything gets locked up. An intruder won't hear the clack clack of me loading the barrel. In fact, they probably won't hear anything at all.
StrawHat
Member
So "Cruiser Ready" is the tacti-cool way of saying Condition 3?
Kevin
Kevin
I have two- Benelli M2 Tactical and a Rem 870 Police Mag. Both are fully loaded with Federal 00 Buck (Power Shok), with one in the pipe and safeties on.
When the projectile is going over 1125 fps it's SURPRISE!!
LarryEmpty and locked in the safe. I prefer the handgun.
Sorry to rain on the parade, but for those of you who are placing loaded shotguns around the house.....please consider the fact that these "cruiser ready" but unsecured weapons are readily accessible when someone breaks into the house while you are gone.....or you are asleep.
Perfect recent example.....
Burglary last night
Perfect recent example.....
Burglary last night
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Remington 870 Wingmaster Police w/ extension. Police/ Cruiser mode...5 in the tube to prevent spring compression issues. Mag tube Springs should be replaced as needed and Ammo is rotated and replaced every 6 months.. ..Federal Premium OO Buck followed by Winchester Ranger LOW RECOIL 1 oz. slug.. As I get older, the Slugs seem to kick harder...Buck, Slug, Buck.
Shotgun is kept within reach and there are 5 packs of Buck and Slugs with it.
Shotgun is kept within reach and there are 5 packs of Buck and Slugs with it.
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mrchuck
Member
I'm an old LEO and keep my shotgun loaded along with my Winchester 30-30 loaded in the corner next to my bed.
We have prowlers now and then.
I have caught several and had our police force come pick them up.
The prowlers always thanked the the cops saying I was going to kill them if they moved. Which is true.
We have prowlers now and then.
I have caught several and had our police force come pick them up.
The prowlers always thanked the the cops saying I was going to kill them if they moved. Which is true.
Chief Wiggums
Member
yup....
exactly the same
The ones outta the safe = cruiser ready / closet ready
OO X 2
followed by slugs
The ones in the safe = I think the same...need to double check as they havent seen any sunlight for a while.....
Yeah, I guess. This was the first time I either heard or used the term although I carried one like that in my cruiser most of my career but in a locked rack, except when we weren't allowed to have a visible shotgun for PR reasons and it had to be in the trunk.
THEmodelof1989
Member
Rule number one: treat ALL firearms as if they are loaded.
Rule number two: keep ALL firearms loaded because an unloaded firearm is almost completely useless.
Rule number two: keep ALL firearms loaded because an unloaded firearm is almost completely useless.
Rastoff
US Veteran
When it's not in the safe, within arm's reach.
It's not my primary tool though so, it's usually in the safe.
ajgunner
Member
I am out in the country and have chickens, which means fairly regular visits by coons, possum, skunk, coyote, bobcat, and occasional visits by cougar and bear. The 18" 870 bubba special is right next to the door, with 2 rounds of 00 buck followed by 3 rounds of #4. All in the tube with an empty pipe.
Not real Pretty, but highly effective.
Not real Pretty, but highly effective.
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OP
Normally I would agree. However, my shotgun is not the only firearm I have access too. The bad guy is going to have fight his way to my shotgun. And my house is a safe.
flagman1776
Member
When I kept a pump it was my Mossy 500 20" with rifle sights, rear app removed to make a fast ghost ring. I kept the chamber empty with 4 of 000 followed by 4 slugs. I sold it off because of an arm disability.
I have a mongrel SXS 16G hammer gun, 18 1/2". Chambers loaded, 6 on a butt sleeve but really backed up by 3 M66s.
I have a mongrel SXS 16G hammer gun, 18 1/2". Chambers loaded, 6 on a butt sleeve but really backed up by 3 M66s.
forrestinmathews
Member
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Cruiser ready differs from condition 3 as I learned them. I always considered cruiser ready with the hammer down on an empty chamber, safety off, and an unlocked action. I always considered condition 3 as having the hammer back on the empty chamber to allow the action to remain locked. On a Remington I might consider safety off and pulling the trigger to be the most expedient manner of readying. On a Mossberg, the safety can be deactivated as the slide release is depressed or as the trigger is pulled.
I like making as little motion and noise as possible.
I like making as little motion and noise as possible.
StrawHat
Member
I learned condition three as chamber empty, full magazine, hammer down, safety off. Just like a 1911. If each system had individual condition stages, it would get confusing very fast.
Oh, apparently it already is!
Kevin
And of course the irony here is I am using 1911 conditions and I am one of very few that can not comfortably handle the beast. I much prefer my N frames.
Oh, apparently it already is!
Kevin
And of course the irony here is I am using 1911 conditions and I am one of very few that can not comfortably handle the beast. I much prefer my N frames.
FWIW, it made it simple to keep the shotguns and AR's in the same condition of readiness in the veh's.
Empty chamber, loaded magazine, hammer forward & safety off ... except in the case of the AR, the safety lever had to be on FIRE when the hammer was forward. If it was on SAFE, or could be moved to SAFE, you knew somebody had previously retracted the charging handle and cocked the hammer. You just couldn't know if the chamber was also LOADED (without further inspecting the weapon).
Either simply had to be charged/chambered to make it ready-to-fire in an emergency situation.
Empty chamber, loaded magazine, hammer forward & safety off ... except in the case of the AR, the safety lever had to be on FIRE when the hammer was forward. If it was on SAFE, or could be moved to SAFE, you knew somebody had previously retracted the charging handle and cocked the hammer. You just couldn't know if the chamber was also LOADED (without further inspecting the weapon).
Either simply had to be charged/chambered to make it ready-to-fire in an emergency situation.
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bulletslap
Member
Safeties, especially on shotguns are generally fragile and sort of "iffy", too much faith is put into safeties by the untrained and inexperienced,imo.
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