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glock 19 not chambered or Ruger SR9C safety on

18K views 99 replies 63 participants last post by  RTTR84 
#1 ·
Hello,
I am new to the site so I apologize if this has already been beat up. I am new to handgun ownership(45 years old and up till a month ago had never fired a handgun). I have applied for my concealed carry and am currently deciding on my carry. I read Somebody who said the only valuable carry gun is the one you are willing to carry. I am not comfortable carrying my Glock 19 chambered and ready to fire. I am also not comfortable carrying my Ruger SR9C without the safety on, so I would love to hear people's opinions or thoughts on which way I would be best off.
Thanks
 
#31 ·
Training is good. But there is nothing like spending time with your pistol to make friends with it.

My first pistol was a Glock 19. I didn't feel comfortable carrying it. I knew it made no sense to carry it with the chamber empty, and I had two really good holsters, but I just worried about a ND. It's still my biggest worry.

So I bought a Walther PPK/S and carried that. First I carried it with one in the chamber, decocked, decocking lever in the safe position. After 6 to 9 months I started carrying it with one in the chamber decocked with the decocking lever in the fire position. That long pull gave me confidence. The fact that I could load, unload, and clear the pistol with the decocker in the safe position was a huge feature for me in those early days. I found another PPK/S that had been modified to have Novak sights which was a huge improvement, so I bought that and carried it.

I gradually developed the confidence to carry my Glock 19 with one in the chamber. It took about 18 months. during that time I did a lot of practice and shot some action pistol matches with the G19 to gain confidence with it. I have since bought a Glock 26 and an LCP, all of which I carry with one in the chamber.

That said, with one exception, my Glocks are always in a holster.

I do not take them out of the holster when I'm packing. If they are never out of the holster, reholstering isn't an issue. One of the things I trained and practiced was how to manage the pistol in a public restroom stall. I practiced that by carrying at home all the time. I am very careful reholstering, but shooting Action Pistol and IDPA using my carry holster has given me a lot of practice and greatly improved my gun handling.

When I take my 26 off it goes into a small cheap holster that covers the trigger. It's in that holster when it's not on me.

The exception is my Glock 19 that sits in the bedside safe with a rail light on it. It has a round in the chamber and is not in a holster.

Fitch
 
#33 ·
Welcome to the forum, Go to the range and do a lot of practice with both guns. The more rounds you shoot down the range the more you will learn about your guns. The uncomfortable feelings will go away (I felt the same way when I first start carring a simi-auto) I started carring a 357 mag revolver, the only safety was the trigger. I then bought a Glock 19 after doing a lot of research, what made me get the Glock is it is much like the revolver because the only safety is the trigger. (it won't go off unless you pull the trigger).
 
#35 ·
I learned to reholster with my thumb up and over the hammer or back of the slide. If something catches the trigger, on a double action revolver I can feel the hammer move and catch it or stop what I am doing, on a single action (1911) I wrap my thumb around the hammer so it lands on my thumb and and not the firing pin, on a Springfield XD (or 1911) my hand is off the grip safety so it cannot fire, on a Glock my thumb gets torn up. I don't own a Glock.
 
#37 ·
1. Why and how does your thumb get torn up?

2. You could take a split second to look and make sure you are holstering properly. That's the obvious choice at least.

3. I've holstered my Glocks thousands of times, and I've never shot myself or "torn up my thumb." If you feel resistance when holstering, stop and make sure you are clear.
 
#38 ·
People who are irrationally fearful of the Glock design make me laugh. The gun still won't go off unless the trigger is depressed. And no matter how that happens, your finger, a piece of clothing, a crappy holster- whatever, it's still YOUR fault, not the guns fault. There is no design flaw in the Glock. The trigger gets depressed and the gun goes off. THAT'S WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN WHEN THE TRIGGER IS DEPRESSED. You have to do your job, the gun is going to do its job no matter what.
 
