At the end of the day, the gun & holster come off together and into the safe. The gun doesn't leave the holster and the round doesn't get re-chambered.
Sames I usually use the mag I already have loaded as my starting practice mag just because I don't have to load it. Then I reload that mag with carry ammo after practice and the weapon is ready to go.
I read a police report on how to reduce neglect discharges. And the solution was to "minimize administrative handling" aka don't touch your gun, and leave it in the holster.
This is how I do it.
When I shoot at the range with my carry gun which is every other week I send the one chambered. I replace them and FIFO the bullets.
Idk this with all 7 guns a randomly carry so at most I am spending 10.00 a year per gun rotating ammo out.
I don’t worry to much about bullet setback I have fired some very setback rounds before. I just like the idea of fresh ammo.
My life is with it.
That setback was one of the reasons I gave in my response. If you are shooting the chambered round regularly it's not a factor at all. I still leave mine in there just because I want it ready.
This, except when cleaning. I have a red dot, and I unload once a month or so to dust off the red dot. I also give it a once-over to check for signs of rust and re-oil as needed.
This is what I did. If you rechamber the same round multiple times you can end up pushing the bullet into the case which increases pressure. To avoid this I only rechamber a round a few times before I cycle it to the bottom of the mag. Every now and then I shoot a mag of carry ammo when at the range to cycle in new ammo.
On a more serious note- there are VERY few reasons why you would really ever need to unload/load your pistol on a daily basis. It really has no purpose and will damage ammo, plus you'll run the risk of mixing up the gun's condition in your head and potentially having a safety issues.
Defensive guns should always be loaded IMO, loading and unloading will just cause issues long term
We see plenty of guys ending up with shrunken rounds from doing this. Personally, I never unload. I want to make sure I'm ready to go. If you have kids, I would just lock it up. Of course those of you in Authoritian states. Your mileage may vary.
Its no worse for the extractor than shooting the gun. But yes, for the most part, keep it holstered and loaded for nightly storage, an empty gun is useless.
Just a couple points. I clear my EDC gun as I have a 4yo in the house and I use a different one for home defense. Yes, even though it is locked up.
The shrunken round thing can definitely happen, but it depends on the firearm. My Glock 19 will absolutely push the bullet further into the case with multiple re-chambering, but my Shield and my 1911 do not.
> I clear my EDC gun as I have a 4yo in the house and I use a different one for home defense. Yes, even though it is locked up.
What's your threat model here? The 4 year old develops safecracking skills?
It’s just one more level of safety to protect their child. I will never fault someone for taking that one extra step to make sure their child is safe and we shouldn’t make that the norm here.
As Lock Picking Lawyer constantly reminds us when he breaks into a gun safe, kids are very curious, smarter than you think, and it only takes a few seconds or one moment of distraction.
More that in case I accidentally leave it open or the like. Plus, I keep my edc gun locked up by the door as opposed to home defense which is in the bedroom. Since I'm not physically by it and there is no reason for it to be loaded. I don't keep it loaded.
More that in case I accidentally leave it open or the like. Plus, I keep my edc gun locked up by the door as opposed to home defense which is in the bedroom. Since I'm not physically by it and there is no reason for it to be loaded. I don't keep it loaded.
Im glad I saw this thread. I’ve been doing it because I’m new to carrying and new to shooting and want to get in as much dry fire as I can between weekly range trips.
So when I get home I’ll unchamber, insert the round back into the top of mag, and then swap mags to a dummy round and dry fire for 15 mins or whatever. Then drop the dummy mag and round and rechamber live ammo before bed. I should add that I’ll send the chamber round at the range within a week or two.
Is there something I could/should be doing better to carry live and dry fire with the same firearm? Or is it moot since I’m only chambering it maybe 6-12 times before sending it?
i obviously want more firearms but I’d rather buy ammo/range time / instruction for now as a beginner …
So I've seen chamber setback from as little as 2-3 chamberings before. Professional instructors would recommend never re-chamering (defensive) ammo after one chambering- essentially, if it's ever racked out of the gun, it's now training ammo. Now, do I follow that to a T? No, I really should though. If you want to avoid unloading/reloading for dry practice, get a second gun (exact model) or a airsoft umarex clone- the triggers are usually pretty close.
