Carry a round chambered or not?

[surfcc]

Always....and yes this has been addressed on the site many times.

[Xader]

There may be some safety issues with a single action auto..

No safety issues whatsoever as long as you keep it properly holstered.

[LDaniel]

My 1911, I am always reaching back and making sure the thumb safety is engaged.

[Anubis]

The overwhelming majority of those who carry a handgun prefer to carry with a chambered round. It takes long enough to draw and aim in a stressful situation, particularly if one is clearing a cover garment. Very few want to add cycling the slide to the program. Plus, you may only have one hand available for handling the pistol---for example, if you are fending off an attacker with the weak hand.

[dendrokeeper]

I always carry with one in the chamber. This is a matter of personal preference and do what you are comfortable with. I carry chambered for a number of reasons. Most important for me is taking one step out of the equation. When it comes down to fractions of seconds for reaction time, the more actions you have to perform the more likely you are to have a malfunction.

If you do not carry with one in the chamber, I urge you to practice and practice to make the motion of drawing and racking the slide one fluid motion. Know your gun so when under the extreme stress of a situation you do not accidentally drop the magazine as you rack the slide.

[Danno]

I carry 10+1 when holstered, but there are rare times that I will "Mexican Carry" - just tucked in my pants. If I do this, I do not keep one in the pipe. With the trigger guard exposed, I don't want to take the chance of of a ND/AD.

That being said, I RARELY carry like that. My everyday carry config is a Crossbreed Supertuck, 10+1 Springfield XD .45 Compact

[gestu1]

I had this same question when I went from a revolver to an automatic. I followed everyones advice and practiced. Did some training with a LEO that explained how the internal safteys operate Eventually I found the right holster configuration and a good understanding of how the weapon works. I carry a Smith and Wesson M&P 45ACP. without a thumb safety in a Galco Combat Master holster. I'm perfectly at ease with one in the pipe.

[Scarecrow]

have always carried with a round chambered and ready to go. when I take my holster off I put the safety on. when I put the holster on I take the safety off.

[AZSATT]

As well as reducing crucial steps and time in the defensive draw in a deadly force encounter, if you carry withOUT a round in the chamber, and your adversary is literally "on you" in whatever type of assault, God help you if you have to draw from concealment, attempt to rack your slide back AND fend off an assailant when both hands HAVE to be on your gun just to make it work.

It's unwise to enter any fight without use of your hands. Since an encounter within arms reach is not uncommon, speed means everything. In CQB, I encourage the good guy to use his/her non-firing hand to punch, jab, palm-heel strike and/or cover defensively while drawing and shooting from the hip with only the firing hand. This is impossible if your chamber is empty. You would be getting pummeled and likely never get the gun into battery.

Introducing an unloaded gun into such a violent encounter, when fractions of seconds and swift, decisive action separates first place from dead place, is futile in my opinion.