#40 ·
I dont see his thinking as irrational (WORD meaning:without or deprived of normal mental clarity or sound judgment.) ... it is very common for each and every person to worry about accidentally hurting themselves or others. This person is new to shooting, and should not be put down for asking a question. Its not a mental clarity thing, just an under education of the true workings of CCW.... they will work it out with a little help from us. bunker
 
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#39 ·
I agree with everything that is said before me, but you are the one who has to feel comfortable. I can tell you my first carry piece was a Glock 30, and although i assumed everyone knew i had a gun, and was nervous about buckeling my seatbelt thinking i would shoot myself, with time my fears melted away. I carried with one in the chamber from day one, and i am glad i did. I have many friends who carry, and some still to this day do not have one in the chamber due to fears of it going off.

On a different note, the Israeli's carry unchambered... just something to think about. Good luck with your decision. There was a great video on youtube of someone dragging a loaded Glock behind a truck, and had the video camera watching it boucing around. Bunker
 
#41 ·
I would never recommend an inexperienced shooter carry a defensive handgun without a round in the chamber. It takes a lot of experience and training to rack the slide and get a round off in a stressful situation without having an ND or failure. You may or may not have time to rack the slide in a real self defense situation so if you are not comfortable, I suggest the ruger and train with the safety, but if you keep your finger off the glock trigger it will not fire...... if you have a trigger/finger problem the ruger will still fire the minute you disengage the safety regardless of where the weapon is pointed.
 
#46 ·
Good post.....To some that are new. Read it, learn it, love it.
 
#43 ·
I carry an SR9C loaded with 18 rounds and the manual safety on. Through many a night of just practicing my draw from various positions wearing various types of clothing I can have the gun out and on target with the safety off just as fast as I can with any other gun without a safety. It's a matter of knowing your firearm and training over and over to make sure it becomes more than second nature. You don't need to be at a fancy range to work the fundamentals and become proficient drawing and re-holstering your firearm.
 
#44 ·
Thank you!!!!! Like I said before, the goal is helping the OP arm himself given the guns and parameters he described, not pushing the Glock as a prefered sidearm. Because he owns a Glock doesn't mean that he needs to carry or work towards carrying that over any other gun he has. Nothing against Glocks but they're not the all that ends all. He will be as well armed with the SR9 as with the Glock and he's comfortable with it for carry. There's no difference between him carrying the SR9 in condition one or me carrying my 1911 duty gun in condition one and I'm certainly undergunned with my 1911.
 
#49 ·
As others have said, the obvious choice given your options is the ruger. It has an unfortunate magazine safety though. I won't carry a gun with that system in it. One of my favorite carry guns is the Springfield XD. It has a Glock-like trigger safety and a grip safety. That said I regularly carry guns with all the common trigger systems, and I carry them all chambered. Get yourself a gun with the trigger/safety system you like, and buy a quality holster. Welcome to the forum!
 
#50 ·
I highly recommend you carry the SR9. It was designed with the newer shooter in mind. The manual safety will make holstering safer for you. As long as the safety is on it can't fire. No worries there! Just practice drawing and dry firing remembering to sweep off the safety at the appropriate time.

I never recommend a Glock to a newer shooter. I feel it's way too easy to make a mistake and have an ND. Using a Glock takes a lot more time to get used to. And overcoming the ND fear is a big part of it.

You can get used to your Glock over time. It's not a race. It takes time. And that's fine.

FYI, I carry one of my Glocks every day. And I highly recommend them. But Glocks are not the one gun for all of us.
 
#58 ·
Glock 19 with one in the chamber. It's not gonna go off unless you pull the trigger. Get a good holster and your all set. Just put one round in the gun and spend time walking around the house or out in the garage or yard during the day. Do this for a week or two and you'll forget that it's even ther. The only safety or lack of that matters is the one between your ears
 
#59 · (Edited)
Welcome to the forum :wave:

Perhaps it would be a good idea if you spent a little money on some good firearm training. There is not reason to fear carrying the G-19 chambered if you have a good holster. Racking the slide in a high-stress situation can be very a difficult task, and even more if you are new to handguns.
 
