It’s Really OK To Carry With A Round In The Chamber
This is an oft debated concept. Especially in light of recent situations involving assailants taking a loaded weapon from the defender, a mother being shot by her two year old son, and a Texas man being arrested after he used his concealed carry pistol to bring an end to the senseless beating of a woman.
The world we’re living in now – do you want to have to rack a round into the chamber first?
Argument for a Live Round in the Chamber
Adam Bensen, the concealed carry editor for Concealed Carry Almanac, gives a very fine tuned argument for why you should. And it’s a pretty effective argument.
To summarize, in a close quarters situation, if you have to take your firearm out of its concealed carry holster, you may not have a free hand to rack a round into the chamber.
This is an extremely specific argument. “In close quarters” has an operative definition of less than 30 meters and can mean more than one attacker (U.S. Marine Close Combat Fighting Handbook). This is almost every single defender’s worst nightmare in terms of situations and these situations are usually specifically why people carry guns in the first place. Who likes those odds?
Chances are good that if the opponent is at a distance of greater than 30 meters or there are multiple opponents at that distance, you have some limited amount of time to rack a round in the chamber.
The Role of a Proper Concealed Carry Holster
The main complaint with carrying with a round in the chamber is the risk of an accidental discharge. However, if you’ve taken a concealed carry firearms course, one of the first facets is the unloaded gun drop. If you’re uncomfortable or unwilling to drop your gun on the deck – you’re carrying the wrong gun.
Modern firearms – and especially pistols – are normally equipped with failsafes to prevent accidental discharge. This includes a safety or simply a protected trigger housing group. As long as you train to withdraw your weapon with your finger clear off the trigger until you’re ready to fire – you should be set. Or you need a different pistol.
That hasn’t stopped accidental discharges in the past. However, in almost all of those cases, a close examination needs to be made on what type of training the shooter had and what type of holster they were wearing.
In the previous tragedy with a woman who was accidentally shot by her son – her pistol was in her purse.
The great advantage of a concealed carry holster is that it places a positive grip on the weapon, ensuring it stays where it needs to until you’re ready to use it. Whether an inside the waistband or outside the waistband holster is used, the effect is the same – a secure pistol, ready to operate at a moment’s notice.
Ultimately, if you train with the proper technique of drawing and shooting from a proper concealed carry holster, you will see and earn trust in your own abilities enough to keep a round in the chamber.
Proper technique and the proper equipment. Every time.
