First and foremost, I agree with all others on this forum who said that the best and only way to carry is with one in the chamber. You don't want to waste the time having to rack and definitely don't want to find yourself in a position where you cannot free up both hands to do so. I have learned how to rack one-handed, but that should be an emergency procedure, not my first option.Alaska2texas wrote: I have been carrying green, or with an empty chamber for the non military folks. Is this smart/safe?
Should i carry red, locked and loaded?
Glock 23, CC holster that covers the trigger.
Also, if 30.06/30.07 signs are posted, the firearm stays in the vehcile. Is it smart to leave it locked and loaded while in the vehicle?
That being said, I completely understand your thought process. I had a similar concern when I started carrying, and it convinced me to make changes in what I carry, in order to let me be comfortable about carrying with one in the chamber.
When I first got my license, I carried a Glock 36. I loved everything about that gun, until I started to carry it. I used a good leather IWB holster, and I'd never had any issues with it, but I was always concerned about the tail of my shirt (when untucked) catching in the trigger guard as I re-holstered. If it had happened, I would have received no warning short of the bullet leaving the barrel. I'm not a little guy, so this was a real danger - real enough that I carried without one in the chamber. Yes, I know that's crazy, but the safety concern of re-holstering the Glock repeatedly, day-in and day-out, while sitting in the car, outweighed the risk factor of having to rack one if I had to pull in a hurry. I couldn't live with myself if I'd had a ND and hurt someone.
Sure, I could have changed to a paddle holster (or something else that I could remove with the gun still holstered), but I tried them and did not like the feel. For me, my IWB holster was just the right feel, but it was NOT an easy thing to reattach to my belt while sitting in the car in a school parking lot. So disarming required un-holstering and then re-holstering.
This is precisely the reason I changed my EDC from a Glock to my Sig Pro 2022. Now, with my Sig, I can keep my finger behind the trigger and my thumb behind the hammer, and I get a tactile response if the trigger is 'self pulling' due to obstruction such as a shirt tail.
If I were in an OC situation, or if I didn't have to go unarmed at times, this wouldn't be such a concern. But given that I have to holster / un-holster / re-holster during the day (picking up my daughter at school, etc), I thought the risk was too much.
Whatever you do, make whatever changes are required to carry in the chamber. If you can find a comfortable holster that you can remove and reattach to your belt with no issues, then do it, and never take the gun out until you need it. If you cannot do that, then you still have other options. Changing guns was mine - and I hope you find yours soon enough.
Edited to add: Shortly after I posted this message, I saw a new message on another thread about a Glock safety device. If I had known about these devices back in the day, I may not have made the decision that I did. http://www.texaschlforum.com/viewtopic. ... 2#p1142976