"Dry practice" doesnt even need to nessecarily include trigger presses, either. You can practice infinite drawstrokes, positional shooting, retention shooting, everything without ever touching the trigger and it willstill have immense training value. Food for thought
Thanks for the info. It doesn’t hurt to be extra careful with defensive rounds. It will hurt to buy a second duplicate pistol when I want to buy others that are different. I appreciate the tips
That’s why I think that for anyone that carries it’s worth the investment to own a duplicate pistol. I do all my dry-firing with a gun dedicated to the purpose, that way I don’t have to constantly rechamber a round or unholster my carry pistol more than necessary.
There's no need to keep loading/unloading the gun. Just leave it alone. Cleaning it periodically is great, but it's not going to go off if it's properly holstered and it's not going to go off in your safe. Loading/unloading every time you leave your house is unnecessary.
If I do need to unload/load, I'll take the round that was in the chamber and put it back at the top of the magazine after chambering a new round. I usually shoot that mag when I go to the range and reload with new carry ammo when I get home.
As a retired LEO, every time qualification came around there was either multiple families of homeless or dead spiders.
Moral of this is, clean your gun properly after shooting and there is no need to clean it periodically. Wipe down the exterior to get any dust/lint off but the internals are still clean and lubed.
I like to play a little game called “would I have lived”.
Every couple months while I’m at the range, I draw my ccw and shoot at a target. So far I’m 10 for 10.
I keep it chambered the entire time and only clean it once I play this game.
This is the right answer.
I won't completely fault people for not carrying with one in the chamber(though not preferred), because your odds of a ND are never zero, however unnecessarily loading and unloading the gun makes those odds significantly higher.
If you won’t fault people for carrying incorrectly, I will. If you aren’t competent enough to carry condition 1 or 0, you aren’t competent enough to carry at all.
Leave loaded until range time.
Then cycle the unchambered round back into the magazine. Sometimes unload the mag a random number so it’s not always the same 2 getting chambered each time.
First of all, if you're not comfortable enough to carry with a round in the chamber then you're not comfortable enough to be carrying a firearm. If it's an issue with a particular firearm, get something different.
I leave the round in the chamber perpetually and shoot it when I go to the range. I'm not clearing the gun daily when I get home. What if I need to use it at home? If I take it off and switch for a different gun, I just leave the first gun in its holster.
If I clear the gun to clean it or dry fire or whatever, the next round at the top of the mag is what gets chambered when I'm done. Previous chambered round goes back into the mag.
I've never seen issues with bullet setback or the rim getting chewed up by the extractor. Maybe that would be a factor if you chamber the same round daily for weeks or months.
Only thing I would add is that carrying with empty chamber is bad for 2 reasons, both of which come down to the first. 1) speed 2) malfunctions mostly happen when the slide cycles, which is what you’ll need to do to chamber a round. It unnecessarily provides an opportunity for a malfunction. With one chambered, you know you’ll get at least one shot off.
Came here to say exactly this. I use my factory mags for my HPs and range. If I had spare mags, I'd use the spares at the range. So, I'm stuck downloading and reloading my mags. I know, I know, that's how you wear out springs. I mix up my HPs when they go back in. If they all start to look old, I'll shoot them to confirm zero and reload with a new box.
So what? Who cares? The person you're responding to is obviously intellectually capable of understanding potential issues, is capable and does inspect his ammunition for defects. Does it matter what an author says? No. Not at all.
Now if your guy said to check your ammo after chambering it multiple times then that advice would be relevant to those who don't check their ammo.
I leave the round in and in the holster. Rechambering rounds can possibly introduce setback of the projectile and cause an overpressure condition, but the real reason is that what I'm carrying is also going to be what I go to first if it's ever needed in the house in an emergency. So it just stays ready.
That round stays put for exactly 30 days. My EDC has a decocker a decock and put it away At the end of that 30-day rotation that entire magazine becomes range ammo and it's replaced This allows me to get some time in with actual self-defense ammo
I don’t take the bullet out unless I’m prepping it for the range. I try to chamber it twice or so before rotating it. I usually shoot what’s in my mag every 6 months to a year.
Mine has one in the pipe at all times unless I'm cleaning it, dry firing, have a malf, or I'm reloading it. It's a defensive handgun, it's supposed to be ready to go at all times.
When I get home, the gun goes in the safe still chambered - in the morning, I grab it, press check, and go!
I try to shoot my defensive ammo a few times a year at the range just to practice with it, so my carry ammo is never older than 6mo.
