Chambered Carry?

woconnor · January 16, 2011, 12:11 PM

for those who pack auto loaders, what are your thoughts on chambered carry? Personally, I don't keep one handy in the glock, for lack of safety. and I feel that the time it takes to rack the slide gives one more second to evaluate the situation, yet I'll be the first to admit I'm at a disadvantage in a 'quick draw' situation. What are everyones thoughts?

pelo801 · January 16, 2011, 12:14 PM

always one in the chamber for me.

GoOfY-FoOt · January 16, 2011, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Chambered Carry?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

for those who pack auto loaders, what are your thoughts on chambered carry? Personally, I don't keep one handy in the glock, for lack of safety. and I feel that the time it takes to rack the slide gives one more second to evaluate the situation, yet I'll be the first to admit I'm at a disadvantage in a 'quick draw' situation. What are everyones thoughts?

I feel the exact same way. Expect to be scolded, by the powers that be, though.

LockedBreech · January 16, 2011, 12:22 PM

I chamber all of my guns, 100% of the time. I don't want to have to think about it when SHTF.

Plus, carrying one chambered in small autos like my LCP increases my ammo capacity by 16%.

jborushko · January 16, 2011, 12:42 PM

always have one in the pipe. IMO that anything that takes more work or time in a self defense situation can cause you to lose.

a friend of mine and i constantly argue this point, he is convinced that he can draw,[reliably] rack the slide, take aim, and potentially fire in the time it takes me to draw, aim, and fire

not to mention the IF of what if your other hand is immobilized by whatever might have happened.

increased ammunition on hand - especially if your one of those/us that only carries the one mag -not often but occasionally i personally dont have a spare mag

Vermonter · January 16, 2011, 12:43 PM

I fill all my guns to capacity every time I carry. With the correct holster and good technique you should be fine.

Last night I was in a situation while carrying my LCP in a Fobus sp? holster. I was forced to tussle with a few young gentelman in order to break up a fight. I will spare the details and you can take my word for the fact that I did not have a choice in the matter.

It took some considerable hand skills to subdue one young man. The firearm never moved an inch and all was well. To me this is proof positive that a good holster is nearly as imporntant as a good gun.

Had one of these young men been armed and things went really bad I was in such close quarteres that there would have been no way to draw rack and fire without being comprimised.

BTW I am fine not even a scratch on me.

Vermonter

Wyosmith · January 16, 2011, 12:45 PM

It's a hand gun. Not a "hands gun".
I have taught combat tactics for many years. I teach not only from compiled information, but also from personal experience.

It's noteworthy to point out that in over half the cases where a handgun is brought into play, the shooter will have his or her other hand occupied.It's VERY common to have your "off hand" full of either the enemy or some other thing as you find you need to shoot.
You get a good shooting grip on your gun and then..............(A) you die--- or are disarmed, because you had an empty chamber....?

Or (B) you shoot and save your life, or the life of someone else.

Good guns have safety features built in for a reason.
But never forget Rule #2.

RULE #2 IS KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU ARE RERADY TO FIRE.

If you train that way there is no treason not to have a round chambered at all times.

Idahoser · January 16, 2011, 12:46 PM

the safety works no less effectively than the double action revolver carried by police for generations.

DoctorXring · January 16, 2011, 01:03 PM

.

This is not a reasonable way to carry a CCW, although I will
have to give in that it's better than not carrying at all.

Racking a slide under stress has some risks. One, it may
take longer than it does for the BG to shoot you. Two, you
may make a mistake in racking the slide, slipping, etc and
you are back in the receiving end mode again. Most CCW
situations I have read about are "I need a loaded, ready-to-fire
gun in my hand RIGHT NOW", or even a little earlier than right
now. Also, you cannot do two things at once well. You cannot
evaluate your situation and rack the slide at the same time,
except in theory. And if the rack fails, you are going to be
really distracted with trying to clear the pistol.

I can understand your concerns though. This is why I carry
a Kahr pistol. It is what I call an "improved Glock" design.
And the big improvement for me is the trigger. I believe it
is safer. Basically Kahr has put the functionality of a double
action revolver trigger in a semi-auto pistol. And along with
that it's safety measures. It is a superb trigger design,
making for a very safe carry as well as allowing excellent
shot control. I am very accurate with it.

Check them out. With your concerns, you may want to trade
your Glock.

good shooting, dxr

.

