becoming comfortable with one chambered

[93civEJ1]

How long did it take you guys to start trusting the guns and yourselves before you started carrying with one chambered and ready? I just cant get my confidence up yet to trust the gun from firing the striker pin, or myself accidentally somehow firing the weapon on accident. I want to get to the point where I am confident to carry chambered / cocked and ready.....how do you guys help overcome this mindset?

[Oh Shoot]

How long did it take you guys to start trusting the guns and yourselves before you started carrying with one chambered and ready? I just cant get my confidence up yet to trust the gun from firing the striker pin, or myself accidentally somehow firing the weapon on accident. I want to get to the point where I am confident to carry chambered / cocked and ready.....how do you guys help overcome this mindset?

The standard drill is to carry with gun cocked without one in the chamber for a while. Try tossing it around some, tapping butt on surfaces, etc.

Record how many times it "fires" without trigger being depressed.

- OS

[Guest bkelm18]

Well, for one, I knew that there was absolutely no way for the gun to go off unless my finger pulls the trigger. Most modern guns cannot physically fire a round unless the trigger is pulled. Practice drawing and aiming. Practice holstering and un-holstering. You never know what will happen and if your round is not chambered and you lose the use of an arm, be it from a wound or the fact you're in a physical altercation, you're going to have a heck of a time chambering that round. Also take into account that in an intense, heart pounding, adrenaline pumping situation, your fine motor skills will likely go out the window and likely take with them your ability to do anything other than draw, aim, and shoot. Obviously do whatever you're comfortable with, but they say that the loudest sound you'll ever hear is your gun going "click" when you wanted it to go "bang".

[daddyo]

What OS said. I assume you are talking about a DAO weapon with no external safety. If it won't go "click" without one in the chamber, then it won't fire with one chambered.

I had to convince myself too using the same method. Now I carry all of my SD weapons condition one and don't even give it a second thought.

[Caster]

I've never give my Sp101 a second thought:D

Seriously, back when I used to carry a 1911, I was a nervous wreck, then I calmed down..then I sold them all and went to an XD. Do you reload? I'll tell you a fun thing to do, prime a case, but no powder/bullet. Chamber it and then whoop the fire out of the gun. I did, and do with every new gun. Wrap it in a towel and get a very soft rubber mallet. Drop it on the carpet, run in place, do some jumping jacks, start a mosh pit with some friends. I'm NOT telling you to actually damage your gun, but give it as much h3¬¬ as you feel comfortable with. Do your absolute best to snap that primer without touching the trigger. If you bought a decent gun, in good shape, that hasn't been worked on by Bubba-gunsmithin' You'll be surprised how difficult, and hopefully impossible it is to do. AND, if it does go off, you'll know what not to do......like keep it!

Just a thought, and be sure to clear the weapon a minimum of ten times first.

[93civEJ1]

I too have an XD...i like the grip safety , and the safety on the trigger...i just gotta get used to trusting my finger from going in the trigger guard area.

Has anyone ever heard of a strike pin ever releasing itself on its on from a firearm failure or something like that?

[Caster]

With an XD, it's as close to impossible as it can get. I'd say 99.999999999999%

[partypilot1]

If your holster covers the entire trigger guard, then you should only feel uncomfortable when the weapon is out of it's holster. Always be mindful of your trigger finger, which should be riding along the frame above the trigger and trigger guard. When holstering a loaded weapon, ensure the holster is pointed at the ground incase the trigger is caught while being holstered. Most holsters have a locking snap, which has the potential to position it's self on the trigger while holstering the weapon. Exercise trigger awareness until the holster is securely locked into place.

[partypilot1]

Yesterday I watched someone holster a loaded firearm while pointed at their lower abdomen. Not slick

[Guest UberDuper]

Take the gun apart and look at how it works. If you deem it physically impossible to fire without a pull of the trigger while all safeties are manipulated then carry with confidence.

When I first started carrying I decided on an XD instead of a GLock simply because of the grip safety. Today, that wouldn't be a factor for me.

[Oh Shoot]

....Has anyone ever heard of a strike pin ever releasing itself on its on from a firearm failure or something like that?

Only on some models that don't have some sort of adequate drop safety, or from one that had a poorly done trigger mod. Your XD wouldn't go off dropped from an airplane.

