One in the chamber?

[MONGOOSE]

I think a person who carries with an empty chamber is better than a person not carryng. In every (2) instance that I thought I might need to use my weapon, I would have had time to rack the slide. As far a LEOs carrying safely, Every accidental discharge and shooting I know of was( except one) either done by a LEO or a member of a military SWAT sqad,

[Middle Age Russ]

I agree wholeheartedly with Mongoose' premise that one on the body the can be made ready to use is better than not carrying. My reasoning for carrying with one in the chamber is based on potentialities I cannot imagine. The reasoning implicit in Mongoose' last post seems to be based on events that have already occurred. It is hardly shocking that different conclusions might arise from different bases.

One other point to consider (I am sure you may have already done so) is the +1, or extra round available in the gun if it a semi-auto and is both fully loaded and chambered. Statistically, you are very unlikely to need that extra round, but when the risk is life-altering or life-threatening I will almost always try to mitigate risks however I may and that extra round helps in that regard. Along those same lines, I habitually carry an extra magazine in case necessity or opportunity make it a handy thing to have.

[MONGOOSE]

I agree with the extra round theory. My pistol came with 10 round magazines and I have replaced them with the 13 round mags which are the largest I've seen. I also have read that the person who can put more rounds down range will statistically win a gun fight. Personally, I always carry with a round chambered.

[LDB415]

A pistol without a round chambered is an expensive and complicated paperweight.

[G.A. Heath]

I think about it like this:
1. A handgun at home is better than no gun.
2. A handgun in the vehicle is better than a handgun at home.
3. An unloaded but loadable handgun on the body is better than a handgun in the vehicle.
4. A Handgun with a loaded magazine and nothing in the chamber is better than an unloaded handgun.
5. A Handgun that has a loaded magazine and a chambered round is better than a handgun with an empty chamber.
6. If I know I am going to need my handgun then I'm not going.

[rotor]

If you will not carry with one in the chamber... then go sell the thing and come back and join us once you get over it.

This never once crossed my mind when I got my first pistol. I cannot begin to imagine where it comes from. Take a look around at all of the cops, Feds, Military, Armed Security and so on who carry guns daily without incident.

What is it about you that makes you think your experience will be any different?

I am sorry to be so harsh, but it boggles my mind to think of the type of person who is aware enough to know what is going on out there that they feel the need to get a gun and a CHL and start carrying... yet this same individual is timid enough to not want to carry chambered and actually have the dang thing be useful in a literal "half of a second makes the difference between life and death" situation.

Where anyone is going to get into trouble is when they are fumbling around with the thing. Get a good holster (Preferably kydex) that covers the trigger area to the point that you cannot get anything in there. Chamber your pistol, put it in that holster, and leave it in there! Put the holster on in the morning, and take it off at night. Leave the pistol alone in there and you will have no problems. It is the guys who take it out and unchamber it every night for whatever reason that are going to have a ND. It is the guy who has to pull his piece out to show off to his friends who is going to have a ND.

I have been carrying daily since I turned 21 in 2004 and I have yet to have any problem, and do not anticipate that I will. I have a respect for the weapon and what it can do, but I am not afraid of it.

And that is the difference... respect and fear. If you are fearful, you will want to carry without one in the chamber. Get over your fear and join the rest of us.

Do they carry with one in the chamber? Not always. This argument will never end.

[Jago668]

I carry with a round in the chamber. I had a big long post talking about why, and why I think it is better. Then I remembered what I learned a long time ago. You can't tell anybody anything. When did you learn that the stove was hot? When your mama told you, or when you burned your hand? So people that carry chambered are going to keep doing it, and people that don't are going to continue not doing it.

More than anything else I'd just urge anyone that carries to get training. Go to the ranger and find out what your pistol does when you panic fire it. Practice your draw. If you are at an indoor range with the targets that you can run out and back on the overhead tracks. Take someone with you and have them run the target towards you and see how well you can shoot it. A guy running at you will close the distance faster (at least I've never been on a range with a super fast system like that), but it will give you a better idea. Find a place that will do force on force simulations. If you are physically able learn some unarmed self defense, and learn it at a place that will actually ring your bell occasionally . I knew a guy that started getting up there in karate, but they never did actual sparring and he'd never been in a fight. All his plans on how awesome he'd be in a fight went out the window when he sparred with me and a buddy and I kicked his finger out of socket. You can learn all kinds of cool tricks, but if you can't do it after being punched then you don't really know it.

[MONGOOSE]

If you allow someone to get close enough to require physical contact, you have already made a mistake.

[karatedad]

If you allow someone to get close enough to require physical contact, you have already made a mistake.

But, if you go about your business thinking that no one can get that close to you, you've made an even bigger mistake.

For instance, you are in line at the local convenience store and the person behind you decides to rob the place.

[MONGOOSE]

That's why I carry concealed. I still have the element of surprise (been there done that) and have no need for a physical confrontation where my weapon might be rendered worthless . I use to be a very physical person who you didn't want to mess with. After a very sever medical problem I have lost that. I have learned to use the eliments of patience and surprise...works well

[karatedad]

Unless your opponents level of aggression doesn't allow you to be patient or surprising. I understand loss of physical ability from medical and age, in my case. I can't predict and won't make any assumptions about what I may become involved in. I can only try to be well prepared, especially mentally, for whatever may come my way.

[ralewis]

I think about it like this:
1. A handgun at home is better than no gun.
2. A handgun in the vehicle is better than a handgun at home.
3. An unloaded but loadable handgun on the body is better than a handgun in the vehicle.
4. A Handgun with a loaded magazine and nothing in the chamber is better than an unloaded handgun.
5. A Handgun that has a loaded magazine and a chambered round is better than a handgun with an empty chamber.
6. If I know I am going to need my handgun then I'm not going.

Great post.... I've been on this forum for 10 years now, and it seems the Chambered/Un-Chambered topic comes up at least a few times/year. Most of the time it seems the posts are by people who are new to carrying looking for advice. Everyone goes through that first phase of carrying/handling a firearm (I've got 2 young adult children going thru that right now who are new to carrying). Posts encouraging folks to get training and develop confidence are helpful. Posts berating folks for not carrying in a manner they are comfortable with are less helpful.

Some people (my dad for example) who carry occasionally never seem to become comfortable carrying with one in the chamber. Others who spend a lot of time at the range and spend a lot of time cleaning/handling firearms seem to develop confidence quickly. I remember when I first started carrying, and I was squeamish unloading/handling my Glock 23. After 3 months of 300-400 rounds/week at the range, the squeamishness went away (the commitment to caution and safety remained an obsession though). Everyone ought to carrying within their comfort zone. As somebody who could very well have asked a question 10 years ago about chambered/un-chambered, I can confidently say that for me it was familiarity, practice, and daily carry for a few months that allowed me to carry confidently with one in the chamber.