About keeping your carry gun loaded

I’d add that I not only don’t unload the pistol, I usually remove the holster and leave it in the holster when I go to bed. Next morning, snap the holster with pistol still in it in the belt. Of course, it gets shot often enough recreationally that crud build up in the holster, pistol or magazines is not an issue.

If you don’t shoot it at least quarterly, then that’s a solution that has drawbacks.
 
Every time you handle a firearm, there is a potential for an accident. If you handle them enough, you’ll eventually see some really bizarre, freakish accidents just by virtue of probability. This is why the four rules are so important - they minimize the damage an accident can cause.
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sure.. but it doesn't mean you abandon common sense regarding the potential for bullet setback. Rules are rules but your greatest failsafe is between your ears.
 
Keep it loaded. If you do have to re-chamber a round that has been chambered previously do it. Where people come up with some of the stuff that they come up with just makes me shake my head.....that was not directed at you OP.
 
Have you even shot any of that high priced ammo? Do you know it will function correctly in your handgun? At some frequency, you should shoot that chambered round and a couple of more.......

And I keep all my handguns that are for self defense loaded. Even in safe. Empty gun is just a club at best.
 
Depending on weather, dress etc.... EDC is a Glock 23, or Glock 43, they are always loaded with one in the pipe ready to go, unless I am cleaning them. Home guns are a Glock 19 and 30, again they stay loaded and ready to go. These are for self defense and if I need them I am probably need them instantly.

Hunting guns, plinkers, range toys, etc... are unloaded and locked up in the safe.
 
Handloader109 said:
Have you even shot any of that high priced ammo? Do you know it will function correctly in your handgun? At some frequency, you should shoot that chambered round and a couple of more.......

And I keep all my handguns that are for self defense loaded. Even in safe. Empty gun is just a club at best.
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January 13 - 15 I'm enrolled in a 3 day pistol immersion level 1 course. I'm heading out to the range 1 more time before than to shoot 200 - 250 rounds. I'll shoot some of this posh ammo then and also at the 3 day course.


Now seeing as how the gun is a S&W M&P 9 2.0 I imagine this ammo is going to go boom!! I am 99.999% sure that if I load the Gold Dot in and pull the trigger the gun is going to fire. In fact, I do not think a range trip, and testing out the ammo would change how sure I am that the gun would go bang. I am 99.999% sure now, after the range, I would still be 99.999% sure that the gun and the ammo work.
 
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PB your shooting some of your "posh" ammo is a good idea for a couple of reasons. You may be confident that it will work well in your gun, but until you shoot some you can't know for sure. I would bet it works fine, of course it is your life that hangs in the balance so you have to know.

The recoil of the self-defense ammo will be different than off the shelf target stuff and it may not shoot to the same POI. Occasionally shooting a few rounds of your carry ammo keeps you aware of the differences and keeps new ammo in your gun. Whether that is important depends on who you ask, but that is my practice.

Enjoy your training course.
 
I'll shoot a mag of the fancy defensive stuff in a match that usually involves 12 or so mags. I deliberately choose the stage for that mag to see how it works.

Similarly with my revolver, I'll run 6 and then a reload of the fancy stuff. It is a good idea.

I've found that the difference in recoil in my semis between fancy and range stuff isn't that great. With revolvers, if I switch from a lighter load - say a 32 HR mag to a 327 or a 38 spl to 357, it is quite noticeable.

The EDC guns are always kept loaded and chambered.
 
Psychedelic Bang said:
January 13 - 15 I'm enrolled in a 3 day pistol immersion level 1 course. I'm heading out to the range 1 more time before than to shoot 200 - 250 rounds. I'll shoot some of this posh ammo then and also at the 3 day course.





Now seeing as how the gun is a S&W M&P 9 2.0 I imagine this ammo is going to go boom!! I am 99.999% sure that if I load the Gold Dot in and pull the trigger the gun is going to fire. In fact, I do not think a range trip, and testing out the ammo would change how sure I am that the gun would go bang. I am 99.999% sure now, after the range, I would still be 99.999% sure that the gun and the ammo work.
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It’s not the first bang that would be in question, it’s the subsequent bangs. You test your gun for functionality first and foremost.


