Home Defense Rifle: Round chambered or not?

[88E30M50]

For those of you that have a home defense rifle that you keep loaded, do you keep it ready with a round chambered or just with a loaded mag inserted? If it's an AR, and you don't chamber a round, do you lock the bolt back? The reason I ask is that while I carry my handguns in condition 1 with a round chambered all of the time, I rarely chamber a round in my home defense AR. I cannot think of a good reason not to, but it's just not a habit I've gotten into.

How does INGO keep their home defense rifle readied?

 

[churchmouse]

Hand gun condition 1 as you do.
Shotgun loaded empty chamber. Pump gun so no real issue.

 

[Trigger Time]

Designated home defense guns always have one in the pipe. I can't think of why they wouldn't. It would be the Same as carrying without one in the chamber. Your letting yourself down.
If a firearm is safe enough to carry with a chambered round then it's deffinately safe enough to let sit that way. If you ever needit you may not have time to chamber a round. People think that sounds rediculous until it happens to them

 

[churchmouse]

Designated home defense guns always have one in the pipe. I can't think of why they wouldn't. It would be the Same as carrying without one in the chamber. Your letting yourself down.
If a firearm is safe enough to carry with a chambered round then it's deffinately safe enough to let sit that way. If you ever needit you may not have time to chamber a round. People think that sounds rediculous until it happens to them

I agree.
I just love the sound of a pump gun racking one up..........

 

[huntall50]

Shotgun loaded.

 

[Trigger Time]

I agree.
I just love the sound of a pump gun racking one up..........

Me too but then wen I hear it I have flashbacks of shooting yours and my shoulder starts to hurt.

 

[churchmouse]

Me too but then wen I hear it I have flashbacks of shooting yours and my shoulder starts to hurt.

Gotcha..............

 

[GNRPowdeR]

Hand gun condition 1 as you do.
Shotgun loaded empty chamber. Pump gun so no real issue.

Haven't decided if I want a rifle or keep what I've got.

 

[Robert Richardson]

Designated home defense guns always have one in the pipe. I can't think of why they wouldn't. It would be the Same as carrying without one in the chamber. Your letting yourself down.
If a firearm is safe enough to carry with a chambered round then it's deffinately safe enough to let sit that way. If you ever needit you may not have time to chamber a round. People think that sounds rediculous until it happens to them

Gotta go with this

 

[EricG]

Loaded mag, empty chamber. Storing guns in Condition 1? Umm, no. No, no and no.

 

[JollyMon]

Loaded mag, empty chamber. Storing guns in Condition 1? Umm, no. No, no and no.

All guns should be treated as loaded at all times, why does it make a difference storing one loaded? especially for a self defense rifle... Do you keep your handgun loaded at all times? Even in the safe my EDC and BUG are ready to rock.

the AR that's in my room is ready to roll with only the flick of the safety.

 

[John317]

I keep my pistol which is next to me in a quick access safe ready to roll but the AR I keep loaded magazine but not one in the chamber. But while pulling it out of the safe it's a quick motion to get it ready while pulling it out.

 

[churchmouse]

All guns should be treated as loaded at all times, why does it make a difference storing one loaded? especially for a self defense rifle... Do you keep your handgun loaded at all times? Even in the safe my EDC and BUG are ready to rock.

the AR that's in my room is ready to roll with only the flick of the safety.

I was doing this for a long time. Kids grown and gone.
Now, we have as many as 4 terrorists running amok at any given time (see avatar +2) so my program has changed from necessity.
There are 2 Magged up AR''s in strategic locations bolts in battery empty chambers. Shot gun same condition.
I have to train the terrorists before I can leave "Loaded' condition 1 firearms out.
I am a fair hand at getting one ready for business.

 

[88E30M50]

The main reason I can come up with for not keeping a round chambered in my home defense AR is that, unlike my EDC handgun, my rifle is not always under my control. With handguns, I either have them on me or they are locked in a safe or lockbox. But, the AR might be in a different room. I don't keep my HD rifle locked up. It sits on a bracket mounted on the wall next to the nightstand usually. That's the only real justification I have for not chambering a round regularly on the rifle. If I carried it around with me, I'd have no reason to not keep a round chambered.

 

[JollyMon]

I was doing this for a long time. Kids grown and gone.
Now, we have as many as 4 terrorists running amok at any given time (see avatar +2) so my program has changed from necessity.
There are 2 Magged up AR''s in strategic locations bolts in battery empty chambers. Shot gun same condition.
I have to train the terrorists before I can leave "Loaded' condition 1 firearms out.
I am a fair hand at getting one ready for business.

I get that for rug rats running around. I am still working on my children to train them (which is why mine all sit in a safe).... just the comment of storing a firearm loaded was a big no-no.. was curious about his reason

 

[caulfieldian]

Round in the chamber for me.

Grab, click, and go.

I don't have any kids, only cats, and we've had the talk.

 

[bradmedic04]

Poll had no bacon option.

 

[sloughfoot]

All of my adult children and their spouses know that if they see, or need to use, any of the longuns around the house, they will have to manipulate the action to put it into service. Loaded mag or tube and bolt closed on an empty chamber, safety off. Cruiser ready.

This is because none are under control until picked up by a responsible adult. There are 4 longguns in various places around the house.

 

[mammynun]

The main reason I can come up with for not keeping a round chambered in my home defense AR is that, unlike my EDC handgun, my rifle is not always under my control. With handguns, I either have them on me or they are locked in a safe or lockbox. But, the AR might be in a different room. I don't keep my HD rifle locked up. It sits on a bracket mounted on the wall next to the nightstand usually. That's the only real justification I have for not chambering a round regularly on the rifle. If I carried it around with me, I'd have no reason to not keep a round chambered.

This describes my thought process as well.

 

[rhino]

The main reason I can come up with for not keeping a round chambered in my home defense AR is that, unlike my EDC handgun, my rifle is not always under my control. With handguns, I either have them on me or they are locked in a safe or lockbox. But, the AR might be in a different room. I don't keep my HD rifle locked up. It sits on a bracket mounted on the wall next to the nightstand usually. That's the only real justification I have for not chambering a round regularly on the rifle. If I carried it around with me, I'd have no reason to not keep a round chambered.

Yep.

Plus, the trigger guard of the rifle is not covered.