Shotgun State Of Readiness

[mscampbell2734]

I'm going to swim against the tide a little and say I keep my mag only half loaded. So a 6 round tube has 3 rounds, 00 buck, chamber empty. I carry a 6 shot side saddle with slugs and a 6 round butt cuff with 00 buck.

This give me 15 rounds total. I don't want a spring fully compressed for a long period of time to give me an issue when I need it most.

Before someone asks if I carry my mags for autoloaders fully loaded the answer is yes. The difference is I shoot my handguns once or twice a month, but shotgun only once or twice a year. I can keep better tabs on the handgun mags.

 

[Protected One]

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.

What's the reason for mixed shells? 00 & #4

 

[forrestinmathews]

What's the reason for mixed shells? 00 & #4

If the gun were loaded and chambered, the reason is the 00 Buck can be cleared from the gun with one rack. I'm going to guess this is the plan after the gun gets racked upon retrieval if needed.

I'm hoping that's #4 Buck and not fine shot left in the gun. If you're going through the trouble to get to the fine shot you can just as easily load a single shell and still have a shotgun loaded with a little more horsepower in case the fine shot doesn't solve the problem.

 

[Robspeire]

11-87 , extended mag, 1 in chamber safety on. Live by myself , rural area.
Nearest neighbor 300 yards , hills in between.

 

[smithman 10]

Unloaded and locked up in the gun safe!

Revolvers are our weapon of choice for home security.

 

[Mainsail]

Shotguns in the safe are loaded, chamber empty because to get them out means tipping it with the barrel too close to my face. I like my face where it is. 12 gauge 00buck is the load.

The coach gun under the couch has both barrels loaded. #1 buck in the chambers and 00buck in the stock sleeve.

 

[LennyLames]

Remington 11-87 Premier. Can shoot up to 3 1/2 inch shells but since I don't have to use high recoil and more expensive "non-toxic" steel shot on home invaders at home invasion distances, I have the magazine fully loaded with 2 3/4 inch highly toxic lead slugs which also allow more capacity. Empty chamber. Attached shell holder with several additional slugs.

Red dot sight and green laser. In an actual situation, I would prefer to use the red dot initially, for stealth.

It's part of a multi-layer defense perimeter. External sensors around the property, then security system whose multiple consoles indicate where the breach/breaches occurred.

 

[haywood]

Mine hangs in the closet. Loaded tube chamber empty. Rack slide , shoot, repeat.

 

[forrestinmathews]

Shotguns in the safe are loaded, chamber empty because to get them out means tipping it with the barrel too close to my face. I like my face where it is. 12 gauge 00buck is the load.

The coach gun under the couch has both barrels loaded. #1 buck in the chambers and 00buck in the stock sleeve.

Why #1B in first followed by 00B?

 

[Kid44]

Mine is locked in the safe.

I keep my 1911 Commander in the house, loaded and ready.

 

[Mainsail]

Why #1B in first followed by 00B?

Because that's what was in the sleeve when I finally found some #1 buck. I just never pulled the 00 out.

 

[BB57]

Police safe. Start with an empty weapon. Point in a safe direction and pull the trigger to drop the hammer. Load the magazine. Mine is loaded with 6 rounds of 2 3/4 inch 00 buck.
Safety is off, chamber is empty. Just grab, rack and go. Just the way we used to carry them in the patrol units.

If there isn't a "safe direction" people will need to create one.

Tube fed shotguns are way up on the list of guns that are associated with negligent discharges at gun shows. I saw one of these in Chantilly VA. The guy "cleared" it in the parking lot, but as is too often the case, had a round hang up so that it ended in the chamber when it was cycled. Fast forward a few minutes, he pulled it out of the case to demonstrate it was cleared, but managed to do so with his finger inside the trigger guard. Two stupid mistakes resulted in one loud boom, but fortunately no one injured.

If someone plans to do this at home, and in particular in an apartment. it's a good idea to spend $10 on a 5 gallon bucket with lid) and a 50 pound bag of playground sand. Cut a hole in the lid and glue a neoprene mouse pad over the hole with a slit in it for the muzzle. it'll contain the shot or slug if you do have an ND when pulling the trigger.

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.

I've seen several references to "cruiser" ready and yours is the only description that I've in agreement with.

The rest require pulling the trigger to eliminate the need to press the slide release to chamber a round. The idea sounds great - just grab it, operate the slide and you're ready to rock.

However, in the real world that requires a vehicle rack that will secure the butt and the slide, so that the slide won't potentially operate or partially operate itself in a vehicle.

----

However, for a homeowner operating under different conditions, there is a potential argument for keeping the chamber loaded and the safety on, to ensure it can be quietly made ready for use.

 

[Johnnu2]

12ga pump; 00buck; action open and in the closet locked in a Mossberg
"Lok-Box"... keys in it at night. Can't shoot handguns accurately when shaking and sweating profusely in the middle of the night. Anything in front of a shotgun is gonna get hit.....
During daylight hours, everything locked securely; lotta kids in the neighborhood and they are all cute and nosey.
IMHO,
J

 

[Univibe]

Police safe. Start with an empty weapon. Point in a safe direction and pull the trigger to drop the hammer. Load the magazine. Mine is loaded with 6 rounds of 2 3/4 inch 00 buck.
Safety is off, chamber is empty. Just grab, rack and go. Just the way we used to carry them in the patrol units.

This is how I kept my closet shotgun. Now that I keep pistol caliber carbine, same thing.

 

[Protected One]

I've seen several references to "cruiser" ready and yours is the only description that I've in agreement with.

The rest require pulling the trigger to eliminate the need to press the slide release to chamber a round. The idea sounds great - just grab it, operate the slide and you're ready to rock.

