How do you CCW? (Poll)

[Irving]

I had to vote for chambered with safety on since there wasn't an option to reflect not having a safety at all.


I carry an M&P compact chambered. Since all my holsters cover the trigger, I've never worried about it. However, just yesterday I got my spare kydex holster for my CZ 75B to put onto my Spartan holster. I was honestly pretty nervous about putting the CZ in there because I've never before holstered a gun with an active safety.

What I ended up doing is using the gun completely unloaded and play around with the holster. Cock and lock it, then put it in the holster and draw it out a bunch of time. I was so nervous because I wasn't sure how the safety would react to being holstered and drawn while pressing up against the leather of the holster the whole time. After holstering and drawing it for about an hour, I was ready to load it up and try it that way. So far it hasn't gone off and shot anything/anyone.


Now, let's talk about why people want you to keep your gun chambered. Several people have already mentioned being ready to go immediately. Sometimes you'll hear people remind you that sometimes seconds count, which is true, but I like to think of it in a little different way. First of all, time DOES count. If someone is so far away from you that you have time to draw AND chamber the pistol, then I would argue that they are far enough way that you shouldn't be drawing in the first place. The examples that I think work the best to convince people, is to remind them that actual self-defense shootings often happen in very close proximity. Have you considered that your weak hand might be occupied with something else?

Maybe your holding a door open.
Maybe you will be holding a child in your arms.
Maybe you'll be pulling your wife behind you.
Maybe your first alert to a problem is when a guy pops out from behind a wall and cracks you in the elbow with a baseball bat.
Maybe a guy rushed you and you are holding him away from you at arms length.
Maybe you're on your back and stiff arming the bad guy with your arm is the only thing stopping him from choking you to death.
Maybe you're in a really bad spot, or a particularly awkward situation and are either hanging off the edge of something, or climbing a ladder or something.

Go back through this list and consider how you would chamber your pistol in each of these scenarios. There are certainly alternative ways to chamber a pistol; the heel of your shoe, the top of your belt, your steering wheel, the tree your using for cover, your teeth if you are desperate enough and your gun is small enough. I encourage you to try every single one of these though, because none of them are easy.

This is a great thread to start, because everyone who contributes can get you to think of other ideas and scenarios that you may not have considered on your own.

[TFOGGER]

My instructor for CCW recommended chambered, and either decocked on a DA, DAO/revolver, or safety on on a single action auto. His reasoning was that you may not have time to rack the slide, bring your weapon on target, and decide shoot/no shoot. I liken carrying an unchambered weapon for defense to having a fire extinguisher that only needs to be charged with nitrogen to be usable. Neither is the best choice in a true emergency.

[Batteriesnare]

Glock 27 with round chambered, no safety.

[gnihcraes]

um.

All the charge holes filled.

I guess as earplug said...

safety off the trigger until I put it there...

[pickenup]

Depends on what I am carrying.
Do I want 8 rounds or 13 rounds today?

Either a SIG, chambered, hammer down. There is no safety.
Or an H&K, chambered, hammer down, safety off.

[G19man]

I had to vote for chambered with safety on since there wasn't an option to reflect not having a safety at all.


I carry an M&P compact chambered. Since all my holsters cover the trigger, I've never worried about it. However, just yesterday I got my spare kydex holster for my CZ 75B to put onto my Spartan holster. I was honestly pretty nervous about putting the CZ in there because I've never before holstered a gun with an active safety.

What I ended up doing is using the gun completely unloaded and play around with the holster. Cock and lock it, then put it in the holster and draw it out a bunch of time. I was so nervous because I wasn't sure how the safety would react to being holstered and drawn while pressing up against the leather of the holster the whole time. After holstering and drawing it for about an hour, I was ready to load it up and try it that way. So far it hasn't gone off and shot anything/anyone.


Now, let's talk about why people want you to keep your gun chambered. Several people have already mentioned being ready to go immediately. Sometimes you'll hear people remind you that sometimes seconds count, which is true, but I like to think of it in a little different way. First of all, time DOES count. If someone is so far away from you that you have time to draw AND chamber the pistol, then I would argue that they are far enough way that you shouldn't be drawing in the first place. The examples that I think work the best to convince people, is to remind them that actual self-defense shootings often happen in very close proximity. Have you considered that your weak hand might be occupied with something else?

Maybe your holding a door open.
Maybe you will be holding a child in your arms.
Maybe you'll be pulling your wife behind you.
Maybe your first alert to a problem is when a guy pops out from behind a wall and cracks you in the elbow with a baseball bat.
Maybe a guy rushed you and you are holding him away from you at arms length.
Maybe you're on your back and stiff arming the bad guy with your arm is the only thing stopping him from choking you to death.
Maybe you're in a really bad spot, or a particularly awkward situation and are either hanging off the edge of something, or climbing a ladder or something.

Go back through this list and consider how you would chamber your pistol in each of these scenarios. There are certainly alternative ways to chamber a pistol; the heel of your shoe, the top of your belt, your steering wheel, the tree your using for cover, your teeth if you are desperate enough and your gun is small enough. I encourage you to try every single one of these though, because none of them are easy.

This is a great thread to start, because everyone who contributes can get you to think of other ideas and scenarios that you may not have considered on your own.

+++1 Stuart
G30 or G26 for myself. Chambered everyday all day long. I refuse to be the victim of any violent crime.

[Ranger353]

I had to vote for chambered with safety on since there wasn't an option to reflect not having a safety at all.


I carry an M&P compact chambered. Since all my holsters cover the trigger, I've never worried about it. However, just yesterday I got my spare kydex holster for my CZ 75B to put onto my Spartan holster. I was honestly pretty nervous about putting the CZ in there because I've never before holstered a gun with an active safety.

