One in the chamber?

I was showing a friend my conceal carry choice and took out the magazine, unloaded the chamber & locked the slide back before handing it to them. His first comment to me, and mind you this guys is a CCW holder as well, was "wow, you have one in the chamber?!" My response, "yes, what's the point of carrying concealed if you aren't ready to use it at a moments notice...it's like having a car with no wheels...useless."

Does anyone carry without one in the chamber?

Always carry hot.

The example I give is its like having a hot rod with no engine. All show and no go..

We've had this thread before a few times. I think at least one or two people are converted each time.

A suggestion -

Have your friend put on a white t-shirt, load his magazine with snap caps, but don't load the chamber, then holster his weapon as he would normally.

You stand ready as the attacker, with a big red magic marker, cap off, ready to go.

Then, you attack him with the marker as quickly and "savagely" as you can, while he tries to draw his gun, rack the slide, and bring it to bear on you. Be sure to occupy/attack his hands/chest/face as much as you can.

Then stop and assess his "wounds", and the wisdom of carrying an unloaded gun.

rondog, good suggestion. To me it's akin to someone (maybe say my dad) saying "it's ok, I've got the pistol in the car." Well a whole lot of good that does you here inside the store. If it's not on you ready to go you may as well have left it at home.

Hand gun: one in chamber
Colt carbine: chamber empty
Benelli shotgun: chamber empty

Only at work, otherwise they are all ready to go.

2 in my Stevens' chambers [Flower]

Yep I carry a Glock and I carry with one in the chamber, my wife carries a Sig and does not but she is new to CCW, its only a matter of time and she will to.

Appendix carry with a round in the chamber makes me a bit nervous. Probably why I wouldn't carry that way.

Anyone who carries a handgun with an empty chamber is going to feel pretty silly when they are attacked suddenly an they have to fend off their attacker with one hand and draw their weapon and chamber a round with their other hand all while being stabbed in the neck and chest repeatedly.

Those cute little techniques where you can hook the rear sight on your belt or whatever to rack the slide won't play out so smoothly in a real work situation.

Bad things happen quickly. Best to have a weapon that can be deployed and used quickly with one hand if necessary.

I went through a 2 or 3 week period where I wasn't comfortable with carrying a cocked and locked 1911. Once I got over that I've carried everything chambered and ready to go.

Interesting scenerio... I think if you just want to draw on your buddy get him drunk and draw on his forehead with a permanent marker when he passes out.
It has been proven that if a knife attacker when within 21 feet and you have a holstered loaded gun... the knife still wins- Loaded or not.
That said a unloaded gun is like having an empty fire extinguisher... useless.

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Originally Posted by rondog

A suggestion -

Have your friend put on a white t-shirt, load his magazine with snap caps, but don't load the chamber, then holster his weapon as he would normally.

You stand ready as the attacker, with a big red magic marker, cap off, ready to go.

Then, you attack him with the marker as quickly and "savagely" as you can, while he tries to draw his gun, rack the slide, and bring it to bear on you. Be sure to occupy/attack his hands/chest/face as much as you can.

Then stop and assess his "wounds", and the wisdom of carrying an unloaded gun.

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Originally Posted by Irving

We've had this thread before a few times. I think at least one or two people are converted each time.

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http://www.ar-15.co/threads/102187-I...-in-arms-reach

I carry a Glock with one in the chamber - always!

You guys scare me with all this talk of loaded guns.. I carry hugs!

I carried with an empty chamber for a long while when I started. It was way more comfortable for me to build up a routine that way. Since I don't carry to work (and normally directly go between the office and home) I was pretty much only wearing it on weekends so I wasn't getting that daily reminder. The bottom line is that I know it was exactly the right way for me to go about it.

I also spend the majority of my time in low-risk areas and wasn't so overly concerned about needing it. I also kept myself VERY aware that the chamber was empty so I knew to take the necessary step in case of emergency.

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Originally Posted by ChuckNorris

I carry a Glock with one in the chamber - always!

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No you don't. Chuck Norris carries 2 matching 1911's. I'm calling you out. You're a fake!

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Originally Posted by rondog

A suggestion -

Have your friend put on a white t-shirt, load his magazine with snap caps, but don't load the chamber, then holster his weapon as he would normally.

You stand ready as the attacker, with a big red magic marker, cap off, ready to go.

Then, you attack him with the marker as quickly and "savagely" as you can, while he tries to draw his gun, rack the slide, and bring it to bear on you. Be sure to occupy/attack his hands/chest/face as much as you can.

Then stop and assess his "wounds", and the wisdom of carrying an unloaded gun.

