Welcome to the community,you are in the right place- from Michigan.
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Everyone has their own comfort level. This topic has been beaten to death. My only suggestion is that you carry at home chambered, and then when you get comfortable with that, you can then carry that way elsewhere. Firearms, unless there is something wrong with them, do not discharge on their own.
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AND
pull the trigger.
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Everyone decides for themselves, and while some can draw and rack the slide quickly, sometimes the fight is over in 3 seconds.
I will ask, has your firearm ever fired itself, or pulled itâs own trigger?
What is uncomfortable about carrying chambered?
Just asking if it is a thought process about a chambered round could go off, or if you fear someone may take your firearm from you and not be able to fire at you until they chamber a round.
If someone still can not carry chambered after considering the question of their firearm pulling itâs own trigger or going off on itâs own, then that is still their choice.
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Because a Colt 1911 isnât a Sig⊠
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Train,train,train. Get to know your every day weapon of choice and the ammo you plan on using while carrying. HolsterâŠcant express enough how the holster is just as important as the weapon. Dont just go to the range and shoot. Practice pulling it from your holster,however you choose to carry. Just because you carry,dont mean you an get it ready to fire as fast as you think you can. Train,train,train. YupâŠnowadys ammo and range time are expensive,but your life is worth more. If youre spending your hard earned money on ammo and range timeâŠutilize it!
As you become more proficient with you weapon,holster and ammo and ready to fire practice. Your confidence in chamber carrying will improve.
My personal opinion,is chamber carrying is very important. No criminal is going to wait for you to chamber your weapon.
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Iâve been thinking about this post a bit more.
I actually have no training courses that actually teach you how to draw from the holsters, rack your slide and then present on target. Defensive Shooting Fundamentals, Concealed Carry & Home Defense, Countering the Mass Shooter or even the State LTC course.
When your adrenaline hits and YOUâRE behind the curve REACTING to their aggression, your hand motor skills will be severely impaired. Itâs proven biology, blood immediately leaves your extremities, soak your hands in cold ice water for 120 seconds and see how quickly you can operate the slide.
If you carry with no round in the chamber, become more familiar with your skill set and familiarity with your firearm so that you are more comfortable with it ready to immdeiately stop the threat.
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Practice with dummy rounds or a dry gun a few times.
- draw
- orient
- bring weapon forward to work area
- where your second had meets naturally, instead of taking a grip, full palm cup over the slide and grab.
- pull and push with pushing through the racking process being the primary action.
- let you racking hand slide off naturally(it should with a good push)
- shooting hand should end up in a locked out shooting position and free hand should end up hitting your peck (just below where a rifle stock sits)
- either shoot 1 handed then move off line to bring second had to the gun or continue moving offline (as the gun is presented) in order to get both hands on the gun prior to shooting.
I have never been taught this but when I was new to carrying despite being a Combat Vet, I was nervous at first to carry chambered. (probably because I was trained to use safety in the military while my Glock did not have one).
So I practice ways to get a round down range quickly and naturally that I could repeat with out thinking about it.
This takes time and more confidence in 1 hand shooting. It generally added 1-2 seconds to the shot.
The goal is to get someone comfortable enough with carrying chambered but sometimes people wonât be for a very long time or ever. Now in any gun fight, if you can get to cover and reengage then that should be priority especially if not chambered. Tactics beat skill but since most shooting happen close, that is slim chance to get cover unless the attacker is a mass shooter and not 1 on 1 at the street corner.
No courses train this because carrying not chambered is less than ideal, especially for anyone with weaker hand that would become even worse during stress
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New Glock owner since June. First time owning a gun
Still learning
Went out first time today carrying in belly band.
Very intimidating going to store with loaded weapon, one in chamber. Thought everyone knew.
Uncomfortable with chambered round as worried about trigger getting caught on something
Very cautious on handling with finger away from trigger. Just new at it and nervous.
Appreciate conversation here
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@Robert426 - congratulations on the steps you have taken. Rest assured, we all felt the same way the first day we carried. I know I did. You will get used to carrying, but you will always be aware you are carrying.
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I agree with @OldGnome the first few times, I thought I was screaming that I was carrying concealed. Nobody has told me that they have noticed, and I almost donât notice it in the iwb holster.
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a good holster with a trigger guard will not allow anything to get the trigger but it is always in your mind when you are new. I will always advocate to carrying chambered but I look at it like this.
- if carrying chambered has you worried constantly while out and about, your situational awareness is drawn to that stress and not anywhere it should be.(assuming it is a legit worry and not a minor concern)
- What would be better? having better situational awareness to your surrounding while adding a 1-2 second shot on target time OR have you become oblivious to certain threats because you are paying attention to your weapon and what might happen instead of what is actually happening in front of you? What would actually take more time in the reaction process OODA Loop?
I recommend training until you or comfortable with your weapon completely and you trust yourself as well. Try walking around the house with a chambered round or maybe put a blank in the chamber and run around the house doing anything you think you would be doing. That way, you know if it does go off, it wonât shoot through your leg or something. There are dozens of ways people go about doing this but it all comes down to training and confidence/comfort with the weapon.
You could also just jump into the fire and just do it a few times which generally creates confidence fastest with most people.
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I must be a weird duck. when I got my cpl, I put one the chamber and went every where stores,gas stations and food places. I felt very comfortable and didnât worry at all. I guess spending time at the range and dry firing, you get to know your gun, and knowing to keep your finger off the trigger.
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Thanks all
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With one in the chamber, you need to have good training, and I donât mean just at the range shooting targets.
Many people will carry with one in the chamber, but when an incident happens your adrenaline will be at full throttle. Unless you train with your adrenaline in full throttle, thereâs a chance you may accidentally pull the trigger, due to having your finger on the trigger. A good place, but expensive to train like this is with Atlas Defense. I trained with them once for my company, along with law enforcement personal as well. Many of them have never done this training before, and I was surprised. Another good way to get your adrenaline going is active shooter training with dummy rounds.
Or at least do a short run, some push ups and jumping jacks, then do some target shooting ASAP while your heart is pumpingâŠshoot as accurately and as fast as you can, with someone yelling at you with directions to shoot only the targets they call out.
A lot of LEOs will have their finger on the trigger, which is natural when youâre not sure how things are going to go down.
As they say, donât practice until you get it right, practice until you canât get it wrong!
Until then ramp your situation awareness more and be on the ready to rack and shoot.
Remember, taking a life should be your very last resort!
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Until some point in the future loading a snap cap in the chamber helps me to be more comfortable. The sound of the cap should provide a 2 second warning because the next round would be live.
I havenât done this yet but it seems to be my plan for right now. Being new to guns and concealed carry, the awesome responsibility is now my new reality. Taking a deliberate one step at a time approach.
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When I first got my concealed carry permit I immediately started carrying with one in the chamber. I never worried about my gun going off because when I holstered my weapon I made sure nothing could get caught in the trigger and that my finger was nowhere near the trigger. Once in the holster with a trigger guard, I knew there was no way anything would get caught in the trigger causing a discharge. The more you carry the less you will worry about it.
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Welcome to the community,train hard and stay safe. from Michigan 
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Welcome to the family! Love your advice!
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Thank you!
Great to be around like minded people!
Aloha!
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