Chamber a round in a Glock?

Snicker · March 27, 2013, 10:47 PM

I have a Glock 17 (9mm) and a Glock 19 (.45 ACP). Both are Gen 2's. For home protection and/or CC, can I keep a round chambered full-time without damaging the firing pin spring, or should I keep the chamber empty. Obviously, an empty chamber requires more time to react to a personal protection situation and causes possibly undesirable noise.

James K · March 27, 2013, 11:02 PM

As far as safety is concerned the Glock is about as safe with a chambered round as any gun can be. It will not fire if dropped and it takes the same trigger pull regardless.

But under some circumstances, such as small children in the house, a loaded magazine and empty chamber might be a better choice. Obviously, it is best to keep the gun completely away from any unauthorized person, but that is not always practical with a home defense gun, so the empty chamber is a reasonable alternative if the unauthorized person cannot rack the slide.

Jim

Snicker · March 27, 2013, 11:15 PM

Thanks, Jim. Racking the slide is no problem and there are no children about. The question is whether having the chamber live for hours (concealed carry) or for days or weeks (home defense) will damage the hammer spring. Thank you.

Venom1956 · March 27, 2013, 11:20 PM

Always wanted a glock 19 in .45ACP

Also glocks are striker fired meaning there is no hammer spring. they are always cocked a certain percentage. Springs fatigue thru expansion and contraction leaving it compressed shouldn't theoretically be an issue in anything that uses them.

You if you don't dry fire you glock after working the slide it is indeed "cocked" it can remain in this position indefinitely.

Snicker · March 27, 2013, 11:52 PM

Got it. Thanks. I now plan to leave the chambers loaded, since that affords me far better reaction time under all circumstances.

**JohnKSa** · March 28, 2013, 01:11 AM

Quote:

The question is whether having the chamber live for hours (concealed carry) or for days or weeks (home defense) will damage the hammer spring.

As already mentioned, there is no hammer spring. There is a firing pin/striker spring, and it is partially compressed with a round chambered.

There should be no issue with leaving a round chambered in a Glock from the perspective of the firing pin spring. I have a Glock 20 that I purchased about 20 years ago. Since that time, it has been my nightstand gun and has remained loaded for essentially the entire time. I shoot it occasionally and have never had a misfire or any other evidence that the firing pin spring has been weakened.

While springs CAN, under certain circumstances, weaken from being left compressed, it is usually only when they are fully compressed or overcompressed and when there is some aspect of the design that prevents the designer from making the spring as strong as he would have otherwise liked to. With a round chambered, the Glock firing pin spring is about half compressed by length, only about 25% in terms of stored energy and therefore it would be extremely unlikely for there to ever be an issue.

Snicker · March 28, 2013, 08:22 AM

Good answers all. Much appreciated.

Eppie · March 28, 2013, 11:18 AM

Quote:

Always wanted a glock 19 in .45ACP

Me too. Or was it G21???????

kirbinster · March 28, 2013, 12:11 PM

I want a .45 ACP Glock 19 too!

redhologram · March 28, 2013, 12:27 PM

I've got a 19/gen 4 that is also loaded and chambered and I've never had any problems with it. I've got a 26/gen4 that if and when it's loaded, it's chambered.

g.willikers · March 28, 2013, 06:24 PM

On the other hand, do you really want to give up the psychological impact on an adversary, of chambering that first round?
Think of the lost drama in all those movies and tv shows without it.

Swampman1 · March 28, 2013, 06:38 PM

Quote:

On the other hand, do you really want to give up the psychological impact on an adversary, of chambering that first round?

Racking the slide is definately an attention getter.

Walt Sherrill · March 28, 2013, 08:26 PM

Quote:

Always wanted a glock 19 in .45ACP

That's why I got the Glock 38... in .45 GAP.

Quote:

Racking the slide is definately an attention getter.

And also a warning. And something you can fumble a bit if you're uptight, afraid, worried about what's happening, etc. I'd rather be SILENT and not let them know any more than I have to about where I am or what I'm about to do...

Quote:

I now plan to leave the chambers loaded, since that affords me far better reaction time under all circumstances.

I keep that loaded Glock 38 in a small, metal gun safe bolted to the floor near my bed. It's easily accessed by pushing (some combination) buttons, which I can do in the dark, and I keep a hi-intensity light and electronic muffs nearby. A crowbar or sledge-hammer could open it, but its not something that a kid or a petty thief will open.

I have to get out of bed and it takes a little time to do the combination -- but that seems like a good thing, as I don't want to be dealing with lethal force in a groggy state of mind. (We have a home alarm system, so we'll likely have a bit of a warning if there's ever an intruder.)

.

ScottRiqui · March 28, 2013, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Racking the slide is definately an attention getter.

Quote:

And also a warning. And something you can fumble a bit if you're uptight, afraid, worried about what's happening, etc. I'd rather be SILENT and not let them know any more than I have to about where I am or what I'm about to do...

