When is it time to chamber a round?

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I'm with Bartholomew Roberts and Frank Ettin on this one.

(A "Homer" bucket, from Home Depot, filled with sand is another good backstop.)

It'd also be a good idea to be proficient in quickly clearing stoppages that can occur when you chamber a cartridge under stress.
 
But the thought stuck in my head. 'Did I Need to chamber that round?' 'Or was it an act of momentary paranoia, that could have put something in danger that I didn't want to destroy(even though nothing important was. Just ground)?'
Or was it an appropriate response?
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Chambering the round sounds like a conditioned response to a perceived threat. It shows two good, appropriate things I think:
1. You have conditioned yourself to respond to a perceived threat with little or no hesitation.
2. You were well aware of what condition your rifle was in, and what condition it needed to be in to deal with a perceived threat.
 
Wow. Lots of good responses.

Overall, seems more training is in order, even if I do have my mind at least decently conditioned. Suppose it has been a couple months since range time..

I think Sharkbite and madmo44mag, had the right ideas about why not to keep a round chambered. Sometimes guns get knocked over, etc, and sometime out of that, they fire. Especially, it seems, rifles and shotguns that spend most of their life leaned in various locations throughout a house.
Also, I too believe in the possibility of the noise of an action working being a strong deterrent for your average bad guy.

Which brings me to another thought, also mentioned by GodblessAmerica, knowing exactly what condition your weapon is in.
More then once in my life(back when I lived in the country and had acsess to a vareity of firearms), I've missed a shot on rabbit/bird/whatever because whatever gun I grabbed by the door didn't have a round chambered when I assumed it did.
So it would seem that it'd be easier, faster, safer, and much more effective at letting you Know what condition your weapon is in as you need it, particular in a defense/perceived threat situation.
Your thoughts?
 
Posted by manta49: Read the advice and decide for yourself what you feel comfortable with.
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What one "feels comfortable with" and what is likely to serve effectively for protection in the event of an emergency may be two different things.

For several decades, I felt that having a firearm in the bedroom was prudent--until I realized that, unless I just happened to be in the bedroom when trouble called, it could well be of little use at all .

Having a loaded firearm unsecured can be an invitation for disaster, even if the chamber is empty. Many people know how to chamber a round. The gun would be there for the curious, the reckless, and the person wanting to injure or kill or just to take the gun.

I most certainly would not want to rely upon the sound of the action to deter someone who has decided to bet everything on criminal activity--nor would I want to give away my position until I am in a safe place. This subject has been discussed here at length.

Relying on being able to function the action reliably under great stress may not be very prudent, either. One of the top instructors in the country, a member here, speaks of the advantages of the semiautomatic shotgun over the pump. A major one is the risk of short-cycling when under stress.
 
I tend to try to simplify things; you can draw your own conclusions about the simplicity of my mind from that statement.

I prefer loaded and chambered firearms for self defense. OP's preference differs from mine and at the earliest indication of a threat he prepared his available firearm. My advice would be not to second guess yourself. You were, by my standards, a little late, but by your standards, prompt. Finito.
 
Since I am the only one with regular access to where my defensive firearm is stored, I keep it loaded. It is quickly accessible but not uncovered (trigger snags concern me with loaded firearms.) For a defensive firearm, I want the fewest steps reasonable between "storage" and "ready." Mine remains loaded, in the same spot, facing the same way. I KNOW it's condition and can retrieve it in the dark very confidently.

Personally, I do not advise seeking a threat out! If you know there is a bad guy there, either command them to leave or stay well hidden, prepared to defend yourself as required. One man room clearing is VERY high risk. (Bump in the night that is a 99% probability of being a raccoon or falling tree, I might investigate.)

As to the intimidation of racking a firearm, I think I'll stick with a very bright light and a good command voice, backed up by a loaded firearm.
 
I seldom have kids in the house. I don't normally keep long guns in the house with loaded chamber. The only one currently in that condition is the one above my bed. I don't intend to announce my intentions prior to firing. If I'm at that threat level, I don't expect to win by intimidation.
 
I don't see how you can question if you loaded a round prematurely. Seems you agree that the ideal situation is a loaded weapon to start with but it makes you uncomfortable. That being said, the moment you feel a threat you loaded, the right thing to do IMO. You can second guess, did I have to load because there was no threat, however, should there have been a threat and you didn't load, you may not have had that luxury. Bottom line, You can't be wrong if there is a threat. Always error on the side that provides you security.
 
When I was 18 and in the army ( not US) , I was guarding a munition warehouse and motor pool. The orders were that if somebody breaks in you, scream " stop who goes there " , second , you scream " stop or I will shoot" , third response was warning shot and after that we were supposed to aim for the legs.
Long story short , when I was standing guard an cat made big noise under the truck in the motor pool , I've spun in my heel , chambered the round and did Ll 3 steps in one step. :):):)
Fear is the best guide ( sometimes)
 
I have my rifle set up similar to yours. I have an AR-15 with two Pmags coupled together and inserted into the rifle. The rifle chamber is empty, dust cover on, and safety on. My routine is that when I grab/deploy my rifle I immediately chamber a round. Now the gun is loaded and on safe.

