do you carry chambered?

[Vurtle]

I do not carry chambered. I am comfortable to know that at least I have the gun. I hear too many stories of accidental discharges that result in lost loved ones. The last one I heard was of a guy climbing into his pickup and had just set his pistol on his console. As he got in he accidentally pulled the trigger and it shot his seven year old in the chest. Yes he made some bad choices in how he did things, but it still happens. I can live with the fact that I may not be able to draw my weapon and rack the slide in time when I think the odds of an accidental discharge are higher than the odds of being a target of a criminal. I could not live with the knowledge that I accidentally killed one of my kids.

I am betting that those who have accidentally shot themselves or their loved ones did not think it would happen to them.

 

[Sparks1957]

Vurtle, such tales remind how little training and presence of mind some gun owners actually have. With carrying comes a great deal of responsibility for knowing where your gun is and what one is doing with it.

Some people probably shouldn't carry, because they aren't ready for the commitment.

I was a little nervous at first about carrying a chambered round (around 25-30 years ago)...until I had gained some experience and familiarity. Now I can't imagine having to fumble around with chambering a round in a crisis situation... a delay that might get me or someone I love killed.

 

[allaroundhunter]

I hear too many stories of accidental discharges that result in lost loved ones. The last one I heard was of a guy climbing into his pickup and had just set his pistol on his console. As he got in he accidentally pulled the trigger and it shot his seven year old in the chest.

That was not an accidental discharge, it was pure negligence. If this guy had any sense, he would have used a good holster and the gun would have remained in it. A gun that is handled often is more liable to being discharged negligently than one that stays in a quality holster.

Some additional training is definitely required on your part.

 

[AH.74]

I mentioned above that I knew tne right way to load and chambe the kahr. Although I didnt initially. The gun is simply drfective.

Have you tried using the proper method before declaring the gun "simply defective?"

 

[Vurtle]

I agree it should have been holstered. But what I am saying is no one that has an accidental discharge thought it would happen to them. I am not even saying that everyone should carry Israeli style. I am saying my comfort comes in knowing I reduce my chances of accidental discharge and that I still have a weapon to fight back with. Why do you think I need training for my opinion that accidental discharges happen? I just happened to give you an example of someone not thinking safely for that moment of laziness and now his son is dead. I had one friend that was hunting and had a holstered weapon. Somehow the brush managed to work its way into the holster and he now has a bullet in his leg. I guess training would have helped him too. Maybe you need training that you may not know if someone is sufficiently trained.

 

[AH.74]

The last one I heard was of a guy climbing into his pickup and had just set his pistol on his console. As he got in he accidentally pulled the trigger and it shot his seven year old in the chest. Yes he made some bad choices in how he did things, but it still happens.

If you think about this you will see how full of holes the story really is. And that's not how I heard it happened.

Follow proper safety rules. Become comfortable with the way a gun is designed and intended to be carried- which is with a round in the chamber.

I do not let others' stupidity dictate what I do.

 

[AH.74]

I had one friend that was hunting and had a holstered weapon. Somehow the brush managed to work its way into the holster and he now has a bullet in his leg. I guess training would have helped him too. Maybe you need training that you may not know if someone is sufficiently trained.

And you actually believe that ridiculous explanation?

Were you there to witness it? Are you sure there's not any chance that it happened in some other manner?

 

[Vurtle]

I agree with you. As too safety, I would think it would be obvious to my intent on safety.

 

[allaroundhunter]

Why do you think I need training for my opinion that accidental discharges happen? I just happened to give you an example of someone not thinking safely for that moment of laziness and now his son is dead. I had one friend that was hunting and had a holstered weapon. Somehow the brush managed to work its way into the holster and he now has a bullet in his leg. I guess training would have helped him too. Maybe you need training that you may not know if someone is sufficiently trained.

More training would have helped your friend. If he had better training, he probably would have had a better holster, and brush doesn't just "work its way in" to a quality holster. If you are trying to say that he was trained enough and that this was a freak accident, I will tell you that it was not. I *highly* doubt that brush getting into the holster is what actually caused this. It is more likely that he had drawn his handgun and then didn't pay any attention when reholstering and caught some clothing in the trigger guard.... Yes, that is a training issue.

Follow proper safety rules. Become comfortable with the way a gun is designed and intended to be carried- which is with a round in the chamber.

I do not let others' stupidity dictate what I do.

+1

 

[AH.74]

As too safety, I would think it would be obvious to my intent on safety.

Yes, safety is first and foremost. Always.

But- if the intent on being safe is the potential cost of not being able to operate your pistol when you really need it, the risk outweighs the reward. So to speak.