DonutGuy · January 16, 2011, 01:07 PM

to each his own

skoro · January 16, 2011, 01:14 PM

It's the only way I carry.

Webleymkv · January 16, 2011, 01:19 PM

Because defensive situations with handguns typically take place very quickly at very short ranges, you may not have the time or ability (your other hand may be otherwise occupied or injured) to rack the slide. For this reason, I personally will not carry a gun that I do not feel comfortable carrying with a round in the chamber. Now, you'll probably get lectures about how safe a Glock is and why there is no reason not to carry it with a round chambered. I, personally, won't lecture you about that because the lack of an active manual safety along with a relatively short and light trigger makes me a bit nervous too (one of the reason I don't own a Glock). Instead, I would respectfully suggest that perhaps you might want to consider a different platform that you would feel more comfortable with.

GoOfY-FoOt · January 16, 2011, 01:19 PM

Quote:

Wyosmith wrote: It's a hand gun. Not a "hands gun".
I have taught combat tactics for many years. I teach not only from compiled information, but also from personal experience.

It's noteworthy to point out that in over half the cases where a handgun is brought into play, the shooter will have his or her other hand occupied.It's VERY common to have your "off hand" full of either the enemy or some other thing as you find you need to shoot.
You get a good shooting grip on your gun and then..............(A) you die--- or are disarmed, because you had an empty chamber....?

Or (B) you shoot and save your life, or the life of someone else.

Good guns have safety features built in for a reason.
But never forget Rule #2.

RULE #2 IS KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU ARE RERADY TO FIRE.

If you train that way there is no treason not to have a round chambered at all times.

This is a much better argument and notably more eloquent than the, "Because I said so!" response.

WC145 · January 16, 2011, 01:29 PM

I would never consider going on duty without a round chambered, if I need my gun I need it ready to fire NOW. Same if I'm off duty. No different for anyone else that carries, LEO or not.

If you don't trust the gun you carry to be safe when loaded, you should look into getting one that you do trust.

harly69g · January 16, 2011, 01:31 PM

Always one in the chamber.
If not one in chamber then gun is not loaded & becomes a tool.

Falcon642 · January 16, 2011, 01:49 PM

If you have safety concerns regarding carrying a gun with one in the chamber you should probably look at getting a gun with a manual safety.

Look at the Springfield XD series with their palm safeties, or look at something like the Beretta PX4 storm with its decocker style safety. The Springfield is nice because you have an added element of safety build in, but you don't have to do anything extra to disengage the safety.

In my opinion carrying an autoloader without a round in the chamber is just asking to get your gun taken away and used against you.

tmorone · January 16, 2011, 02:01 PM

Carry both 1911's and a G19, always one in the chamber. Glocks have their "3 safeties" which are plenty good for me. As well as a 1911 thumb and grip safety. As long as I keep my booger hook off the trigger nothing is going to go bang. And in a tense situation, the last thing I want to bite me in the rear is that I felt it was safer to keep an empty chamber.

dpetreikis · January 16, 2011, 02:12 PM

Usually carry a Glock. ALWAYS have one in the chamber. I'd rather take the time to practice good trigger discipline (keeping my finger and everything out of the trigger guard until I'm ready to shoot) while I have plenty time (when I'm reholstering), than have to try and FIND the time to rack the slide when SHTF.

bigghoss · January 16, 2011, 02:13 PM

Quote:

Personally, I don't keep one handy in the glock, for lack of safety.

Quote:

If you have safety concerns regarding carrying a gun with one in the chamber you should probably look at getting a gun with a manual safety.

+1000

always one in the chamber. if a gun isn't safe to have one in the pipe always then it's not fit for carry. if you prefer a gun with a safety then get a gun with a safety

boredom · January 16, 2011, 02:14 PM

i carry my glock chambered, because otherwise i have a $400+ paper weight. racking the slide isnt going to be practical in any shape or form in a true life/death situation. the chances are by the time you pull your gun, rack the slide, aim and attempt to pull the trigger you will be spotted either by some hysterical bystander or by the BG(s).

egor20 · January 16, 2011, 02:16 PM

Locked and Cocked for auto's and full chamber in my revolvers. I looked at Israeli draw until a friend and I were practicing grab moves (with snap-caps) and he pinned my left arm, that ended the Israeli draw idea for me once and for all.

