Chambered or Not?

[Q-bald]

Kinda a Noob question for those who carry.
I carry a 642 Airweight revolver for the main reason of reliability, and the fact that I don't have to chamber a round before shooting. I am planning on getting an LCP or Kel-tec P3AT but am afraid to carry a chambered semi auto. Do you guys carry a chambered pistol? Any thoughts or opinions on this would be helpful...Thanks.

 

[cbart11]

I have a Bersa .380 that I carry Chambered, but it has a safty on it so not as worried about Accidental Discharge.

 

[DerrickT]

I personally always carried chambered. In the heat of the moment the time it takes to rack the side could be the time it takes to loose your life. Its a personal decission. Carry however you feel comfortable carrying.

 

[jsquared]

Your revolver is carried with a round chambered and no safety, no reason the same can not be done with a DOA auto with the same level of confidence. A trigger pull is required to fire a round from either pistol.

 

[Q-bald]

In the heat of the moment the time it takes to rack the side could be the time it takes to loose your life.

Agreed! Thats why i like my little wheel gun. I can fire it through my pocket if needed.

 

[alpine]

Dude you know you gotta keep one in the pipe for the gobblers out there!!!! . Na really man the semi-auto's are fine to carry chambered. They have alot of trigger travel and they tend to have a strong trigger pull. So I say chambered, also the time it takes to pull it from the pocket is already long enough, don't need more of a delay trying to rack a round into it and then aim and fire.

 

[jloneill17]

Your revolver is carried with a round chambered and no safety, no reason the same can not be done with a DOA auto with the same level of confidence. A trigger pull is required to fire a round from either pistol.

This is exactly what I was gonna say. I've carried an XD, taurus .38 snub nose, and now a glock. I have always carried my firearm chambered. I would hate to pull out my firearm in self defense and have to ask the attacker to wait a second while I racked the slide back. Just my opinion.

 

[07JKX]

my downstairs 1911 is cocked and locked at all times I and/or the wife is home

my sig 226 in the bedroom always has round in the chamber and decocked.


if if ever carry... it will have a round in the chamber. I understand the hesitance though. When I first got a handgun, I was always nevous about a round in the chamber. So you eventually get confident with it. I pulled a bullet, dumped powder and inserted the casing into the chamber and left it like that around the house for a while, carried it, moved it, dropped a couple time on accident. I figure if it does discharge, I would rather it be a primer pop than a round coming out. Nothing happend and now I have 100% confidence in my handguns.

 

[sheepdoggydogg]

I ALWAYs carry with a round chambered. Some may feel uncomfortable carrying with one in the pipe, but for me it is the other way around and I would feel uncomfortable carrying withOUT one in the pipe. I carry a striker fired pistol with no external safety so that is not an option either. In the unlikely situation your firearm has to be used, then time will probably be precious and be an advantage. Having to chamber a round will more than likely put you behind the curve. There is no reason to be afraid. Whatever you get just train and practice with it until you are comfortable. If you have the down the basics and fundamentals and are disciplined with trigger control then you should be fine.

 

[Q-bald]

All good info. I will just have to build confidence with the way I choose to carry.