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View Full Version : If you carry a pistol, do you have a round chambered??



ENGR1371
05-23-08, 05:34 PM
For those of you that carry a pistol, do you have a round chambered?
I keep a round chambered, my personal choice! You have to be ready for the unexpected & when that time comes, there better be one in the pipe!
Police always have a round chambered, why shouldn't a Marine!
So, the question is this: Is there something wrong with keeping a round chambered?
It takes a second to take the safety off, it takes a lot more to cycle a round & by that time your foe has a few rounds pumped into you!

Semper Fi!

sparkie
05-23-08, 05:39 PM
Round chambered, on safe, and double action. Otherwise what good is it?

Just my opinion.

SkilletsUSMC
05-23-08, 05:52 PM
I carry Inside the waist Condition 1 with a glock 27. Can you say for certain that you will have both hands free should you NEED your pistol? No safety, no regrets. Safe weapons handing is 10X better than a mechanical safety.

It is rare, but when I carry my pistol in a bag or in my jacket, I carry condition 3.

jrhd97
05-23-08, 05:57 PM
Always carry with round chambered. Takes to much time to rack the slide when you realy need it.

BR34
05-23-08, 06:46 PM
Cocked and locked here. It's the way John Moses Browning designed my carry weapon, it's the way I'll carry it.

With an extra 10 rnd. mag, and 2 extra 8 rnd. mags. 35 rounds of "get back!".

Swampyankee
05-23-08, 07:24 PM
Since the decock mechanism is on most auto double actions now really no reason not to.

There was a question of one in the chamber with a .45 because theoretically a sharp blow to the back of the hammer could fire the round. But that was a Coast Guard thing and they were a little more skiddish about firearms then.

ssgtt32
05-23-08, 08:56 PM
I carry Ruger P95 no safety, just de-cocked option with no problems!

Quinbo
05-23-08, 09:20 PM
I enjoy hunting greatly and shooting people not at all. I am NRA and Marine Corps certified as a pistol instructor and firearms instructor. I have never owned a private pistol but do have many firearms designed for hunting. I do not disagree with anyone wanting to own and carry a pistol, as it is your right but I never have. A louisville slugger is my weapon of choice for household protection. Then again I grew up in the country and you had to make it past the hounds to get to the front door.

Swampyankee
05-23-08, 09:25 PM
Same with the Sigs we were issued, and the Astra I carried on the airlines when we did extradictions. Just decock and your locked. I still have my Astra, not a very large capacity mag but comfy in tight places. I had an AMT .45 made of stainless steel, the size of an overgrown .25. It was small but the weight made it a major pain to carry around.

thewookie
05-23-08, 09:42 PM
I would NEVER carry a weapon without a round chambered. What is the purpose? You should never carry it unless you feel you are committed to using it; under the right circumstances of course.

If you have to use it, your best odds are if you can eliminate any unnecessary or wasted steps in your presentation. Less time prepping your gun, and more time working the trigger while you acquire your sights on your target.

At most you should have to take the weapon off safe, and or cock the hammer before you begin your trigger pull, acquire your sights and hit your target.

**At HRP school (High Risk Personnel) we some experimenting with a man wielding a knife, coming at another man with a pistol holstered, anywhere from 7 - 10 yards. Each time, at either distance, the man wielding the knife (rubber of course) was able to close on the guy with the pistol holstered before the guy with the pistol was able to stop him.**

You ALWAYS have one in the pipe.

bucksgted
05-23-08, 10:26 PM
I always keep one in the pipe. My carry is a 9mm, DAO.

SlingerDun
05-24-08, 07:09 AM
A round ready to go can be a wreck waiting to happen ahorseback, especially on a snuffy animal in rough terrain. When they explode with speed and power sometimes good fellows lose digits in a flash or get crippled or worse, one in the chamber can add fuel to the fire. Ropes and tack can hang up on your weapon and jerk the hammer, or say you get pitched into a boulder field and light awkward on your shooter? Even a rough trot on a groomed trail would leave me feeling skittish.

Well i never thought much of it when i was green and pretty even though i heard oldies say 'theres a 1001 ways a rider can find himself in a jackpot and the next one wont be the same as the last. I seen a couple hundred wrecks now and many of them ugly, i believe 1001 is a bit conservative.

--->Dave

rb1651
05-24-08, 07:46 AM
Chambered and decocked. Just need to pull back the trigger and a .44 is ready to go down the chute.

yellowwing
05-24-08, 08:04 AM
Of course one chambered hot. I didn't know there was a second option. If you are "In Fear For Your Life" things are happening Really Fast.

