Do you carry with a round chambered?

[Soundslikejosh]

You aren't the only broke person on this board. There is no way to say that without being labeled a jerk, but for goodness sake you aren't the only one, and telling us about it won't change anything. FWIW, people offer free training advise here anyway.

 

[SavageEagle]

You aren't the only broke person on this board. There is no way to say that without being labeled a jerk, but for goodness sake you aren't the only one, and telling us about it won't change anything. FWIW, people offer free training advise here anyway.

Look if I wanted pity or someone to pay for training I'd say so. Damn man you didn't want to come off as an ass but that was your point. Don't hide it. I don't plan on changing it by telling anyone here anyway. I can take all the advise I can get but that doesn't change the fact that practice is flawed because it's not taught to, it's told to. Big difference.

BTW, I know I'm not the only broke person on this board so why would you even bring it up? Did I **** you off by me simply stating I can't afford proper training? If so lighten up, have a beer, and chill out. Sheesh.

 

[Vigilant]

The question wasn't about affording training! You state that you carry two different ways depending on situation! Do you train(ok, PRACTICE) both ways? If so, which way are you going to go when the SHTF, do you know? As far as affording training, several schools are well within the affordable range for all but the most destitute!(+/- $300-400) and several offer videos(+/- $100), that while not as good as hands on, will at least get you started in the right direction. If you can afford a firearm and ammunition, you CAN afford training in its proper use.

BTW, I pull the pins on my smoke, hell with lighting 'em!

 

[MinuteManMike]

A Police officer inlightened me. " An auto Pistol is just a club unless there is one chambered". He pointed out; If your left arm is grasped in an altercation, you can't chamber a round. He showed me by grabbing my arm, at the wrist, out the car's driver side window. I was unable to chamber a round in my Sig.

I never thought of that. Guess it's always chambered from here on out.

 

[SavageEagle]

The question wasn't about affording training! You state that you carry two different ways depending on situation! Do you train(ok, PRACTICE) both ways? If so, which way are you going to go when the SHTF, do you know? As far as affording training, several schools are well within the affordable range for all but the most destitute!(+/- $300-400) and several offer videos(+/- $100), that while not as good as hands on, will at least get you started in the right direction. If you can afford a firearm and ammunition, you CAN afford training in its proper use.

BTW, I pull the pins on my smoke, hell with lighting 'em!

I know, but I was simply stating that I can't afford to have proper training so I take what I learn here and from other sites like this and practice what I learn. Sure it's flawed. But no one acts flawlessly under pressure either. Unless you have zen like training you practice! LOL I can barely afford to be armed. Let alone be able to afford 300-400 dollars in training. That's neither here nor there. My point has gone way off course here.

I'm just saying I do not carry a round in the chamber when I'm carrying AND playing with my kids. If that is beyond your comprehension then either you don't have young kids, or don't care. I carry with a round in the chamber now because I am comfortable with it while I'm out. But if my house is locked up then no one's getting in here without taking some time. Which gives me plenty of time to lock and load because I do carry at home and refuse to lock it up. All this "are you going to ask the BG for a TO" is nonsense so why would you say it? To make a point? That's not making a point. That's being silly.

I guess if you people can't understand my reasoning then why bother. I will leave you all be cause this is nonsense.

 

[Vigilant]

I know, but I was simply stating that I can't afford to have proper training so I take what I learn here and from other sites like this and practice what I learn. Sure it's flawed. But no one acts flawlessly under pressure either. Unless you have zen like training you practice! LOL I can barely afford to be armed. Let alone be able to afford 300-400 dollars in training. That's neither here nor there. My point has gone way off course here.

I'm just saying I do not carry a round in the chamber when I'm carrying AND playing with my kids. If that is beyond your comprehension then either you don't have young kids, or don't care. I carry with a round in the chamber now because I am comfortable with it while I'm out. But if my house is locked up then no one's getting in here without taking some time. Which gives me plenty of time to lock and load because I do carry at home and refuse to lock it up. All this "are you going to ask the BG for a TO" is nonsense so why would you say it? To make a point? That's not making a point. That's being silly.

I guess if you people can't understand my reasoning then why bother. I will leave you all be cause this is nonsense.

Oh contraire, I have a 3 and 4 y.o., but I also practice weapon retention, so they don't take it away from me while we are playing. If you are not comfortable with a loaded weapon around your children, you probably shouldn't have a loaded weapon. You, seem to be the one that cannot comprehend, so take what you will from the good advice others have offered, or not. What is "silly" is I said nothing about asking TO from BG's, but, reading is fundamental.

 

[shooter521]

If you are not comfortable with a loaded weapon around your children, you probably shouldn't have a loaded weapon.

There ya go.

Savage, just what do you think is going to happen? Your kid is going to disarm you? Your holster is going to come out of your pants? Gun is going to mysteriously "go off"? What?

My son will be 3 on Christmas. If there is a pistol on my person, there is a round in the chamber, period; I fail to see how his presence would or should make any difference in that regard.

