Do you carry your firearm with one in the chamber?

[tennessee01tacoma]

I'm going to go against the grain here, only because I'm talking about ME!

I don't carry my 1911 cocked and locked because my blood brother is Murphy. If it can happen, it will happen to me. For instance...

Walking along in the front yard with only one 12" stick in all the yard, and it gets badly entangled in my shoe laces. Constantly get my pants entangled in my tractor controls almost every time dismounting the thing. My seat belt gets snagged on my 1911 many times while getting out of the vehicle. On and on...

It only takes me a fraction of a second to rack the slide and I don't have to disengage the safety.

Not saying that's the best way to carry for most people but, I'm not chancing a ND with my clumsy luck.

As I like to say, "the world is a safer place when Dennis1209 doesn't carry cocked and locked"

I understand your type of luck. My step dad was taking our riding mower down our driveway which is a very steep gravel driveway. In order to do this you have to put in in the lowest gear and idle the motor down and NEVER hit the brake because as soon as you hit the brakes it freewheels and you will probably hit 30+ mph. The lawn mower started to slide and he hit the brake and rode it for a while and then had to bail and landed directly on his 1911 that was cocked and locked and slid in the gravels on the brand new rosewood grips he had just put on, but the gun never fired.

[Guest twpayne75]

I can't imagine carrying without one in the chamber. If nothing else that's one more chance at a miss. I'm not that great a shot, so I want every round possible.

Seriously though. Without a round chambered it's a club........a short club at that.

I had a ...........ahem.......discussion with a fellow on another gun site one evening. He said he carried a FMJ in the chamber and a magazine full of defense load. I couldn't resist, I had to ask why. He then told me that his buddy had an accident and shot himself in the leg. He was afraid of doing the same. So he carried a FMJ in the chamber. That way if he did shoot himself there would be less damage.

I told him if I was carrying so I was prepared to shoot myself first, I would chamber a snap cap and a magazine full of defense loads. He didn't find the humor.

Edited September 21, 2012 by twpayne75

[bubbiesdad]

I always have one in the chamber

How did he know you were carrying?

Dfsixstring

SR9c

LCP

RST4S

Good question.

[IggyBcool]

I look at it like this. What good is a car in the garage without gas?

[frankmako]

yes

[Makiaveli]

I agree 99%

I will say, I would have complied too. BECAUSE, there's no threat and it's the fastest way to get away from the guy. During the process I would have noted the name tag and car number then immediately made a complaint to his department. Confrontation on the spot is never advantageous so why do it? I would certainly like to but WON'T. I'd bottle it up and ream his supervisor in a setting where there's no possible way I could see the back seat of a car.

I think this is the best way to handle it. Maybe without the reaming his supervisor part. If you complain anonymously, then they may ignore it. If they know who you are, well I explained to a off-duty Lt. what he did wrong while trying to tell me I was wrong (I wasn't) up in Hopkinsville, KY back in the 80's and let's just say I accelerated my plans to replace my car with a slightly newer model

[Guest PapaB]

I carry with one in the chamber because when I tried to get 2 in the chamber they wouldn't fit.

[Guest 6.8 AR]

I carry a Glock with one in there. It works better that way.

So far, no Glock butt.

[bubbiesdad]

check @ .45

Edited September 29, 2012 by bubbiesdad

[Guest mcgyver210]

If he could have arrested you for it, he would have. He was LYING.

There is no law in Tennessee that prohibits condition 1 carry. I'm sorry, but I would have challenged him on that, and if need be, I would have asked for his supervisor to make an appearance.

A cop has NO RIGHT to lie in an attempt to intimidate me, particularly when it comes to exercising my constitutional rights.

This is why you should NEVER Ever Trust a LEOs Word, They are aloud to Lie which is why I will always question any LEOs word in a court of law as being possibly UN-trustable. When you let them Lie legally where is the line for when they are required to tell the truth. It isn't their fault it is human nature.

[ted]

Hope this helps for the ones that don't think twice

[tnhawk]

Would you carry an uninflated spare tire in your trunk? I treat every gun as loaded, because all of mine are.

[Will H]

I carry my 9mm Storm subcompact with 13 in the mag and 1 in the chamber, all +p+. I carry with the safety/decocker on, and practice flipping it off with my thumb during draw. You can make this method plenty safe and fast via practice. Practice is always the key to a successful defense. There are very few evil doers out there that are practiced, so it's really the one advantage we have over an armed attacker. IMO

Edited September 30, 2012 by Will H

[Guest Ken]

A friend noticed my 1911 cocked and locked and was shocked. I just told him that it was the only way I could put the safety on.