BR34
05-24-08, 09:21 AM
Chambered and decocked. Just need to pull back the trigger and a .44 is ready to go down the chute.

What do you carry?

Finger
05-24-08, 10:31 AM
Decock or carry a Glock.

:)

S/F
Finger

yellowwing
05-24-08, 02:21 PM
Funny story. In Tennessee I was hired to help a man build a metal barn. After a few days of getting to know ya he told me he was originally from Texas. I asked him what kind of pistol do you have. "How do you know I have a pistol?", "Well you just told me you are from Texas!"

After lunch he brings out a slick 357 chromed beauty and we bust some caps. He starts to get a little upset because I am out shooting him with his own weapon. That's when I tell him about the Front Sight Post and chasing the bulls eye.

He corrects his aim and sight picture and starts nailing everything he points at. He's happy as hell with that basic USMC tip.

Jim Oliver
05-24-08, 03:15 PM
I always have a roundchambered, except when I carry a revolver. Then I let the hammed rest on an empty chamber and carry 5 rounds.

What's the point of carrying for personal protection if you're not ready to dance?

CplKJSpevak
05-24-08, 06:09 PM
Jim, I just got licensed my permit to carry and conceal in PA by my local Sheriff's office, I have a .357 revolver...I never thought of letting the hammer rest on an empty chamber and only carry 5 rounds....what's the safety advantage? hmmmm curious

SkilletsUSMC
05-24-08, 06:14 PM
SOME revolvers have been known to discharge if the hammer is struck externally. <br />
<br />
You could half cock the pistol. But I dont own or carry any revolvers.

CplKJSpevak
05-24-08, 06:18 PM
I was thinking maybe that was it...If that's the case it's a gamble of Be CAREFUL or come up one short in a gun fight....Actually, that' why I bought my boy a hammerless .38, and I've considered going with the shrouded hammer on my next S&W...

SkilletsUSMC
05-24-08, 06:19 PM
I think modern revolvers have fixed the problem, but for some old habits die hard!

ENGR1371
05-24-08, 06:52 PM
Jim, I just got licensed my permit to carry and conceal in PA by my local Sheriff's office, I have a .357 revolver...I never thought of letting the hammer rest on an empty chamber and only carry 5 rounds....what's the safety advantage? hmmmm curious

I really like the safety system on my new Taurus, if you drop it w/a round in the chamber it won't accidently go off! When the safety is on It actually has a "hammer block", it's pretty cool! It also has a child lock, I don't like that because you have to unload & load the pistol to turn it on with a key, and if you forget that the pistol is loaded or the hammer cocked you will ruin your pistol, so I keep it disengaged! My boy is grown so that's not a problem! I myself carry 15 round mag in my pistol itself & an extra 15 rounder in the pouch! You just never know! So, I carry 31 rounds w/me altogether! I'm a little heavy on the ammo but what the hey! Walk softly & carry a semi - auto pistol!(Filled w/ammo!)
Semper Fi!

montana
05-24-08, 07:45 PM
pack a 41 ruger mag with all 6 full..new rugers have safty misfire thingy that wont let the hammer hit the fireingpin lessen its full cock and finger pulling trigger..i also use old styel calvery...

Quinbo
05-24-08, 07:46 PM
Jim, I just got licensed my permit to carry and conceal in PA by my local Sheriff's office, I have a .357 revolver...I never thought of letting the hammer rest on an empty chamber and only carry 5 rounds....what's the safety advantage? hmmmm curious

A double action pistol revolver will roll to the next chamber when the trigger is pulled so resting the hammer on an empty chamber is moot and much safer way to carry. The only downside is that you are only carrying 5 rounds loaded. An expert with a pistol can put a round between the upper lip and below the nasal passages. That gun fight will end before you even worry that you only have 5 rounds.

CplKJSpevak
05-24-08, 08:02 PM
Well Sgt. an individual with that kind of talent probably won't try to carjack me!:).......the folks that concern me, shoot with their palms facing the ground.

Jim Oliver
05-24-08, 09:04 PM
CplK, <br />
<br />
It is a safety issue. If, by some chance, you dropped a revolver carrying 6 rounds it could discharge. That is if the hammer hits first. <br />
<br />
One of the most famous lawmen in the west had...

sgtjimh
05-25-08, 07:46 PM
round in the chamber, hammer back and slide lock on. The action of drawing the pistol includes wiping the slide lock off with the thumb as the weapon comes up to the target. I carry a 1911 (one of three) on a daily basis and I am very comfortable with this method. Having carried a 1911 for 40+ years now adds a lot to the comfort factor. Semper Fi

Quinbo
05-26-08, 08:10 PM
As I do not carry a personal sidearm I can only speculate and offer conjecture. Marine Corps training we carried semi auto pistols .45 or 9mm with an empty chamber. The act of drawing, pulling the slide to the year (thus cocking the weapon) then acquiring a target; became so natural that there was nearly nothing to be gained by already having a round in the chamber. Muscle memory would almost guarentee that the round in the chamber would be ejected upon draw. That is how we trained ... draw slide aim fire. There was never the sound of the hammer falling on an empty chamber unless the round itself was a dud.

