Should Your Home Defense Weapon Be Loaded?

[BrandonQuixote]

So I'm curious. After the first shot or in a malfunction what will you do? If you don't feel capable of chambering a gun under stress, you probably need more training.

Well, after the first shot they don't immediately stop, i'd keep shooting them until they stop or cease to be a threat. If there's a malfunction ill work my fastest to clear it. I don't understand your point. I never even implied that I'm neither incapable or unwilling to chamber a gun under stress, I think doing fewer actions while at 130BPM, the better. Why put yourself in a situation where you're more likely to have to clear a malfunction, and the stakes of mucking it up are the absolutely highest? I get it that you're IDPA grandmaster and probably faster at your chambering, reloads and target transitions than we will ever be...but i'm sure even you don't start a stage (unless its scripted) on an empty chamber. You're right though, I haven't shot in two weeks and do need practice. Who here doesn't, though?

 

[BrandonQuixote]

lol Well, in all fairness, a job-title doesn't automatically mean you're "smart".

There are plenty of "dumb" doctors, lawyers and politicians. They might do well on an SAT, but suck at real life.

My favorite are prior service members who think just because they served, they have a gun degree.

 

[11Charlie]

lol Well, in all fairness, a job-title doesn't automatically mean you're "smart".

There are plenty of "dumb" doctors, lawyers and politicians. They might do well on an SAT, but suck at real life.

To each there own brother. I have trained with those patriotic Americans and trust me they are not dumb.

 

[bbbass]

Didn't the title ask should "your" home defense weapon be loaded? Not should mine?

There's a Stevie Winwood - Traffic song of about 11minutes that repeats over and over..."Do what you like"... maybe I'll insert it here.

This was fun... how soon do we get the "Ignore this thread" option?

 

[Kruel J]

Didn't the title ask should "your" home defense weapon be loaded? Not should mine?

There's a Stevie Winwood - Traffic song of about 11minutes that repeats over and over..."Do what you like"... maybe I'll insert it here.

This was fun... how soon do we get the "Ignore this thread" option?

I don't get it...

 

[bbbass]

I don't get it...

Lot's of comments arguing about how other members do their thing.... I'm just burned out on arguments right now... no biggie.

 

[bbbass]

Actually, it was Blind Faith... but he was also the lead man for Traffic... and the Spencer Davis Group before that, and many other groups

 

[Kruel J]

Lot's of comments arguing about how other members do their thing.... I'm just burned out on arguments right now... no biggie.

Gotcha. I'm burned out as well. But for other reasons.

 

[bbbass]

Gotcha. I'm burned out as well. But for other reasons.

I get it. Take good care Brother!!!

Sounds like the "Ignore thread" feature will be getting some use.

 

[ZigZagZeke]

My HD AR is loaded, 2x 30 rd mags with mag coupler.

CCW pistol on bed side table, full size pistol on battle belt under bedside table, next to armor.

Some of that will have to change with kiddos! Thinking concealed lockable safe inset into wall next to bed.

I have a pistol safe that I can open in the dark in less than 3 seconds. Inside are a 1911 .45 with 2 extra magazines and a compact 9mm with two extra magazines. I keep a loaded magazine in each. Because I have small children in the home I do not keep a round in the chamber. There's plenty of time to rack the slide in a wee hours intruder situation, and if some unthinkable combination of circumstances allows a little one to have access to one of those pieces at least they will have to rack the slide (something the 4 yo can't do) before they can do any harm.

 

[leadcounsel]

I have a pistol safe that I can open in the dark in less than 3 seconds. Inside are a 1911 .45 with 2 extra magazines and a compact 9mm with two extra magazines. I keep a loaded magazine in each. Because I have small children in the home I do not keep a round in the chamber. There's plenty of time to rack the slide in a wee hours intruder situation, and if some unthinkable combination of circumstances allows a little one to have access to one of those pieces at least they will have to rack the slide (something the 4 yo can't do) before they can do any harm.

Kudos for your extremely prudent and well reasoned approach that provides both a solid home defense strategy, along with multiple layers of nearly total risk mitigation from an AD/ND that hurts someone.

We need more of this well-reasoned approach, and less bravado in the gun community...

I'm not suggesting this is the best approach for everyone. Just tire of the same "an unloaded gun is a paperweight" mantra we constantly hear. I wish those folks would recognize the harm they do by ostracizing people who disagree... it's a sad reality that lots (hundreds of people) annually die or are injured from AD/ND from foolish behavior with loaded guns, which are generally guns stored in a loaded and unsafe manner.

The consequences are deep and wide. The loss of life impacts the loved ones. However, broadly, these incidents make the news and result in mandatory gun locks and safe storage laws, etc. that force us gun owners to comply under threat of punishment.

