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Excaliber wrote:

carlson1 wrote:....... if you can't bring yourself to load your semi (chamber a round) then go buy a revolver and load all chambers.

This is the very best bottom line advice I have ever seen on this topic. It makes perfect sense, is blindingly obvious, and a much safer initial way to go for new LTC holders who are uncomfortable with a chambered round in a semiauto. They can later migrate to a semiauto when they've gotten over their initial fears and have developed a comfort level with the concept of carrying a fully loaded deadly weapon.

There's no need to start with your "final" EDC. I don't know any LTC holding Texans who own only one handgun after at least a year of carrying, and it is never a bad thing to have a good revolver, even if it spends most of its time in the safe.

I agree, well said there Carlson 1. I think I will ask your boss to double your salary here, which means your raise is exactly $ 0.00 LOL. For me, it was just as you said. At first it was intimidating but after thinking about it, and I dont mean just a quick thought here, I mean I really studied it. I tried to look at all angles, look at different scenarios that may play out, watched videos, listened to the more experienced users, searched this forum, searched other forums and just weighed the pros and cons. After doing so, I decided to change my ways and carry one chambered. While I dont have any LEO training, I can say I have been around guns since childhood, did the usual gun safety training and had a Dad that worked with me, went hunting by myself at the age of 8 or 9, have had guns almost my entire life, and I have never had a ND. Ever. It just added up for me and I'm grateful for this forum as it kick-started me in that decision making.

Yes Sir, I agree and thats one of the reasons I didnt carry one chambered in the beginning. I guess it just boils down to personal preference.

Well said there jrma. I agree. I also agree that he had no business, in my opinion, having live rounds in that gun for training purposes. I think maybe a wooden gun or a toy gun might have been just as effective for demonstration purposes although I really dont know what he was teaching. Dunno. He claimed he was required to have a loaded gun with him at all times, even during this training. Not sure about that one. But that said, there is no excuse for his carelessness.

I can say I do feel confident with my thumb safety. Thank goodness I have never had to try it in a real situation but I do feel comfortable I could flip the switch on the draw. I do practice that at the range and at the house and it has turned into standard ops for me now. Even when I shoot another gun that has no thumb safety, my thumb still goes through the motion.

All of this talk about Glock-Leg just reinforces my decision to carry one in chamber. Both my EDC have thumb safety's and one of them has a grip/thumb safety. Now, since folks can carry ones without a thumb safety, I am even more confident now! Good stuff.

Yeah, I've seen that video before, and even after seeing it I was still carrying un-chambered. I was still under the thinking I could still manage to rack it. But I'm happy to admit I was wrong, at least for my preference. I'm sure there are times where you WILL have time to rack it, but I'm not willing to risk it anymore. Now, it seems senseless NOT to carry one in the chamber. And its not like I was a novice with guns. I am just a novice at carrying one every day in public. But I quickly (I guess quickly, I have had my LTC for a few months now) learned that carrying in public is no different than any other time. I know I have enough experience to handle my firearm safely when chambered. In fact, that was one of the deciding factor. I thought ya know, even when I know its not chambered, I still treated it like it was, just like your supposed to do and didnt even come close to a ND.

Its quite the experience when you first get your LTC. All of a sudden I felt like every person within eyesight would see it and there would be some sort of issue with it. And that was even CC. Then I decided to open carry and thought for sure I would encounter peeps with a problem. So far, Nada. The only comment I had came when I walked into donut shop, there were 2 men sitting at table which put them at eye level with it. They of course saw it as I walked by and I heard one of them say, wow, look at that. I can only assume they meant me as there was nobody else in there except for workers behind the counter and I just kept along with my business. But that was it.

Didnt mean for it to turn into CC vs OC. Sorry. But yeah, I will gladly and confidently carry one in chamber from now on. And I aint exactly a spring chicken anymore either. My fighting days are a ways behind me now so I am sure I couldnt handle 2 attackers anymore. Luckily, the only time I had to deal with 2 at a time happened back in the good ol days when a guy took his rear woopin like a man. And I was in my prime so I could handle em. Not anymore. Chambered and ready if need be.

Skiprr wrote:

Bitter Clinger wrote:Except that the XD also has a grip safety!

And some have thumb safeties, as well.

Oh, and when holstering, I also don't recommend putting a thumb on the hammer of a 1911-style gun or any other pistol carried cocked-and-locked. Leave that hammer alone. Thumb-on-hammer would seem viable only for decocking pistols like the 92FS or 96G that are carried hammer-down.

Thats what I was thinking but I still consider myself novice with LTC procedures. But, leaving the hammer alone makes sense to me. I have been around guns my whole life but carrying one in public brings on extra thought, training and habits in order to do it safely. Not to mention liability.

Welcome Josh. You will find some good info here. I rotate my 2 EDC firearms and they both have a manual safety. I am partial to my Colt Defender Lightweight 9mm that has a thumb safety, and a grip safety. I just like the 1911 platform. My other is a Ruger LC9S 9mm which just has the thumb safety and is more easily concealed.