Now it could be argued that having one in the chamber and a full magazine gains you one additional round in a gun fight. I don't have a good argument against that.

Jim Oliver
05-26-08, 08:17 PM
I recently watched a training video produced by the Navy.

It showed sentries going on duty with one in the pipe.

I don't remember going on duty with a round chambered.

I do now because things happen so fast, and it has been so long since I really practiced drawing, chambering etc. that I don't trust myself to be as quick as I used to be.

With a weapon like the .45 or the 9mm, I don't see much of a problem.

Revolvers are different to my mind. But, then again, I only play with older revolvers (WWI) and the newer ones might be different. That seems to be true from what I've read on some of the posts.

Swampyankee
05-26-08, 08:37 PM
When I started at the dept. I was with we had .38's and I was told in no uncertain terms that, this isn't the wild west, you will have 6 rounds in your pistol at all times. I know from shooting a 44 black powder pistol that 5 rounds in the pistol started with those types of revolvers, where a capped chamber could easily fire if the hammer receives a blow. But with a double action I don't think the hammer can move foward under a blow because of the double action mechanism. I think the hammer is locked in its place by the action's mechanisms. I am only guessing at this, I'm not a fan of revolvers myself.

E5NAMKROW
05-27-08, 05:34 PM
one in the chamber.

FistFu68
05-27-08, 06:04 PM
:evilgrin: MY DEER HUNTING 44MAG.SMITH 629 ALMOST 8",I CARRY FULLY LOADED SIX IN.PLUS I CAN NAIL A WATERMELLON WITH THAT BAD BOY AT OVER A 100 YRD'S.MY 45ACP. I CARRY AT THE SAME TIME CONCEALED,4 THE TWO LEGGED VARMITS,ONE UP THE SNOOT. :evilgrin: :iwo:

pablox1139
05-27-08, 06:07 PM
Empty chamber...full casket!

dupa
08-16-08, 02:18 PM
I've been going around this problem for years. Once it gets in your head it's hard to get out. Iwent so far as to get rid of my Glock.First i carried cold and used the Isreali draw, then i traded to Springfield Xd-40.Now i think i found the perfect answer. The Para-Ordnacne Carry-12 LDA. it's 1911 style with 12 rounds double stacked .45acp with the sweetest double action trigger pull i've ever used. You carry cocked and locked, but the hammer is down. If you carry concealed, i would strongly suggest you try this gun. oorah!

FistFu68
08-16-08, 03:02 PM
:evilgrin: WHEN I RIDE MY IRON PONY,THROUGH THE ALLEY WAY'S OF CHICAGO;JUST LOOKING 4 WHATEVER COMES MY WAY.I CARRY MY MAC.10,UNDER MY PLAID SHIRT;MADE A BIGG CITY JUNGLE SLING OUTTA BRAIDED PARACHUTE CORD.CARRY 4 EXTRA STIC MAG'S CASE I RUN INTO SOME CHIT IN MY SADDLE BAG'S!!!:scared: :iwo:

OLE SARG
08-16-08, 09:14 PM
I always have a roundchambered, except when I carry a revolver. Then I let the hammed rest on an empty chamber and carry 5 rounds.

What's the point of carrying for personal protection if you're not ready to dance?

Jim, I strongly agree with your second paragraph!!!!!! I hear a lot of people talk about carrying their weapons unloaded--------I can't see going to a gun fight with an empty weapon.

I have three Glocks and I carry all of them, when carrying concealed, FULLY loaded (one in chamber) and have the regular law enforcement magazines (15 rounds) or the big one that holds 29 rounds!!!!!!! I also have a couple .357's, a 44 Special, a 38 special (revolvers) and a couple of KelTec semi-autos (9mm and 380). Plus got a Cobray M11 with a couple of the 30 round magazines. The Cobray is more for plinking because I can't hit the side of a barn with it (but as my Grandson says, it looks cool Grandpa).

