POLL - Do you carry: With a round chambered - No round in chamber

[Bubbiesdad]

It's not so much safety habits or confidence in the weapon for me Bumper. For me, it's that all important decision to shoot. Once the bullet leaves the barrel, there are no do-overs. You have to live with the decision that you made when you pulled the trigger. That extra split second that it takes to chamber a round is one more breath to identify the target and to decide if this is a situation where I want to use deadly force. I'm not a cop and I'm no longer in the military. I have no problem whatsoever avoiding trouble or backing away from a situation. Given a choice between fight and flight, my first instinct is flight. I'll run like hell. It's only when pushed into a corner with no other place to go and in fear of my life, that I'll fight and that's what the gun is for. In that situation, a round will already be chambered and my finger will be on the trigger. Some people may think that's stupid or naïve, but that's my decision. I've seen the scenarios of jewelry stores and liquor stores being robbed but I'm not going to find myself in one of those situations. I don't go walking through dark neighborhoods with my girlfriend at four in the morning either. I live on a cul-de-sac that hasn't seen any crime in the last thirty five years. There aren't any drug dealers in my neighborhood. The neighbors know each other and there's always somebody out working in the yard or walking their dog. There's one way in and out and you can't come through without somebody seeing you. If you make it past the neighbors, you still have the dogs to deal with. I've seen too many scenarios where friends, neighbors, and family members were mistaken for intruders and shot by someone with a round in the chamber. I'll take the extra time to chamber a round and live with the decision if I'm too slow. I would rather do that than live with the guilt if I pulled the trigger too quick and was wrong.

Have you seen the scenarios where people are in a Subway\KFC\McD's ,etc and are ushered to the back? A split second may be all you have, and that would be used up in drawing your firearm.

We have had people in "nice neighborhoods" robbed at gunpoint in their own yard in our town. Seems criminals have cars as well as guns.

I know who belongs in my house. If you aren't invited in my house, you are an intruder. I won't fire though, unless I am in fear of my family's or my safety. If you take the time to chamber a round, you may not have to worry about "living with the decision".

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[RockBottom]

Have you seen the scenarios where people are in a Subway\KFC\McD's ,etc and are ushered to the back? A split second may be all you have, and that would be used up in drawing your firearm.

We have had people in "nice neighborhoods" robbed at gunpoint in their own yard in our town. Seems criminals have cars as well as guns.

I know who belongs in my house. If you aren't invited in my house, you are an intruder. I won't fire though, unless I am in fear of my family's or my safety. If you take the time to chamber a round, you may not have to worry about "living with the decision".

Thanks for the multi-colored lecture. The poll was started and I responded and stated my reasons why I do what I do. That was pretty much it. I could have posted example after example of people shooting themselves, discharging weapons in restrooms, instructors shooting themselves. Kids getting weapons and shooting themselves etc., but I didn't. You can carry the way you want and that's fine with me. I won't critique your decision. It's fine with me. However, apparently my carrying the way that I want really gets folks knickers in a knot.

[Chevy-SS]

........... I could have posted example after example of people shooting themselves, discharging weapons in restrooms, instructors shooting themselves. Kids getting weapons and shooting themselves etc., but I didn't. You can carry the way you want and that's fine with me. I won't critique your decision. It's fine with me. However, apparently my carrying the way that I want really gets folks knickers in a knot.

Well stated!

[AZ Hawk]

I would not be comfortable not having one in the chamber. For me, the pistol is not a negotiating tool. I am not going to draw my weapon in an attempt to get someone to backdown. If my weapon leaves the holster, I would be because I am ready to use it. That is how I look at it, but I am interested to hear how every one else feels about that.

"Never draw a gun on a man unless you intend to kill him. And believe me, if you do intend to kill him he will already know it. Then he will feel the cold breath of the tomb." -- General George S. Patton

That's how I feel about it.

P.S. "Safety is something that happens between your ears, not something you hold in your hands." -- Jeff Cooper

[Harryball]

Always one in the pipe..

