To Chamber or not to Chamber?

[Shorts]

What if it was illegal to keep your car gassed up, would you still buy a car?

Looks like you've quit on the dialog at hand. Thanks for playing, I'm getting back to my holsters

[jeeperbryan]

What if it was illegal to carry a gun with one in the chamber? Would you stop carrying because your gun is useless now?

FWIW, you can carry a handgun with an empty chamber without a CCW in Utah.

So you have to have a CCW to carry with one in the chamber? That's weird.

[WildBill]

What if it was illegal to carry a gun with one in the chamber? Would you stop carrying because your gun is useless now?

FWIW, you can carry a handgun with an empty chamber without a CCW in Utah.

So you have to have a CCW to carry with one in the chamber? That's weird.

Sorry, my memory is faulty. You can open carry in Utah if your gun is not loaded, e.g. without a round in the chamber. IANAL.
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[jeeperbryan]

What if it was illegal to keep your car gassed up, would you still buy a car?

Looks like you've quit on the dialog at hand. Thanks for playing, I'm getting back to my holsters

Depends, what is your definition of "gassed up"?

In all seriousness though, I don't disagree with your preferences, I just have different ones.

[Shorts]

What if it was illegal to keep your car gassed up, would you still buy a car?

Looks like you've quit on the dialog at hand. Thanks for playing, I'm getting back to my holsters

Depends, what is your definition of "gassed up"?

In all seriousness though, I don't disagree with your preferences, I just have different ones.

I use "fuel"


In all seriousness, let's just be honest here, I disagree with your preferences and I have different ones

BTW, I'm just giving you a hard time. I appreciate the dialog

[03Lightningrocks]

LOL...so...you choose to blow off the part about not carrying half cocked, the part about damaging the firearm and the part about not carrying a round chambered???? They plainly tell you your wrong. Make of it what you want.

PS I forgot to point out one more flaw in your choice of carry. You cannot engage the thumb safety when the gun is "half cocked".

Further discussion of this topic is pointless. You are not going to convince me I am wrong in the way I carry and I do not intend to convince you the way you carry is wrong.

Yes I do “choose to blow off the part about not carrying half cocked” and “the part about damaging the firearm”. Why are you so concerned about me damaging my firearm? I check it on a regular basis and if I do damage it I think I can afford to have it repaired. If it cannot be repaired I can afford to pay the $1200.00 to replace it at any time, with no problem. As a matter of fact I could buy another one exactly like it to carry while it is being repaired.

Read my post again. I do carry one in the chamber and I am aware you cannot engage the safety with it on half cock. I don’t need to. I will repeat, I check it on a regular basis with “snap caps” in it to make sure the hammer will not fall when I pull the trigger with it on “half cock”.

As far as having to use it quickly, I practice cocking it to “full cock” as I draw it with “snap caps” in it on a regular basis also.

You sir do not know me or anything about me. You do not know why I actually carry two guns and can shoot equally well left handed or right handed.

As I stated further discussion of this topic is pointless. I do not have to justify the way I carry to you or anyone else and I do not expect anyone else to justify the way they carry to me.

No need to get mad...SIR....I was simply pointing out the error of your ways. Don't shoot the messenger. It is plainly written in the manual. I think it is great that you can afford to break and replace a hundred guns...but it does not make you right. Furthermore, it is not my concern that you may shoot yourself in the foot pulling the trigger on a loaded gun while attempting to catch the hammer before it falls on the firing pin. My main purpose was to make sure the handgun noobs reading this forum, don't think for one minute that carrying a half cocked 1911 is a good idea. Facts are...it simply is NOT designed to be used in this manner.

If the weapon was meant to be carried half cocked, the thumb safety would operate in the half cocked position. I could walk around with my shoes on my hands and my gloves on my feet, but that does not mean it is the proper way shoes and gloves were meant to be worn.

Good Day...SIR.

[03Lightningrocks]

I know a feller who carries his revolver with the chamber under the firing pin empty. He is worried that if the gun drops or is jarred, it can make the round under the hammer go off. I attempted to show him why that can't happen and he didn't care and didn't change his way of carry....

My experience with him and after reading threads like these, I am reminded of the old saying, "You can't teach an old dog new tricks".