SEMPER FI,

rsharetts
08-16-08, 10:14 PM
The only time I ever carried a weapon without a round in the chamber was in the MP's. Five rounds in the mag none in the chamber. After I got into CID we carried S&W with 6 rounds (if I didn't trust the safety features I wouldn't carry it). Later I served in the Office of Special Investigation, initially we were armed with compact 1911A1's. Policy was, round in the chamber weapon in half cock, which was how I carried my 45 in 'Nam. We later went to Berettas, and then Sigs, always with a round in the tube.

:usmc:OOHRAH:usmc:

CBS
08-17-08, 08:56 AM
I missed you stating in what enviroment would / should you chamber a round ?

In combat, without a doubt....chamber it. In Malls, no way ! In back streets and bars..........chamber it ! Depends where you are located. Safety states no way
but whose safety is it ?

SF.........>Chuck

jrhd97
08-17-08, 09:01 AM
It doesn't matter where I am. When it is concealed nobody knows I have it so no biggy. With the factory set 8 lbs trigger pull, I never modified it just got used to it, nobody is going to fire it by accident.
Safety is me, the carrier and my trigger finger. So there is one in the chamber every time I carry. So is the old ladies.

OLE SARG
08-17-08, 11:49 AM
I missed you stating in what enviroment would / should you chamber a round ?

In combat, without a doubt....chamber it. In Malls, no way ! In back streets and bars..........chamber it ! Depends where you are located. Safety states no way
but whose safety is it ?

SF.........>Chuck

Chuck, In some areas of Kansas City the term "combat" applies!!!!!!! As stated previously, I carry cocked, locked, and ready to roll!!!! HE HE

SEMPER FI,

crate78
08-18-08, 10:54 AM
Ole Sarge, are you a law officer? If not, why do you go into those areas of Kansas City unless your job requires it?

BTW, the same applies to Omaha. Anyone who voluntarily drives through the Ames Avenue and State Street areas in North Omaha needs to have their head examined. I personally don't need to complicate my life by plugging some dork just because I decided of my own free will to tempt the fates.

crate

OLE SARG
08-18-08, 11:24 AM
Crate.
Am retired law enforcement. I work parttime as a government contract security officer and my job, at times, requires me to drive through, and work, in some undesireable areas of Kansas City. No, I don't, as you stated, tempt the fates!!!!!!!!
But, in Kansas City, you don't have to be in "undesireable" areas. Just the other day a lady was attacked by four (4) young punkasses and they TRIED to carjack her BMW at a mall in Overland Park, Ks (suburb of KC). They fired a couple rounds at her vehicle BUT she locked her doors and rammed their "stolen" vehicle a couple times before the punks ran away. AND a couple months ago a lady in a shopping mall just North of where I live had a couple punkasses take her car.
I offen think why can't these punkasses try this **** on someone CARRYING?????? Because they are ****ing cowards!!!!

SEMPER FI BROTHER,

awbrown1462
08-18-08, 01:53 PM
I was D.O.A. Guard, Us and the Army M.P.'s did not carry one in the chamber, hated that, someone drives up to the gate and pulls a gun what do you do say wait till I load mine please

crate78
08-18-08, 03:18 PM
Didn't mean any offense, Sarge, and I hope you didn't take any. I was just curious 'cause I'm not that far from KC.

I had a job once as an outside salesman for an auto parts company. I had an account I called on at 52nd and Ames in Omaha. At various times, there was a gal shot in a Goodrich Dairy store a block west, (a dairy store, for Pete's sake!) a station attendant shot in a service station a block south, etc.

Another salesman of ours set up an account at 42nd and Bedford, right in the worst part of Omaha, and then wanted me to service the account. I told him if he wanted to do business in that part of town to have at it, but leave me out of it. When he'd make a sales call, he'd lock his van in front of the place, knock on the door, someone would look out of a peephole and unlock the door. When he went in, they'd lock the door behind him. Then reverse the process on the way out and he'd hope his van was still there.

In my current job as an insurance inspector, I get into some shaky areas, but the company has a written policy against an inspector having a firearm on his person or in his vehicle while on the job. But---I can refuse any situation if I don't like the looks of it.

tripledog
08-18-08, 06:12 PM
If I ever meet up with another person and he has a pistol, I hope to hell he doesnt have one chambered. I do. I win.

FistFu68
08-18-08, 06:50 PM
:evilgrin: YOU USUALLY RUN INTO THE CHIT WHEN LEAST EXPECTED,SATAN LOVES CATCHING US WITH OUR GUARD DOWN.NO MATTER WHAT PART OF TOWN.IF YOU'R IN THE WORST PART OF TOWN THUG'S KNOW YOU ARE FRIGGING CRAZY 4BEING THERE;SO THEY ARE VERY HESITANT BECAUSE THEY KNOW YOU ARE PACKING!!!I AM ARE YOU??? :scared: :iwo: