In chamber or no?

[theserxtremedays]

With the XD its actually slightly safer to do this, although really it comes down to YOU. Guns don't just go off accidentally its owner negligence. That being said its how you train and being prepared. The last thing you want to be doing is chambering a round. Practice smoothly drawing from your carry position to target and engaging. Practice slow and smooth. A lot of people have shot themselves when they get all excited in a situation. One thing I like about the XD is the trigger and backstrap safeties though its simple but ensures you have both pressed before the gun will fire.

[The Marshal]

With the XD its actually slightly safer to do this, although really it comes down to YOU. Guns don't just go off accidentally its owner negligence. That being said its how you train and being prepared. The last thing you want to be doing is chambering a round. Practice smoothly drawing from your carry position to target and engaging. Practice slow and smooth. A lot of people have shot themselves when they get all excited in a situation. One thing I like about the XD is the trigger and backstrap safeties though its simple but ensures you have both pressed before the gun will fire.

Excellent 2nd post. That is what I wanted to say as well.
Start off in your comfort zone, learning to carry the weapon, and how to handle it during the day. As you become comfortable that you are not going to drop it, throw it, etc etc, you then proceed to the next step, carrying a round in the chamber.
That would be my .02 on this. It worked for me, and now I always do a 'press-check' before I holster up to make sure it is chambered.

BTW my normal carry is the XD-SC 9mm. Lovely little weapon.

[DesertRadioRat]

Excellent 2nd post. That is what I wanted to say as well.
Start off in your comfort zone, learning to carry the weapon, and how to handle it during the day. As you become comfortable that you are not going to drop it, throw it, etc etc, you then proceed to the next step, carrying a round in the chamber.
That would be my .02 on this. It worked for me, and now I always do a 'press-check' before I holster up to make sure it is chambered.

BTW my normal carry is the XD-SC 9mm. Lovely little weapon.

Excellent advice. Don't get bullied into something you're not ready for. I'm still getting used to carrying all the time. I just wasn't ready to carry chambered for a while.

[speedsix]

...nobody was "bullying" him...for a tool to provide the best result, it should be used as it was designed...modern firearms are designed to be carried one chambered...safely...therefore a person relatively new to guns and a bit nervous already won't have to deal with chambering a round when a life might be depending on it(and assuming that he has time/both hands to do so)...that's the point of learning your weapons...to give you best performance with as little fuss and bother as possible...

[DesertRadioRat]

Easy. I didn't say anyone was. At least no one here was. I got a lot of "advice" from people I took my class with or at the range. Some I paid attention to and some I didn't. My point is, do what is comfortable for you and don't let others push into doing something you're not ready to do. It took a good month for me to realize, that everyone wasn't looking for a print on me, or that every cop I passed, wasn't going to pull me over.

[speedsix]

...getting comfortable takes time...granted...making the best use of the weapon's design means you're not doing extra challenging things at a time where the pressure's already to the max...and actually makes things safer...less handling of the gun in the heat of the incident...the better...

...example...a DA/SA pistol carried none up the spout must have the slide racked...then you have a hammer back and a very light trigger pull...or the need to safely drop the hammer when the adrenaline's pumping...much safer to leave the hammer down and fire the first shot with a long trigger pull...like a revolver...the simpler you keep it...the safer you are...

[chasfm11]

Excellent 2nd post. That is what I wanted to say as well.
Start off in your comfort zone, learning to carry the weapon, and how to handle it during the day. As you become comfortable that you are not going to drop it, throw it, etc etc, you then proceed to the next step, carrying a round in the chamber.
That would be my .02 on this. It worked for me, and now I always do a 'press-check' before I holster up to make sure it is chambered.

BTW my normal carry is the XD-SC 9mm. Lovely little weapon.

Excellent advice. Don't get bullied into something you're not ready for. I'm still getting used to carrying all the time. I just wasn't ready to carry chambered for a while.

It took me a while, too. It wasn't that I worried about carrying chambered - it was those times when I had to disarm (post office, school) that worried me. I solved my problem with a Galco OWB holster which I use as a pseudo "case" for my Sig. The Sig is a DA so it has a long trigger but I still worried about catching the trigger on something during transfers and unloading it for every transfer didn't seem like the right solution either. . So now, the Sig goes from my IWB to the Galco with the trigger never left uncovered.

I do appreciate that to be able to respond to the speed of many of the bad things that can happen, carrying chambered is the only option. I now do it all the time. OTOH, I improved my odds over not having anything by having a gun that I could rack the slide on until I could get comfortable with carrying chambered. Starting somewhere is better than not starting at all.

