Round in the chamber or no? XD9

[Mr Evilwrench]

Wipe the safety while pulling it up, pull the trigger, BANG! It's a tool. It only does what you make it do. If you don't intend to make it do that, don't make it do that. If you do, it will. Pretty easy and straightforward. If I don't want my saber saw to cut stuff, I don't pull the trigger. There are fewer mysteries in life than you might think. It's technology, not magic. You are of the same species that created the technology, so you should be capable of understanding it. Don't underestimate yourself.

 

[Roadie]

Wipe the safety while pulling it up, pull the trigger, BANG! It's a tool. It only does what you make it do. If you don't intend to make it do that, don't make it do that. If you do, it will. Pretty easy and straightforward. If I don't want my saber saw to cut stuff, I don't pull the trigger. There are fewer mysteries in life than you might think. It's technology, not magic. You are of the same species that created the technology, so you should be capable of understanding it. Don't underestimate yourself.

An 8 hour training class firing around 400rds on a gun with a manual safety taught me that I didn't want to carry a gun with a safety as my EDC, lol.

 

[hookedonjeep]

One in the pipe..... always.

 

[vxtip]

I didn't used to carry with one in the pipe even with a safety because I didn't like get he "idea" of it. That was not rational and when I had switched from a Gen.3 S&W pistol to an XD I started carrying round chambered. I fell out of it again when I switched to 1911's because they don't have the fancy internal safety's of the latest stuff, it took getting a better holster and practicing drawing and switching off the safety to change my mind. Then I switched to Glock and have a decent holster and I leave it chambered all the time.

And OP I've got a thread up in this section about how I was recently attacked and wouldn't have have time to rack the slide had I needed to fire. I used to think I would "have time", I stopped thinking that way sometime ago but this event reaffirmed how quickly a self defense situation can occur.

 

[foxcusmc]

i carry one in the chamber, you never know whats going to happen.

 

[Jeremy1066]

If u dont keep one in the chamber, practice pulling it out of the holster and smacking things with it like a punching bag or a tree. Also I would suggest to practice throwing it accurately. When the average self defense distance with a firearm is about 7 yards or less, these will be your only options.

 

[Roadie]

Or, if you INSIST on carrying with an empty chamber, here is another option..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-5H2GYOhKtM

 

[Teach]

I am by NO means an expert. Therefore, I don't claim to be an expert by ANY means as to self defense and the tactics involved. In addition, I have not read all of the replies here, so if this is a repeat, I apologize.

Regarding your question: I carry it ready to go. One of the reasons I went with the XD9 SC is that I like the fact that it has the one extra safety. I feel confident that it is perfectly safe to carry it loaded while in the holster, and I know that the finger is never to be on the trigger unless I am ready to shoot. In addition, I have gathered from a lot of reading on here that in the heat of the moment, I don't want to have to think about the process of getting it ready to go. As many have said, you have to be comfortable with your skill level though. You'll love the gun. It is a great shooter!

 

[wildcatfan.62]

I started my cc by not chambering a round. A trusted mentor asked one day "why didn't I just carry a rock in my pocket since they would be equally effective in an attack?" Since then always one in the chamber. It took some time to get comfortable, but in the long run was worth it to me. Just my 2cents.

 

[2cool9031]

I carry a wheelgun...always a round in the chamber.

 

[shooter1054]

A gun without a round in the chamber is not a gun. It is a $500 club. They don't work too well that way.

 

[flatlander]

If I don't have the confidence of carrying one in the chamber, I either need a new weapon or more training. It's one or the other. Only you know your capabilities and comfort level. Just be honest with yourself and you'll find the right answer.

Bob

 

[Sylvain]

If I don't have the confidence of carrying one in the chamber, I either need a new weapon or more training. It's one or the other. Only you know your capabilities and comfort level. Just be honest with yourself and you'll find the right answer.

Bob

Why dont you have the confidence?
Is it a trigger discipline issue?

If so it's a training problem and a new gun wouldn't change anything.
You should never rely on a heavy trigger or any kind of external safety.
Just practice your draws at home (with empty gun or inert gun), over and over again, until your trigger finger placement becomes second nature.
Then you will have the confidence to carry + 1, knowing that anytime you grab your gun there is no way to shoot by accident with your finger along side the slide.

 

[Sylvain]

I carry a wheelgun...always a round in the chamber.

You carry +6?

 

[patience0830]

yes, always. Like that tactile loaded chamber indicator.

Empty gun = Ugly unwieldy club

 

[flatlander]

Why dont you have the confidence?
Is it a trigger discipline issue?

If so it's a training problem and a new gun wouldn't change anything.
You should never rely on a heavy trigger or any kind of external safety.
Just practice your draws at home (with empty gun or inert gun), over and over again, until your trigger finger placement becomes second nature.
Then you will have the confidence to carry + 1, knowing that anytime you grab your gun there is no way to shoot by accident with your finger along side the slide.

In the fact that the weapon won't just dis-charge on it's own. I have no issues carrying cocked and locked with any modern well made pistol.

Bob

 

[O'Shark]

My current carry gun is a S&W 4516. It's a very safe-to-carry firearm, being DA with mag safety and a thumb safety/decocker that blocks the hammer. It's also heavy for a compact .45. I really want a striker fired pistol such a a PPQ or M&P in order to shed some of that weight.

My concern is with the mechanism...not tactics. I tend to look at things in their simplest terms. Strikers are essentially spring loaded firing pins that can be either fully or partially in a cocked condition behind a loaded round in the chamber of a gun with no safety other than the trigger. I'm a mechanic, not an engineer so I guess I don't understand the design well enough to trust them. I need a "strikers for dummies" crash course.

 

[GlockZ]

My current carry gun is a S&W 4516. It's a very safe-to-carry firearm, being DA with mag safety and a thumb safety/decocker that blocks the hammer. It's also heavy for a compact .45. I really want a striker fired pistol such a a PPQ or M&P in order to shed some of that weight.

My concern is with the mechanism...not tactics. I tend to look at things in their simplest terms. Strikers are essentially spring loaded firing pins that can be either fully or partially in a cocked condition behind a loaded round in the chamber of a gun with no safety other than the trigger. I'm a mechanic, not an engineer so I guess I don't understand the design well enough to trust them. I need a "strikers for dummies" crash course.

In this picture the firing pen safety is the round block is above center towards the middle.

Strikers are trigger fired weapons. Meaning you have to pull the trigger for it to go off. I can explain it to you from how my Glocks work. Say you are pulling the trigger, the first safety to be deactivated is the trigger safety, allowing the trigger to continue to be pulled back. Then inside the Glock on the slide there is a round firing pen block that keeps the firing pen from contacting the primer. Unless this block is deactivated it is impossible for the striker/firing pen to make contact with the primer of the round. You could toss it out the window of your car going down the interstate with one in the chamber and it will not go off.

http://www.google.com/imgres?q=gloc...&w=640&h=480&ei=YIoRT8HeEYvhggexiIXZAw&zoom=1

I'm not a fan of manual safety's on defensive handguns. I believe they can get you killed in a life and death situation.

 

[Fenway]

Yes please

Round in the chamber when carrying,

 

[red_zr24x4]

Most modern firearms without a external safety have some sort of firing pin block that will stop the firing pin from reaching the cartridge in the chamber until the trigger is pulled.
As long as you do not put your finger on the trigger, the trigger doesn't snag the holster or your clothing it *should* not fire. Should being the key word here because after all it is a machine and machines wear out and break/ malfunction.
I carry a Sig, no external safety, 1 in the chamber and top off the mag.