What I ended up doing is using the gun completely unloaded and play around with the holster. Cock and lock it, then put it in the holster and draw it out a bunch of time. I was so nervous because I wasn't sure how the safety would react to being holstered and drawn while pressing up against the leather of the holster the whole time. After holstering and drawing it for about an hour, I was ready to load it up and try it that way. So far it hasn't gone off and shot anything/anyone.


Now, let's talk about why people want you to keep your gun chambered. Several people have already mentioned being ready to go immediately. Sometimes you'll hear people remind you that sometimes seconds count, which is true, but I like to think of it in a little different way. First of all, time DOES count. If someone is so far away from you that you have time to draw AND chamber the pistol, then I would argue that they are far enough way that you shouldn't be drawing in the first place. The examples that I think work the best to convince people, is to remind them that actual self-defense shootings often happen in very close proximity. Have you considered that your weak hand might be occupied with something else?

Maybe your holding a door open.
Maybe you will be holding a child in your arms.
Maybe you'll be pulling your wife behind you.
Maybe your first alert to a problem is when a guy pops out from behind a wall and cracks you in the elbow with a baseball bat.
Maybe a guy rushed you and you are holding him away from you at arms length.
Maybe you're on your back and stiff arming the bad guy with your arm is the only thing stopping him from choking you to death.
Maybe you're in a really bad spot, or a particularly awkward situation and are either hanging off the edge of something, or climbing a ladder or something.

Go back through this list and consider how you would chamber your pistol in each of these scenarios. There are certainly alternative ways to chamber a pistol; the heel of your shoe, the top of your belt, your steering wheel, the tree your using for cover, your teeth if you are desperate enough and your gun is small enough. I encourage you to try every single one of these though, because none of them are easy.

This is a great thread to start, because everyone who contributes can get you to think of other ideas and scenarios that you may not have considered on your own.

+1 spot on

RIA 1911 hot with safety on

[Mista Bukit]

I had to vote for chambered with safety on since there wasn't an option to reflect not having a safety at all.


I carry an M&P compact chambered. Since all my holsters cover the trigger, I've never worried about it. However, just yesterday I got my spare kydex holster for my CZ 75B to put onto my Spartan holster. I was honestly pretty nervous about putting the CZ in there because I've never before holstered a gun with an active safety.

What I ended up doing is using the gun completely unloaded and play around with the holster. Cock and lock it, then put it in the holster and draw it out a bunch of time. I was so nervous because I wasn't sure how the safety would react to being holstered and drawn while pressing up against the leather of the holster the whole time. After holstering and drawing it for about an hour, I was ready to load it up and try it that way. So far it hasn't gone off and shot anything/anyone.


Now, let's talk about why people want you to keep your gun chambered. Several people have already mentioned being ready to go immediately. Sometimes you'll hear people remind you that sometimes seconds count, which is true, but I like to think of it in a little different way. First of all, time DOES count. If someone is so far away from you that you have time to draw AND chamber the pistol, then I would argue that they are far enough way that you shouldn't be drawing in the first place. The examples that I think work the best to convince people, is to remind them that actual self-defense shootings often happen in very close proximity. Have you considered that your weak hand might be occupied with something else?

Maybe your holding a door open.
Maybe you will be holding a child in your arms.
Maybe you'll be pulling your wife behind you.
Maybe your first alert to a problem is when a guy pops out from behind a wall and cracks you in the elbow with a baseball bat.
Maybe a guy rushed you and you are holding him away from you at arms length.
Maybe you're on your back and stiff arming the bad guy with your arm is the only thing stopping him from choking you to death.
Maybe you're in a really bad spot, or a particularly awkward situation and are either hanging off the edge of something, or climbing a ladder or something.

Go back through this list and consider how you would chamber your pistol in each of these scenarios. There are certainly alternative ways to chamber a pistol; the heel of your shoe, the top of your belt, your steering wheel, the tree your using for cover, your teeth if you are desperate enough and your gun is small enough. I encourage you to try every single one of these though, because none of them are easy.

This is a great thread to start, because everyone who contributes can get you to think of other ideas and scenarios that you may not have considered on your own.

Great points but I would like to add;
I have been through a 5 day concealed carry course from the US government and was taught that 21 feet is considered an immediate threat zone, it was demonstrated to me if someone was coming at you with a knife from 21 feet you BARELY have time to draw and get a shot off. I carry a GLOCK chambered at IWB at 8 o’clock because if I need to use it there are fewer things do to get into operation. The GLOCK has 3 internal safeties and if the trigger is not touched it will not go off. Also being left handed, manipulating an external safety one handed on most pistols is impossible particularly in a stress situation.

[HandKBRad]

Round in the chamber safety on beacons I carry 1911 most of the time. I carry my HK USP variant 1 the same way. Other than that if I’m carrying a DA handgun I carry it condition 1 decocked safety off if it has one.

[Irving]

Great points but I would like to add;
I have been through a 5 day concealed carry course from the US government and was taught that 21 feet is considered an immediate threat zone, it was demonstrated to me if someone was coming at you with a knife from 21 feet you BARELY have time to draw and get a shot off. I carry a GLOCK chambered at IWB at 8 o’clock because if I need to use it there are fewer things do to get into operation. The GLOCK has 3 internal safeties and if the trigger is not touched it will not go off. Also being left handed, manipulating an external safety one handed on most pistols is impossible particularly in a stress situation.

I considered bring this into my post, but didn't want to make it too long winded. I totally agree with this. If 21 feet is barely enough time to draw and get off ONE unaimed shot, then it surely isn't even enough time to draw, fumble with a safety (if you haven't practiced) then try to chamber a round, THEN try to get on target and take a shot. I think everyone should get out a tape measure and lay out 21 feet just to get an idea of how far that is.