Do you carry "Round Chambered" or not ?

[Jesse1911]

Just want to get an idea on what weapon you carry and if you feel comfortable enough with that weapon's safety mechanism.

[jbirds1210]

Ready to rock is the only way to go.

[HighVelocity]

Ready to rock is the only way to go.

What he said.

[Glock 23]

Condition 1. Chambered round, safety on.

Condition 3. Paperweight

you know which one I carry in

[ELB]

+1 on Condition 1

[G.A. Heath]

I'm a 1911 carrying guy, a few months down the road I intend to be an XDm carrying guy (Waiting on a good IWB holster and some more extra mags). I will carry condition 1 with that gun also, even though it lacks a thumb safety. When I holster an XD (This XDm isn't the first I have owned) I place my thumb on the striker indicator. This prevents my hand from pressing the grip safety which keeps the gun from firing in case I unknowingly catch the trigger on something.

There are a number of arguments against carrying in condition 1, with the most common being "It only takes a fraction of a second to chamber a round." The fallacy of this argument is that it assumes you will have both hands free and enough time to draw, chamber a round, aim, and fire. Think about the Tueller drill, and add the time needed to chamber a round to it. This argument also assumes that you will never be in a situation where sounds giving you away could get you killed, after all chambering a round makes much more noise than clicking a safety (if your gun has one).

[Skiprr]

Specious poll!

I'm glad you read your Cooper (at least I think you did), but his conditions of carry only applied to Browning-type pistols.

For example, Glock's ain't got no manual safety. M9s ain't got a safety either: they have a manual decocker (despite what what some call it, it is NOT a safety).

Me, I carry a .45 ACP cocked and locked.

[Greybeard]

I'll be the first "exception" on this one. Yep, except in very rare circumstances.

I carried PM-9 with empty chamber a few weeks ago when experimenting with new "Smart Carry" holster - but had 5 of 5 keyed up in "go to" j-frame. I realize the thing does "cover" the trigger guard but continually recognized the muzzle is very close to the femoral arteries and other parts I'm not willing to destroy.

[Liberty]

Specious poll!

I'm glad you read your Cooper (at least I think you did), but his conditions of carry only applied to Browning-type pistols.

For example, Glock's ain't got no manual safety. M9s ain't got a safety either: they have a manual decocker (despite what what some call it, it is NOT a safety).

Me, I carry a .45 ACP cocked and locked.

????? The lever on an M9 is a 2 position lever that isolates the trigger from the firing mechanism, and isolates the firring pin from the hammer. It also doubles as a decocker if that isn't a safety then I am confused.
Maybe you are confused with the 92G which is configured as a spring loaded decocker. The 92G is a pretty rare creature was manufactures to satisfy some law enforcement agency requirements. The 92FS and M9 are identical for purposes of this discussion
From their catalog:

FS - Double/single action, external ambidextrous manual safety, decocking lever, trigger bar disconnect, rotating firing pin striker, firing pin block device.
D - Double action only with no safety lever (“slick slide�), firing pin block device.
G - Double/single action, external ambidextrous decocking lever, rotating firing pin striker, trigger bar disconnect, firing pin block device.
All models feature a “chamber loaded� indicator.

I always carry with safety on, hammer down(double action), chamber loaded.

[nuparadigm]

Glocks and Kahrs weren't addressed in the poll. I carry my P45 with a loaded chamber.

[tboesche]

Taurus PT-111- Round in the chamber, safety on

CZ-75B- Round in the chmber, hammer back, safety on.

[agbullet2k1]

Chambered and decocked in the Walther, not chambered in the Glock, but only because I carry sans holster.

[attila79]

Chambered of course. At first I was a little apprehensive about having one chambered, but after getting comfortable carrying and thinking about the different scenarios there is no way you would honestly have time to engage on a target having to chamber one first the BG would be able to react way before you would.

Plus, I carry a HK P7 there is no way there can be an accidental discharge unless it was intentional. Oh yeah, almost forgot just added an HK P30 to my collection .

[eric]

Condition 1 for me is the only way or no way, pump or semi auto shotguns just the same. Benelli m1 super 90 is a very fine one.

[TraCoun]

[quote="G.A. Heath"]"It only takes a fraction of a second to chamber a round."quote]

Assuming:

1. You REMEMBER that you have to chamber one ... which when you are in a real threat situation you might not do ...

2. You have practiced enough so you can actually do it in that amount of time ... in real encounters fine motor skills go down the tubes, so it needs to be practiced enough to be AUTOMATIC ... that can take LOTS of practice (I've heard 3,000 repetitions for some things)

3. The BG is far enough away for you to have a larger fraction of a second than the fraction he has to get to you. In that regard I was told by a CHL instructor that even in canned, training situations, with one person playing a BG with a knife and starting at 20' distance from the GG, NO ONE has ever successfully drawn from a holster and gotten a shot off before the BG closed the distance ... and that is without having to chamber a round. Someone mentioned the Teuller drill, and it really is effective in highlighting this problem

4. You are not holding or dealing with something (packages) or someone (spouse, kids) that slow you down.

In addition, try to figure out the answer to this question: "Please, Mr. BG, stop for a half a second so I can load my gun."


Thanx,
TraCoun