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Dave2 wrote:

Excaliber wrote:To expand on that thought a bit, being uncomfortable about carrying a chambered round is a sure indication of one or more of the following:

1. Incomplete knowledge of exactly how the weapon operates
2. Lack of confidence in one's own ability to carry and operate it safely
3. A lack of understanding of the dynamics of deadly threat encounters

4. A lack of faith in the gun's ability to not fire without having the trigger pulled (but then I would argue that such guns are not suitable for defensive carrying)

Sigh.... I guess you're right. If I have any doubt at all about my firearm and/or my ability to use it safely, then I'd better just hang it up. It's a shame, really, but I guess it had to happen someday....

Of course, I'm the kind of person who finds it hard to have complete and absolute faith in anything I do at any given time....

Excaliber wrote: Carrying the gun without a chambered round before that point is reached is inadvisable because the skill to use it successfully for its intended purpose under the conditions of a life threatening incident will not be there.

In my opinion, it's better to address the issues rather than kidding oneself about what he actually has the capacity to do. Finding out one's skills won't cut it during an actual violent incident can ruin one's entire day - and every day afterwards.

I'm sure I won't know whether I have those actual skills unless/until I have to use them, and I don't want to ever think I'm truly "ready." Just as in flying, teaching, racing, there will always be CHL skills about which I'm uncomfortable. But I'm sure that's just me.

WildBill wrote:I think that others have met with much harsher responses for identical questions. Maybe we are becoming more compassionate and less judgemental in our old age.

Say it ain't so!!!

(But I think you're right.)

Folks, I request that you lighten up a bit. (I can't believe I just said that! )

I applaud the OP for asking the question. It shows serious (and appropriate) thought and concern.

Regarding the decocker: I agree you just need more time with the firearm (as you probably already know).

We two have carried for a while around home, unchambered, because we were very nervous about this whole new thing. We have since started to carry chambered, and are much more comfortable. Completely comfortable? No. Should we be? Not to my way of thinking. That's a piece of iron that has such a serious nature, not to be taken lightly. We have a responsibility to safety that relatively few can understand.

As some here know, we have a variety, from no-manual-safety to multiple-manual-safeties. Each has given us a slightly different pucker factor when first figuring it out.

We have lately come to realize what good holsters are, and now know how they help with feeling comfortably safe.

I believe a licensee should be comfortable enough, in their own circumstance, that they will carry. Their decision as to having to perform an extra action at the time of drawing, is completely theirs -- realize that the decision to carry is itself a huge change in thought patterns.

I'm not sure the "search" thing applies here. The tenor of this particular discussion seems to change; used to be (seemed to be) that the most important thing was that the licensee be comfortable and familiar with the firearm, otherwise they might not carry at all. You just can't "teach" this familiarity in a short course (last I knew, infantrymen were told to sleep with the rifle).

As always, the humble opinion of a relative newbie.