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Cute scenario. What do you do with the marker when the friend understands you're inside the range for hand-to-hand and decides to first knee you in the junk and then swipe the barrel of the pistol through your dental work before racking the slide? Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good arguments for carrying with a chambered round but a lot of what I'm seeing here is specious nonsense equating carrying with empty chamber to walking around while all your ammo is locked up at home. I think the point you're driving at is that there are a handful of rare but significant scenarios where the carrier won't have time or ability to rack the slide and would be better off having one in chamber ready to go but you're not acknowledging that most of the time they will.

OP should be happy that his friend is carrying and ready to respond in a moment-and-a-half's notice rather than trying to make him feel like trash for not being ready at a moment's notice. What's more important is that he knows the drawbacks, is situationally aware and thinks ahead of time about what to do when faced with various scenarios.

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Originally Posted by ray1970

Appendix carry with a round in the chamber makes me a bit nervous. Probably why I wouldn't carry that way.

Anyone who carries a handgun with an empty chamber is going to feel pretty silly when they are attacked suddenly an they have to fend off their attacker with one hand and draw their weapon and chamber a round with their other hand all while being stabbed in the neck and chest repeatedly.

Those cute little techniques where you can hook the rear sight on your belt or whatever to rack the slide won't play out so smoothly in a real work situation.

Bad things happen quickly. Best to have a weapon that can be deployed and used quickly with one hand if necessary.

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If you don't trust a round in the chamber while appendix carry, you really shouldn't trust it any of the other ways either. Just my .02. I carry appendix, always one in the chamber.

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Originally Posted by spleify

Always carry hot.

The example I give is its like having a hot rod with no engine. All show and no go..

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Exactly!

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Originally Posted by Irving

We've had this thread before a few times. I think at least one or two people are converted each time.

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Otherwise, you shouldn't carry or serious reevaluate why you are.

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Originally Posted by rondog

A suggestion -

Have your friend put on a white t-shirt, load his magazine with snap caps, but don't load the chamber, then holster his weapon as he would normally.

You stand ready as the attacker, with a big red magic marker, cap off, ready to go.

Then, you attack him with the marker as quickly and "savagely" as you can, while he tries to draw his gun, rack the slide, and bring it to bear on you. Be sure to occupy/attack his hands/chest/face as much as you can.

Then stop and assess his "wounds", and the wisdom of carrying an unloaded gun.

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Love it!

gun is hot, i purposely carry a gun with a significant trigger pull, no safety, round in the mag, the trigger is stiff enough that if it were ever to go off it will be because i pulled the trigger and meant it.

I always keep mine in a holster regardless if it's in my waistband or not so as to prevent an unwanted trigger pull...the only time it's out of it's holster is when I store it in the safe.

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Originally Posted by rockhound

gun is hot, i purposely carry a gun with a significant trigger pull, no safety, round in the mag, the trigger is stiff enough that if it were ever to go off it will be because i pulled the trigger and meant it.

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Carrying without a round in the chamber is like driving around in your car without a seat belt on. Sure if you think you're going to get in a wreck you can just put your seatbelt on.

Another point of view: http://thinkinggunfighter.blogspot.c...ry-or-why.html

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Originally Posted by RCCrawler

Carrying without a round in the chamber is like driving around in your car without a seat belt on. Sure if you think you're going to get in a wreck you can just put your seatbelt on.

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Damn good analogy.

Locked, cocked, ready to rock. 1911A1

The only way to fly. (Western Airlines reference for those that remember)

You know, if someone needs a period of carrying with an empty chamber to acustom themselves to carrying a loaded gun. I'm not going to make fun of them.

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Originally Posted by spqrzilla

You know, if someone needs a period of carrying with an empty chamber to acustom themselves to carrying a loaded gun. I'm not going to make fun of them.

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Good to hear because we have to do what we are really comfortable with..... I normally keep an empty chamber but figure it's my choice and believe that if I were to venture into a very questionable area/vicinity, I'd just go ahead and chamber a round. The .45 auto in the night stand is also kept with an empty chamber as I do NOT want to risk having a "bad dream" and unconsciously grab the .45 and accidentally shoot my Mrs. Figure if I have to rack the slide back to chamber one, it'd hopefully wake me up enough to realize what I'm doing.
Over cautious - maybe but it's my choice.

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Originally Posted by BlasterBob

Good to hear because we have to do what we are really comfortable with..... I normally keep an empty chamber but figure it's my choice and believe that if I were to venture into a very questionable area/vicinity, I'd just go ahead and chamber a round. The .45 auto in the night stand is also kept with an empty chamber as I do NOT want to risk having a "bad dream" and unconsciously grab the .45 and accidentally shoot my Mrs. Figure if I have to rack the slide back to chamber one, it'd hopefully wake me up enough to realize what I'm doing.
Over cautious - maybe but it's my choice.