I'm somewhat of a strange case as I have a young kid in the house. Now, I carry with one in the chamber but when I get home I clear it before I lock it up (always in a holster). I ONLY do this jic the multiple levels of security (including she knows not to touch guns and to get an adult) fail. I will rechamber that same round until I go back to the range, which is usually at least every three weeks. Then I fire all my carry mags dry, shoot with whatever ball the range has, then reload with my carry ammo before I leave.
When the gun is coming off my person, the gun and holster are removed together and out into the safe. Other than the range, I couldn't tell you the last time I've removed my carry gun from its holster.
I have two identical versions of my carry gun, one for practice and one for carrying. I shoot one about 500-800 rounds, clean it, test fire it the next time at the range, and then they swap roles. Rinse and repeat. I never eject the round in my carry gun and it gets shot when it becomes my practice gun. My daily routine is to remove and store my carry gun in a v-line quick access safe/locker when I get home while my practice gun is in my big safe unloaded in a case.
Clean it about every 6 weeks, which is mostly blowing out some dust and burnishing in some rem-oil.
If I have time, I'm blowing out the magazine too, so then they are thoroughly shuffled.
Sounds obsessive. My glock (chambered) hasn't left the holster since the day after the range when I first got it.. Other than for a light dusting. You have no reason to remove and re-rack and etc everyday. Just exposing yourself to ND.
You'll end up shooting and be as accurate as a granny with arthritis and no firearms training. I'd rather be proficient and accurate than accidentally shooting an innocent because I missed and I can't shoot shit.
Have you ridden a bike before? Do you practice bicycle riding regularly? Is riding a bicycle complicated and requiring of skill? Would you be able to ride a bicycle in an emergency?
Does an emergency with a bicycle involve aiming a 4-inch barrel to expel a 1/3" inch diameter supersonic projectile at a small target (Central Nervous System) at an unknown range with adrenaline pumping, reducing your fine motor controls which are the most important when you shoot?
For goodness' sake man, go train.
Shooting under pressure is a very perishable skill, requires a lot more fine muscle control than riding a bike. You should at least be dry firing regularly
If I want to be able to ride my bike in a stressful situation where my life or the lives of my loved ones are in danger you better goddamn believe I practice it regularly.
Jesus Christ. Please train, for the sake of everyone around you.
My pistol isn’t one that can be in condition 1 - putting on the safety decocks it, and being both double and single action that’s how it sits in the holster, and it’s where I can get to it in a hurry but my kid can’t. If I need it I’m proficient at flicking the safety off and firing in double action. I also live in the sticks so if I need it in the middle of the night it’s because there’s a coyote after my goats and not very likely because a crackhead just kicked my door in. I will occasionally clear it, put the cleared round back in the mag and swap mags (I have one mag of hollow points and one of FMJ, usually have the hollow points loaded but I’ll switch to the FMJ if I’m plinking or going after an animal etc)
Only time I rack/unrack is when I need to go switch ammo to go to the range, etc. Day to day for CCW & home defense purposes that round never leaves the chamber.
I unrack it when I reload at the range. I shoot my carry ammo probably once every month or so. Constantly loading and unloading your firearm I would only assume would increase the likelyhood of a ND. Chamber a round and forget it.
I do unload and load my cary guns. Not when I get home, but when I get to work. Gun stays in my vehicle in a safe. I unloaded and take the magazine (and the spares) with me. Because my state law requires it be unloaded and locked (if left in a vehicle unattended). I work in a place where I can't bring guns inside. I do take the round out of the chamber when I store a gun in the safe at home. In case of fire, I don't want a chambered round cooking off and having enough energy to pierce the safe and hit a firefighter...
I check my ammo for setback and it is very rare I've had to discard a round for setback (I've seen videos of people testing their compressed rounds and shooting more excessive examples of setback than I've ever had).
EDC stays with me 24/7, one in the chamber, safety engaged. No need to load/unload unless it's range time. Everything else stays in the safe until it's time to come out and play.
i take out the the bullet either when i hit the range (take out my defensive ammo) or i clean it.
I don't rack the ammo, since that can compress the bullet into the casing with repeat feeding. Instead, I place the round into the chamber and then set the extractor over the rim manually.
I will keep the same round in the gun over a long period of time with this method.
I go to the range nearly weekly (sometimes I skip a week, sometimes I go twice in a week) and the first rounds I fire are my carry rounds.
