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

[Brutus57]

I keep my Makarov 380 with a clear tube. But my preferred carry is the P345 and that has a chambered round.

Brutus Out

 

[gaijinsamurai]

Glock 19 with loaded magazine and a round in the chamber. That's how I've been trained, and it makes sense.

 

[P7M13]

CZ-75 in open carry - cocked, locked, ready to rock.

 

[Mark W.]

What goes around comes around. All of my merry go round is full. I can pull the trigger or I can cock the hammer and pull the trigger. Either way a ball is heading down range

 

[Trailboss]

Goudy: Now is it not true that you sprang up on old man Wharton and his two sons with a deadly, six shot revolver in your hand?

Rooster Cogburn: I always try to be ready.

Goudy: Was this revolver loaded and cocked?

Rooster Cogburn: Well, a gun that's unloaded and cocked ain't good for nothin'.

 

[Bam]

I never understood why someone would carry without a round chambered, you're giving the other guy an advantage. All they have to do is point and pull the trigger; you have to draw, chamber a round, aim, and the pull trigger.

If you think carrying with a round chambered is a safety issue... you probably shouldn't even be carrying, it is obvious you're not ready.

 

[soberups]

1 in the chamber? Heck, I have 5 in the chamber! Ruger LCR .38 +P, no safety to worry about, no jamming to worry about, just point and pull.

 

[oknow]

food for thought: what says you will have your other hand to rake the slide? how many people that carry with the chamber empty practice with racking the slide with only 1 hand??? also even fore people that carry one in the chamber.

didn't see your post until after posting this dr drae

 

[Will]

I always go with one in the pipe....way too many things to do in that split second of time, racking the slide shouldn't be one of them as I see it.

 

[Yamahamottox]

I carry loaded however I think it's better to have a firearm available than not one at all. If carrying unchambered is the only way you'll leave the house with your firearm why not?

 

[John Gault]

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

My chamber is always "clear" of dust bunnies and "loaded' with Lead in the pipe.

 

[DedPyro]

To me, the phrase "Cocked and Locked" are words of inspiration.
That being said, if you are at all concerned, the route I went was a DA/SA pistol (Walther P99 AS). That way your first trigger pull is heavy and deliberate but all the rest are short and crisp. HK, Taurus PTseries, Sig Sauer and a lot of polymer pistols with a hammer. The P99 AS is the only striker fired pistol that is DA/SA not to mention comfy as hell
Be safe, stay aware...

 

[GOG]

I carry a 1911 in Condition One as it was designed to be carried.

 

[jordanka16]

Always with a round in the chamber.

 

[oregon101]

A round in the barrel.

 

[RBid]

The P99 AS is the only striker fired pistol that is DA/SA

Not really. In addition to the Magnum Research MR9/MR40 (P99 AS clones), Taurus makes some striker fired actions that mimic DA/SA.

The P99 AS is the best of the lot, by a very wide margin

 

[BigStick]

I was shocked by how many people have answered this poll saying their chamber is empty. It may have made sense with a SAA, where it was a mechanical safety issue, but if I need to pull my gun, I want it to be ready to shoot.

 

[JBlack02187]

I personally keep a round in the chamber. My question is this though. If you carry, all day, everyday, is it going to wear out the striker spring to have it always in a "cocked" position. I have an XD and the striker pin is always back. If I always have my magazines loaded to full and have the pistol in the cocked position, will this wear out the springs or am I just too paranoid? I know I can replace the springs in the magazines and the striker spring, but just something I was thinking about.

 

[swoop]

I personally keep a round in the chamber. My question is this though. If you carry, all day, everyday, is it going to wear out the striker spring to have it always in a "cocked" position. I have an XD and the striker pin is always back. If I always have my magazines loaded to full and have the pistol in the cocked position, will this wear out the springs or am I just too paranoid? I know I can replace the springs in the magazines and the striker spring, but just something I was thinking about.

You're fine keeping your XD cocked and mags loaded. Nothing to worry about.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

Loaded mag in, one in the chamber, hammer down and safety on.