Carrying with chamber loaded

[Michigunner]

I now carry with the R9S chamber loaded, 6+1.  I think there is too much chance of failure trying to rack the slide when needed.

While we always see advice in owner's manuals to carry empty, the recommendation in our R9 manual is the most convincing I've seen.  It sounds like a rather sincere request.

Have any of you decided to follow their recommendation?

Below is a short passage from the manual:

In the vast majority of circumstances, the additional protection against unintentional discharge offered by an empty chamber is much more important than the few seconds it will take to chamber a round.

Bill

[sslater]

I carry mine 6 + 1, like you do.  

Doesn't make much sense to me to have a BUG or last-ditch weapon that takes fiddling with to make ready to fire.

Sheriff Jim Wilson wrote about a Texas ranger who carried his 1911 cocked & locked with the grip safety tied down - and tucked into his waistband.  A young firearms instructor asked him if that wasn't dangerous.  His reply, "D**n right it is, sonny.  Otherwise I wouldn't carry it."

[CaptBW]

I carry 6+1 also.

[eblackhawk]

I might as well throw toothpicks at the BG if I didn't have one in the chamber ready to go!  I KNOW I'd be too nervous to rack the slide!  Besides, the time factor would be against you in an actual encounter!     Eric

[BlueGrips]

6+1 for me.

[MountainMan]

The gun manufactures usually say keep the chamber empty for legal reasons.  Helps when someone whats to sue because  of a shooting mistake that was the owners problem by having chamber loaded.  One example would be to leave the gun laying around or showing it to someone and they pull the trigger.

[jarcher]

I agree, looks like lawyer stuff.  I carry 6+1.  However, when you do this, make sure you have a quality holster that completely covers the trigger, yet still allows you to get a good grip when you draw.

[SAWBONES]

Most here seem to agree that a semiauto pistol with an empty chamber is a CCW liability.

It's what I like to refer to as the "gun as talisman" form of self-deception, that is, "I have this item, so I 'feel' protected".

Anybody who carries a weapon or other "item" such as a blade, needs to seriously consider the issue of worst-case deployment.
Awareness and avoidance will go a long way toward keeping us out of trouble, but if we ever unavoidably "get down in it", it'll likely be sudden and unavoidable.
Consider being assaulted in an elevator or other situation where you can't escape and can't move much; are you going to rack that slide, or thumb that pocket folder blade stud (or blade hole)  or flip that Balisong?
No.
You'll likely be fumble-fingered at best, and you will very likely first need some sort of "empty hand skills" to just get sufficient freedom to even reach your "primary self-defense item", so it better be accessible and require nothing by way of intermediate steps to make it useable!


Preaching to the choir, I know.
Best.

[Brenden]

6+1=Peace of Mind...

[BillinPittsburgh]

I question whether recommending carrying with the chamber empty in the owner's manual would help the manufacturer reduce liability in the event of an accidental discharge.

Guns are designed for people having a certain level of training, and a self-defense weapon has to be readily available for immediate use.  No knowledgeable person would ever carry with the chamber empty, and all modern self-defense handguns are designed to be same in this mode of carry.

So, recommending an empty chamber in the owner's manual is writing an owner's manual containing advice that will automatically be disregarded.

I would suggest writing the owner's manual to provide safe guidelines for the proper mode of carry.

[Richard S]

I always carry mine with a round up the spout.  Otherwise, to my way of thinking, I might as well have a rock in my pocket.

[Michigunner]

Having thought about it more, I bet they meant loading a round just before target shooting.  

I have read only a few owner's guides which said they recognized special circumstances that require chamber loading, in which case they recommended special training and caution.

It would be unthinkable to return to empty chambers after getting accustomed to the immediate readiness.

The holster adds a great feeling of security, even at night in the night stand.

Bill  

[theirishguard]

6+1 is the only way to carry
Tom

[st_albert]

Include me among those who carry with the chamber loaded.  If I felt it was unsafe, I wouldn't be carrying the R9S.  No different than carrying  a DA revolver, IMHO.

That having been said, proper training, practice, and a safe holster are absolutely required.

Albert.

[musician]

Unless you're carrying a Colt SAA, any revolver is going to be fully loaded when carried.  Then it just takes a pull of the trigger--no safeties, switches, levers.  Fully loaded (6+1), the R9s is just like a modern DA revolver.  I don't see a problem here.  If a round is already chambered, you cannot have a failure to feed on the first round.  It is said that Jeff Cooper pointed to his head with his forefinger when explaining where the safety was on his gun, but didn't say if he was referring to his brain or his trigger finger.  Either way, your gun can't go bang if your finger is off the trigger.