 

[Sparks1957]

Yes, safety is first and foremost. Always.
But- if the intent on being safe is the potential cost of not being able to operate your pistol when you really need it, the risk outweighs the reward. So to speak

I absolutely agree with that, 100%

 

[Vurtle]

I am not trying to argue with anyone, I answered the op original question and why. My gun does not stay in the holster 100% of the time. It gets pulled out of the holster at night because it serves as my nightstand gun also. It gets pulled out of the holster for a number of reasons. Pretending like it never comes out of the holster would not work for my lifestyle. Maybe some of you live in a high crime area and it is understandable of your concern to be chambered. I do not live in that environment. I very very rarely find myself in those environments. On occasion I do put one in the chamber when I feel the risk is that high. As far as my comfort level, I am very comfortable with a loaded weapon. But I only load it when it is necessary. I am not condemning anyone for keeping a pistol chambered. The same reason I don't chamber a round when carrying is also similar to why I keep a tlr1 on my pistol at night. I prefer to make sure I have identified my target before I pull the trigger. I would have no idea if it is my son trying to sneak into the house or an intruder without that light. How many times has someone shot a loved one at night thinking there was an intruder because they failed to identify their target. If only they had exercised safety and used a light. I operate this way in the name of safety not the opposite.

 

[whippoorwill]

OP - Do what makes you comfortable. But, take any advice from internet experts with a grain of salt. If an individual feels that he/she is likely to encounter a situation where there won't be time to chamber a round, then by all means, carry a round chambered. For most of us, we won't ever encounter a situation where we need the gun. My retort to some of the comments about training would be that if a person anticipates "fumbling around" when trying to chamber a round, then that person is the one who needs to train more. That's just my opinion. I know others have a different opinion, and I can totally respect that.

 

[ChrisJ715]

Yes, an unloaded gun is not very useful.

 

[Sparks1957]

if a person anticipates "fumbling around" when trying to chamber a round, then that person is the one who needs to train more

Some of us would be proficient at responding to a crisis situation, and be able to chamber a round quickly... however, many people never train to that level and believe a gun is talisman that will protect them just by having it there.

Let me ask you... if you were being grappled by an opponent, would you able to chamber a round? Or if one hand was injured?

Maybe some of you live in a high crime area and it is understandable of your concern to be chambered. I do not live in that environment

If I could predict whether I was going to be attacked on any given day, I could just leave my gun at home most of the time

 

[Vurtle]

AH74,

I carry that way because I do analyze risk vs reward. Everybody will come to their own conclusion on risk vs reward in how they carry. That is just mine.

I would rather have the gun unchambered and with me than no gun at all. My first attempt if in a close quarter hostile situation would be to create distance vs instantly pulling my firearm.

 

[AH.74]

My first attempt if in a close quarter hostile situation would be to create distance vs instantly pulling my firearm.

That would be mine as well. All I'm saying is- if you do need to pull the gun and in any way fumble the slide rack, the gun is useless. That is a very real possibility- it is one function that has a high degree of causing failure.

It gets pulled out of the holster at night because it serves as my nightstand gun also.

I only have one gun that is loaded and stays unholstered, and it is in the safe. Any other gun which is loaded is never put anywhere without being holstered. And that goes for my EDC which is in my nightstand at night. If the EDC is pulled from the holster, it goes right into another holster for the purpose it will then serve.

I would have no idea if it is my son trying to sneak into the house or an intruder without that light.

You have a voice, right?

 

[Theohazard]

Vurtle posted
On occasion I do put one in the chamber when I feel the risk is that high.

Vurtle, while I always carry chambered, I understand your reasons for not doing so. With training, practice, enough room, and both arms free, racking the slide doesn't take too long. You're definitely more protected than if you carried an empty gun or no gun at all.

But the above comment makes me wonder: If you don't ALWAYS carry with a round unchambered, how do you keep track of which condition your weapon is in when drawing in a stressful situation? I wonder if you would still rack the slide when drawing, even if you already had a round chambered. Or worse, you might draw the weapon and NOT rack the slide, forgetting that you had recently unchambered a round.

For me, I find that carrying my weapon the same way every time eliminates the need to constantly remember whether I have a round chambered or not. I draw every gun the same way every time. When I draw my Glock I still swipe my thumb like I'm flicking off the safety on my 1911. I think if I sometimes carried the weapon un-chambered I would be constantly trying to remember if I needed to rack the slide when drawing or not.

 

[Mike Irwin]

I generally carry a revolver, so technically yes, I carry chambered.

But, when I carry a semi-auto, it's normally either a Taurus PT-22 (double action .22) or an HK P7PSP.

Because of the action style, both are designed to be carried safely with one in the spout.

 

[Vurtle]

It is a good point Theo. For me, chambering is so rare and is for such a short period of time that I do not forget. I safety check my gun every time I put my hands on the gun, to include holstering and unholstering every time. I also train drawing my weapon and racking the slide often. I also train racking my slide simulating one hand damaged. The gun is always empty and no magazine when practicing these. I also practice drawing my pistol and quietly racking my slide to simulate something like being stuck in a hostage situation and not wanting to alert the bad guys.