Hey all!
I've been thinking about this issue a lot, and can't seem to make up my mind (although I'm starting to lean toward putting a round into the chamber). I'm currently keeping my mossberg 500 with safety on, chamber empty for HD.
Here are some advantages of both methods (advantage for one method can be viewed as a disadvantage for the other), based on my thinking and based on the bits of info I've picked up here and there:
round in the chamber
chamber empty
Are there any other advantages/disadvantages to each method that I'm not aware of? Also, what's your practice and why is it your practice?
I've been thinking about this issue a lot, and can't seem to make up my mind (although I'm starting to lean toward putting a round into the chamber). I'm currently keeping my mossberg 500 with safety on, chamber empty for HD.
Here are some advantages of both methods (advantage for one method can be viewed as a disadvantage for the other), based on my thinking and based on the bits of info I've picked up here and there:
round in the chamber
- loss of dexterity doesn't affect one's ability to quickly (1) press slide release button and (2) work the pump (because one doesn't need to work the pump to chamber the first round)
- one is able to bring weapon into action faster
- one has got one extra round inside the gun
- no making noise (or giving a target indicator) before verbally confronting and/or engaging BG -- one has a "surprise factor" on their side
chamber empty
- if gun falls vertically on the muzzle (very unlikely possibility), there's no risk of round going off, sincere there's no firing pin block saftey (even if it goes off, only floor is damaged?)
- noise of racking the slide might scare off some (but not all) BGs without one having to take life or seriously injure BG
- if BG is robbing one's house & has your gun in possession, if you come home during robbery, BG will take longer to make gun operable, which gives you time to escape, attack, or fight for your gun
- it is safer if one has kids and gun isn't completely secured when kids are in the house
- mas ayoob, radon tactical instructor, police departments, and other experts recommend having chamber empty during storage (one of the arguments used, which I don't necessarily buy, is this: if one isn't competent enough to press slide release and chamber a round under stress, one isn't competent enough to use a shotgun for HD; I think knowing how to do this is one thing, but doing it under tremendous stress and quickly is another; another argument is that shotgun isn't a "reactive" tool like one's CCW, and one inherently has more time when shotgun must be put into action -- that argument seems better, but is still flawed, imho)
Are there any other advantages/disadvantages to each method that I'm not aware of? Also, what's your practice and why is it your practice?