Better off to carry with none in the chamber than not at all?

[Younggun]

I just keep my CHL in my wallet

 

[txinvestigator]

I believe Picker raises a good point. The CHL isn't really insuring much so the program should probably be done away with as a requirement to carry, but kept for those who travel, and other benefits.

As to the OP question. I'm not sure I agree with those who say someone who carries empty chamber doesn't have the mindset to defend themselves. Sure it could apply to some, but as a blanket statement I feel it's inaccurate.

I can understand why you think that, but I have trained well over a thousand people. My opinion is based on that.

I've kept a gun in the console with an empty chamber for the simple fact I didn't have a good way to secure it. Better odds that the mechanical safeties maybe defeated bumping in and out down the dirt road than me actually needing it for defense. Empty chamber removed that risk while still leaving me an option.

Do you think that in a stress situation you would have the presence of mind to rack the slide? Have you practiced that enough to make it muscle memory?

 

[itchin]

My mother in law took her chl class at lone star in Cibolo. The instructor told her to carry without a round chambered lol. She's a gun gal and knew it was fud. She carries daily with a round chambered. unconstitional chl should be done away with. If the Elmer fuss wanna take it to feel they are in some cool kids club, fine but we shouldn't have to ask permission and pay a tax for our rightS. Criminals carry guns without chl. Chl makes zero sense

 

[Younggun]

Um, Elmer fuss may not be taking it to feel cool. He will probably be taking it because he may travel to other states and want reciprocity, bypass NCIS checks, and so he can carry in places where non CHL holders would still not be allowed with any of the CC bills offered this session.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

I just keep my CHL in my wallet

You really need a CHL badge for safety reasons.

 

[Younggun]

I've got 3. I wear one on the front of my shirt and one on the back so they are always visible and keep the third on a flip out section of my wallet to show the cops if I get pulled over.

I also have a level IIIA ballistic vest that has "CHL HOLDER" in reflective lettering front and back.

 

[IXLR8]

If you carry your weapon with a round chambered, do you clear it at home daily or for storage? Do you leave the round chambered all of the time? Do you remove your magazine at the end of the day?

The reason I ask is that repeatedly loading the first round may cause it to shift in the case which is problematic if it gets offset.
If you do not unload, or remove your magazine, you will have fewer problems with the bullet offsetting in its casing.

Usually if I pull a loaded magazine I will swap the position of the bullet in the magazine. I usually dump the magazine down at the range monthly, and refill with new ammo.

 

[Mexican_Hippie]

I've got 3. I wear one on the front of my shirt and one on the back so they are always visible and keep the third on a flip out section of my wallet to show the cops if I get pulled over.

I also have a level IIIA ballistic vest that has "CHL HOLDER" in reflective lettering front and back.

Where did you get the ballistic vest? I need one of those and one of the neck chains to hold my badge like the cops on TV have.

 

[navyguy]

Late in the thread. I've been napping a bit... LOL...

IME, people new to hand guns and carry are very put off by the notion of no "safety" and a hot round in the chamber ready to rock-n-roll. Even though gun manufactures who face liabilities say that's how their guns are meant to be carried. Vis-a-vis Glocks, DA/SA guns and of course revolvers. I recall being at the gun counter at Bass Pro some time back and a women was shocked that the a SW J Frame didn't have a safety. OMG! no safety.

I think a lot of folks that are new to the gun for protection thing get their info from TV and the Movies. Just "get the drop" on the bad guy and he'll just put his weapon down like so many did when John Wayne did that very thing. Sorry, it doesn't work that way.

My wife was the same way at first, but eventually came around to being comfortable with a G19 or SW 640, although she's elected not to carry (even though she has a CHL) because she will just not do body carry, and purse carry is just silly. But in the house, she's good with loaded and ready to go guns.

An anecdote. In the Navy working at a secure facility, we did "burn runs"... that is taking pick-up truck loads of secret and top secret documents to an incinerator and well.... burning them. We were issued 1911's to protect this process, but we carried condition 4. Loaded mag, in a mag pouch, and the the 1911, mag-less in the holster. I always felt real secure at being able to fight off the Russian KGB. LOL

 

[Army 1911]

I presume your friend carries a revolver and has a speed loader for it.

 

[XinTX]

I've got 3. I wear one on the front of my shirt and one on the back so they are always visible and keep the third on a flip out section of my wallet to show the cops if I get pulled over.

I also have a level IIIA ballistic vest that has "CHL HOLDER" in reflective lettering front and back.

NO!!! It's supposed to be a level IIIA tactical vest. Tactical. Tactical dammit! You must not be an "Operator".

 

[TheDan]

You really need a CHL badge for safety reasons.

I prefer the sash...

 

[breakingcontact]

I prefer the sash...

I saw a road guard in basic training try to stop a semi while wearing a reflective PT belt and carrying a flashlight. He thought it gave him some super powers. The drill sergeant and the whole platoon started yelling at him to get out of the road!

 

[SIG_Fiend]

If you carry your weapon with a round chambered, do you clear it at home daily or for storage? Do you leave the round chambered all of the time? Do you remove your magazine at the end of the day?

The reason I ask is that repeatedly loading the first round may cause it to shift in the case which is problematic if it gets offset.
If you do not unload, or remove your magazine, you will have fewer problems with the bullet offsetting in its casing.

Usually if I pull a loaded magazine I will swap the position of the bullet in the magazine. I usually dump the magazine down at the range monthly, and refill with new ammo.

