Does everyone carry with a round chambered?

[printcraft]

Modern gun, no reason not to carry chambered. Just do it.

I open carry once in awhile. I actually look for people to see if they notice I'm carrying. I find the majority of people don't even realize I have a firearm on my side. I'm not talking a mouse gun but my 10mm 5" 1911. Once in awhile you see someone take notice, but not very often.

There's a current INGO member (rhymes with cheapjammer) that thinks you are going to shoot up the place when he sees a open carrier and fondles his gun under the table watching you.

 

[Leadeye]

Why not carry the older revolvers half-cocked?

Not a lot of surface area on that notch in the hammer and it wears or breaks. Dave Lanara, an excellent Colt SAA resto guy, tig welds those back up to spec. He's never short of work.

That said, early Colt autos used that "safety" notch on the hammer. It was all you had back then in the day if you wanted to call it a safety at all.

 

[BehindBlueI's]

I open carry once in awhile. I actually look for people to see if they notice I'm carrying. I find the majority of people don't even realize I have a firearm on my side. I'm not talking a mouse gun but my 10mm 5" 1911. Once in awhile you see someone take notice, but not very often.

Serious question, what do you use to gauge if someone noticed you? I spot OC and sloppy CC pretty often but I don't then point and announce or try to start a conversation. I do the same cursory threat/no threat assessment and move on.

 

[BoilerWes]

No good reason to not carry a chambered round. I suppose if you train a lot unholstering, chambering a round, firing and find this efficient/effective…then go for it.

 

[Firehawk]

I first started carrying when my oldest kid was a baby/tot. I carried (Sig P238) on an empty chamber with safety on until I felt comfortable carrying with the family around and knew I had good habits of properly locking it up when I didn’t have it on me. Part of the early days struggle too was finding a good holster I wasn’t always fidgeting with. Now I carry “cocked and locked” with a Micro 9.

 

[jake blue]

Carrying a gun is a lot like when you first got your driving Learners permit. At first you are hyper aware of everything but as you gain confidence and comfort you relax but you must still be diligent in staying alert.

I'm not going to rehash this entire thread, repeating how carrying without One in the chamber makes it pretty much useless, but I will agree with CWframe that I don't think manual safety should be discounted but it should be trained to the point of being second nature. If the safety is on the side next to your trigger finger then it will be pretty easy to make it a fluid motion as your finger brushes down the side of the frame during your draw or even rests there until you consciously decide to move your trigger finger onto the trigger. I'm also not opposed to a thumb safety lever but I do see a few examples of scenarios where that could become a liability.

I would also add that it is a good idea to practice with your non-dominant hand occasionally because in the real world that could be the only one available to you. It doesn't hurt that I'm a lefty so reversible or ambidextrous control is a major factor in my gun shopping decision.

 

[Noble Sniper]

Good that you are so cautious…. Every gun owner should be. But take the suggestions and learn and be comfortable carrying on a loaded chamber….. a second could save your life or someone else’s…..

 

[armalitesheepdog]

I sure do. The bad guy doesn't want you to see it comming. You may not. Once you're sucker punched on in a head lock is no time to be clambering a round

 

[bcannon]

I always carry with one in the chamber. As many have echoed, time is of the essence and in a self defense sitch you/I don't want to burn any extra than needed.

 

[wtburnette]

Modern gun, no reason not to carry chambered. Just do it.



There's a current INGO member (rhymes with cheapjammer) that thinks you are going to shoot up the place when he sees a open carrier and fondles his gun under the table watching you.

One thing I've noticed is that people who are the most vociferous in their preaching of one particular way of doing something generally don't know nearly as much as they think they do. Carry openly, carry concealed or do whichever fits the situation, but JFC IMO.

 

[MCgrease08]

An old thread, now, but one I wrote after working yet another case of someone losing to bad guys because they carried on an empty chamber:

I am *begging* you, stop carrying on an empty chamber.

CARRYING ON AN EMPTY CHAMBER WILL GET YOU KILLED. Please, please, please stop doing this. Is it honestly better to carry no gun than carry a gun that's not ready to fight when you pull it. It will get you killed. IT WILL GET YOU KILLED. The bad guys will prevail because of the head start...

www.indianagunowners.com

That incident was an entangled gunfight where the good guy was killed with his gun out but empty chamber. If you can't bring yourself to carry chambered, go back to the revolver. Revolvers work and the reduced capacity is nowhere remotely near as likely to be a deciding factor as not having a functional weapon at the draw.

A lot of folks in that thread who aren't around much anymore, some by choice, some not.

A good trip down memory lane.

 

[Chewie]

Not having one in the chamber is kind of like having an empty fire extinguisher in the kitchen or shop and a charged fire extinguisher in the next room.

 

[BigRed]

I hate when I have to agree with BigRed

Train, train, train, and always have one ready to go. It’s like having a remote control with batteries next to it

The secret to a happy life?

Be more like BigRed!!!!

 

[Brad69]

Yell “Leroy Jenkins” and attack!

Oh and keep your weapon loaded they tend to work better that way.

 

[DadSmith]

Serious question, what do you use to gauge if someone noticed you? I spot OC and sloppy CC pretty often but I don't then point and announce or try to start a conversation. I do the same cursory threat/no threat assessment and move on.

They usually look directly at my firearm when they take notice. In small towns most don't care because it's an everyday occurrence around here. Most people are to occupied with whatever they are doing or their eyes glued to their cellphone to notice.


When I carry concealed I've never had anyone notice that I'm aware of. I'm good size and even duty size firearms disappear. I'm sure someone trained to spot it would like I spot others or suspect they are. I prefer concealed carry because what people don't know does not hurt them in this case.

 

[wcd]

Not having one in the chamber is kind of like having an empty fire extinguisher in the kitchen or shop and a charged fire extinguisher in the next room.

Yeah exactly might as well invite Murphy in at the worst moment possible. But to each their own.

 

[DadSmith]

Not a lot of surface area on that notch in the hammer and it wears or breaks. Dave Lanara, an excellent Colt SAA resto guy, tig welds those back up to spec. He's never short of work.

That said, early Colt autos used that "safety" notch on the hammer. It was all you had back then in the day if you wanted to call it a safety at all. View attachment 172749

I've wondered why people didn't carry half-cocked know I know.

 

[wcd]

Serious question, what do you use to gauge if someone noticed you? I spot OC and sloppy CC pretty often but I don't then point and announce or try to start a conversation. I do the same cursory threat/no threat assessment and move on.

Exactly it matters not to me what manner they elect to carry. Rather their actions will dictate an appropriate response. Most always it results in me shaking my head and moving on. Although I do often wonder what the guy with the too tight T shirt on that outlines his rolls and weapon is thinking?

 

[Sylvain]

The only time it's fine to carry with no round in the chamber is when you're carrying you're good old Makarov pistol, with a EFA-2K (self loading on the draw) holster.

 

[bwframe]

I trained a *lot* with a 1911 for years...

I did also. I think, if dedicated to the 1911 platform, the "thumb shelf" safety can be mastered. The problem comes when folks try to use their "gun rotation."

If you are gonna carry a 1911, you have to ONLY shoot and practice with it. The switching around is what bites folks. I was a dedicated 1911 carrier, only got stung after using training Glocks in FOF classes.

Like you, I moved away from the manual safety guns. Everyone had fits, when I sold all of my 1911s.