[stealthfightrf17]

I carry an xd9sc always chambered. I have 4 kids oldest being 5yrs. I carry unless I am asleep or at work. My oldest when I first started carraying around the house touched it one time. To look at his face after he got in trouble you would have think it hurt someone. His punishment was infront of the 2 older and noone has ever touched it again. Please note- it was on me in a holster. My kids all know if they want to see any gun they just have to ask. If they ask I will check it to make sure it is clear then while I am right there with them they are alowed to look at it. Before I did this, they were always wanting to know where they were, no they have no mystery to them and very rarely want to see them, and its usually when I am cleaning them.

[Songbird]

Ran across this story elsewhere. Seems relevant to this discussion. Your thoughts?
http://www.itstactical.com/warcom/firea ... ischarges/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[74novaman]

Ran across this story elsewhere. Seems relevant to this discussion. Your thoughts?
http://www.itstactical.com/warcom/firea ... ischarges/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Main thought: Just like your gun, your holster is equipment that must be maintained/inspected. That holster was way too worn to be using for carry.

Second thought: Even when I reholster in my car, I take care to keep from pointing the gun at myself in the process.

In a car, this can be accomplished by lifting your hips up to make a straight line from your shoulders to your knees as if stretching. That way, when you reholster your gun is pointed only at the floorboards of your car, not at your lower cheek.

[johnson0317]

If I have to unholster in the car, then I either reholster standing by my car door, with the door shielding me, or I leave it in the center console. I don't want to do contortions in my car trying to get it back in the holster; besides that, I can probably get to it faster with it in the console. My preference, of course, is to have it on my person.

RJ

[77346]

I recently switched from revolvers to semi-auto and acquired a S&W Bodyguard 380 to use as my carry weapon (of course, once I get my license). The holsters I've bought for the BG 380 cover the whole trigger & trigger guard, I guess to avoid placing your finger on the trigger while reaching for the weapon.

I am still getting used to operating a semi-auto, but planned to eventually carry a chambered round. This story, however, is making me have second thoughts: http://www.khou.com/news/Brother-shoots ... 51445.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A year ago there was a similar incident at a restaurant in Kingwood (suburban NE Houston): http://ourtribune.com/article.php?id=11399" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What can possibly cause incidents like this to happen? Are semi-autos that fragile than dropping them on the ground can cause an accident? Or is something else a factor here? (trigger job, other mods).

[RPB]

I recently switched from revolvers to semi-auto and acquired a S&W Bodyguard 380 to use as my carry weapon (of course, once I get my license). The holsters I've bought for the BG 380 cover the whole trigger & trigger guard, I guess to avoid placing your finger on the trigger while reaching for the weapon.

I am still getting used to operating a semi-auto, but planned to eventually carry a chambered round. This story, however, is making me have second thoughts: http://www.khou.com/news/Brother-shoots ... 51445.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A year ago there was a similar incident at a restaurant in Kingwood (suburban NE Houston): http://ourtribune.com/article.php?id=11399" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What can possibly cause incidents like this to happen? Are semi-autos that fragile than dropping them on the ground can cause an accident? Or is something else a factor here? (trigger job, other mods).

Some semiautos may have a lighter trigger pull than a revolver and when a person tries to catch a falling gun and pulls the trigger it takes less effort. Some semiautos mostly the DAO/Double Action Only variety ... have a heavy trigger pull.

I haven't seen if those are antiques without drop safety or not, but modern firearms have drop safety...

don't try to catch a falling gun
keep boogar hooks off the bang switch

[WildBill]

What can possibly cause incidents like this to happen? Are semi-autos that fragile than dropping them on the ground can cause an accident? Or is something else a factor here? (trigger job, other mods).

The police are still investigating, but IMO the gun did not go off and hit the guy in the head by dropping it on the group. Obviously it is best not to drop a gun, but most have sufficient design features to prevent the gun from firing when dropped. I know that handguns sold in California have to pass a drop test before they can be sold in that state. I don't think that most people have trigger jobs on their concealed carry guns.

[RPB]

California Gun lab
Gun Drop Test Video (one failed and can't be sold in Cali)
http://www.intertek.com/product-safety- ... rop-video/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
you can always check

Effective January 1, 2001, no handgun may be manufactured within California, imported into California for sale, lent, given, kept for sale, or offered/exposed for sale unless that handgun model has passed firing, safety, and drop tests and is certified for sale in California ..

. http://certguns.doj.ca.gov/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I don't think you'll find many new guns that fail the safety/drop tests nowadays manufacturers don't like getting sued, and they don't like being forbidden to sell them...even in California.
Old guns, maybe.

If concerned, check the Cali list.

I thought I had heard the restaurant in Kingwood incident was an old derringer type thingy, or a Davis/Jennings cheapie; I could be wrong