 

[SavageEagle]

Oh contraire, I have a 3 and 4 y.o., but I also practice weapon retention, so they don't take it away from me while we are playing. If you are not comfortable with a loaded weapon around your children, you probably shouldn't have a loaded weapon. You, seem to be the one that cannot comprehend, so take what you will from the good advice others have offered, or not. What is "silly" is I said nothing about asking TO from BG's, but, reading is fundamental.

There ya go.

Savage, just what do you think is going to happen? Your kid is going to disarm you? Your holster is going to come out of your pants? Gun is going to mysteriously "go off"? What?

My son will be 3 on Christmas. If there is a pistol on my person, there is a round in the chamber, period; I fail to see how his presence would or should make any difference in that regard.

The TO thing was for the others saying so. It's not retention thats my main concern. All the wrestling and running and falling and banging that happens is my concern. You are entitled to your opinions and I respect them. But me not wanting to have a loaded firearm around my kids while we wrestle and play is not an absurd concern and I can't see how you think that every gun is perfect and all the safeties in the world will stop it from going off.

If a gun is banged around enough then there is that possibility, however slight, that it could discharge. I'm not telling anyone how to parent but if you are willing to take that risk with your kids that's your buisness. I choose not to take that risk. Why is that soooooo hard for you to comprehend?

 

[Cwood]

There ya go.

Savage, just what do you think is going to happen? Your kid is going to disarm you? Your holster is going to come out of your pants? Gun is going to mysteriously "go off"? What?

My son will be 3 on Christmas. If there is a pistol on my person, there is a round in the chamber, period; I fail to see how his presence would or should make any difference in that regard.

Agreed! No sense in carrying a firearm if it isn't loaded no matter what!

 

[Vigilant]

Umm..yeah, I guess I just don't get it.

 

[dburkhead]

I would really recommend you get a copy of Massad Ayoob's "Stressfire." He goes quite a bit on the physiological effects of fear/stress in a life-threatening situation.

Sitting calmly in your home, with no immediate threat, it may seem the simplest of things to remember: at home, rack the slide, when out don't rack the slide. But when somebody is pounding on your door with an axe, or blowing through the lock with a breaching charge, or when that letter carrier with a package your wife had to sign for turns out not to be a letter carrier after all, or the rioters are threatening to break down the door by sheer weight of the press and you have to worry where the kids are and make sure they're as safe as you can make them (and, incidentally, make sure they're not in your line of fire), when you are suddenly faced with the imminent danger of having to take a human life or possibly losing your own, then trying to remember whether in this situation you rack the slide or not is just one more bit of distraction that you don't need.

When police departments started going to semi-auto handguns there were a lot of instances of police simply forgetting to flip off the safety. They'd pull the trigger and nothing happened. The "fix" was drill, over and over again: draw, aim, safety off. Draw, aim, safety off. Over and over until it becomes so automatic that no thought is required. It just happens even when adrenaline is pumping and one's ability to think goes south along with things like fine motor controls.

The problem is, you can't get that kind of automatic response when you've got two entirely different responses (rack the slide under some circumstances, don't rack the slide under others). That kind of duality leads to the need to make a conscious choice.

When you are faced with a life or death situation, the "shoot/no shoot" decision is enough of a decision to be dealing with. You don't need to be clouding up your brain with extras.

In the end, it's your choice, of course. But this is the advice I give, based on my own rather limited experiences with fear and stress and with what I've read and hear from people who have been on the sharp end.

Incidentally, if you are worried about your children's safety around firearms, I would also recommend you run, don't walk, to get a copy of Massad Ayoob's "Gun Proofing your Children." Highly recommended. (In fact, just consider a blanket recommendation--sight unseen in some cases--for just about anything he or Col. Cooper have written. They may not always, IMO, be right, but they are always worth paying very close attention to.)

 

[shooter521]

If a gun is banged around enough then there is that possibility, however slight, that it could discharge.

If your pistol is on-safe and you're "banging it around" hard enough in the course of playing with your kids to set it off, then a) something internal in your pistol has broken, and/or b) somebody's probably gonna get hurt even if the gun doesn't go off! If you know it's going to be WWF time with the kids, take the gun off and put it up before you GET READY TO RUMMMMBLE!!!

I'm not telling anyone how to parent but if you are willing to take that risk with your kids that's your buisness. I choose not to take that risk.

I have assessed the "risk" and consider the likelihood of something happening about the same as getting struck by lightning twice after having won the lottery. My kid is more at risk walking down the stairs by himself than he is rasslin' with me while I'm carrying a pistol.

My and I'm out.

 

[Vigilant]

I would really recommend you get a copy of Massad Ayoob's "Stressfire." He goes quite a bit on the physiological effects of fear/stress in a life-threatening situation.

Sitting calmly in your home, with no immediate threat, it may seem the simplest of things to remember: at home, rack the slide, when out don't rack the slide. But when somebody is pounding on your door with an axe, or blowing through the lock with a breaching charge, or when that letter carrier with a package your wife had to sign for turns out not to be a letter carrier after all, or the rioters are threatening to break down the door by sheer weight of the press and you have to worry where the kids are and make sure they're as safe as you can make them (and, incidentally, make sure they're not in your line of fire), when you are suddenly faced with the imminent danger of having to take a human life or possibly losing your own, then trying to remember whether in this situation you rack the slide or not is just one more bit of distraction that you don't need.

