One in the camber???

[mhl6493]

Just found this thread, and it has been a very interesting and informative read.  I just bought my first carry gun, a Ruger LCP.  Only the second gun I've ever owned, period, so this is all pretty new to me.  The LCP has no safety, and even though I know having a round chambered makes more sense from a self-defense perspective, I'm just having trouble feeling comfortable with carrying a hot gun with no safety in my pocket (even in a good holster) -- which I will be doing a lot of.  Two things I'm wondering about: (1) How likely is it that the gun will accidentally discharge?  I have a 10-year-old daughter who still loves to sit in daddy's lap.  If she were to somehow accidentally cause it to fire, well, you get the idea... (2) Mentally, how did y'all come to grips with carrying hot?  I know the logic of it, but I've just got this eerie feeling about it that I'm having trouble getting over.  

Edited May 12, 2014 by mhl6493

[NRA]

A pistol not chambered is just an expensive paper weight?  Every gun has a safety it is your bugger finger!

[tnguy]

If the trigger is covered in a good retention holster, 0 chance of an accidental discharge. Never really had any issue with carrying that way as I knew what would cause the firearm to discharge.

[peejman]

Just found this thread, and it has been a very interesting and informative read.  I just bought my first carry gun, a Ruger LCP.  Only the second gun I've ever owned, period, so this is all pretty new to me.  The LCP has no safety, and even though I know having a round chambered makes more sense from a self-defense perspective, I'm just having trouble feeling comfortable with carrying a hot gun with no safety in my pocket (even in a good holster) -- which I will be doing a lot of.  Two things I'm wondering about: (1) How likely is it that the gun will accidentally discharge?  I have a 10-year-old daughter who still loves to sit in daddy's lap.  If she were to somehow accidentally cause it to fire, well, you get the idea... (2) Mentally, how did y'all come to grips with carrying hot?  I know the logic of it, but I've just got this eerie feeling about it that I'm having trouble getting over.  

 

 

1.  If you don't pull the trigger (or do something exceptionally stupid), it won't fire.  Period. 

 

I have a 3 yr old and 6 yr old.  They climb all over me.  While I'm conscious of it, short of them sticking their hands in my pocket and pulling the gun out of the holster that covers the trigger... it's just an assembly of metal and plastic no more dangerous than my phone.  They're more likely to hurt themselves on my pocket knife than my pistol. 

 

 

 

2. I'm nerdy and can, to some extent, understand simple mechanical things like trigger mechanisms.  Even beyond the whole argument about how a gun with no bullets is a hammer... its simple logic, the trigger mechanism is designed such that the firing pin will not hit the primer with enough force to cause a discharge without pulling the trigger. 

Edited May 12, 2014 by peejman

[Fourtyfive]

It will take time , when I started to carry I was the same way. After a while I went to loaded on a striker fired with a GOOD HOLSTER , then it was ALL HOLSTERS had to have a thumb break , now it's cocked and locked .45 with no thumb break. Comfortable as can be ; baby steps , you will get there.

[Tobashadow]

Had a dog attack my wife in our yard a few years ago and the pistol I had on me had a empty chamber and malfunctioned hanging a round sideways when I racked the slide so I had to resort to knife and hand to hand combat with it. Since then all pistols are ready to go at all times and the shotgun is too. Btw the wife has great respect with what I can do with a blade if I have to now lol. Edited May 12, 2014 by Tobashadow

[NRA]

Had a dog attack my wife in our yard a few years ago and the pistol I had on me had a empty chamber and malfunctioned hanging a round sideways when I racked the slide so I had to resort to knife and hand to hand combat with it. Since then all pistols are ready to go at all times and the shotgun is too. Btw the wife has great respect with what I can do with a blade if I have to now lol.

I would have payed to see this! Nice work Rambo!

[Oh Shoot]

...  I know the logic of it, but I've just got this eerie feeling about it that I'm having trouble getting over.  

 

Carry it cocked without one in chamber. Check it every couple of days to see if it's still cocked.

 

After x amount of time, you'll be convinced it ain't gonna fire unless the trigger is pulled, and you'll keep one in the chamber, as of course you should.

 

- OS

Edited May 13, 2014 by Oh Shoot

[LowBb]

Also, maybe have a place to put it when ur at home so it's not on you. This way there's no worry with your daughter.

Great idea above. Or even, carry it without one racked for a while so you can get used to the idea of carrying. Gradually you will be more comfortable. If you're like me you went a long time without carrying anything. It takes a little time.

Edited May 14, 2014 by LowBb

[Tobashadow]

[quote name="NRA" post="1148277" timestamp="1399941469"]I would have payed to see this! Nice work Rambo![/quote] Got to do what you gotta do, a stab to the rib cage and he was off the wife and after me. He came at me and got the left arm but I got his throat when he made that mistake. Learned too lessons that day, keep the gun ready and good ammo in it and just go for the kill right off with the knife cause just trying to get him off first could have been a mistake. I still have that cartridge, the bullet came out of the crimp partially and hung the chamber.

[Sonny]

Carry it cocked without one in chamber. Check it every couple of days to see if it's still cocked.