Haven't had a chance to edjicate him on 1911.

Ken

[sigbrown1297]

Always carry hot.

[Guest Oaklands]

Always and forever.

Sent from my AT100 using Tapatalk 2

[StumpyBeagle]

Yup, always. I'm pretty sure if I beat the bad guy to death with my unloaded pistol I'd be in big trouble.

[QuietDan]

Yup, always. I'm pretty sure if I beat the bad guy to death with my unloaded pistol I'd be in big trouble.

I'll beat the bad guy to death with my unloaded pistol after I've unloaded it on him and his dirtbag buddies.

[QuietDan]

A friend noticed my 1911 cocked and locked and was shocked. I just told him that it was the only way I could put the safety on.

Haven't had a chance to edjicate him on 1911.

Ken

Cocked, locked and shocked.

There's a song in there somewhere . . .

[Tri-Cities Bob]

If I need to draw my pistol in a self-defense situation it needs to be ready NOW. The usual situation would be that you are suddenly confronted by an armed assailant. He now has the advantage. You're ace in the hole is the element of surprise since he probably doesn't know you are armed. Since he has the drop on you, you'll have to find an opportunity to draw your firearm when he's distracted by something else. When this fleeting moment arrives you do not want to have to rack the slide before you're ready to shoot. If you're uncomfortable carrying with a round in the chamber you should look at purchasing another pistol with enough built-in safety features that you will be comfortable. To echo an earlier comment, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE A DECENT QUALITY HOLSTER THAT COVERS THE TRIGGER.

[alwaysonjohn]

I don't know where all this hate towards cops come from... I instantly call BS on his story, unless he didn't have a handgun permit or unless he was stopped by Coopertown (who i still don't consider cops). Or, as your story would indicate, you had a loaded gun on your hip while talking to the officer and you FAILED to mention you HAD A GUN and forgot to tell him, which is HCP 101 (Or atleast they made me watch some lame video during my hcp class where I was taught to inform the officer first thing during the traffic stop).

When I do traffic stops I always take the handgun and download it. I run the serial, and if its good to go (HCP is valid/gun is not stolen), I give it back downloaded and ask the driver to load up down the road. All of which, I do for my safety.

Like others have said, if its not loaded then all you have is a throwing tool. I personally don't like safetys at all, but I don't trust my 1911 enough to carry cocked without the safety engaged. My glock is cocked and ready to go though, just because I trust the design a little more.

Edited October 12, 2012 by alwaysonjohn

[jughead]

this old man has been stopped 3 times since 97. ALL 3 times i was read the riot act because i was carrying cocked and locked. why should i not distrust officers that should know better.

[daddyo]

When I do traffic stops I always take the handgun and download it.

What is this downloadable handgun that you speak of and how do I do that?

Edited October 12, 2012 by DaddyO

[TMF]

I don't know where all this hate towards cops come from... I instantly call BS on his story, unless he didn't have a handgun permit or unless he was stopped by Coopertown (who i still don't consider cops). Or, as your story would indicate, you had a loaded gun on your hip while talking to the officer and you FAILED to mention you HAD A GUN and forgot to tell him, which is HCP 101 (Or atleast they made me watch some lame video during my hcp class where I was taught to inform the officer first thing during the traffic stop).

When I do traffic stops I always take the handgun and download it. I run the serial, and if its good to go (HCP is valid/gun is not stolen), I give it back downloaded and ask the driver to load up down the road. All of which, I do for my safety.

Like others have said, if its not loaded then all you have is a throwing tool. I personally don't like safetys at all, but I don't trust my 1911 enough to carry cocked without the safety engaged. My glock is cocked and ready to go though, just because I trust the design a little more.

I carry my 1911 locked and cocked everyday and my only safety concern is being pulled over, having a cop disarm me and have a ND with my pistol because he is nervous or not familiar with that weapons system. There is no reason why an officer in the state of Tennessee should be disarming a HCP holder unless there is a good reason. It says it right there in the TCA.

[Lumber_Jack]

I carry my 1911 locked and cocked everyday and my only safety concern is being pulled over, having a cop disarm me and have a ND with my pistol because he is nervous or not familiar with that weapons system. There is no reason why an officer in the state of Tennessee should be disarming a HCP holder unless there is a good reason. It says it right there in the TCA.

Nor are we required to declare a gun upon a traffic stop.