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I agree, it's your choice...the issue I have with your statement is if you chamber a round when you think you're entering a questionable area, you might as well always have it chambered or not carry at all. Chances are if any of us ever have to use our weapon, which I hope I never do, it'll be when we least expect it...not when you think it's a sketchy situation. But, that's the beauty of living in a free country, it's your choice...just not mine.

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Originally Posted by Sawin

No you don't. Chuck Norris carries 2 matching 1911's. I'm calling you out. You're a fake!

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Things have changed since I cut the beard off!
Gotta go with the times!

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Originally Posted by Irving

We've had this thread before a few times.

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ya'think?!

There are legit reasons to not have one in the chamber, but you must accept that fact that you are not ready for a quick draw situation

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Originally Posted by Shiro

There are legit reasons to not have one in the chamber

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Would love to hear them.

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Originally Posted by Shiro

There are legit reasons to not have one in the chamber, but you must accept that fact that you are not ready for a quick draw situation

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Originally Posted by kidicarus13

Would love to hear them.

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Like wise. Then again it's up to the individual gun owners comfort level.

As a disabled person, it's one less thing i need to react for / to.

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Originally Posted by jim

Like wise. Then again it's up to the individual gun owners comfort level.

As a disabled person, it's one less thing i need to react for / to.

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^^^ This. In a gunfight, time is money. Less movements/actions I have to do prior to getting hollow-headed friends on the way to the threat is always a good thing. [Awesom]

one in the chamber no safeties 3.5# trigger lighted springs etc

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Originally Posted by Aloha_Shooter

Cute scenario. What do you do with the marker when the friend understands you're inside the range for hand-to-hand and decides to first knee you in the junk and then swipe the barrel of the pistol through your dental work before racking the slide? Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good arguments for carrying with a chambered round but a lot of what I'm seeing here is specious nonsense equating carrying with empty chamber to walking around while all your ammo is locked up at home. I think the point you're driving at is that there are a handful of rare but significant scenarios where the carrier won't have time or ability to rack the slide and would be better off having one in chamber ready to go but you're not acknowledging that most of the time they will.

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Please come to the SouthNarc ECQC class next weekend. Any concept that you will have time to do much of anything will be deeply challenged.

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Originally Posted by Aloha_Shooter

Cute scenario. What do you do with the marker when the friend understands you're inside the range for hand-to-hand and decides to first knee you in the junk and then swipe the barrel of the pistol through your dental work before racking the slide? Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good arguments for carrying with a chambered round but a lot of what I'm seeing here is specious nonsense equating carrying with empty chamber to walking around while all your ammo is locked up at home. I think the point you're driving at is that there are a handful of rare but significant scenarios where the carrier won't have time or ability to rack the slide and would be better off having one in chamber ready to go but you're not acknowledging that most of the time they will.

OP should be happy that his friend is carrying and ready to respond in a moment-and-a-half's notice rather than trying to make him feel like trash for not being ready at a moment's notice. What's more important is that he knows the drawbacks, is situationally aware and thinks ahead of time about what to do when faced with various scenarios.

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It's amazing how fast an attacker can cover ground. Even if you know it's coming, getting your shirt/jacket pulled back, getting your grip, drawing your iron, racking the slide, takes more time than it does for an attacker to cover 21+ feet. If you could walk around with your iron in your hand, then maybe an empty chamber would make some sense.

But carrying concealed creates more actions and increases the time it takes to just get into position to defend ones self, much less rack the slide in addition.

I'm not attacking or making fun of anyone for carrying with an empty chamber. It just doesn't make sense to me.

The way I see it is this... carry however you please, but just know the positives and drawbacks of the different methods and conditions of carry. Personally, I carry and train how I did in the Army- inside the home, locked and loaded, round in chamber. Outside the home, locked and loaded round in chamber. Or like Police carry- you may not have time to take cover, draw, chamber a round, and defend yourself. But if you carry chamber empty, you may have trained to take that into account. If you haven't, you probably should. Train how you plan on fighting. Just keep in mind the time difference from training to real world situations can vary- you may be able to chamber a round in .3 sec at the range when the paper isn't shooting back at you, but IRL the added stress of being in possible mortal danger will make you react somewhat differently, especially if you don't train constantly. Be safe.

ETA: No one has mentioned this, but one would hope carrying concealed would afford you a little extra time due to the element of surprise- of course this depends on exactly what the situation is, may be very different for direct attack on your person or active shooter scenario, but even considering that, I, personally, wouldn't ever carry a firearm with an empty chamber.