 

After x amount of time, you'll be convinced it ain't gonna fire unless the trigger is pulled, and you'll keep one in the chamber, as of course you should.

 

- OS

probably the best advice for folks that are starting to carry a gun, every gun type except the revolvers, carry it cocked and without one in the chamber to get comfortable with it for few days and keep checking it and you will gain that trust in your gun and get a good holster that covers the trigger, there is nothing worse carrying chambered and being a nervous wreck and freaking out about it thinking it will fire on its own that is not safe for you or anyone around you.

[teecro]

Just found this thread, and it has been a very interesting and informative read.  I just bought my first carry gun, a Ruger LCP.  Only the second gun I've ever owned, period, so this is all pretty new to me.  The LCP has no safety, and even though I know having a round chambered makes more sense from a self-defense perspective, I'm just having trouble feeling comfortable with carrying a hot gun with no safety in my pocket (even in a good holster) -- which I will be doing a lot of.  Two things I'm wondering about: (1) How likely is it that the gun will accidentally discharge?  I have a 10-year-old daughter who still loves to sit in daddy's lap.  If she were to somehow accidentally cause it to fire, well, you get the idea... (2) Mentally, how did y'all come to grips with carrying hot?  I know the logic of it, but I've just got this eerie feeling about it that I'm having trouble getting over.  

 

If you do not want a gun to fire then you simply don't pull the trigger...

 

A good friend came by one day with a new LCP in his pocket bragging on how small it was and when he showed it to me he exclaimed that the chamber was empty; when he handed it to me I set it down and promptly removed the staples from a desktop stapler and handed it to him and said here is a fair exchange....

 

I rough house with my grandkids all the time and usually I'm armed with a cocked & locked SIG P938 it does not worry me as I know that guns don't "just go off" while they are encased in a well made and well fitted holster

[teecro]

dang double post

Edited May 13, 2014 by teecro

[JWKilgore]

....guns don't "just go off" while they are encased in a well made and well fitted holster

 

This is the most important lesson from this thread.

 

Pretty much any time you hear of someone having a accidental discharge it's because the gun was in a poor holster (trigger not covered, or else the gun fell out) or else no holster at all.

 

Incidentally, I do know someone who learned to shoot with an old western-style single-action revolver (one that WOULD fire if you smacked the lowered hammer hard enough) who to this day carries a new hammerless DA LCR with an empty chamber on top.

Edited May 13, 2014 by JWKilgore

[mhl6493]

Thanks for all the responses.  Very good input.  Regarding the suggestion to keep the gun cocked for a few days without one in the chamber -- this is going to be a dumb question to most of you, but how exactly would I do that?  Would I simply rack the slide with the magazine out, then insert it?  Remember, I'm a newbie, especially to semi-automatics, so take it easy on me...  :D

[TrickyNicky]

Thanks for all the responses.  Very good input.  Regarding the suggestion to keep the gun cocked for a few days without one in the chamber -- this is going to be a dumb question to most of you, but how exactly would I do that?  Would I simply rack the slide with the magazine out, then insert it?  Remember, I'm a newbie, especially to semi-automatics, so take it easy on me...  :D

You could do that to carry it cocked but unloaded, but if your carrying a semi you're going to need to rack the slide back anyway to chamber a round when ready to shoot. No real reason to do so twice IMO. Just leave it with an empty chamber and rack the slide when you draw.

[TrickyNicky]

Double tap. Edited May 13, 2014 by TrickyNicky

[Fourtyfive]

Many moons ago my family and I were robbed in our driveway after returning from church. I was not carrying and there was no such thing as a HCP then anyways. I was pistol whipped on the forehead and the children were put against a wall of the house ( both around 10 - 13 years old ) , they took my wallet , house keys and my wife's purse. When I came to from the momentary black-out ( I hit the blacktop when the pistol hit my forehead , big blood puddle ) we got into the house by raising our manual garage door. I went to get my Sig P226 from the bedroom and racked the slide ( kept it with no round in the chamber ) and went outside searching through the bushes and dark looking for the robbers. Once the cops and ambulance got there I was treated and they left. I barricaded all doors that night until I could change the locks the next morning. While sitting in my den going over things at around midnight I decided to double check my pistol , guess what , no round in the chamber. I did not pull the slide back far enough when I thought I charged it.

Funny thing is , I had $3 in my wallet , my wife $10 in her purse ; my 10 year old son , $60 in his wallet belt they did not get.

The moral of this story is , load it , keep it loaded , otherwise it's a brick and you could be too.

[mhl6493]

Many moons ago my family and I were robbed in our driveway after returning from church. I was not carrying and there was no such thing as a HCP then anyways. I was pistol whipped on the forehead and the children were put against a wall of the house ( both around 10 - 13 years old ) , they took my wallet , house keys and my wife's purse. When I came to from the momentary black-out ( I hit the blacktop when the pistol hit my forehead , big blood puddle ) we got into the house by raising our manual garage door. I went to get my Sig P226 from the bedroom and racked the slide ( kept it with no round in the chamber ) and went outside searching through the bushes and dark looking for the robbers. Once the cops and ambulance got there I was treated and they left. I barricaded all doors that night until I could change the locks the next morning. While sitting in my den going over things at around midnight I decided to double check my pistol , guess what , no round in the chamber. I did not pull the slide back far enough when I thought I charged it.