[RPB]

My eyes got tired before I got every post read, so, I appologize if the video here was already posted when this guy racked his slide.
Not the prettiest/best survellance camera video, but makes a point.
Jewelry Store robbery
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[tamc9395]

I know there will be many critics, but here are my thoughts...

Before I had a license to "chamber" I travelled in many different parts of many cities. I typically know the rougher areas (start the jabs of you never know)...

Typically I only "chamber" when I know I am in those rougher areas (like downtown SA late at night or other parts of AUS) or when I am generally uncomfortable with my surroundings. For me, the other times gives me a "second chance" to protect myself/family in an unanticipated familair circumstance.

Just sharing my thoughts,

[blu46and2]

A definitive answer to this can be ascertained from tactical training schools, I do not know of any that train without a round chambered.

I beleive that the Israeli special forces carry like this, however, I wouldn't recommned it either (for the average guy anyway). Buy a new gun that you're are comfortable carrying ready to go, otherwise, that second that you use chambering that round, if you even get one chambed could be the second you need to save your life.

[03Lightningrocks]

By all means, you fellers who are not as experienced with gun ownership and shooting, I think carrying empty is probably a good idea. If you fellers question your own ability to handle a gun safely, then truth be told, your probably correct in your self assessment. I think you should carry this way. I know it makes me feel safer.

Anyone remember old Barney Fife? LOL...this thread reminds me of how Andy would only allow him to carry a single bullet in his front pocket. Every once in awhile he would load that bullet up and sure enough, he would let off an AD. I loved that show...it was a classic.

[blu46and2]

Thank you Charles, very helpful information and I will definitely practice, practice, practice. Unfortunately we don't live near you, we're in the D/FW area, but thank you very much for the offer of help.

If you carry and you're concerned about your holstering/drawing skills you could always try some IDPA competiton to build those skills.

Aaron

[Pete92FS]

Both of my carry's are 1911's. I optained both of them within a couple months of each other and when I first got them I just could not bring myself to carry them in the "cocked and locked" position so I carried them "half cocked". Between this forum and the 1911 forum I saw that the "cocked and locked" was the preferred way to carry a 1911 I decided to give it a try. For about a month now I have had both of my 1911's in the "cocked and lock" position 100% of the time and I am slowly getting confidence in carrying them that way.

[rm9792]

I carry my 1911's hammer down loaded chamber. I have practiced drawing and cocking and find it is not noticably slower than slipping off the safety. (unloaded of course). I practice both C&L and hammer down because I do C&L when out in bad parts of town. My hands are big enough to do this without the finger on the trigger when drawing and cocking so this might night be feasible for you. I also have Kimbers with FPB safety so it is not dangerous if dropped. However you will get arguements about lowering on a loaded chamber but this can be done safely using 2 hands and is only done rarely since the CCW's stay loaded. People have been dropping revolver hammers for decades safely so I dont see the issue. (even before transfer bars and such). To each his own though, biggest thing is you need to be comfortable and practice a lot.(unloaded!)

[Skiprr]

I carry my 1911's hammer down loaded chamber.

I admit my astonishment. Having seen pictures of your collection, I would never have imagined you would not carry cocked-and-locked.

For the record, there is absolutely no way anyone can draw a 1911 from a strong-side concealed carry, manually cock the hammer, and fire as quickly as someone equally athletic and trained can draw, flip the safey, and shoot the gun as intended. Folks who train with 1911s train to pull them out of the holster with their thumbs already on the safety. That's one reason they dominate in the IPSC game: handled as intended, they are no slower to present than "safety-less" firearms like Glocks.

And experienced users are trained to do that little 1/8" thumb movement only when it's absolutely necessary to fire. If you're pulling back the hammer on a safety-off 1911 as you draw, you're buying into whole boatloads of possible trouble. Mechanically speaking, it's possible your gun could discharge into anything from your own leg to the innocent bystander 10 feet from the bad guy. Too, with all that hammer-cocking and regripping activity going on, the gun simply cannot be fired as accurately within the same amount of time.

There is a reason the best 1911 shooters in the world carry cocked-and-locked, as Browning intended.

In fact, you won't even be allowed to compete in IDPA or USPSA if you choose to approach the line with a 1911 hammer-down on a live chamber.

Just my opinion.