All of you are wrong.
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@Ken38, I think you’ve got @Scoutbob confused with another user. He is not a newcomer to the Community or to firearms.
Just because someone disagrees with your opinion doesn’t mean he doesn’t understand it. We are all very passionate about self-defense and have different viewpoints on a number of different “what if” scenarios.
And after reading Scoutbob’s comments, I think you two agree on more than you disagree on. Text can be a hard medium for passionate conversations. Please remember to ask questions if you don’t understand someone’s comment or if you think they have a view that is completely opposite from yours.
You may find that you have more in common than you think. You also might completely disagree with someone - and that’s OK. We don’t have to agree on everything.
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@Ouade5 and @KillJoy - thank you for the humor to lighten the tone. Now back to our regularly scheduled question:
How do you get used to carrying one in the chamber?
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It would be harder to get used to carrying without one in the chamber in my opinion.
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I may have missed a post above and am sorry if this has already been said!
The answer lies in basic firearm safety 101…“treat all firearms as if they are loaded”!
One should carry condition 3 just like they would condition 1. Firearms require a discipline founded in a constant vigilance of safety which we need to impress o our new gun owners and those less experienced. These discussions seems a bit silly to old timers “how do I get use to one in the chamber”, but actually they are very relevant to many new members that did not grow up in this discipline of Arms. Train, practice but most importantly discipline your mind and daily habits to be constantly vigilant of the very deadly tool which you are now responsible for. Some would say that I’m making this into a burden and perhaps it is…but one I take very willingly to defend my family friends and nation.
Sorry if I was ranting but this discipline is a passion of mine and your safety is best founded in us old farts sharing our knowledge and wisdom.
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This fanny pack does have an internal holster that covers the trigger guard. I still don’t trust it to be completely safe. BTW, you might explain how carrying with an unloaded chamber is not safe.
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I never said anything about carrying with an empty chamber. This entire thread has been a discussion about carrying with a round in the chamber.
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Thanks! Sorry for hijacking your thread. I’ll look for one titled “How to get used to an unloaded chamber”.
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Some of the time we forget what it was like in the beginning. We all have to learn at our own pace. Some things are universal (treat every gun as if were loaded) other things are not carved in stone.
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I’m a new CC person also. That was biggest concern also . I’m slowly getting Over the idea of a chambered round. Even I’ve practiced a bit with draw & slide .
I just hope I never have to. But I do feel more secure. I’m 71 never thought I would be carrying or owning a hand gun. My how times change .
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@Mike163 - welcome to the community.
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Having aged, traded all my old unsafe weapons for a small 380 and carried one in the chamber until recalling a newspaper article that a firearm fell out of someone’s holster or pocket while in the men’s room, struck the floor and went off. Seems the weapon discharged when the hammer struck the floor. The individual was a retired LEO and no charges were filed, but the “mess” (confusion, et al) at the restaurant did not do much for the appetite. Since then, my EDC is a S&W 642, striker fired 5 shot revolver.
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Do you recall (or did the article mention) what type of firearm it was? Every pistol I own can be dropped- not that I would do it on purpose, but it would be a very unusual circumstance for a modern firearm to discharge just because it was dropped.
I’m not going to tell anyone how to carry, but if retention is a real concern of yours then you could consider an active retention holster, like a Level II or even a Level III. As with everything you’ll need to practice to get used to it, but it’ll keep your firearm from coming out of your holster until you unlock it. That should give you some extra peace of mind.
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No, the incident happened some time ago 70s or 80s , I took notice to the situation because i was carrying “Barney Fife” in a shoulder holster at the time, later, was pocket carrying a Bersa 380, & kept aware of posture so as not to allow same situation to occur to me. The article mentioned confusion in the restaurant, police investigation, “retired LEO”, but no details about the weapon that I can recall.
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Might not be the one you’re referring to, but evidently it’s still happening, @Harry32
“This particular gun had an exposed hammer and doesn’t have a whole lot of safety features built into it,” Conner explained. “The hammer has to hit the firing pin in order for it to fire. So in this case, there was nothing between the hammer and firing pin, so when that gun was dropped it went off.”
Wonder if the safety was off? 
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“… it did not have a magazine, nor did it have cylinders like a revolver. But it was capable of firing more than one round.”
I wonder if it was one of these without a firing pin block?
Derringer: A Unique Concealed Carry Gun - Off The Grid News
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I do see what you mean.
Personally I carried with one in the chamber from day one. It always seemed to me that if one was going to be serious about winning a fight he needed to be as prepared as possible. The fights I’ve been in since have confirmed that belief. There is no extra time once the opposing party decides they are going to fight.
Everyone has to do what they can, and I certainly encourage anyone to carry a gun, period.
My suggestion to getting used to having a round in the chamber is never give yourself any other option. Successful handling of guns is all about consistency.
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Old Gnome -
Fundamentally I agree with you with regard to holsters and safe carry.
In the case of my flight jacket, the map pocket in this custom item my son had made for me while deployed is specifically designed to carry a pistol or revolver safely, essentially a holster built in. Retention is outstanding, as is maintaining the pistol in a readily accessible position and orientation. Yet I was still uncomfortable with the Glock’s SAP features as the leather is heavy but still softer than something like Kydex or saddle leather. Hence the addition of the sticky holster for the Glock. I have to work with the jacket to get the sticky-holstered Glock 17 set right, but there’s just something about the concept (as I think of it) as the safety being a part of the trigger mechanism that still has me not comfortable even though the jacket is designed to carry a wide variety of pistols safely.
I also have some CCW Breakaway pants and shorts that allow carry in their specialized pocket (right or left) (integrated holster) which I love. The pocket design is the holster, and I don’t have anything faster (at least I’ve not been able to draw faster with anything else - assuming that I have my hand in the pocket) and it’s also super easy to carry and to get set for a draw in a non-threatening manner. If I have to draw from hands outside the pocket it’s still really fast and one can grasp and draw easily as the pocket positions the pistol exactly right - although it takes some finagling to get it set right for a given pistol.
The CCW Breakaway folks have assessed the SAP mechanism as presenting a potential risk in their set up and they recommend that a trigger stop (my term) be inserted if you’re carrying an SAP type pistol. The trigger stop is an additional step in the draw, but it is easily used and the trigger consistently made “live” with minimal practice in the draw by popping out the stop when drawing. This is done without putting any pressure on the trigger or engaging the trigger.
I think like many things in this domain, there will be factors that make one setup comfortable or uncomfortable with a given shooter, but with forethought, care and practice a safe and effective rig can be put together that will fit individual requirements.
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Dunno, but various people are carrying - some safely - some otherwise … Perhaps a “tee shirt” holster might resolve the situation for some, saw one “tee shirt” holster advertised and thought perhaps one might be made that would eliminate the pants pocket CC for a small revolver like a S&W 38spl 642… but did not pursue…
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