However, in the real world that requires a vehicle rack that will secure the butt and the slide, so that the slide won't potentially operate or partially operate itself in a vehicle.

----

Are there many (any) real world examples of this having happened?

 

[The Norseman]

Single Shot

Will this do? I know is works on Racoons.

 

[Oracle]

Mossberg Shockwave, 12 gauge double ought, 5 in the magazine, 1 in the chamber, safety on, in a biometric safe next to the bed.

 

[shocker]

Cruiser ready in action:
YouTube

Unfortunately state law prohibits cruiser ready, in my cruiser. Loading up to cruiser ready in my house would require a Defcon level higher than the one I'm in at the moment.

 

[Rule3]

Other then in the "cruiser" and Police use in the vehicle,why are shotguns different then handguns? Why not keep it with one chambered.

If anyone says they keep their handgun with an empty chamber, or empty cylinder they usually get scoffed at and told the gun is unloaded and they waste time having to rack the slide?
Should an AR15 or AK be left with one in the chamber??

 

[ContinentalOp]

Other then in the "cruiser" and Police use in the vehicle,why are shotguns different then handguns? Why not keep it with one chambered.

If anyone says they keep their handgun with an empty chamber, or empty cylinder they usually get scoffed at and told the gun is unloaded and they waste time having to rack the slide?
Should an AR15 or AK be left with one in the chamber??

Handguns are generally drop safe. They're designed so that a firing pin safety or other internal mechanism keeps the firing pin from contacting the primer unless the trigger is pulled. Even in a 1911 without a firing pin safety, you can make it drop safe with a titanium firing pin and/or an extra power firing pin spring.

My understanding is that long guns don't have such passive safeties and can fire if dropped with a live round in the chamber. Even having a manual safety engaged won't prevent this from happening as they don't restrict movement of the firing pin.

As I've said before, I'm not a long gun guy, so I could be wrong, but this has always been the way it was explained to me.

 

[Borderboss]

Kel-Tec KSG with 12 Federal Tactical #1 Buck in the mags, hammer down, empty chamber. A quick rack and it's hot.

Plus, a few other guns around.

 

[Rule3]

Handguns are generally drop safe. They're designed so that a firing pin safety or other internal mechanism keeps the firing pin from contacting the primer unless the trigger is pulled. Even in a 1911 without a firing pin safety, you can make it drop safe with a titanium firing pin and/or an extra power firing pin spring.

My understanding is that long guns don't have such passive safeties and can fire if dropped with a live round in the chamber. Even having a manual safety engaged won't prevent this from happening as they don't restrict movement of the firing pin.

As I've said before, I'm not a long gun guy, so I could be wrong, but this has always been the way it was explained to me.

Neither am I (shot gun)which is why I asking. I have several defensive shot guns but do not keep them loaded I have the shells on a stock shell holder. For home I prefer a handgun

 

[RWJ]

Having worked for, and taught firearms for, 3 separate agencies, I can tell you that there is no uniform "one way" to carry it that every agency uses.



The largest was a federal agency ( now over 12k) carried "tube loaded, action locked, "on cock" (meaning the action bar lock had to be depressed to rack it), and on safe. This took 3 actions to accomplish before firing was possible. (action bar lock depressed, fore end racked, safety taken off).
Sometimes called "Assembly area load".


The second (also a federal agency of over 2100) carried it "off cock" (dry-fired on an empty chamber), off-safe, tube loaded. This required 1 action before firing was possible (fore end racked). Sometimes called "Gun box" or "gun bag" load.


The third, my first agency required "off-cock", tube loaded, safety on, requiring 2 actions before firing (fore end rack, safety taken off).


It all came down to whether the need was perceived to be immediate and the amount and frequency of training each officer or agent received, as viewed by the administrators. They all will work, but none had a round in the chamber, as noted in previous posts. I currently tell those that are on a multi-agency task force to check with the others, and be sure how each carries their shotgun - just as each family member should know, if neccessary, in the home.

 

[Borderboss]

The largest was a federal agency ( now over 12k) carried "tube loaded, action locked, "on cock" (meaning the action bar lock had to be depressed to rack it), and on safe. This took 3 actions to accomplish before firing was possible. (action bar lock depressed, fore end racked, safety taken off).

Was this because there was a perception that if a bad guy managed to get the gun out of the car, it was unlikely that he could figure out how to operate it to chamber a round?

 

[RWJ]

While that would be a definite benefit, I suspect it was that they generally kept the guns unloaded in storage, and didn't want triggers operated during loading, which generally happened pre-raid, in the presence of others.

 

[00Buckshot62]

Handguns are generally drop safe. They're designed so that a firing pin safety or other internal mechanism keeps the firing pin from contacting the primer unless the trigger is pulled. Even in a 1911 without a firing pin safety, you can make it drop safe with a titanium firing pin and/or an extra power firing pin spring.

My understanding is that long guns don't have such passive safeties and can fire if dropped with a live round in the chamber. Even having a manual safety engaged won't prevent this from happening as they don't restrict movement of the firing pin.

this is correct- ALL shotgun manual safeties are ONLY trigger blocks. The firing pin is not kept from mechanically failing & going forward into the primer.

 

[tops]

I keep the barrel loaded. I have carried a shotgun unknown how many days and miles while hunting in fields, woods, crossing ditches and creeks with the barrel loaded and never had the gun go off(ND). I am lead to believe I can keep it setting in the corner and pick it up and point it down the hall without the gun going off (ND). Larry

 

[Toddlars1]

Shotgun isn't my first choice but this tube is full of whatever birdshot I last used in the Ithica...