I've articulated how I maintain my guns. On body, they are loaded and chambered. Off body, they are all unloaded, except the few I keep loaded and unchambered for immediately home defense. Takes zero effort and minimal training - for which you really should be adept at for your weapons of choice - to chuck a round or rack a slide or drop an action closed... and if your gun is so poorly maintained as to have that cause a malfunction, that's an entirely separate issue.

 

[DB is Here]

I wish those folks would recognize the harm they do by ostracizing people who disagree...

Seems this occurs on both sides...but i digress.

 

[leadcounsel]

Seems this occurs on both sides...but i digress.

Seems to me, here, and on other forums and facebook and social media it goes like this:

The side promoting all chambered all the time denounces, mocks, and name-calls those who don't carry chambered all the time. Essentially, taking a position that if your gun isn't loaded, chambered, cocked and locked and ready to go, then you are wrong.

The side promoting logic and reason for situational loaded or unloaded or unchambered offers logic, reason, and examples of situations, facts and statistics, etc. This is a position I take and I congradulate ANYONE and EVERYONE who has taken the initiative to have a gun and ammo readily available whether it's loaded, chambered, or even totally unloaded with ammo readily accessible to be used (a mag can be inserted, and round chambered, in under 2 seconds).

As a reminder, the ****** US military has General Orders to keep our weapons unloaded and/or unchambered until going on a mission or imminently needed. Is the US military, the best trained in the world, wrong? Or mitigating risk of AD/ND?

 

[BrandonQuixote]

and if your gun is so poorly maintained as to have that cause a malfunction, that's an entirely separate issue.

More absolutism. Well maintained weapons malfunction too. Have you ever shot an STI without $100 tuned magazines? Hell, ever shot a 1911? People short stroke pumps on 870's all the time. People's sweaty hands from their nerves and elevated heart rate can cause a stove pipe with weak stroking. Implying your skill level precludes you from anything ever going wrong is farcical.

 

[leadcounsel]

View attachment 561074
More absolutism. Well maintained weapons malfunction too. Have you ever shot an STI without $100 tuned magazines? Hell, ever shot a 1911? People short stroke pumps on 870's all the time. People's sweaty hands from their nerves and elevated heart rate can cause a stove pipe with weak stroking. Implying your skill level precludes you from anything ever going wrong is farcical.

Acknowledged. And dismissed as extremely unlikely. You've painted an almost unrealistic scenario. Sweaty nervous hands can still "chu-chuck" and shotgun or "cha-chink" an AR, AK, or pistol. These are psychologically easier major muscle movements than small muscle movements of flicking off a safety, to be precise. But with adequate training, both are doable. And for "home invasions" people tend to have ample time for the 1 second this action takes. Can you even present 1 example of a person who died or was raped or whatever because s/he was unable to chamber a round?

You know what isn't unrealistic. The hundreds of dead or injured people - many children - who find a loaded gun and play with it, every year. Then it makes the news. Then politicians must "do something" and attack our 2A rights because of dumb mantra of people keeping unattended guns chambered.

I'm vehemently 100% pro-2A. I don't want mandatory storage laws. I want folks to be individually responsible and smart. The mantra of "all guns must be chambered" is dangerously ostracizing and stupid.

 

[BrandonQuixote]

logic, reason, and examples of situations, facts and statistics,

 

[leadcounsel]

The title of this thread is "HOME DEFENSE." Please stay on topic, as the "CARRY GUN" discussion is totally irrelevant. Try to follow along.

If you run a cash-heavy business with lots of foot traffic and a cash register, you're highly likely to suffer instant armed robbery and need NOW instant armed response. Those guns are generally kept on body, for instant draw and defense.

If you live in a home, a break in will take time, make noise, and the residents will have natural advantages of "home turf" and generally time to grab and chamber a gun. Those guns are generally in a drawer or on a shelf. If there are kids in the home, prudent to keep them unloaded for safety. Also, home invasions are super risky and of low reward for home invaders, so they are FAR more rare than cash rich instant score convenience stores. So, more rare, and higher risk for invaders, and residents have ample time to respond.

Not difficult concepts here.

 

[DB is Here]

The challenge I see in this thread is this:
"A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still"

To much berating the other and too little:
"Making a good argument"

Let's be excellent to each other.

 

[leadcounsel]

Let's be excellent to each other.

100% agreed.

 

[Frank RW]

Please stay on topic, as the "CARRY GUN" discussion is totally irrelevant. Try to follow along.

150 posts later, the conversation is likely to wander. Just as it would in any room full of people.

The thread really met it's design 100 posts ago.
... The answer is; "It depends."

Meanwhile, as long as the conversation is interesting and civil, we really don't need a traffic cop.