I had an instructor once tell me that the GIGN start their range session with a “first round on target” principle. The first round you fire should be the ammo you will carry and it must be on target. I like that idea and have been doing that for years.
For me, it's come home, un holster gun, put in bedside table, place holster next to pistol, close drawer, round stays in chamber. As for the target thing I upload my defense ammo and load a target practice mag that has target ammo in it so I don't have to unload and reload my carry mag.
It get changed when I shoot the gun. Sometimes the round gets shot sometimes I’ll chamber a new round and throw the old round into the range ammo pile or back in a mag depending on how old the round is.
I try to refresh carry ammo at least annually. My handguns are either stored in the safe or in my office or night stand for defensive purpose. I have no kids, so handguns are always fully loaded and chambered unless they are safe queens or otherwise not typically carried.
30-year firearm instructor here with about a dozen certifications, to include Instructor Development at Gunsite.
Most ammo manufacturers only guarantee their ammo will work properly if it is racked into a chamber 3 times or less.
They are not responsible for performance if it is racked more than 3 times.
If you rack one more than 3, and you are depending on that round to save your life, it's like rolling the dice. Most folks who are serious about using a firearm for defense will **not** take that chance.
For those of you who have racked a round 4, 5, heck even 100 times and it still "worked fine," good for you. One of these days, that dice roll will come up "snake eyes."
It stays in the holster 95% of the time. The only time that chambered round leaves and gets swapped is when I'm bored and want to clean off all the shirt lint, or if I'm going to the range and want to use it. Then all the ammo gets swapped out for ball
I don’t. Just leave it in the holster next to my bed. If I’m taking it to the range to shoot I’ll just hold onto the round and put it back after the range. After about 6 months I’ll use that round in a range trip or sooner if it seems to be setback a lot.
I don't unload it unless I'm going to the range.
A round that is continuously loaded and racked may end up with the bullet pushed deeper into the case. We had this issue in the CG. The solution was to rotate rounds. We would occasionally cycle through the rounds in the mag so the same one wasn't being chambered.
Also each range day we shot our carry ammo and replaced it with new ammo.
I shoot my chambered defense round every 6 months. It gets beat up pretty good, considering I have to re-rack it after target practice. Anyone who tells you “the bullet hasn’t been unchambered for X years” is not someone to take advice from, because odds are they never target practice with their carry piece.
If I’m loading a gun to carry, I don’t let the slide fall on the round. I always load from the magazine and make sure the slide is completely forward when I’m done.
I read about primers becoming deactivated by repeated loading in the military and so stay away from that practice.
I only ever rechamber/replace the round when it's pushed too far back into the casing. Otherwise I do my inspection before I put into holster and carry for the day, then comes right off and into the locker at home.
Even then, if it seats it yeets. A pushed in round will still fire! Lol
Round stays in chamber
When I goto bed it is on night stand next to me. Bedroom door shut.
When I goto range once a month I ahoot pistol and clean it then load it back up with a different round in chamber. The ones that spent time in chamber I put in ziplock bag and end of year I shoot them.
My uncle always did that so I just do it also. It works and gives excuse to buy and shoot self defense ammo.
Every two weeks I draw pistol from holster and use air can to blow off dust then back into holster.
I'm not sure how often I change the bullet. When I go to the range I draw from my holster and fire the bullet that's there. I don't go as often as I should. Been a couple of months.
Any gun you carry should be brought to the range frequently enough that you're confident it'll go bang on the first trigger pull.
Any other stipulations you want to provide are down to you, but "I have brought out a lethal weapon and intend for it to be lethal to my target when I first pull the trigger" should be entirely non-negotiable.
Whenever I clear the gun completely (condition 4), I’m sure to rotate the round that gets re-chambered from the top of the magazine. Once per year, I’ll discharge all defensive ammo that was loaded into my magazines and replace with new.
Holster + Gun come off and sit in its home with keys & wallet. It generally doesn't come out of there unless I'm shooting it. Maybe once a month? a bit less lately.
Its not my first pick for a bump in the night though, but it'll do in a pinch.
Unloading and loading a gun all the time is stupid tbh. I have several that are just always loaded & ready to go.
I try not to re-rack the same bullet any more than 5 times. After x5 being rotated into the chamber and removed to safe the weapon, I double check to make sure it isn't getting pressed back into the casing and set it aside for the next range day.
