Thread: People who carry: Keep a round chambered at all times or chamber empty?

Say if your job requires you to carry a handgun and there is a degree of risk every time you start your shift, do you keep a round chambered with the safety on so you can get that first round off faster in case a situation does arise, or do you keep your firearm not chambered with the safety off?

Im thinking you would keep a round chambered at all times, but was not entirely sure. Im always afraid that a round would go off into my leg if somehow the safety got clicked and there was enough pressure on the trigger, but on the other hand you could be dead before you chamber your first round if you don't get a fast one off. I was wondering what the professionals like police and soldiers do when they go out in the field.

My firearm is a Beretta M9, if that helps at all. And from this post you can probably tell I have no training in using a firearm for self-defense so go easy on the n00b.

I keep all my Semi Auto Hand guns in Condition 1. All the time.
Dave

One on the pipe, always. Revolvers always have one on the pipe and no safety and no one thinks twice.
M9s have a long & hard DA trigger pull. Should be ok.
There is a lot on NWFA on this topic. Brace for more coming your way.
Gotta run

On TV people are always cocking their weapons before a gun fight. Is that wrong?

















Kidding.

Always loaded, on my 1911 i was afraid of that too but ive never seen it happen if you have a proper holster. I do however check it from time to time just to make sure the safety is still on lol.

Matt

Here is my serious answer and one reason why...

Carrying A Gun Without A Round Chambered - YouTube

Here is the alternative answer...

Carry Condition Tactical Butterscotch - YouTube

If you are worried about a discharge carry it for a week with the hammer cocked, safety on, but on an empty chamber. It'll help build your confidence every time you take it off at night and see the hammer is still back and the safety still on.
I think one in the chamber is the best way to carry. If an attack is up close, fast, and violent as most are, chances are your weak side hand will be busy pushing the attacker away rather than racking the slide while he pounds on you.

I only put a round in the chamber if I think the situation I am entering needs it. For day to day life, I see the chance of accidental discharge outweighing the chance of an attack happening "close, fast, and violent". But I live in a relatively safe area.

Carry your weapon how it was designed to be carried.

In the movies that is for cinematic effect. If you are not going to carry one in the chamber, leave the gun at home. You wont get 50 takes to get it right. A shooting takes less time then it takes to read this post.

Originally Posted by Navvet

In the movies that is for cinematic effect. If you are not going to carry one in the chamber, leave the gun at home. You wont get 50 takes to get it right. A shooting takes less time then it takes to read this post.

I was kidding in my post, mostly as a comment on how stupid the "cinematic effect" stuff is. I mean, what the heck, you aren't chambering your weapon until the gun fight has started/the indians are flinging arrows, you are entering a house looking for bad guys/etc.?

I always have one in the chamber. You don't want to add steps, complexity, and take more time to have your weapon ready during a stressful situation.

One in the pipe and depending on the weapon 7 or 17 more in the mag. Carrying with an empty chamber out of fear of an negligent discharge is stupid and irrational. If you are that fearful, please, take a class and learn to handle a firearm safely. Even a 1911 won't go bang unintentionally with the safety off. Finger off trigger = safety.

I always find these threads interesting. I've been through a lot close situations (knives pulled on me, worked as a bouncer, bears encounters) in my life without a gun and still just don't feel the need to live with one in the chamber. But I also don't carry all the time. It's just the way I roll - if my time comes it will come regardless of how prepared I am.

When I first started carrying about a year ago, I went about 2 weeks in condition 3. When I finally realized that the trigger doesn't pull itself, like the news says it does, I've been very comfortable with one in the chamber. But yeah, if you're new to firearms and carrying, it can be fairly intimidating. Go a week or two just to get the feel for it.

Get the training...a Beretta 92FS is DA/SA; can't be carried in "condition one" (google it). One in the chamber with hammer down in DA; pretty safe but get familiar with its manual of arms. In SA mode it can't be put on safe as far as I am aware; the safety will de-cock it back to DA. With the right holster, I think you have to work pretty hard to get a negligent discharge in DA.

I treat every firearm as loaded... My pistol is in condition 1. I used to carry a 92 with one in the pipe and safety off at work and had no issues for years. All the LEOs that i know carry condition 1 as well. A good holster is a must though (this will cover the bang switch and possibly the hammer). I carry a sig 229 as my primary CCW. One in the pipe and no extra safeties. Practice and training will help overcome your doubts.
Stay safe,

I usually keep my pipe's chamber loaded with tobacco.

Originally Posted by PBinWA

I only put a round in the chamber if I think the situation I am entering needs it. For day to day life, I see the chance of accidental discharge outweighing the chance of an attack happening "close, fast, and violent". But I live in a relatively safe area.

What is your criteria for needing it or not? and why would you enter a situation where you needed your weapon? Avoidance is the first form of defense. I know even with a weapon I would never knowingly go in to a situation where there was an increased chance I had to defend myself.

That said, always one chambered with a top'd off mag.

I carry a Usp .40 with the safety off and the chamber empty. I find I can rack the slide quicker on the draw, but like double tap said I've never had the hammer drop on its own