Mueller · January 16, 2011, 02:42 PM

Some times, there is no time for evaluation, in most situations were you need to present your firearm, you are reacting to the immediate presence of a threat or due to an action by the threat..which could mean that they may have already injured you..stabbed with a knife, hit with a club, shot you or attacked with numbers on their side....you might be fending off a second, third, fourth knife thrust with your off hand, protecting your head from a second strike with a club, turning your body away as he fires the second shot or fending off an attacker to gain enough room to draw and engage...

In any of the above examples an empty chamber means you have a club or a paper weight, which could mean you wind up seriously injured or dead, relying on the mere presence of the pistol as it is displayed to end the encounter is foolish and if the attackers are dedicated or somehow impaired (drugs,alcohol,mental issues,rage) it isn't going to change their present course of action, because their judgment is impaired or they just don't care.

A good holster and belt, will go along way towards upping your confidence in carrying a loaded firearm as well as understanding how the safety systems built into the pistol work and getting some quality weapons instruction/training will help in building confidence, if all that fails, then buy a pistol with a manual safety.

My dad always told me that the chance of going home alive or not at all can be decided in the blink of an eye and anything we do that increases the odds of the latter, is something to be avoided.

Saguaro Firearms · January 16, 2011, 02:43 PM

i can think of quite a few scenarios where not having one in the chamber would lead to a bad ending, although yes i agree not chambered is better than not having one at all, but you'll never catch me carrying a firearm that's not ready to preform its job right here right now...

RWK · January 16, 2011, 02:55 PM

I wound never carry a concealed sidearm without a chambered round, regardless of the type or the manual-of-arm. The simple fact is, virtually no modern handguns will ever fire if the trigger is not activated; with or without safeties, constantly engaging your brain is the ultimate assurance of no unintended discharges. Usually, I carry one of several N Frame Smiths or somewhat smaller Ruger revolvers; they have no safeties, however GENERATIONS of law enforcement and individual carriers have found them to be extremely safe.

pelo801 · January 16, 2011, 02:59 PM

Quote:

if I need my gun I need it ready to fire NOW

good answer

January 16, 2011, 12:11 PM	#1
woconnor Member Join Date: December 31, 2010 Posts: 39	Chambered Carry? for those who pack auto loaders, what are your thoughts on chambered carry? Personally, I don't keep one handy in the glock, for lack of safety. and I feel that the time it takes to rack the slide gives one more second to evaluate the situation, yet I'll be the first to admit I'm at a disadvantage in a 'quick draw' situation. What are everyones thoughts?

January 16, 2011, 12:42 PM	#5
jborushko Senior Member Join Date: August 5, 2009 Location: Tacoma WA Posts: 469	like a tazer without batteries... always have one in the pipe. IMO that anything that takes more work or time in a self defense situation can cause you to lose. a friend of mine and i constantly argue this point, he is convinced that he can draw,[reliably] rack the slide, take aim, and potentially fire in the time it takes me to draw, aim, and fire not to mention the IF of what if your other hand is immobilized by whatever might have happened. increased ammunition on hand - especially if your one of those/us that only carries the one mag -not often but occasionally i personally dont have a spare mag

January 16, 2011, 12:43 PM	#6
Vermonter Senior Member Join Date: October 17, 2010 Posts: 962	Chambered Carry I fill all my guns to capacity every time I carry. With the correct holster and good technique you should be fine. Last night I was in a situation while carrying my LCP in a Fobus sp? holster. I was forced to tussle with a few young gentelman in order to break up a fight. I will spare the details and you can take my word for the fact that I did not have a choice in the matter. It took some considerable hand skills to subdue one young man. The firearm never moved an inch and all was well. To me this is proof positive that a good holster is nearly as imporntant as a good gun. Had one of these young men been armed and things went really bad I was in such close quarteres that there would have been no way to draw rack and fire without being comprimised. BTW I am fine not even a scratch on me. Vermonter

