Here is another video that highlights different preferences for CC folk. While the presenter does an adequate job of expressing his side of the argument there are two additional considerations. The first supports his ‘chambered’ approach, it being the speed at which an attacker can close the distance (say 10 yards) between himself and a defender; it’s incredibly fast. So fast that most would be hard pressed to rack a round and get into a reasonable stance. The argument against the ‘chambered’ carry is based on the selection of the weapon. I, for instance, have chosen a Ruger LCP (I’ve already/ elsewhere expressed why). Now if you have an LCP, or have ever fired one, you’re aware that there is no exposed hammer and no safety on the weapon. Essentially, if you rack a round on the LCP and stick it in your pocket you are primed to blow a nasty hole through your own leg.
So what is your preference; rack-it or not?
An unloaded gun is an expensive paperweight. If you are going to carry a gun why on earth would there not be a round in the chamber?
I must respectfully disagree. I ve been carrying a 3″ n frame for more or less 30 years now with a empty cylinder under the hammer. While it has some heft I never thought of it as a paperweight.
Again, I think you need to determine what your own personal gun fights is going to look like and what the threat is. Car Jacker, Mugger, Libtard in a direct confrontation inside 21 feet. Do you really think you have enough time to fish around your pocket, get a decent grip on a pocket pistol and then oh yea, chamber a round? I think not. It’s not just you that you’re putting at risk if you are out with the wife and kids. While I totally agree with your post on how available training is not viable for what we do and what our most likely threat is, you still need to develop a method of carry and selection of firearm that gets that gun into the fight in the shortest amount of time.
For many reasons, I’ve settled in on a G19 OTWB. My job requires constant movement. Finding the right holster is the key. Like most ccw’s I have a couple boxes of them. Bianchi’s strong side holster did the trick for me.
Just my thoughts. Body type will determine your best method of carry. But I’d carry hot.
Thanks Brad, your thoughts are spot on.
For a number of reason some folk choose a pocket pistol over a strap-on. The Ruger LCP is one of the most popular (and my choice by the way) of these. The LCP is a strange little pistol, no safety, no exposed hammer, and OBTH, the ejection port is not large enough on this weapon to clear a casing with the projectile still attached. No problem blowing through rounds, but if you have one in the chamber the easiest/safest way to clear the weapon is to pull the trigger!.
Thanks for your thoughts buddy,
Garry
Years ago, I was thinking my way through this and settled on “chamber empty”, that being consistent with my limited experience growing up and .mil experience. At that time when I was thinking about this, someone urged me to “get some training” so that having a chambered round would not be so “disturbing”. I bridled at that, but 15 years, and many training classes and competitive shooting matches later, I think the person who told me to get trained was absolutely correct. At that time, I didn’t know enough to realize that I needed training.
The vast majority of defensive firearms trainers out there, train you to carry with a round chambered, for the reasons already given by other commenters. When the time comes to defend yourself, you cannot at all be assured of having the time to chamber a round while defending, or the skill to do so one-handed if your support hand isn’t available for some reason.
Carrying with one in the chamber went against the bit of .mil training I had (they never even thought of letting us carry duty guns that way) but that’s the result of a risk-averse management that wasn’t willing to invest in properly training people. If you’re properly trained, not only is it not “dangerous” to carry with one in the chamber, it’s actually the safest way to carry. Consider how dangerous it will be to defend yourself with a gun that can’t shoot bullets! Carry with one in the chamber, but learn how to do it properly.
For the privately-armed citizen, get at least training in how to properly draw from a strong-side waist holster in a square range environment. As simple as that sounds, you do need to be taught the correct way to draw, and also how to reholster the gun without sweeping yourself. It isn’t hard to learn, but if you try to teach yourself, you likely will do something wrong and not know it. Get someone to teach you. The NRA Personal Protection Outside the Home class is one way of doing this- actually that’s a great class since you get lots of quality range time, under supervision, doing all kinds of basic but important things.
I would also recommend shooting some action pistol matches like IPSC or IDPA, or even Steel Challenge. Shoot a couple of matches, and if you had any unsafe practices (like improper drawing, holstering, or gun manipulation) going on, the SOs will stop you and those issues will get fixed.
If you haven’t trained before or shot competition before, you don’t know what you don’t know. Take a class, shoot a match, start learning. You don’t need permission to equip yourself nor to defend yourself, but if you intend to be responsible, you need to get yourself some training and experience beyond just plinking in a backyard or indoor range lane.
I’m of an age where I might be creating false memories, but back in the 90’s I subscribed to a couple of gun magazines. In one of them I think that I remember that they ran a test which concluded that it was just as fast to carry in condition 3 and rack as it was to carry in condition 1. It seemed ridiculous at the time and still does. I don’t carry anymore but the time may be coming. If I do, it will be “cocked and locked”
I do remember an episode of “Mike Hammer” where, as Stacy Keach is busting into a room, he racks his 1911. It was fast but surely not as fast as pulling the trigger.