#60 ·
I'd suggest carrying a J frame revolver until you're confident with your skill level. Carrying a firearm that's not ready to work from the draw is a good way to take the first hit in a gun fight. Just saying. :bier:
 
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#61 ·
I would not carry any striker fired weapon, the Glock being the best of them perhaps but you can't get away for it having the worst safety record of any pistol ever sold in modern times. It is not just becasue there are 'so many out there' like many will say too, though yes that is a factor. Whean I hosted a bunch of Glock Armores at my school 23 years ago, they took apart a dozen Glocks scrambled the parts and assembled the guns again to show the precison of the interchageble parts etc. Ok fine I said, but I don't see how this is going to make strilker fired pistol safe for anybody but a SWAT entry team maybe. As he left one of the factory Glock represenatives said "The pistol is perfectlty safe to carry as long as you don't keep a round chambered".THis was ot of years ago and long befoe the NYC truigger all the wrongul death suits against Glock and the coining of the term "Glock leg" by cops who departments carried them. I like a lot of things about Glocks actually, but they are not safe for the average joe or Jane, but OK the most excperienced entry team in my view.
 
#62 ·
...What? :blink:

I fail to follow your logic in regards to "[Glocks] having the worst safety record of any pistol ever sold in modern times." You are really going to blame a firearm for operator error?

Hey, my Jeep ran into a tree! It wasn't my fault it happened though! The Jeep steered itself into the tree!

Does that make sense?

And yes, ALL pistols are perfectly safe to carry without a round chambered, but they are basically no better than a blunt weapon.
 
#65 ·
My wife carries an xdm .40 sub-compact and I carry a glock both with a round chamberd,an unloaded gun don't help in a life or death situation, neither one of us have ever had an issue, look up all the testing they do
 
#67 ·
I understand both sides to an extent. But forms I read about the "Glock Leg" refers to many users becoming laxed over time on their firearm. They drop their guard because it becomes a routine to them and forget to treat every firearm like it is loaded. They also are probably not keeping their finger of the trigger until they are ready to shoot it.

Glock and Smith and Wesson's M&P now have loaded chamber indicators too.

Now for one to push the argument of never walking with a round in the chamber..... Let me ask you this. If you didn't carry a gun for various reasons (law or whatever) and had to carry a knife. Would you buy a knife with the blade removed so you only attached it to the handle when you were ready to use it or would you carry a knife with the blade fixed to the handle ready to use in a moments notice?
 
#69 ·
I understand both sides to an extent. But forms I read about the "Glock Leg" refers to many users becoming laxed over time on their firearm. They drop their guard because it becomes a routine to them and forget to treat every firearm like it is loaded. They also are probably not keeping their finger of the trigger until they are ready to shoot it.
With a loaded Glock you just need to exercise enough caution when reholstering to be certain nothing is going to snag on the trigger. If this should happen your Glock will be less forgiving of your carelessness than say a double action revolver. Anyone unaware of this hasn't been paying attention. The simplicity of the Glock design is one reason it is the fine defensive pistol that it is in my opinion.
 
#70 ·
With a loaded Glock you just need to exercise enough caution when reholstering to be certain nothing is going to snag on the trigger.
I agree to your statement regarding to exercise caution when re-holstering. If a operator didn't exercise caution then they would've been in the definition of becoming laxed and probably got into a routine which in turn may result in a unwanted discharge.

Case in point... It comes down to Operator error not a firearm malfunction or design flaw.
 
#100 ·
There have been a few cases of manufacturing problems, I think the early S&W versions of the Walther PPK refresh had an issue where they could go off from certain situations, but was fixed, and if I read all the articles correct, nobody was hurt from that.

But you're right, ND is not manufacture caused.

On a side note, the last few pages of this thread are a nice laugh on a slow rainy Sunday.
 
#76 ·
Hi.

I'm not saying this to be mean or anything, but I don't think you know what you don't know.

Before buying a gun, buy yourself training from a reputable instructor. Get trigger time and learn how to use a pistol in a combative situation, then make up your mind.

Till that happens, it's all theoretical, and you may as well be discussing building assault tactics with suppressed rifles after fast roping from a helo.

Get on a firing line with an instructor and learn.

Then make your own choices.
 
#79 ·
This tread makes me wonder more about a person that can not read about a glock then take it apart and see how it works and understand how it funtions. If you don't want to carry a glock or several other stricker fired pistols chamberd just pick up a pocket full of rocks and your ready to defend yourself.
 
#83 ·
That makes no sense to me at all...

1. Not everyone needs to have the ability (or desire) to take a gun apart and see how it works.
2. There's plenty of other options between a striker fired gun and rocks.
3. Not everyone needs to carry with a round chambered if it's not for them, so be it - it's their choice based on their personal situation.
 
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