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Should You Carry a Handgun With an Empty Chamber?

Depends
 

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When I first started carrying a handgun I carried with an empty chamber because that's the way the Army taught me.

One morning I was walking through the parking lot of my apartment and I always thought the guy was trying to mug me but he never actually made the attempt so I don't know for sure.

Anyway, the guy came out from between two cars right behind me and walking in my direction I panicked and I pulled out my gun and he held up his hands and he told me he wasn't trying to do anything he just wanted to ask me a question and he asked me the question and then he walked away.

I never saw him again and it wasn't until after it was all over that I realized that I'd never even made any attempt to chamber a round on my handgun.

I've never carried a handgun in condition 3 since that morning.
 
HayesGreener said:
I knew a Thai National Police Sgt Major who hung his revolver on a nail in his shower. He had enemies who knew where he slept
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I worked with a woman who had previously been a corrections officer. She told me it wasn't a common occurrence but did she had run into people in Walmart who had been inmates at the prison that she worked at.

This is not nearly on the same level but even as a security guard I've been shopping in Walmart and run into people that I've trespassed off various properties. As far as I know most of them didn't even notice me let alone recognize me.

Finally, I have a few friends that have spent their entire career in the criminal justice system. They haven't gone into detail but I know of at least two of them that have a dedicated shower gun in a waterproof container in their shower, it stays there.

When I go take a shower I put my gun on the vanity but that's about it
 
Being shot with your own gun is terribly inconvenient. There was a time before high retention holsters that gun grabs were more of a concern for uniformed LEO's than they ae today. We mostly carried revolvers in the day. Occasionally when officers went into crowds some would remove the first round up in the cylinder as a hedge against a gun grab. I don't know if that procedure saved anyone, but I do know of officers who were saved in the 70's-80's in a gun grab when they were able to hit the magazine release on a S&W 3rd gen pistol with a magazine disconnect.
 
Okay, let me start off by saying I carry with a round in the chamber. But a lot of that has to deal with why I carry and whom I carry by. I have three young kids, I will not likely have use of my support hand to chamber a round in the event I am mugged or other situation because I will probably be using my support hand to shield or move my kids behind me. Thus I practice one handed draws a lot from concealment, it’s not easy and sucks. But that’s why I practice a lot. Because odds are that’s how I am going to be drawing the gun.

However, for people who are new to carrying, I take no issue with someone carrying on an empty chamber to build confidence and trust not only in themselves but their weapon. As they gain proficiency and get trained then they can decide how they want to carry.

Also I think many of us choose to carry for SD and thus one in the chamber makes sense. In Israel though I am not certain that’s the primary reason for carry considering some of the low crime stats I have seen and low murder rate. Not to mention guns are pretty regulated there. I assume most are carrying in case of terrorist attack or something like that which might offer more time to take cover wrack a round. I could be way off on that.

Honestly if a mugger comes up gun out and pointed straight at someone, it’s going to be hard to get the drop on them with a quick draw and fire, whether you have one in the chamber or not. So people may not be carrying for SD in that situation, might be carrying just in case an active shooting starts and think perhaps they can duck and cover but have the gun if they need it. Again if that’s the case practice how to you carry so you know for sure you need to wrack a round.

I don’t care how others choose to carry, it’s not my job. I just hope they educate themselves on that type of carry and train accordingly.

To be honest, there are likely plenty of people out there I would prefer if they didn’t carry with one in the chamber lol. I can think of a few as I am sure we all can. I’m looking at anyone that just tosses their Glock into a purse or down their pants in a belt or in Fanny pack without a holster. We know they shouldn’t but I am sure a lot do.
 
My first revolver, a .22, did not have a firing pin block, etc. It would go off if dropped and hit the hammer with a live round under it. I always carried it with an empty chamber under the hammer, but the next chamber was loaded. I carry a round in the chamber of both J Frames and semi-autos.
 
PacNWvike said:
To be honest, there are likely plenty of people out there I would prefer if they didn’t carry with one in the chamber lol. I can think of a few as I am sure we all can. I’m looking at anyone that just tosses their Glock into a purse or down their pants in a belt or in Fanny pack without a holster. We know they shouldn’t but I am sure a lot do.
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I suspect you are right. Holsters can be a little expensive, and someone not familiar may think “Nah. I have the gun. That is good enough.”

Kind of makes one wonder about walking around where there are a lot of other people!
 
I have a pistol that stays in my small work backpack thats on me daily. The amount of movement, items in and out and stuff in the backpack that could interface with the gun lends it to me to keep no round in the chamber. Even with a high quality holster.
State Law “No Weapons Allowed on Premises” for almost all my work areas keeps me from having it on my hip.
Has to stay in the truck as I go in/out of businesses all day.
Is what it is

I dont want to be like the female police officer that shot herself in the leg swinging her bag around
 
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