Exactly. And you can't know exactly what the circumstances will be when you have to rack the slide. A failure to feed can happen any time, but with a round already in the chamber, you're virtually guaranteed to get at least one "bang" out of the gun.

AndyWest · March 28, 2013, 10:13 PM

Obviously, you can rack the slide whether or not a round is already chambered if you want that warning effect. But you can't not if it's not chambered and you don't.... er...

rebs · March 29, 2013, 06:26 AM

I am sure all LEO's have their Glocks loaded with one in the chamber for entire shifts every day they are on duty and have no bad effects.

geetarman · March 29, 2013, 06:30 AM

Keep the gun loaded with a round in the chamber. It was designed to be carried and used that way.

March 27, 2013, 10:47 PM	#1
Snicker Junior Member Join Date: January 28, 2013 Posts: 7	Chamber a round in a Glock? I have a Glock 17 (9mm) and a Glock 19 (.45 ACP). Both are Gen 2's. For home protection and/or CC, can I keep a round chambered full-time without damaging the firing pin spring, or should I keep the chamber empty. Obviously, an empty chamber requires more time to react to a personal protection situation and causes possibly undesirable noise.

March 27, 2013, 11:20 PM	#4
Venom1956 Senior Member Join Date: October 4, 2008 Location: WI Posts: 3,656	Always wanted a glock 19 in .45ACP Also glocks are striker fired meaning there is no hammer spring. they are always cocked a certain percentage. Springs fatigue thru expansion and contraction leaving it compressed shouldn't theoretically be an issue in anything that uses them. You if you don't dry fire you glock after working the slide it is indeed "cocked" it can remain in this position indefinitely. __________________ E-Shock rounds are engineered to expend maximum energy into soft targets, turning the density mass into an expanding rotational cone of NyTrilium matrix particles, causing neurological collapse to the central nervous system.- Yeah I can do that. I guarantee you will know it if a bicyclist hits your house going 1000 mph. -Smaug

March 28, 2013, 06:24 PM	#11
g.willikers Senior Member Join Date: September 28, 2008 Posts: 10,442	On the other hand, do you really want to give up the psychological impact on an adversary, of chambering that first round? Think of the lost drama in all those movies and tv shows without it. __________________ Walt Kelly, alias Pogo, sez: “Don't take life so serious, son, it ain't nohow permanent.”

March 28, 2013, 10:13 PM	#15
AndyWest Senior Member Join Date: October 14, 2011 Posts: 627	Obviously, you can rack the slide whether or not a round is already chambered if you want that warning effect. But you can't not if it's not chambered and you don't.... er... __________________ Shoot smart. Shoot S-Mart.

March 29, 2013, 06:30 AM	#17
geetarman Senior Member Join Date: November 18, 2009 Location: Arizona Posts: 3,157	Keep the gun loaded with a round in the chamber. It was designed to be carried and used that way. __________________ Geetarman Carpe Cerveza

March 27, 2013, 11:02 PM	#2
James K Member In Memoriam Join Date: March 17, 1999 Posts: 24,383	As far as safety is concerned the Glock is about as safe with a chambered round as any gun can be. It will not fire if dropped and it takes the same trigger pull regardless. But under some circumstances, such as small children in the house, a loaded magazine and empty chamber might be a better choice. Obviously, it is best to keep the gun completely away from any unauthorized person, but that is not always practical with a home defense gun, so the empty chamber is a reasonable alternative if the unauthorized person cannot rack the slide. Jim

March 27, 2013, 11:15 PM	#3
Snicker Junior Member Join Date: January 28, 2013 Posts: 7	Thanks, Jim. Racking the slide is no problem and there are no children about. The question is whether having the chamber live for hours (concealed carry) or for days or weeks (home defense) will damage the hammer spring. Thank you.

March 27, 2013, 11:52 PM	#5
Snicker Junior Member Join Date: January 28, 2013 Posts: 7	Got it. Thanks. I now plan to leave the chambers loaded, since that affords me far better reaction time under all circumstances.

March 28, 2013, 08:22 AM	#7
Snicker Junior Member Join Date: January 28, 2013 Posts: 7	Good answers all. Much appreciated.

March 28, 2013, 12:11 PM	#9
kirbinster Member Join Date: March 10, 2013 Posts: 54	I want a .45 ACP Glock 19 too!

March 28, 2013, 12:27 PM	#10
redhologram Senior Member Join Date: January 14, 2013 Posts: 352	I've got a 19/gen 4 that is also loaded and chambered and I've never had any problems with it. I've got a 26/gen4 that if and when it's loaded, it's chambered.

March 29, 2013, 06:26 AM	#16
rebs Senior Member Join Date: January 10, 2012 Posts: 3,881	I am sure all LEO's have their Glocks loaded with one in the chamber for entire shifts every day they are on duty and have no bad effects.