Poll: While carrying, is your chamber clear or locked and loaded?

[NoOne]

Yep, just a little tiny v-shaped notch similar to the detent used for ball/detent retention devices. Works so good, I did it to all my 1911's and have never had a problem since. Besides, I always believed that removing the safety should require a very deliberate, conscious movement, not something easily done without notice if you are under stress. The notch isn't so deep as to EVER interfere with the reliable operation of the safety, it just requires a more deliberate, hard push to take the weapon off safe.

 

[NoOne]

DR Drae,
I agree with your desire to be able to work the slide one handed. That is why the only part of my 1911's that is not de-horned is the rear sight. I want to be able to use the right angle in front of the rear sight to rack the slide if I ever need to do it one handed.
I have therefore stayed away from the rear sights that have the gentle slope to them.
Fortunately for me, Meprolight and Trijicon both offer night sights with the sharp right angle in front of the sight I want.

 

[BUZO71]

And don't just answer "yes", please be willing to share your experience so the rest of us can learn from it.
Also, answers about future possibilities and situations aren't necessary. We all know why we choose to carry.

I'm just curious as to how much of your opinions are based on your own experience, paranoia or character. Or something else?
Because, I've been carrying for 20 yrs and for a long time I only carried with one in the chamber.
How many times have I pulled my .45? Zero.
Nowadays I keep one chambered about 10% of the time. The rest of the time it's just a comfort.

Well, I lived in Killeen, Texas for a while (four years) and for a while lived in a crappy part of town. One night about two am, I got a knock at the door. I grabbed my G19 and went to the door. I pointed the Glock at the black male adult on the other side of the door as I answered. He was looking for "Fred." I told him he had the wrong place and he walked away.

Straight to my neighbor's window... through the window and inside the house. I called the police, he was arrested for burglary (My neighbor was in the field at the time).

Now if that guy decided my house was empty and came through that door like he did that other window or if he decided he was coming in anyway even if Fred WASN'T there, I would not have had time to rack a round (holding the gun in my weak hand and the door with my strong hand) and fight this guy off from coming in my house.

There ya go, real world reason to always be locked and cocked. BTW, the suspect was wanted for outstanding warrants including, if I remember right, robbery. *Interesting side note, the detective on that case was the first officer on scene after the Luby's massacre*

BTW, loaded or not, if you are not loading up the same way every time, you will have a problem when its time to earn your keep with that firearm.

Since you don't want LE/Military/Training stories, I'll leave it at that.

 

[hunterdad66]

Ready to go.

I would have to ask you if you mean while on the job or on my own time.

On the job, I ALWAYS have my gun loaded and ready to go. Drawn too many times to talk about.

On my own time, I had to pull it once for a domestic that I was witnessing. The couple was in a parking lot. The car door was open and she was sitting/laying in the front seat and he was standing outside of the car kicking her continuously. He was screaming at her and she was screaming help. I pulled up, ran over to them, drew down on him and identified myself. He stopped looked at me and followed every direction I gave him. I didn't have any cuffs with me but he was compliant thereon. I holstered and waited for uniforms to show up.

I never did talk to the woman. I would like to think that I really helped her out. I was there, I was concerned that there was an assault happening real time, I was armed, and I drew my gun because I had no idea what the man was capable of doing but based on what I had seen already, he was more than likely causing grevious bodily injury to that woman...Maybe I was next because I stepped in.

With the school shootings, mall shootings, anywhere shootings, I carry to protect my children!
That's why I carry.

 

[nx302stang]

one in the chamber, 13 in the mag... i think a gun is useless with out one in the pipe!

 

[NoOne]

An unloaded firearm is akin to an auto without gas in the tank, or an unsharpened knife. Fairly unable to accomplish their intended tasks until loaded, gassed up, sharpened.

As an aside, police often ask an armed person "Why are you carrying a gun?" The answer is simple, "For the same reason you (police) carry a gun." Duh!

 

[Rackir]

Seriously, I have a question for you guys that are cocked, locked and ready 24/7.
Let's be honest.
How many of you have personally (not read, heard about, saw, thought you saw, or dreamed up) actually used your weapon for self defense?
Or, at least, "personally" witnessed an instance.

I'm just curious as to how much of your opinions are based on your own experience, paranoia or character. Or something else?
Because, I've been carrying for 20 yrs and for a long time I only carried with one in the chamber.
How many times have I pulled my .45? Zero.
Nowadays I keep one chambered about 10% of the time. The rest of the time it's just a comfort.

Mind if I turn this around? Have you ever had an experience which made you thankful you didn’t have one in the chamber?
If so, was it really the round in the chamber that was the problem, or was it something else (not properly securing your firearm, allowing kids access, etc)

Yes, the overwhelming majority of CCW'ers will never use, nor even brandish their weapon. However, don’t we carry "just in case"? If that’s the case, why not carry in such a way that you are prepared to deal with the widest range of potential situations?

Carrying without one in the chamber is like slipping your seatbelt over your shoulder, but not latching it. Sure you might have the opportunity to latch it before the accident hurls you through the windshield, and you're not planning to get into an accident anyways, but why not go ahead and latch it? That way you are prepared for the widest range of potential situations.

All preparedness is paranoia, but we still lock our doors, wear our seatbelts and make sure our fire extinguishers are charged. A firearm is no different.

 

[dr drae]

Mind if I turn this around? Have you ever had an experience which made you thankful you didn’t have one in the chamber?
If so, was it really the round in the chamber that was the problem, or was it something else (not properly securing your firearm, allowing kids access, etc)

Yes, the overwhelming majority of CCW'ers will never use, nor even brandish their weapon. However, don’t we carry "just in case"? If that’s the case, why not carry in such a way that you are prepared to deal with the widest range of potential situations?