I know every one has to choose what firearm fits them best, but I dont like the idea of not having a manual safety. But thats just me. I have practiced many years utilizing a thumb safety and I'm confident that wont be an issue if ever needed. But who really knows? It just boils down to what you are comfortable with.

I can say the decision to carry one in the chamber took a while for me to reach that conclusion. If I hadnt of done my own assessment of different scenarios, I may have not changed my mind. I'm glad I did it and would encourage anybody else to do the same thing. It was easy and not scientific at all. I just made a mind set that anybody that gets close to me during the day might be a bad guy with a weapon. Its surprising how many people get "close" to you during the day. I did this any time in public. Stores, McDonalds, Convenient Stores, Donut shop, while pumping gas, even sitting at a red light. The list goes on an on.

In fact, one time while pumping gas, there were big stone columns that support the roof canopy. Not those little metal poles but rather larger 5'X5' stone columns. I have always been very aware of my surroundings and have done so for many years. But these large columns restricted my view and I didnt really think much of it. But out of the blue, a, hhmm, how can I say this politely? A "not-so-well-dressed man" asking for money approached me from around one of these columns. He was at me before I knew it. If his intentions were to harm me, there was no way I could have drawn and racked before it was hand to hand. No matter how vigilant, you just cant see em all.

I guess my work has a lot to do with it as well. I dont work in an office all day. I'm in Construction so I drive a lot to different jobs every day so I guess I'm pretty active in the public every day. I might not feel this way if I were in a large office all day, dunno.

vjallen75 wrote:

Mxrdad wrote:
My kids will touch anything within reach that they want to. I keep mine locked in a safe if it's not on me but I do empty the chamber just in case.

Mxrdad wrote:Maybe some newbies (like myself) can research this for themselves and possibly get something out of this?

Hey, I think your kids went to the same training school mine did! They can even reach stuff OUT of their reach! But I have that under control, they cant get to em when I get home.

C-dub wrote:

Mxrdad wrote:

cmgee67 wrote:I'm glad you decided to change! Like others have said just practice safety and be cautious and you will be just fine! I have always carried one in the chamber and never gave it much thought. I even converted a couple others that's the way to carry just by example and being consistent. After they saw nothing bad happened and guns just don't go off they realized it's ok. Stay safe!

It took a little while but I finally got it.

You didn't mention it, but may have also figured out that it may not be a time factor, but rather just the ability to rack the slide at all. What if you are actively fighting off the attacker with your off hand. Could you rack the slide one handed? Some can and practice this, but many do not and cannot. I do not practice it regularly, but can do it. I don't know about under stress, but then again, I carry with a round in the chamber and have since before my licensed first arrived about 14 years ago. I figured this out while carrying around the house getting ready for its arrival.

Yes sir, I did. Trying to rack the slide and fighting off an attacker does not sound attractive at all. And what if my weak hand gets injured making it even more difficult, or even impossible to rack? And the list goes on so nah, think I'll have it chambered.

Maybe some newbies (like myself) can research this for themselves and possibly get something out of this?

cmgee67 wrote:I'm glad you decided to change! Like others have said just practice safety and be cautious and you will be just fine! I have always carried one in the chamber and never gave it much thought. I even converted a couple others that's the way to carry just by example and being consistent. After they saw nothing bad happened and guns just don't go off they realized it's ok. Stay safe!

It took a little while but I finally got it.

allisji wrote:guns don't simply fire randomly. Just follow the four basic rules of gun safety, practice with your guns and know your equipment (holsters, etc) well and you will manage just fine. Also, if you have little ones at home, take care to secure your firearms well and keep them out of the wrong hands. With my kids, just putting them "high and out of reach" is not enough. My 4 year old will climb the cabinets and the refrigerator if he sees something he wants.

Agreed. And thats why I never carried like that. I was frightened to death my grandkids would somehow get a hold of it, but I have resolved that issue. Little kids always do things to surprise us. Even when you think youve seen it all, they surprise you again. They keep me on my toes not only with weapons but anything else I dont want them to fiddle with. LOL.

I have searched this forum and found many opinions on "one in the chamber". I have never carried with one chambered with the thought I would have enough time to rack it if need be. It became apparent that the general consensus is to carry one in chamber, not only here but at other reputable sites as well. So, I did some not-so-scientific, real life "testing" of my own. My "testing" consisted of things such as when I use a restroom in a fast food joint, or waiting in line at a convenient store, or walking to my vehicle etc. And when someone was either walking by me, or behind me, or whatever, I would then ask myself if that guy/girl wanted to rob/assault me, could I get my weapon out in time and rack it? The answer to every one of those occasions was easliy NO.

So I have changed the way I carry thanks to this great community and my very scientific research. I dont know if I would have ever considered carrying with one chambered if not for the views and opinions on here. So, thanks for the eye-opening. I learned that with the proper holster, and of course some range time, it just makes sense.

Thanks again.