[Thunder71]

I could have posted example after example of people shooting themselves, discharging weapons in restrooms, instructors shooting themselves. Kids getting weapons and shooting themselves etc., but I didn't. You can carry the way you want and that's fine with me. I won't critique your decision. It's fine with me. However, apparently my carrying the way that I want really gets folks knickers in a knot.

Agreed, well said.

[Joeface]

Always chambered. No knotted knickers here, do what you want.

[ArkhmAsylm]

Thanks to ALL who have participated in the voting.

This wasn't an argument starter. It was a simple poll asking you to vote & to follow-up on how you carry if you so choose. I'm afraid that due to the exuberance of some of the follow-up comments here, that some are not willing to share the requested information due to those of us with overbearing attitudes.

Lighten up folks - it's a forum to share in & not a contest on who is right.

Thanks!

[greenchicken]

I don't carry one in the chamber all the time but I respect those that do if that's their desire.
Let's be honest here, I bet there are thousands of years experience on this forum alone when it comes to guns but getting a CCW is not hard and even though I feel any law abiding citizen has the right to get their permit, I am equally convinced there are some in this world who seriously don't need one in the chamber while carrying.

It would be cool to hang out with you guys though, I could just leave mine in the car :)

[hudsonvalley]

Always loaded.....

[TSiWRX]

I carry, and I carry with one in the pipe, ready-to-go when I press that trigger.

My reasoning? With the little Force-on-Force training I've had so far, I know for certain that in a vast number of scenarios, I did not have time to rack that slide.

So when I looked for a carry pistol, I shopped with specifics in-mind: with heavy emphasis put on safety mechanisms which would make me comfortable carrying with one in the pipe.

I have a young daughter. She's now 5 and 1/2. While I've tried my best to convey to her the seriousness of gun-safety in an age-appropriate manner (and while she has exhibited perfect understanding and obedience - again, age-appropriate), at home, I still had problems storing my defensive firearms in "Condition I," despite already having placed them behind the barrier of quick-access safes. As a result of these concerns, I stored those firearms safe and cleared, and with the magazine out: this meant that when I opened the safe, I had to insert the mag *and* chamber a round. So that's two concessions I've made there, but weighing my decision for myself, I slept easier. Late this winter, my daughter spontaneously demonstrated awareness of the actions one would take to insure the chamber is clear - reassured that she understood, I then immediately switched to "Condition I" storage in those quick-access safes (with a holster, protecting the trigger, of-course!).

For me, it's the discipline of keeping my gun with me at all times when it's out of my safes. And when the gun comes out, it's either actively being used, or being returned to those safes.

[AZ Hawk]

For those who believe they will "never" find themselves in a situation or have the clairvoyant abilities to see danger coming and think they will have time to rack a round---do you take into consideration that the bad guys ALWAYS get a vote...and they pick the time, place, and manner of attack so as to keep you off-guard? That there could be more than one assailant? That your strong side could be injured? Have you tried to any force-on-force training to prove your abilities to fight off a BG, draw from your weak side, rack a round and engage??

We spend hours and hours of training how to shoot, grip, sight picture, squeeze....breathe and assess....reloading, etc. But how many do FoF and work on the presentation under stress utilizing their preferred carry method? What did you experience? Now what did you learn?

We all have good ideas--and they are superior to what anyone else thinks. But have you tested your idea against a simulated reality? Just as folks who carry unloaded assert it works for them--the real question is, does this carry method succeed in reality? I'm not talking about Israeli ninjas....I'm talking about you--the normal Joe or Jane...

Excellent post!

[Chad Rogers]

I met one British PSD in Iraq who carried his Glock with an empty chamber, even on BIAP runs. His premise? If he had an ND, any ND, he would be sent home. He was not willing to run any risks of losing his job.

[TN_Mike]

Always with a round in the chamber. if I wasn't comfortable with my gun or my ability to safely carry with a round in the chamber, I wouldn't be carrying a gun at all.

[JDlewis]

I have one in the chamber at all times and locked and put in a holster. like others have said if I show it off I alway take the clip out and unload it before I let anyone touch it that don't know how to handle a gun.