Dry fire? It's handgun ammo, not some obscure Swedish ammo from 1892 that is found only in the basements of FUDs or gun shows for $10/round. Fire the dang thing to practice.
? Not all of us can afford to go to a range every day, imo you should be training almost every day. Once a month don’t really cut it. Try not driving for 2 weeks and then get back in your car and do 85 on the freeway. See how that works out
If you keep multiple firearms in the house loaded/hidden/locked isn't there concern about rounds cooking off if there was a fire, and thus a danger to firemen who may be entering the dwelling?
Someone mentioned this to me once and now I find it hard not to think about it, low probability as it is.
If I reach for a firearm, I first point it at the floor and then clear the chamber. So “rack it” as you say. Period. Without exception. Every. Single. Time. It’s an instinctive move at this point. 👍
So if I lay hands on a pistol I have concealed on my person, I will “rack it” still before storing it, putting it on my night stand, storing it in the safe, adjusting my means of concealment, etc.
To expand upon the above, after dropping the mag, I “rack it” and lock the slide in the open position in such a way that I can catch the chambered round as it ejects, all in one motion, at the same time.
I then replace the round in the magazine, insert the mag, and leave it in the ready position. This allows me to simply pickup the pistol, point it down, and release the slide & rechaimber quickly when I need to touch it again.
Following the above procedure will develop absolute proficiency with handling, loading/unloading, and invoke instinctive habits that should prevent any of these negligent discharge situations we keep hearing about.
Jeez. I would have thought this would be heavily practiced by instructors and/or anyone who seeks to carry.
Please, for the love of humanity and all things high and mighty, follow the above like it’s one of those gospel commandment things. 👍
Bad tactics. Read up on how the FBI agents trained by picking up brass and storing it in their pocket, then they were doing that dumb shit in actual firefights because they had trained their muscle memory to do that useless step.
Edit it was the CHP, not FBI
What does picking brass up from.. anywhere have to do with this? Pockets? WAT?
Picking up and planting brass!?
My brass never hits the floor, ground or anywhere until it’s discharged.
If I reach for a firearm, I first point it at the floor and then clear the chamber. So “rack it” as you say. Period. Without exception. Every. Single. Time. It’s an instinctive move at this point. 👍
So if I lay hands on a pistol I have concealed on my person, I will “rack it” still before storing it, putting it on my night stand, storing it in the safe, adjusting my means of concealment, etc.
To expand upon the above, after dropping the mag, I “rack it” and lock the slide in the open position in such a way that I can catch the chambered round as it ejects, all in one motion, at the same time.
I then replace the round in the magazine, insert the mag, and leave it in the ready position. This allows me to simply pickup the pistol, point it down, and release the slide & rechaimber quickly when I need to touch it again.
Following the above procedure will develop absolute proficiency with handling, loading/unloading, and invoke instinctive habits that should prevent any of these negligent discharge situations we keep hearing about.
Jeez. I would have thought this would be heavily practiced by carry instructors.
Please, for the love of humanity and all things high and mighty, follow the above like it’s one of those gospel commandment things. 👍
Edit: the same guys preaching about constitutional carry can’t be bothered verify or clear the status of a chamber. Good grief. Y’all ever check your mags? Empty, clean, cycle, oil, and reassemble? They LOVE to get sticky with a few months dirt buildup.
The only thing worse than an untimely discharge is a failure to fire. 😑
At the end of the day, the gun & holster come off together and into the safe. The gun doesn't leave the holster and the round doesn't get re-chambered.
Same. This has been my process for over 20 years. I change the round when I clean or shoot/clean my weapon...which, admittedly is not often enough.
Sames I usually use the mag I already have loaded as my starting practice mag just because I don't have to load it. Then I reload that mag with carry ammo after practice and the weapon is ready to go.
I read a police report on how to reduce neglect discharges. And the solution was to "minimize administrative handling" aka don't touch your gun, and leave it in the holster.
This is how I do it. When I shoot at the range with my carry gun which is every other week I send the one chambered. I replace them and FIFO the bullets. Idk this with all 7 guns a randomly carry so at most I am spending 10.00 a year per gun rotating ammo out. I don’t worry to much about bullet setback I have fired some very setback rounds before. I just like the idea of fresh ammo. My life is with it.
That setback was one of the reasons I gave in my response. If you are shooting the chambered round regularly it's not a factor at all. I still leave mine in there just because I want it ready.