January 16, 2011, 01:03 PM	#9
DoctorXring Senior Member Join Date: May 1, 2002 Location: The Republic of Texas Posts: 392	Carrying with an Empty Chamber . This is not a reasonable way to carry a CCW, although I will have to give in that it's better than not carrying at all. Racking a slide under stress has some risks. One, it may take longer than it does for the BG to shoot you. Two, you may make a mistake in racking the slide, slipping, etc and you are back in the receiving end mode again. Most CCW situations I have read about are "I need a loaded, ready-to-fire gun in my hand RIGHT NOW", or even a little earlier than right now. Also, you cannot do two things at once well. You cannot evaluate your situation and rack the slide at the same time, except in theory. And if the rack fails, you are going to be really distracted with trying to clear the pistol. I can understand your concerns though. This is why I carry a Kahr pistol. It is what I call an "improved Glock" design. And the big improvement for me is the trigger. I believe it is safer. Basically Kahr has put the functionality of a double action revolver trigger in a semi-auto pistol. And along with that it's safety measures. It is a superb trigger design, making for a very safe carry as well as allowing excellent shot control. I am very accurate with it. Check them out. With your concerns, you may want to trade your Glock. good shooting, dxr . Last edited by DoctorXring; January 16, 2011 at 01:09 PM.

January 16, 2011, 01:14 PM	#11
skoro Senior Member Join Date: April 30, 2008 Location: Texas Posts: 1,971	Chambered Carry? It's the only way I carry.

January 16, 2011, 12:14 PM	#2
pelo801 Senior Member Join Date: January 9, 2009 Posts: 718	always one in the chamber for me.

January 16, 2011, 12:22 PM	#4
LockedBreech Senior Member Join Date: July 6, 2009 Location: Rocky Mountain West Posts: 3,395	I chamber all of my guns, 100% of the time. I don't want to have to think about it when SHTF. Plus, carrying one chambered in small autos like my LCP increases my ammo capacity by 16%.

January 16, 2011, 12:45 PM	#7
Wyosmith Senior Member Join Date: December 29, 2010 Location: Shoshoni Wyoming Posts: 2,713	It's a hand gun. Not a "hands gun". I have taught combat tactics for many years. I teach not only from compiled information, but also from personal experience. It's noteworthy to point out that in over half the cases where a handgun is brought into play, the shooter will have his or her other hand occupied.It's VERY common to have your "off hand" full of either the enemy or some other thing as you find you need to shoot. You get a good shooting grip on your gun and then..............(A) you die--- or are disarmed, because you had an empty chamber....? Or (B) you shoot and save your life, or the life of someone else. Good guns have safety features built in for a reason. But never forget Rule #2. RULE #2 IS KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU ARE RERADY TO FIRE. If you train that way there is no treason not to have a round chambered at all times.

January 16, 2011, 12:46 PM	#8
Idahoser Senior Member Join Date: April 13, 2005 Location: West TN Posts: 244	the safety works no less effectively than the double action revolver carried by police for generations.

January 16, 2011, 01:07 PM	#10
DonutGuy Senior Member Join Date: January 31, 2010 Posts: 327	to each his own

January 16, 2011, 01:19 PM	#12
Webleymkv Senior Member Join Date: July 20, 2005 Location: Indiana Posts: 10,610	Because defensive situations with handguns typically take place very quickly at very short ranges, you may not have the time or ability (your other hand may be otherwise occupied or injured) to rack the slide. For this reason, I personally will not carry a gun that I do not feel comfortable carrying with a round in the chamber. Now, you'll probably get lectures about how safe a Glock is and why there is no reason not to carry it with a round chambered. I, personally, won't lecture you about that because the lack of an active manual safety along with a relatively short and light trigger makes me a bit nervous too (one of the reason I don't own a Glock). Instead, I would respectfully suggest that perhaps you might want to consider a different platform that you would feel more comfortable with.

January 16, 2011, 01:29 PM	#14
WC145 Senior Member Join Date: October 18, 2008 Location: Downeast Maine Posts: 1,836	I would never consider going on duty without a round chambered, if I need my gun I need it ready to fire NOW. Same if I'm off duty. No different for anyone else that carries, LEO or not. If you don't trust the gun you carry to be safe when loaded, you should look into getting one that you do trust. __________________ "If violent crime is to be curbed, it is only the intended victim who can do it. The felon does not fear the police, and he fears neither judge or jury. Therefore what he must be taught to fear is his victim." - LtCol Jeff Cooper

January 16, 2011, 01:31 PM	#15
harly69g Member Join Date: January 7, 2011 Location: Livermore, KY Posts: 20	Loaded Always one in the chamber. If not one in chamber then gun is not loaded & becomes a tool.

