I’m curious of the various thoughts and theories surrounding this topic!
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How I see it, you wouldn’t have time to put your seatbelt on in an accident, so wear it all the time.
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I do like to use a manual safety when 1 in chamber… i know its not necessary, but i just train with flippin off safety during pull
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This has been discussed quite a few times around here. The general consensus is that having a round in the chamber is far superior in far more situations.
Though having a gun on you in a non ready and slow to deploy state might be better in many situations than leaving your defensive tool at home. As long as you are aware that there are many situations that having an unloaded gun on you can get you killed or seriously injured due to the extra time it takes to get the firearm into action and or the two hands it requires to be free to do so quickly.
If you can’t get your firearm into the fight in a useable condition quick enough it is probably better to use your hands to go after the threat instead of fumbling with loading the firearm while being attacked.
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There are very few things written in stone where there is only one “right way”
But “a round in the chamber is right” is about as close as you can get to an absolute.
It’s been covered a lot, and pretty matter of factly, unless there is some wild extenuating circumstance, the correct way to carry is with a round in the chamber and the gun in a holster that adequately covers and protects the trigger guard/trigger
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Worth a search before you drag everyone through this…again.
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Lol. 1911 cocked and locked…the only way to rock! Especially in 10 mm!
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I have always been concerned with the aftermath of a situation or senario. While I may not be qualified to afford a concise legal prospective, my concerns are based upon the forensic analytics of my actions. The view and action will depend greately upon the compass of the county prosecutors office. Following a lethal response, an assistant district attorbey may question the following;
Chambered round while carrying: “So, you are expecting, if not wanting a chance to use your firearm. You could carry without one in the chamber. How did you score on your qualification? 300/300, a perfect score. So, you are also a trained killer.”
Individually, these may seem like unconsequent factors that have no bearing on the incident. Yet, rest assured that if an Assistant District Attorney or the D.A. themselves has a bug in their bonnet about you or the incident, they will dig at everything.
Unchambered round in firearm: “so, your firearm was not loaded and you had the time to chamber a round, line up the sights and made the decision to pull the trigger, when you could have used that time to escape and save a life?”
Essentally, in some States they will attempt to Blame Shift onto the victim, because of the manner in which they chose to defend themselves and others. Unfortunately, I live in California and those that live in CA and simular States have to think 10 steps ahead of the opposition. For my firearms with a manual safety such as the 1911, I carry with one chambered. For my trigger safety firearms, such as the Glock I switch between the two depending on where I am going to be,… While in Oakland, CA. One in the pipe, hanging out in Roseville, CA. (Near Sacramento) clear pipe.
Essentially it is really personal preference. Yet, if you are wondering what type of DA administration you’re dealing with, look up stories and legal cases of Stand Your Ground and Castle Doctrine cases in your area to see if and how they were prosecuted. Also, ensure that you are following the provisions of your CCW permit, as some do not allow citizens to carry chambered. The learning never stops, so Be Safe out there, everyone!
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From what attorneys have said (I am not one)…they would love for the prosecution to bring up the fact that are trained, and the fact that you are carrying the way the professionals and experts carry and recommend carrying.
If you’re going to make potentially life/death decisions about carry based on what an unscrupulous prosecutor might say, sell your guns and get off this community and cancel any subscriptions or memberships you have to anything that has to do with self defense in any way.
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A .05 second search.
Should you carry with one in the chamber? - Firearm Training / Mental Training - USCCA Community
Plus-7 other topics on the same subject.
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Now this I have to seriously question. I have never heard of such a ridiculous thing. Can you provide a source?
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Great point! I never viewed it from that vantage point. Appreciate the insight!
You don’t get what your wish for, you get what you work for." - Daniel Milstein
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As this says it arrived by email I want to double check that you are aware…your full name and phone number populated in the post
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Great video Nathan! Very helpful information. I think I’ll train using the chambered method for few weeks then revisit this topic.