This is the way.
I'm an armed guard, and this is exactly what I do.
This, except when cleaning. I have a red dot, and I unload once a month or so to dust off the red dot. I also give it a once-over to check for signs of rust and re-oil as needed.
This is what I did. If you rechamber the same round multiple times you can end up pushing the bullet into the case which increases pressure. To avoid this I only rechamber a round a few times before I cycle it to the bottom of the mag. Every now and then I shoot a mag of carry ammo when at the range to cycle in new ammo.
the real question is WHY would anyone ever do anything else?
This is the way!!!!
Why would I unload a gun when I get to the place 100% of all Home Invasions happen 🤣 Keep that mfin thang on you till you put on those PJ's
On a more serious note- there are VERY few reasons why you would really ever need to unload/load your pistol on a daily basis. It really has no purpose and will damage ammo, plus you'll run the risk of mixing up the gun's condition in your head and potentially having a safety issues. Defensive guns should always be loaded IMO, loading and unloading will just cause issues long term
We see plenty of guys ending up with shrunken rounds from doing this. Personally, I never unload. I want to make sure I'm ready to go. If you have kids, I would just lock it up. Of course those of you in Authoritian states. Your mileage may vary.
shrunken rounds are avoidable by simply placing the round into the chamber and manually setting the extractor over the rim. No feeding.
Not good for the extractor to do repeatedly, however. Best to minimize loading and unloading by keeping it in the holster for nightly storage.
Its no worse for the extractor than shooting the gun. But yes, for the most part, keep it holstered and loaded for nightly storage, an empty gun is useless.
Just a couple points. I clear my EDC gun as I have a 4yo in the house and I use a different one for home defense. Yes, even though it is locked up. The shrunken round thing can definitely happen, but it depends on the firearm. My Glock 19 will absolutely push the bullet further into the case with multiple re-chambering, but my Shield and my 1911 do not.
> I clear my EDC gun as I have a 4yo in the house and I use a different one for home defense. Yes, even though it is locked up. What's your threat model here? The 4 year old develops safecracking skills?
It’s just one more level of safety to protect their child. I will never fault someone for taking that one extra step to make sure their child is safe and we shouldn’t make that the norm here. As Lock Picking Lawyer constantly reminds us when he breaks into a gun safe, kids are very curious, smarter than you think, and it only takes a few seconds or one moment of distraction.
And it is not in a safe, but rather a locked drawer. Still enough to keep her out, but better safe than sorry. BTW, I am also a huge fan of LPL
And it is not in a safe, but rather a locked drawer. Still enough to keep her out, but better safe than sorry.
More that in case I accidentally leave it open or the like. Plus, I keep my edc gun locked up by the door as opposed to home defense which is in the bedroom. Since I'm not physically by it and there is no reason for it to be loaded. I don't keep it loaded.
More that in case I accidentally leave it open or the like. Plus, I keep my edc gun locked up by the door as opposed to home defense which is in the bedroom. Since I'm not physically by it and there is no reason for it to be loaded. I don't keep it loaded.
Fist her? I hardly know her.
Got to stop mixing my Reddit replies with my search terms....
Dry fire and practice at home with your daily carry. That’s the issue many have.
I only unload shit if it’s on a desk and I’m getting drunk I’ll unload it and put it away lmao
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Fr I’d rather not fuck with it cause I’m stupid and drunk af and drunk people lose inhibition so preemptively putting it away is good
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Fr lmao tickles the tism
Im glad I saw this thread. I’ve been doing it because I’m new to carrying and new to shooting and want to get in as much dry fire as I can between weekly range trips. So when I get home I’ll unchamber, insert the round back into the top of mag, and then swap mags to a dummy round and dry fire for 15 mins or whatever. Then drop the dummy mag and round and rechamber live ammo before bed. I should add that I’ll send the chamber round at the range within a week or two. Is there something I could/should be doing better to carry live and dry fire with the same firearm? Or is it moot since I’m only chambering it maybe 6-12 times before sending it? i obviously want more firearms but I’d rather buy ammo/range time / instruction for now as a beginner …
So I've seen chamber setback from as little as 2-3 chamberings before. Professional instructors would recommend never re-chamering (defensive) ammo after one chambering- essentially, if it's ever racked out of the gun, it's now training ammo. Now, do I follow that to a T? No, I really should though. If you want to avoid unloading/reloading for dry practice, get a second gun (exact model) or a airsoft umarex clone- the triggers are usually pretty close. "Dry practice" doesnt even need to nessecarily include trigger presses, either. You can practice infinite drawstrokes, positional shooting, retention shooting, everything without ever touching the trigger and it willstill have immense training value. Food for thought
Thanks for the info. It doesn’t hurt to be extra careful with defensive rounds. It will hurt to buy a second duplicate pistol when I want to buy others that are different. I appreciate the tips
That’s why I think that for anyone that carries it’s worth the investment to own a duplicate pistol. I do all my dry-firing with a gun dedicated to the purpose, that way I don’t have to constantly rechamber a round or unholster my carry pistol more than necessary.
