Chamber a round... or not?

[DoubleActionCHL]

Here's a poll for you guys and ladies: For your carry weapon, do you chamber a round or not? Why?

If you carry a manual-decocker (not to be confused with Lorena Bobbit) and/or active safety weapon, in what condition do you carry? Why?

I know how I carry and why. I want to know how you carry and why.

 

[txinvestigator]

I have seen this question on other boards. A handgun without a round chambered is a club; not a very good one either.

I currently carry a 1911, condition 1.

I have carried a Beretta 92FS, round chambered, hammer down, safety on.

 

[majormadmax]

Just my opinion, but I think it is ridiculous to carry a self-defense weapon in anything other than Condition 1 (with a round chambered). Why would anyone want a gun that wasn't in its fullest state of readiness?

Just for the record, I usually carry an XD-45 which, as anyone who is familiar with that pistol knows, has trigger and grip safeties. Essentially, it can be fired once grabbed and the trigger pulled; there is no additional action required.

I will admit that first 15-20 minutes I concealed carried (at Walmart, of course!) I was a little nervous. In the military we normally carried in Condition 3 (chamber empty with a full magazine in place), which requires a round to be chambered before the pistol can be fired. It is safer, but less practical in an emergency; and once I spent a few minutes thinking about it, I've never carried in anything less than Condition 1 since!

By the way, I keep several pistols in Condition 1 status, but they are locked up unless they are on me. I never, ever leave a Condition 1 firearm unattended or accessible.

And as a wise man once said, the best safety in the world is the one between the shooter's ears!

Cheers! M2

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

I have seen this question on other boards.

I've seen it, as well. Texas Gun Talk is a fast-growing site with lots of new gun owners and CHL holders, so I want to revisit this subject to find out how people carry, their reasoning for doing so, and possibly clear up some misconceptions and unreasonable expectations.

 

[txinvestigator]

I've seen it, as well. Texas Gun Talk is a fast-growing site with lots of new gun owners and CHL holders, so I want to revisit this subject to find out how people carry, their reasoning for doing so, and possibly clear up some misconceptions and unreasonable expectations.

Oh, I was not questioning your posting the question; just expressing my feelings about it even being an issue.

 

[newshooter1970]

Smith&Wesson M&P 9mm is what I carry. I carry without one in the chamber because I do not ever want to fire without being very deliberate about it, and I practice regularly drawing and racking. Before you flame me...Yes I already know it is a full second slower to do it my way. When my young daughter spontaneously gives me a hug however, I do not ever want to worry about her noticing the gun and slipping her hand on it and causing a negligent discharge. This scenario is probably more likely than me dying because of the extra one second it takes to rack the slide on draw. If the bad guy is already on top of me in that second, I would not have gotten the shot off anyway and I will need to beat his has the old fashioned way (I probably should have been more observant of the danger). When the weapon is not on my hip (when I am in the shower at home for example) , the clip is out and in a separate location from the weapon, and both the weapon and clip are not visible and are not accessible to children. When I leave the house without the weapon, it is locked in a safe.

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

Oh, I was not questioning your posting the question; just expressing my feelings about it even being an issue.

We'll just call it a "teachable moment."

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

Smith&Wesson M&P 9mm is what I carry. I carry without one in the chamber because I do not ever want to fire without being very deliberate about it, and I practice regularly drawing and racking. Before you flame me...Yes I already know it is a full second slower to do it my way. When my young daughter spontaneously gives me a hug however, I do not ever want to worry about her noticing the gun and slipping her hand on it and causing a negligent discharge. This scenario is probably more likely than me dying because of the extra one second it takes to rack the slide on draw. If the bad guy is already on top of me in that second, I would not have gotten the shot off anyway and I will need to beat his has the old fashioned way (I probably should have been more observant of the danger). When the weapon is not on my hip (when I am in the shower at home for example) , the clip is out and in a separate location from the weapon, and both the weapon and clip are not visible and are not accessible to children. When I leave the house without the weapon, it is locked in a safe.

Not flaming... just posing a scenario you may not have considered. Let's say you're protecting your young daughter, carrying her in your left arm. You need to draw and fire. How will you rack that slide when your left arm is unavailable?

 

[newshooter1970]

She is old enough to walk unless she is hurt. Hopefully the intersection of her spraining her ankle at the park and me being attacked while carrying her is as unlikely as I believe (LOL). The other scenario that is bad for my mode of carry is the scenario where a shooter shows up at the store I am in and me racking the slide provides him an audible clue of my intentions before I can act, whereas if the weapon were chambered, I could take him out before he knows I am a threat. Every decision is a compromise of some sort.

 

[wrtanker]

The replies bring up some good points. How you keep your weapon is situationally dependent. My kids are grown and out of the house and I don't have any grandkids. No children visit my home so I don't have to be as cautious as someone who has kids around (no kids to pick up or play with an unattended weapon). So I do carry in Condition 1 (1911). I also have a couple of other pistols in the house that are also in Condition 1 (one of them is my wife's in her bedside table).

Not having a round chambered so that the shot is very deliberate is something to consider. There are also tactical considerations to the effect of the sound of racking a slide on possibly difussing a situation. There also considerations to having it quietly available to go right now without having to show anything. For me, I like to have the maximum response capability available (round chambered ready to fire) and back down from there rather than the minimum (weapon not ready to fire) and trying to escalate in a tense situation.