Btw, though I've been mostly carrying a Kahr in pocket for the last year, I too chose an XD partially because of the grip safety. Re-holstering is perhaps the overall riskiest maneuver involved with handgun carry, and I like the extra margin of idiot-proofing that the grip safety provides. Then again, with proper care, any gun can be re-holstered safely -- unlike drawing speed, how quickly you can return a gun to holster has about zero relation to self defense.

- OS

[Il Duce]

I use a 1911 which is quite possibly the safest gun to carry cocked and locked.

[babelt]

I would recomed some profesional training if you are uncomfortable. I have only been carrying for alittle over a month now but I've always been around firearms and since I was about 15 theres always been one laying beside by bed with one in the chamber in a holster. It just comes natural with some folks and some have to have some more training to feel safe and comfortable. Like already said play with your gun as much as possible. Make sure its cleared and just have it in your hands for awhile at night and you will just get more and more comfortable with it. I rememeber when my uncle handed me his glock at the range when I was younger and it was loaded and ready to roll. I thought he was crazy for carrying a gun with one in the chamber. But now I wouldn't leave the house without one.

[Pain103]

A firearm without a round in ready to go is no good. Get some more training and range time. Become real familiar with your weapon and eventually things go into muscle memory. Practice, Practice, and more practice. Your trying to minimize the perception and reaction time during a deadly force encounter. When you add making a weapon hot especially for a newer person carrying you would be surprised how much time your adding. But don't rush anything do what makes you comfortable just keep working on it and you will get where you want to be.

[93civEJ1]

I carried with one in the chamber on the way home a few mins ago, but kept it in a compartment. It didnt go off...its just a matter of trust with myself and with the gun itself as well.

[NRA]

How long did it take you guys to start trusting the guns and yourselves before you started carrying with one chambered and ready? I just cant get my confidence up yet to trust the gun from firing the striker pin, or myself accidentally somehow firing the weapon on accident. I want to get to the point where I am confident to carry chambered / cocked and ready.....how do you guys help overcome this mindset?

To answer the original question about 3 or 4 weeks

[dou44]

it took me a while when i switched over to the xd,i eithier carried a 1911 or a 9mm with the saftey.i carried both the 9and 45 when i was in the army so i got use to haveing a safety on a gun i had to move to shoot.

[gregintenn]

If you aren't comfortable carrying your handgun with one in the chamber, it's time to go shopping for one you'd be comfortable with.

[93civEJ1]

If you aren't comfortable carrying your handgun with one in the chamber, it's time to go shopping for one you'd be comfortable with.

its not the issue of being comfortable with the gun, but just being new to handguns in general.

[dats82]

I have always felt comfortable around guns as long as I was in control of them, so if you are new to guns, I am not sure what advice would be appropriate to help you feel comfortable. Just experience, I suppose.

From day one that I carried, I always had one chambered. My personal opinion of it is that if you think you will have time to pull your gun and rack the slide, there are probably other options for actions that your should concider rather than pulling your gun. You gun should be a last resort, so if you do decide you need to use it, it had better be ready to go.

[Guest clownsdd]

I'm with the ones about some more training. I have always carried one in the chamber, but again, I was raised around guns.

I've got proof (a 24hr video) that guns don't "go off". Placed a Glock 40, KelTek 9mm, S&W .38, 12 ga, 30.06 rifle on the table, loaded and turned on the video.....24 hr later, none of them had moved or fired.

[greenego]

its not the issue of being comfortable with the gun, but just being new to handguns in general.

I was also new to guns also when I started carrying a SP 101 revolver. After about a year and a couple of training classes, I decided to get a PM9. I was a little hesitant about carrying with one in the chamber, but realized I had been carrying that way for over a year. For some reason semi-automatic means the gun will go off. With one in the chamber, I equated this to the hammer on the revolver being cocked. Of course this is not true but being new to guns I had to learn this.

[TNRobocop]

If you don't feel comfortable carrying one in the chamber, then you shouldn't be carrying it.

[93civEJ1]

im not really new to guns, but dont have the experience I would like yet around them. Everything had usually been shotguns or rifles. Not loaded and ready handguns. I would eventually like to take an advanced class that I saw offered at one of the local ranges a few days ago.

[93civEJ1]

If you don't feel comfortable carrying one in the chamber, then you shouldn't be carrying it.

i disagree with that statement somewhat. Everyone has a learning curve..lol...Not everyone that carries uncomfortable are idiots lol...i just want to take extra care and reassurance that I can do my best for my safety and the safety of others.