Funny thing is , I had $3 in my wallet , my wife $10 in her purse ; my 10 year old son , $60 in his wallet belt they did not get.

The moral of this story is , load it , keep it loaded , otherwise it's a brick and you could be too.

 

Wow, sorry man.  That's terrible.  Definitely impacts how you view things...

[Dane]

[quote name="Ladyhay" post="1144445" timestamp="1398867591"]This is a very interesting topic to me, as I have two small children. I am currently looking for the "safest" hot weapon with a safety. I don't carry my revolver often for this reason. My children are constantly climbing on me, etc. Balls being thrown, airplanes, spills- you never really know :) I want to find the weapon through research and then train w it. But during that time of training- I may not carry chambered. Or I may only carried chambered away from the children or when I am in a situation that is quite uncomfortable.We travel a lot with the children and I carry hot in and out of restrooms and travel stop areas. But I am a nervous wreck the entire time. In the car it stays next to me in a gun vault and then unloaded when we are back w the husband or feel safe. I keep an unloaded shot gun near the bed as well when the husband is out of town. I wish I had the right answer and open to the right answer but it's like the threat that is apparent is the risk of my babies getting harmed...by me.Btw- I am taking opinions on a handgun that can safely be carried hot- with a safety, by a smaller framed female with smallish hands that can train to quickly disarm said safety, that wears tight clothes, runs, and has rheumatoid arthritis w a bit reduced grip strength that can't handle much recoil in a caliber that will drop a meth head and be enjoyable enough to practice with (lots) without flinching. :). Y'all know of one of those? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk[/quote] Ladyhay, I have 4 boys ages 4,5,10,13. My wife and I both carry glocks. She is a small framed woman similar description to yourself except without the arthritis. I carry with one in the chamber and she does not (most of the time). My kids climb all over me and use the gun in its holster as a step up at times. We have zero concerns with a unintentional discharge. With all of that said my kids also know that we carry and know what a firearm can do. My 5 year old has already began shooting at the range. When considering how to carry please consider what your other hand will be doing during an attack. I would bet that it will be sweeping the kids in a safe direction and loading a weapon will be the last thing on your mind. When you decide on your method of carry do it that way 100% of the time. Having it chambered here but not there is a sure way to find yourself in a bad place if you need that weapon. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[Fourtyfive]

Wow, sorry man.  That's terrible.  Definitely impacts how you view things...

Yup , still does , wish my view was down the top of my .45 at those two guys !

[Sonny]

Thanks for all the responses.  Very good input.  Regarding the suggestion to keep the gun cocked for a few days without one in the chamber -- this is going to be a dumb question to most of you, but how exactly would I do that?  Would I simply rack the slide with the magazine out, then insert it?  Remember, I'm a newbie, especially to semi-automatics, so take it easy on me...  :D

Exactly, take out the magazine and pull the slide to charge the gun and then insert a magazine but remember if u get in trouble don't forget to rack it again to get it loaded and no worries being a newby we have all been there it takes time to get comfortable with a gun but u will get there and it is great from you to be on this forum and ask the questions,that's why we are here for - to help a fellow member and one more advice get to the range and shoot as much as u can afford it every other weekend will do and u will get to understand your gun quickly

[peejman]

Thanks for all the responses. Very good input. Regarding the suggestion to keep the gun cocked for a few days without one in the chamber -- this is going to be a dumb question to most of you, but how exactly would I do that? Would I simply rack the slide with the magazine out, then insert it? Remember, I'm a newbie, especially to semi-automatics, so take it easy on me... :D

Depends on the type of gun. Is it striker fired or hammer fired?

If it's got an exposed hammer, you should be able to cock the hammer manually without a round in the chamber.

Some designed have a cocked and locked position (traditional 1911's) and some have a half cock position. If it's a "decocker" model, engaging the safety with the hammer cocked will decock the hammer.... the hammer will fall but not hit the firing pin.

If it's striker fired, just racking the slide will put the internal hammer (the striker) in a half cocked position and the safety can then be engaged. With that design, you can't really have the gun fully cocked and locked as part of the trigger pull completes cocking the hammer before releasing it.

[Oh Shoot]

You could do that to carry it cocked but unloaded, but if your carrying a semi you're going to need to rack the slide back anyway to chamber a round when ready to shoot. No real reason to do so twice IMO. Just leave it with an empty chamber and rack the slide when you draw.

 

The idea here is to build confidence by having gun ready to fire with no round loaded, to prove it won't go off.

 

Anyway, yes, rack the slide with no mag, then insert mag. Carry it same way then as you would if round were in chamber.

 

- OS

[molonlabetn]

...When considering how to carry please consider what your other hand will be doing during an attack. I would bet that it will be sweeping the kids in a safe direction and loading a weapon will be the last thing on your mind. When you decide on your method of carry do it that way 100% of the time. Having it chambered here but not there is a sure way to find yourself in a bad place if you need that weapon. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

This.

Well put.