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When I was first licensed in Placer County in 1995, we were made aware that while we are licensed throughout the State, San Francisco had a provision that CCW holders could not carry chambered unless it was a revolver. I rarely have a need to go to the city these days, yet I included it as their local rules will apply. It may no longer be an issue, as CA just lifted the single firearm carry rule, yet one is still only allowed a maximum of 3 on their ticket. Thanks for the inquiry.
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I am not making a decision based upon the assertions of any prosecution team, moreover I watch and learn what the Jurys say. Michael Drejka got 20 years for 1 step backwards by his agressor. Kyle Rittenhouse, probably should not have been there during the riots, and there were questions as to his lawful possession of the weapon, yet was aquitted. The jury is where the rubber hits the road, yet it is the unscroupilious prosecutior that will put the pedal to the floor in taking ones freedom away.
I agree, if someone is going ro make life and death decisions, they should have a full wrap understanding of the principals and the practice of carrying. This is including the legal analysis of previous cases, with emphasis on ones region. Understanding the how and why an enforcement agency operates the way it does, is essential to ones self preservation, following an incident. Consider it ones Legal D.O.P.E. (Data On Previous Engagements) book. Record and observe all conditions as one may be in a simular situation one day. One should be as willing to crack a book, as they would be willing to crack a round off at the range.
Hence the point and purpose of the Carry Community having a legal defence protocol, because others have been unfairly prosecuted in the past in the use of lethal force in self defence. I am double stacked because I do live in California. USCCA Elite and U.S. Law Shield policies, three if we count the County Sheriffs Union, under The Probation Department. So, one could say I take it very seriously, because I am not just a professional, who has a duty to respond, I am also a citizen who believes in everyones right to lawfully carry. Is that not why we are here? To share our experience and to learn, or is it a continious measuring contest of chambered / unchambered,… 9mm or .45 ACP, et.al. The jury is out,…
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Drejka initiated the confrontation (strike 1), then he drew a gun over a push (strike 2), then he fired that gun even though there was no imminent threat of serious bodily harm or death (this alone is a serious crime)
Your lesson from Drejka should be
- Don’t initiate confrontations
- Don’t shoot an unarmed person who has pushed you one time and is turning and walking away from you with empty hands plainly visible.
There is nothing from his case that in any way supports a prosecutor or jury seeing you as “looking to shoot someone” or any of that nonsense just because you carry with a round in the chamber
We aren’t the police and we aren’t parking lot monitors. Don’t get in someone’s face and yell at them because they parked in a spot you don’t think they should be parking in. That alone will shortcut the whole scenario
AVOIDANCE is #1
I can’t speak to what a LEO might do as a “duty to respond” situation, but for concealed carry as a private citizen (which Drejka was and is what we are primarily discussing), chambered carry is generally correct
(not a lawyer)
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I agree that Drejka did everything wrong from the beginning. Further investigation demonstrated that he had a history of violent tendencies, as one individual came forward and indicated that Drejka had threatened to shoot him during a road rage incident a few weeks before the shooting. Drejka would definately not win any awards for representing the CCW community well.
However, following the guilty verdict the prosecution pooled the jury as to the determining factor of a guilty verdict, beyond a shadow of a doubt. Their unanimous answers were Mr. McGlockton’s one step backwards when being presented with the firearm. The point of the example was the jury response in comparison. One, tiny overlooked detail viewed under the microscope (Frame by Frame video) by a jury was the determining factor.
Unarmed, does not mean not dangerous. Mr. McGlockton started to move forward while Drejka was on the ground. It was not until Mr. McGlockton saw the firearm that he steped back. Hence the threat was deemed gone and it took Drejka 5 seconds to draw and shoot from the sitting position. If there was no CCTV video to view, Drejka may have been aquitted, due to a lack of evidence. The CCTV footage of 1 step back and the jury is what landed Drejka’s 20 years, despite Drejka’s numerious monumental crimes beforehand.
Cheers!
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