When police departments started going to semi-auto handguns there were a lot of instances of police simply forgetting to flip off the safety. They'd pull the trigger and nothing happened. The "fix" was drill, over and over again: draw, aim, safety off. Draw, aim, safety off. Over and over until it becomes so automatic that no thought is required. It just happens even when adrenaline is pumping and one's ability to think goes south along with things like fine motor controls.

The problem is, you can't get that kind of automatic response when you've got two entirely different responses (rack the slide under some circumstances, don't rack the slide under others). That kind of duality leads to the need to make a conscious choice.

When you are faced with a life or death situation, the "shoot/no shoot" decision is enough of a decision to be dealing with. You don't need to be clouding up your brain with extras.

In the end, it's your choice, of course. But this is the advice I give, based on my own rather limited experiences with fear and stress and with what I've read and hear from people who have been on the sharp end.

Incidentally, if you are worried about your children's safety around firearms, I would also recommend you run, don't walk, to get a copy of Massad Ayoob's "Gun Proofing your Children." Highly recommended. (In fact, just consider a blanket recommendation--sight unseen in some cases--for just about anything he or Col. Cooper have written. They may not always, IMO, be right, but they are always worth paying very close attention to.)

You're not going to convince him with logic, quotes from folks who know, or anything else. I'm with Shooter 521, outtie!

 

[Shay]

This thread is amazing. It's Savage Eagle against the world!

 

[SavageEagle]

I give up. I'm stoopid and that's the end of it. I don't care anymore. I have enough stress to worry about besides someone telling me I'm stupid because I don't carry with a round in the chamber at home playing with me kids. So I'm out also. Done with this thread.

 

[dburkhead]

You're not going to convince him with logic, quotes from folks who know, or anything else. I'm with Shooter 521, outtie!

Since he's gone from "never carrying with a round chambered to "carrying with a round chambered except at home" I think that horse may not be so dead as you think.

 

[dburkhead]

I give up. I'm stoopid and that's the end of it. I don't care anymore. I have enough stress to worry about besides someone telling me I'm stupid because I don't carry with a round in the chamber at home playing with me kids. So I'm out also. Done with this thread.

Nobody has said your stupid. Certainly I haven't. We have tried to bring some stuff to your attention of which you may not be aware. That's not the same thing.

 

[VN Vet]

.......... I know I have been lucky, but I am tired of killing. I hope I never have to take another persons life. Howere, if I must shoot, I will not shoot to wound or just to stop the perp. It is shoot to kill, or do not fire your weapon at all. A firearem has two major purposes: to punch holes in paper or to kill. Period.
............ I have no problem with killing a bad guy. Form some reason I didn't think of him as a bad guy...........

Life can be complicated at times and sometimes a few words can not cover all situations where the use of deadly force is concidered. Now, I may have gotten carried away with what I said in the public forum, but I've been there. I believe I can take care of my bubble, my envelope and I must be confident enough to know what to decided to do and to know when to act on that decision.

Good Gun Training Teaches:

Do not point your firearem at anyone you do not intend to shoot.
Do not shoot anyone you do not intend to kill.

I never ever want to kill again. I never ever want to get myself into a situation that I even have to consider it again. Any premeditation on my part will only come a few milli-seconds after a bad guy physically threatens me or my family and I begin to cock and lock my Glock.

I know I have said in a public forum many thing you all are thinking. By shear fact that you carry a firearm means you are more than willing to use it if pushed. But, use it for what? Intemidation. Heck, I can do that with my ugly face. We all know what a loaded "cocked and locked" firearem is intended for. Someone said and unloaded gun (chamber empty) is nothing more that a club. Well said. Use a club on a bad guy on your property and often times you can get sued.

If I have offended, scared or otherwise said anything that bothered any of you, to those I have bothered, I ask for your understanding and forgiveness.

Life ain't simple and life ain't fair. Otherwise God would not have sent us Samual Colt.

 

[VN Vet]

The older I get the worse I spell or type or both. Life ain't fair.

 

[ATF Consumer]

Up until recently, I have not kept a round in the chamber...
When I bought my Glock, I was shown the internal drop safety, but I questioned its effectiveness...
After reading from several Glock owners on various forums, I have been convinced I am safe if dropped.
The main concern I had was while going to the head...
When I drop the trousers, the weight of the gun sometimes pulls my belt right out of the loops and hits the floor with the barrel pointing right up at my backside...
I sure would hate to get hit in that situation, quite embarrasing indeed, if I lived to experience the results.
But I now feel confident and safe to keep a round in the chamber where I will be better prepared in the case of need.

I had practiced racking the slide, but as I read previous posts about sudden situations where your brain doesn't function the same as during practice...I have come to realize I am safer with it in the chamber than not.