Carrying without one in the chamber is like slipping your seatbelt over your shoulder, but not latching it. Sure you might have the opportunity to latch it before the accident hurls you through the windshield, and you're not planning to get into an accident anyways, but why not go ahead and latch it? That way you are prepared for the widest range of potential situations.

All preparedness is paranoia, but we still lock our doors, wear our seatbelts and make sure our fire extinguishers are charged. A firearm is no different.

Very well said.

 

[Trlsmn]

Xd9 cocked and locked.

How do you lock an XD? Handcuffs?

 

[MikeIsh]

Practice is tantamount to gun safety, and being prepared for whatever the situation is.
I do carry with one in the chamber, for the reasons noted above.


I remember some one told me when you need a cop in seconds. One is only minutes away.

Why not have one in the chamber. You never put your finger on the trigger, until the muzzle is pointed at something you are willing to destroy.

 

[CharlesAFerg]

Ready to go.

I would have to ask you if you mean while on the job or on my own time.

On the job, I ALWAYS have my gun loaded and ready to go. Drawn too many times to talk about.

On my own time, I had to pull it once for a domestic that I was witnessing. The couple was in a parking lot. The car door was open and she was sitting/laying in the front seat and he was standing outside of the car kicking her continuously. He was screaming at her and she was screaming help. I pulled up, ran over to them, drew down on him and identified myself. He stopped looked at me and followed every direction I gave him. I didn't have any cuffs with me but he was compliant thereon. I holstered and waited for uniforms to show up.

I never did talk to the woman. I would like to think that I really helped her out. I was there, I was concerned that there was an assault happening real time, I was armed, and I drew my gun because I had no idea what the man was capable of doing but based on what I had seen already, he was more than likely causing grevious bodily injury to that woman...Maybe I was next because I stepped in.

With the school shootings, mall shootings, anywhere shootings, I carry to protect my children!
That's why I carry.

I'm assuming that you're not LEO, then may I ask how you identify yourself..?

Great story, an excellent example in fact.

 

[NWMoss]

Since you don't want LE/Military/Training stories, I'll leave it at that.

Actually, please go on

 

[hunterdad66]

I was LE then, but off duty.

 

[240kph]

Well, I lived in Killeen, Texas for a while (four years) and for a while lived in a crappy part of town. One night about two am, I got a knock at the door. I grabbed my G19 and went to the door. I pointed the Glock at the black male adult on the other side of the door as I answered. He was looking for "Fred." I told him he had the wrong place and he walked away.

Uh, so you opened the door with a gun pointing at someone before you had established the identity of the person on the other side? I agree it's a good idea to be ready to draw at a moment's notice, but seriously...

 

[BUZO71]

"Uh, so you opened the door with a gun pointing at someone before you had established the identity of the person on the other side? I agree it's a good idea to be ready to draw at a moment's notice, but seriously..."

Didn't bother me in the slightest..... the time in the morning (night), location.... Just because I had it pointed at him doesn't mean he's getting shot...

 

[240kph]

Didn't bother me in the slightest..... the time in the morning (night), location.... Just because I had it pointed at him doesn't mean he's getting shot...

Sure, but what if it fires accidentally and you kill someone who you don't know. It turned out to be a burglar in this case, but the next one might be some dude who's car broke down. 2am is not really that late for a lot of people. Plus, people tend to do crazy stuff when guns are pointed at them. Maybe better to hold it at your side rather than threaten to kill them (what you do by pointing a gun at someone).

-Steve

 

[Unka-Boo]

Sure, but what if it fires accidentally and you kill someone who you don't know.

You SSS and be on with your life.......



The way some of you guys act, you might want to find a new hobby......

Carrying a defensive pistol without a round in the chamber is like having the blast suit next to you as you try and disarm a bomb; sure it's there, but can you get to it fast enough?

 

[BUZO71]

Sure, but what if it fires accidentally and you kill someone who you don't know. It turned out to be a burglar in this case, but the next one might be some dude who's car broke down. 2am is not really that late for a lot of people. Plus, people tend to do crazy stuff when guns are pointed at them. Maybe better to hold it at your side rather than threaten to kill them (what you do by pointing a gun at someone).

-Steve

How does a gun "accidentally" fire? If its in your hand, your finger is out of the trigger.... ghosts? no, truth is, being prepared to use a firearm means sometimes being outside your comfort zone, ie pointing guns at people. And this guy never knew he had a gun pointed at him... it was on the other side of the door.

 

[240kph]

You SSS and be on with your life.......



The way some of you guys act, you might want to find a new hobby......

Carrying a defensive pistol without a round in the chamber is like having the blast suit next to you as you try and disarm a bomb; sure it's there, but can you get to it fast enough?

The way I act? I'm not talking about carrying with one in the chamber, I'm talking about that particular post he made about opening the door with his gun pointed at the person on the other side. Without any knowledge of who he was aiming at and no indication of threat. Also, please don't call this a hobby. Going to the range, hunting, building guns - those are hobbies. Carrying a weapon for the purpose of defense is about life and death.

 

[240kph]

How does a gun "accidentally" fire? If its in your hand, your finger is out of the trigger.... ghosts? no, truth is, being prepared to use a firearm means sometimes being outside your comfort zone, ie pointing guns at people. And this guy never knew he had a gun pointed at him... it was on the other side of the door.

They do, and have, mechanically fail. The way it was worded in your post made it sound like you popped open the door, aimed the gun at him, and said, "What do you want?"

-Steve