Personally, what I do to minimize all of that is this. My carry gun stays loaded unless I am cleaning it or doing any maintenance on it. At home, it's usually in some sort of holster. It might not be the holster on my belt, as I have a lot of spares, but it is in some sort of holster so the trigger guard is protected. If you have kids, and if you would normally be putting your carry gun in a safe every night, consider getting another smaller safe like a gunvault. Consider one large enough that you can fit the gun in a holster, and just understand that that one safe is now designated the loaded gun safe. Generally speaking, it's not a good idea to store loaded guns in a safe, but that would be one way you could do so safely if you can remain consistent and strict with yourself about it. Same with a home defense gun.

Carrying it, it goes in the holster I'm going to be carrying with. Get back home, it goes back in a holster in my closet, in the same consistent spot I always put it. No need for constantly clearing and reloading. Once in awhile, if I'm cleaning the gun or disassembling it, I'll set aside the round that was chambered, check it for OAL, and reuse it if everything is pretty close to spec. If I know I've chambered a particular round 3 or 4 times, the next time it goes in a tupperware container to be either fired or disposed of at the range.

Every single day, when I put on my carry gun to go out and about, I check the chamber and the mag. It's free and only takes a second, so why not? So far, I have never really seen bullet setback from repeated chamber checking. The way I do it, I slowly pull the slide to the rear a very small amount, just enough to see the head of the brass, and I ease the slide back forward. I never really slam the slide forward when chamber checking, though I do tap the back of the slide to ensure it's in battery. Regardless, even with chamber checking 1-2 times every single day, I've still never seen bullet setback. Fully chambering a round hard, repeatedly, especially with certain platforms (the 1911 platform is a good example), it can totally happen of course.

 

[robertc1024]

Personally, what I do to minimize all of that is this. My carry gun stays loaded unless I am cleaning it or doing any maintenance on it. At home, it's usually in some sort of holster. It might not be the holster on my belt, as I have a lot of spares, but it is in some sort of holster so the trigger guard is protected. If you have kids, and if you would normally be putting your carry gun in a safe every night, consider getting another smaller safe like a gunvault. Consider one large enough that you can fit the gun in a holster, and just understand that that one safe is now designated the loaded gun safe. Generally speaking, it's not a good idea to store loaded guns in a safe, but that would be one way you could do so safely if you can remain consistent and strict with yourself about it. Same with a home defense gun.

Carrying it, it goes in the holster I'm going to be carrying with. Get back home, it goes back in a holster in my closet, in the same consistent spot I always put it. No need for constantly clearing and reloading. Once in awhile, if I'm cleaning the gun or disassembling it, I'll set aside the round that was chambered, check it for OAL, and reuse it if everything is pretty close to spec. If I know I've chambered a particular round 3 or 4 times, the next time it goes in a tupperware container to be either fired or disposed of at the range.

Every single day, when I put on my carry gun to go out and about, I check the chamber and the mag. It's free and only takes a second, so why not? So far, I have never really seen bullet setback from repeated chamber checking. The way I do it, I slowly pull the slide to the rear a very small amount, just enough to see the head of the brass, and I ease the slide back forward. I never really slam the slide forward when chamber checking, though I do tap the back of the slide to ensure it's in battery. Regardless, even with chamber checking 1-2 times every single day, I've still never seen bullet setback. Fully chambering a round hard, repeatedly, especially with certain platforms (the 1911 platform is a good example), it can totally happen of course.

Yep. I've got a .45 ACP I tried to chamber twice. Stuffed the bullet into the case ~1/8". It sits on the windowsill in my bathroom to remind me to be careful.

 

[SIG_Fiend]

Yep. I've got a .45 ACP I tried to chamber twice. Stuffed the bullet into the case ~1/8". It sits on the windowsill in my bathroom to remind me to be careful.

If it's a 1911, that's just the nature of the beast. The feeding process for a 1911 is all extreme angles and fairly violent considering the spring tension involved. The round first nosedives, then goes nose up at an extreme angle, slamming into the top of the barrel hood, before feeding fully into the chamber. This is assuming a 1911 with proper mags (not Wilson's) to spec, allowing for full controlled round feed as originally intended.

 

[Charlie]

I would never, never carry a weapon for self defense without one in the chamber. Glock, 1911, etc. Just my two bits.

 

[claymore504]

I would say they should still carry. However, I would question how comfortable they are with that weapon. I can relate. When my father in law and brother in law first started carrying they asked me if I carried with one in the chamber and I said always! They were very supprised and really questioned the safety of it.

 

[txinvestigator]

I would say they should still carry. However, I would question how comfortable they are with that weapon. I can relate. When my father in law and brother in law first started carrying they asked me if I carried with one in the chamber and I said always! They were very supprised and really questioned the safety of it.

I was once on the payroll of a gun range as the training director. As such, I lawfully could open carry there, but usually concealed by a vest or etc. I was teaching a CHL class and the AC stopped working so I took off the vest. My 1911 was carried in a OWB holster. A student pointed out to me that "my gun is cocked". When I told him I knew it was cocked he asked me if that wasn't dangerous. My reply was that I hope so.

It is the nature of carrying a gun that is dangerous. Dangerous to [George Bush] evil doers [/George Bush]

 

[BRD@66]

Have him carry a revolver with an empty hole under the hammer?

This isn't what I do, but I believe that it's a viable answer to the OP's query.