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peterg7 said:
It’s not the first bang that would be in question, it’s the subsequent bangs. You test your gun for functionality first and foremost.


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I've already put 200 rounds down range in this thing and I have a J frame that I will continue to carry until after one more trip to the range and this course I'm doing

I'm not claiming to know everything that's why I made the thread but don't make it seem like I'm doing something wrong when I'm not

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Now seeing as how the gun is a S&W M&P 9 2.0 I imagine this ammo is going to go boom!!
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The thing is you are not concerned with every other S+W M&P 2.0 that you are basing your conclusion on. You are concerned with ONE particular M&P. Every manufacturer has let one slip out from the factory that is a lemon for whatever reason - its part of mass manufacturing.

Testing for reliability is not about the particular model of firearm. It is about a very particular ONE firearm - the one being the one you are are using.
 
The answers posted so far are contradictory and entertaining, & every poster is convinced that their way is the right way - & many think it's the only way.

Truth is that each individual must establish their own procedures and comfort level. You situation, your locations, and the laws and rules that apply to you will dictate what you can, can’t, & should do. My situation (state law on handgun transport & storage, workplace regulations) compell me to unload daily. I watch the rechambered rounds, measure for setback, & properly discard them when it occurs.
 
Loaded all the time. The only time I unload it is to put in FMJ for practice. Then reload when done until the next time.
 
Psychedelic Bang said:
This is pretty specific to Semi-Autos and I imagine could have gone in: the semi auto forum, or general handgun forum. Feel free to move where you see fit. To me it also has to do with tactics, and training

Do you keep your carry gun loaded, or do you unload daily?


I have been carrying a revolver that up until now I have been unloading and reloading quite a bunch - even though I have a lockbox/safe to put my pistols in, I have been locking up, "empty guns." I know, "all guns, are always loaded."

Anyways, here is the thing. I just got a semi-auto, and I have some very expensive speer gold dot ammo for it. Now I heard I can load up my mags and keep em loaded indefinitely, or cycle them every 4 - 6 months. There are a lot of thoughts on the subject...

My main concern is about the bullet in the chamber. I hear that you should not fire a round that has been chambered more than once in a semiauto, because the bullet gets smacked into the cartridge and it increases the pressure of the round.

So let's say I want to carry my semi-auto and I want to load my magazines with this pricey ammo.. do I just keep the gun loaded 24/7? I mean, I am not going to eject a $1.25 round every time I go in and out of my home.

I also hear that you can chamber the sd bullets 3 times and after that they are range food. But that seems in contrast to hearing, "never chamber more than once, its very dangerous."

So please feel free to shed some light on the situation. Thanks
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Do what you do and memorize it but I think its bad practice to store loaded guns, if its not on my person or in only my control it should be unloaded.
Bullet setback isn't really a problem especially in 9mm, you should get many chamberings from the same round before any noticeable setback. You can see setback by eye just comparing to a new round, retire the old when its barely visible and its still good for range fodder besides its good to shoot defense ammo otherwise you'll never know how it functions.
 
Although it might be possible that a seated bullet could be pushed deeper by rechambering it some hundred or so times it is not likely.
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It is not only possible, it is likely. I have seen setback in aluminum cased ammo from only a single chambering.

In premium self-defense ammunition, setback is unlikely to occur with just a few rechamberings, but I wouldn't make it a practice to chamber the same round more than 5-10 times--and even then I would check the round after every chambering above 5 to see if it had visibly shortened.

How much and how easily a round sets back depends on a lot of things. Usually premium self-defense ammo is made to tolerate a reasonable number of rechamberings, but I don't believe any ammo company would be comfortable suggesting that their ammo is "setback proof". At some point it will all start to shorten given enough rechamberings.
 
I was curious about what Speer had to say about bullet setback, from the email response I received:

"Jonathan, if you get bad neck tension, the bullet will set back, this is what causes the issue. Depending on how you load the round into the firearm, will depend on how many times it can be chambered. I would load and load only a few times and then set that round in the box and when you get a box full, take them to the range for training."

I can see: "load only a few times, bring the round to the range" This is from their tech department and they spent several days getting back to me. This wasn't just an answer supplied by anybody who usually answers the emails. I decided to hit up their support department a few hours after I made this thread...
 
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