[Ludwig Von Mises]

Both of my pistols (P95 and CZ75b) have firing pin blocks, as well as relatively heavy double action first pulls.

I live with a couple other people of my age and mental capacity, and my part of the dwelling is always locked tight, and since my roommates know the drill on not doing things like kicking in doors or climbing through windows, I keep one in the chamber of everything except the AK, as I have never trusted those safeties. The P95 has one in the tube, hammer down, safety off (as well as that nifty ruger trigger-pressure activated firing pin disconnect) and the CZ has one in the tube, hammer half, safety off.

I figure if I ever run out on both of those and have to use the VEPR, well, hopefully the ridiculously loud slam of the bolt will encourage the seemingly bulletproof burglar to go back to the halfway house. Better than a 308 spontaneously going off in my ear while I sleep, due to earthquake, or some other act of god.

I suppose thats why I've always been uncomfortable with traditional 1911's, besides the mag capacity, the idea of carrying cocked and locked with no double action litmus test so to speak, is a recipe for disaster. To wake up in the night and pull the 14lb P95 double action takes full awareness and stock in the situation, while I'd probably end up throwing hot lead at a stray cat in my trash cans if it were simply a matter of a 3 or 4lb single action hair trigger pull. Thats the only reason i keep one in the chamber, because it is double action. Carrying, however, is different. Ask your local sheriff if he has one in the chamber, he will surely cackle.

Now, that being said, in many places where tensions are high, but lethal defense is beyond last resort, a chambered round is one of the parts in a confrontation. A border guard I knew in Israel always carried with an empty tube, as the his simple act of producing a gun (he was particular to the standard issue 92's) and racking the slide usually ended the confrontation almost immediately. Also, he said, he didn't want to shoot himself in the ass, which is where most IDF carry their pistols, if they are officers or guards of some sort that is.

But for one's bedside table? Especially someone with kids/dogs or one of you old timers that takes Ambien to sleep? Please, don't. Or at least get a DA gun. Theres a reason many cops swear by them, even staple gun DAO's.