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

She is old enough to walk unless she is hurt. Hopefully the intersection of her spraining her ankle at the park and me being attacked while carrying her is as unlikely as I believe (LOL). The other scenario that is bad for my mode of carry is the scenario where a shooter shows up at the store I am in and me racking the slide provides him an audible clue of my intentions before I can act, whereas if the weapon were chambered, I could take him out before he knows I am a threat. Every decision is a compromise of some sort.

Let me post the scenario in a different manner: Your left arm is unavailable. Now what?

 

[Dcav]

New to carry, but I listen to the advice of others, and condition one. Taurus 24/7 Pro 9mm.

 

[newshooter1970]

Let me post the scenario in a different manner: Your left arm is unavailable. Now what?

I guess I need to practice racking with my teeth, or switch methods if my arm is in a cast or something. I do not like the idea of switching mode of carry based on situation because training needs to be simple and consistent and you cannot be under duress and trying to remember if you have a round chambered or not. If the attack disables my left arm before I can rack, this demonstrates the need to emphasize awareness to avoid that situation. Lets pose a new scenario...your round is chambered, but your strong side arm is disabled...how do you draw and shoot? I think unless you carry a weapon for each side, you are dead anyway...seeing the threat earlier is the only thing that may have saved you.

 

[deputy]

well, in my mind, the decision covers a lot of factors. We all have different weapons, needs, and circumstances.
Personally, some weapons i would not dare carry with a round chambered because of their design. (raven comes to mind, beretta jetfire)

1911's and browning HP's are another class of weapons i will not ccw condition one........because of several instances where while carrying the ambi safety has snickered off. It has not happened to everyone but for me it has.....the LH curse.

A recent discussion about glocking without a holster also comes to mind.........a circumstance where an empty chamber would be used.

My decision to live or die with........and i generally avoid the argument completely nowadays as i carry revolvers for ccw.........

The variety of guns, holsters, circumstances......and especially people make a "my way or the highway" argument pointless for 100% of the carriers.

 

[DoubleActionCHL]

I guess I need to practice racking with my teeth, or switch methods if my arm is in a cast or something. I do not like the idea of switching mode of carry based on situation because training needs to be simple and consistent and you cannot be under duress and trying to remember if you have a round chambered or not. If the attack disables my left arm before I can rack, this demonstrates the need to emphasize awareness to avoid that situation. Lets pose a new scenario...your round is chambered, but your strong side arm is disabled...how do you draw and shoot? I think unless you carry a weapon for each side, you are dead anyway...seeing the threat earlier is the only thing that may have saved you.

Actually, there are several methods for one-handed racking the slide and clearing stoppages. There are also methods for support side drawing (from strong side) and reloading. It's all about the training.

 

[newshooter1970]

Actually, there are several methods for one-handed racking the slide and clearing stoppages

I hear you and I am glad we had this exchange as food for thought.

 

[txinvestigator]

I guess I need to practice racking with my teeth, or switch methods if my arm is in a cast or something. I do not like the idea of switching mode of carry based on situation because training needs to be simple and consistent and you cannot be under duress and trying to remember if you have a round chambered or not. If the attack disables my left arm before I can rack, this demonstrates the need to emphasize awareness to avoid that situation.

Really, that is a non-answer. You have made up your mind and have now refused to discuss it with possible scenarios. You think you can avoid a situation where you might not have use of your of you other hand, but you can't keep a little girl from reaching under your clothes, sticking her hand between your holster and weapon, and pressing the trigger? Please don't take this as an attack or hostility. I just want to make the points, and I tend to be frank.

Lets pose a new scenario...your round is chambered, but your strong side arm is disabled...how do you draw and shoot? I think unless you carry a weapon for each side, you are dead anyway...seeing the threat earlier is the only thing that may have saved you.

Uhh, I reach around and draw with my left hand.

 

[txinvestigator]

well, in my mind, the decision covers a lot of factors. We all have different weapons, needs, and circumstances.
Personally, some weapons i would not dare carry with a round chambered because of their design. (raven comes to mind, beretta jetfire)

1911's and browning HP's are another class of weapons i will not ccw condition one........because of several instances where while carrying the ambi safety has snickered off. It has not happened to everyone but for me it has.....the LH curse.

Would you not then carry a Glock with a round chambered? A 1911 with the safety disengaged still has one more external safety than the Glock.

 

[Texas42]

I'm not a tactical guru, but I think keeping a round loaded keeps thing simple. Less chance to forget something, or screw up racking a slide. I think that if a gun is needed, then a full second is a long time. I keep my carry weapon loaded, yet I always check to see if the round is still there (it always is). It is just my wife and I in the apartment. She knows where the guns are and that they are loaded. I treat all my guns as loaded. I was taught that way, but I also know that they are. It also helps the capacity of my low carry pieces. My kel tec with +1 extender goes from 7 rounds in the mag to 7+1. I know 8 might not seem much more than 7, but at least I have one more option. Its not really an issue with my Glock (15 vs 16 rounds), at least I hope it never is, but I still keep the 16 rounds in there.

It is my belief that a quality firearm in a quality holster will not go off. If you are afraid it will, then you need a better quality gun or a better holster. I do lots of hugging (lets just say my wife is a physical touch kind of person), and the gun has never gone off.

We are having company over (with several small children), and my gun storage method will change while they are here. When we have children, I will get a quick-release safe and keep the gun loaded and ready.

 

[cougartex]

I carry a Beretta Cougar, round chambered, hammer down, safety on.