keep one in the chamber or not?

[dieselrealtor]

My wife is going to be carrying an LCP or P-3AT (may consider other options depending on feedback) in her CC purse.
We are a little conflicted on weather or not to leave the chamber empty, have some small children .

Opinions?

 

[Irishcs05]

It's really up to you

With kids, it makes the decision a little tough. No matter what you decide, make sure she practices her draw so she is comfortable with it if needed.

 

[Indy_Guy_77]

In my opinion, a gun carried without one in the chamber, especially one that's carried off-body, is rather useless.

Chamber a round. Put the pistol in a good holster. Secure the package well within the purse.

Secure the purse (or remove the holstered pistol and secure it) when she's home.

-J-

 

[45pro]

Educate Educate Educate! make sure they know what it is and what it can do. The best thing you can do is teach them gun safety. With that out of the way, IMO a gun with nothing in the chamber is a paper weight. If your wife is gonna need it, shes gonna need it now, i'm sure she will be shaking enough if a situation arrises, the less things she needs to do to make the gun go bang the better...



ps. i'd go with the LCP

 

[LPMan59]

always with one in the chamber. my glock is sitting in its holster ready to go at all times.

 

[ATOMonkey]

If she isn't carrying her purse, she should make the weapon safe. If she's carrying her purse, then she is in direct control of who is touching her weapon.

Otherwise, make sure it's ready to rock. She likely won't be able to chamber a round while a goon is assaulting her.

 

[Cam]

Hate to use the same old cliches, but they are true. Gun is nothing more than an object to throw or hit with if a round is not in the chamber. My wife went through the same thoughts you are describing. She, after carrying hers around for a while unchambered, changed her mind on the topic after doing some simple "real world" (as real world as you can get at the range) quick draw and shoot drills. She immediately saw how much faster even my 14 year old had 2 or 3 rounds downrange before she had a round chambered.

I firmly believe that if you involve the kids, especially the boys, they will learn valuable lessons that will keep them from killing themselves or someone else by not knowing how the firearm is operated. Now, I don't have any disillusions that my kids "know not to go into my bedroom and mess with stuff", or "If they are with their buddies and someone comes across a gun they will not touch it and go tell an adult". I KNOW they will pick it up and mess with it, they are kids. BUT, my hope is that by involving them as much as I can that some of the "fascination with the shiny object" will be lessoned and they will at least know how to make the gun safe but knowing how to make sure it is unloaded and have safer handling practices than kids who are new to firearms.

Sorry for the wordy reply. Not sure if it helps, but there you go!

 

[railbug]

i agree with education but kids are always into something, I was taught as a small kid never to get into my moms purse. To this day if I need something from a purse I take it to the owner and ask them to retrieve it.

 

[iamaclone45]

In my opinion, a gun carried without one in the chamber, especially one that's carried off-body, is rather useless.

Chamber a round. Put the pistol in a good holster. Secure the package well within the purse.

Secure the purse (or remove the holstered pistol and secure it) when she's home.

-J-

+1 No point in carrying a firearm without one in the chamber. Might as well carry a club, of pepper spray, or a taser.

YouTube - Should You Carry A Round In The Chamber?

 

[OD*]

keep one in the chamber or not?

Of course. I carry enough junk everyday, I don't need to carry what is essentially a rock.

 

[KillStick]

+1 No point in carrying a firearm without one in the chamber. Might as well carry a club, of pepper spray, or a taser.

YouTube - Should You Carry A Round In The Chamber?

That is a pretty good video, I have not seen it before. Thank you for sharing.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

If you are concerned because of having children. Have her make it safe when she gets home. If she is going to leave, have her make it hot. To me carrying a gun without one in the chamber is pointless. When the adrenaline starts pumping and you get tunnel vision. Having too chamber a round is one more step, that could mean the difference between life and death. That's my personal opinion. I want to draw ready to fight.

 

[HICKMAN]

If you are concerned because of having children. Have her make it safe when she gets home. If she is going to leave, have her make it hot.

If by "make safe" you mean put in a safe or locked container, agreed, but not if you mean unloading it.

The more you mess with it, the more you increase chances of an AD/ND.

Load it and leave it in the holster.

Besides, the more you rack a round in the chamber, the more likely you are to set the bullet farther in the brass.

 

[E5RANGER375]

carrying without a chambered round will get you killed. if your gonna do it you are better off just not carrying a gun or using a knife instead, because your attacker is probably ginna use your own gun on you. If you had some training you would never ask that question, so I recommend you get training. what does it matter tha you have children? are you gonna let them play with the gun? if not then it doesnt matter. You should keep unloaded guns away from your kids too unless they are being supervised and taught.

my opinions. but people who think they are gonna have time to draw, rack and shoot in a self defense situation have been watching too much TV. most attacks are over in just afew seconds, like 2 or 3.

OP im not trying to flame you, I do resp ect you for having the balls to ask your question. please just get some training and then you will KNOW the right answer on your own. and every gun has a safety .... its called the trigger. dont press if you dont want a boom.

 

[WebSnyper]

If by "make safe" you mean put in a safe or locked container, agreed, but not if you mean unloading it.

The more you mess with it, the more you increase chances of an AD/ND.

Load it and leave it in the holster.

Besides, the more you rack a round in the chamber, the more likely you are to set the bullet farther in the brass.

I agree with this, and its my practice as I have children in the house as well.

Also as others have stated, get a good holster that properly covers the trigger, and don't leave it floating around in the purse where other objects can come in contact with the trigger.

 

[marine4life]

Practice, preparation, and performance. Unless you practice quick draw punch and pull technique. Too many variables when you carry unchambered. Believe when I say the assailant has one in the hole and ready to go. That split second you take to rack one in, is your life flashing by. Never pull the weapon unless your gonna fire it. And then be damn sure you can validate your extreme actions. Or you become another criminal with a gun as the jury will see it.

 

[pudly]

I started off without one chambered. As I got more comfortable with shooting and my firearm and thought about the difficulties of racking the slide while actively being attacked, I switched. If she is new to firearms, she might end up taking the same route. The earlier comments about education, holsters, and educating kids are all correct.

 

[trnsplntfrmohio]

get a nylon holster DESIGNED to fit the weapon, and sew it into her purse

 

[grimor]

I recently learned that "keeping on in the chamber" makes you a terrorist...

 

[brotherbill3]

My wife should have her LTCH any day. She will probably purse carry in a true CC holster purse, not just in any old purse (its her way to get more purses I think ) anyway ... She has the same concern; but the main thing was manual safety or no manual safety. ... she is looking probably at a G19 or G26 ... but would really like a manual safety. There is no point in having it w/o one in the chamber. ...

she's still weighing her options ...