January 16, 2011, 01:49 PM	#16
Falcon642 Senior Member Join Date: October 29, 2010 Posts: 316	If you have safety concerns regarding carrying a gun with one in the chamber you should probably look at getting a gun with a manual safety. Look at the Springfield XD series with their palm safeties, or look at something like the Beretta PX4 storm with its decocker style safety. The Springfield is nice because you have an added element of safety build in, but you don't have to do anything extra to disengage the safety. In my opinion carrying an autoloader without a round in the chamber is just asking to get your gun taken away and used against you.

January 16, 2011, 02:01 PM	#17
tmorone Senior Member Join Date: October 22, 2010 Posts: 221	Carry both 1911's and a G19, always one in the chamber. Glocks have their "3 safeties" which are plenty good for me. As well as a 1911 thumb and grip safety. As long as I keep my booger hook off the trigger nothing is going to go bang. And in a tense situation, the last thing I want to bite me in the rear is that I felt it was safer to keep an empty chamber.

January 16, 2011, 02:12 PM	#18
dpetreikis Senior Member Join Date: July 1, 2005 Location: Northwest Indiana Posts: 262	Usually carry a Glock. ALWAYS have one in the chamber. I'd rather take the time to practice good trigger discipline (keeping my finger and everything out of the trigger guard until I'm ready to shoot) while I have plenty time (when I'm reholstering), than have to try and FIND the time to rack the slide when SHTF.

January 16, 2011, 02:14 PM	#20
boredom Senior Member Join Date: November 9, 2010 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 135	i carry my glock chambered, because otherwise i have a $400+ paper weight. racking the slide isnt going to be practical in any shape or form in a true life/death situation. the chances are by the time you pull your gun, rack the slide, aim and attempt to pull the trigger you will be spotted either by some hysterical bystander or by the BG(s).

January 16, 2011, 02:16 PM	#21
egor20 Senior Member Join Date: November 14, 2010 Location: Northern Virginia Posts: 1,824	Locked and Cocked for auto's and full chamber in my revolvers. I looked at Israeli draw until a friend and I were practicing grab moves (with snap-caps) and he pinned my left arm, that ended the Israeli draw idea for me once and for all.

January 16, 2011, 02:42 PM	#22
Mueller Senior Member Join Date: January 2, 2001 Posts: 136	Some times, there is no time for evaluation, in most situations were you need to present your firearm, you are reacting to the immediate presence of a threat or due to an action by the threat..which could mean that they may have already injured you..stabbed with a knife, hit with a club, shot you or attacked with numbers on their side....you might be fending off a second, third, fourth knife thrust with your off hand, protecting your head from a second strike with a club, turning your body away as he fires the second shot or fending off an attacker to gain enough room to draw and engage... In any of the above examples an empty chamber means you have a club or a paper weight, which could mean you wind up seriously injured or dead, relying on the mere presence of the pistol as it is displayed to end the encounter is foolish and if the attackers are dedicated or somehow impaired (drugs,alcohol,mental issues,rage) it isn't going to change their present course of action, because their judgment is impaired or they just don't care. A good holster and belt, will go along way towards upping your confidence in carrying a loaded firearm as well as understanding how the safety systems built into the pistol work and getting some quality weapons instruction/training will help in building confidence, if all that fails, then buy a pistol with a manual safety. My dad always told me that the chance of going home alive or not at all can be decided in the blink of an eye and anything we do that increases the odds of the latter, is something to be avoided.

January 16, 2011, 02:43 PM	#23
Saguaro Firearms Member Join Date: October 9, 2009 Location: southern arizona Posts: 66	one in the chamber i can think of quite a few scenarios where not having one in the chamber would lead to a bad ending, although yes i agree not chambered is better than not having one at all, but you'll never catch me carrying a firearm that's not ready to preform its job right here right now...

January 16, 2011, 02:55 PM	#24
RWK Senior Member Join Date: August 21, 1999 Location: Occupied Virginia Posts: 2,777	I wound never carry a concealed sidearm without a chambered round, regardless of the type or the manual-of-arm. The simple fact is, virtually no modern handguns will ever fire if the trigger is not activated; with or without safeties, constantly engaging your brain is the ultimate assurance of no unintended discharges. Usually, I carry one of several N Frame Smiths or somewhat smaller Ruger revolvers; they have no safeties, however GENERATIONS of law enforcement and individual carriers have found them to be extremely safe. Last edited by RWK; January 16, 2011 at 03:03 PM.