I agree with some of the posters that your over thinking the issue. You grabbed the rifle for a specific reason. Make sure it's ready.
 
i think the answer lies in whether you have children or not, i do have a child, although he is terrified of my guns and would never touch it, i still cant leave chambered firearms around

i personally just keep a revolver next to me pretty much all day until it sleeps with me at night, i would feel very uncomfortable with nothing but a long-gun, if i couldnt afford a pistol i would probably sell or trade the mini for one or two

dont assume you are going to get robbed at night or when your not home, last year my brother got robbed at 9am when the armed BGs knew they were home, kicked in the door in half a sec after knocking and saying POLICE, brother also only had long guns, and they just couldnt help in his scenario

itll probably never happen to you, but if it does, itll be fast and when you least expect it, only you can answer when YOU feel comfortable chambering a round, i would personally be more concerned about how you are going to get to your weapon if someone gets the jump on you
 
I fell the sound of that bolt flying forward can be a good deterrent.
Just like when a round is chambered in a pump shotgun or a auto pistol.
That's a sound that has a tendency to unnerve folks.
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If the dirtballs are close enough to hear you do this, you are already in serious doo-doo.

And the sound of your mag hitting the floor because you are frazzled and hit the wrong button is not a good one....

Think about how you have shortened your pump shotgun's capacity by keeping the chamber empty....like 20% or so....
 
I use Condition One for any designated defensive firearm.

If I'm having to clear leather with my M-1991A1, it's because I need it right the hell now, not three seconds from now after I chamber a round.

Training. Training. Training. That's what is required to be both comfortable and safe with a weapon with a chambered round.
 
Since I have kids in the house I don't keep a round in the chamber of my rifle.
I actually keep mags on a shelf next to the rifle and the rifle empty with the bolt locked back.
That way should I need it (more likely for a marauding fox/racoon than a home invader) all I have to do is insert the mag and hit the bolt release.
It's reasonably fast, pretty much toddler-proof, and I don't have to worry about short-stroking the charging handle when I'm trying to get it up and running in the middle of the night.

But then again, the AR isn't really my go to "HD" gun. It's more my "have to go outside and protect the poultry" gun.

I think - for me - you handled things about right.
If you feel like you might need a gun (enough to pick one up) you're probably going to want it chambered.
If you're uncomfortable keeping it chambered all the time (which I do feel is understandable), then I'd say you want to get in the habit of chambering it as soon as you pick it up.
 
I keep my Beretta in my nightstand fully loaded with one in the chamber, my shotgun is leaning against the wall a few feet away loaded but with an empty chamber. I choose not to keep the Mossberg with a round in the chamber as they are not drop safe.
 
I keep an empty chamber in my AR. Should my door get kicked in during the night, if it even wakes me up, I have a few seconds to prepare my bedroom as my defensive post.

I have had one opportunity to investigate very loud very unidentifiable sounds in the yard around my basement apartment. Sounded like something very large was being dragged through the ice/snow. Turned out to be two moose crossing thru the yard into the empty wooded lot adjacent to our home. Still dont know why it sounded like something being dragged though. Wasnt just hoofs stomping through the layers of snow and ice.
 
The only go-to gun I don't keep condition 1 (round in chamber) is my shotgun. Pumping a shotgun is a natural enough action that even under stress I believe I could do it easily. Racking the slide of a pistol or charging handle of a rifle not so much IMO.

*edit to add: Also with a pump shotgun both of your hands are already in firing position after you pump it, with a rifle or pistol you must move your hands or adjust your grip in some way to fire.
 
What one "feels comfortable with" and what is likely to serve effectively for protection in the event of an emergency may be two different things.
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Possibly but its up to the individual he is the one that will have to face the consequences of his decision good or bad.
 
I would agree with the above statement. Read the advice and decide for yourself what you feel comfortable with. I know when someone tells me what way I should do something and then goes on to tell me that I obviously don't know what I am doing when it comes to firearms I ignore them. Just because people think they know everything doesn't mean they do.


+1
 
I dont think it makes you paranoid to respond to a potential threat. It makes you smart! I myself keep a pistol locked n loaded on my nightstand. If something goes down that is used to get me to my safe (a few feet away from bed) where my other firearms are located. I keep all my long guns in there in condition 3. I agree with those that said if your uncomfortable with your firearm then TRAIN! Were talking about a tool that could possibly save your life and could take someones life. It's a huge responsibility to make sure your comfortable in your ability to manipulate it and have the proper judgement on when to use it. Glad everything worked out for ya
 
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