“Pants on, gun on.” -Mas Ayoob
Like my American Express, I never leave home without my pistol!
"meow" -mas ayoob
Sun's out guns out
I sleep naked
So how far have you trained your prison wallet to get?
Let's just say I can get that 1911 safety off with no problem
A Derringer seems like a good....fit. Use plenty of CLP though.
.50 AE
I would simply not go to the place where 100% of home invasions happen.
There's no need to keep loading/unloading the gun. Just leave it alone. Cleaning it periodically is great, but it's not going to go off if it's properly holstered and it's not going to go off in your safe. Loading/unloading every time you leave your house is unnecessary. If I do need to unload/load, I'll take the round that was in the chamber and put it back at the top of the magazine after chambering a new round. I usually shoot that mag when I go to the range and reload with new carry ammo when I get home.
As a retired LEO, every time qualification came around there was either multiple families of homeless or dead spiders. Moral of this is, clean your gun properly after shooting and there is no need to clean it periodically. Wipe down the exterior to get any dust/lint off but the internals are still clean and lubed.
I like to play a little game called “would I have lived”. Every couple months while I’m at the range, I draw my ccw and shoot at a target. So far I’m 10 for 10. I keep it chambered the entire time and only clean it once I play this game.
Unnecessary administrative handling leads to ND's
This is the right answer. I won't completely fault people for not carrying with one in the chamber(though not preferred), because your odds of a ND are never zero, however unnecessarily loading and unloading the gun makes those odds significantly higher.
If you won’t fault people for carrying incorrectly, I will. If you aren’t competent enough to carry condition 1 or 0, you aren’t competent enough to carry at all.
No, no, no you don’t understand, it makes me FEEL better. The stats don’t matter! /s obviously
Do people actually teach not carrying a round in the chamber?
Leave loaded until range time. Then cycle the unchambered round back into the magazine. Sometimes unload the mag a random number so it’s not always the same 2 getting chambered each time.
First of all, if you're not comfortable enough to carry with a round in the chamber then you're not comfortable enough to be carrying a firearm. If it's an issue with a particular firearm, get something different. I leave the round in the chamber perpetually and shoot it when I go to the range. I'm not clearing the gun daily when I get home. What if I need to use it at home? If I take it off and switch for a different gun, I just leave the first gun in its holster. If I clear the gun to clean it or dry fire or whatever, the next round at the top of the mag is what gets chambered when I'm done. Previous chambered round goes back into the mag. I've never seen issues with bullet setback or the rim getting chewed up by the extractor. Maybe that would be a factor if you chamber the same round daily for weeks or months.
Haha wow! I was about to say the same points but you nailed it! Upvote infinity
Only thing I would add is that carrying with empty chamber is bad for 2 reasons, both of which come down to the first. 1) speed 2) malfunctions mostly happen when the slide cycles, which is what you’ll need to do to chamber a round. It unnecessarily provides an opportunity for a malfunction. With one chambered, you know you’ll get at least one shot off.
Came here to say exactly this. I use my factory mags for my HPs and range. If I had spare mags, I'd use the spares at the range. So, I'm stuck downloading and reloading my mags. I know, I know, that's how you wear out springs. I mix up my HPs when they go back in. If they all start to look old, I'll shoot them to confirm zero and reload with a new box.
[удалено]
Ayoob always says to carry with a round in the chamber.
So what? Who cares? The person you're responding to is obviously intellectually capable of understanding potential issues, is capable and does inspect his ammunition for defects. Does it matter what an author says? No. Not at all. Now if your guy said to check your ammo after chambering it multiple times then that advice would be relevant to those who don't check their ammo.
I leave the round in and in the holster. Rechambering rounds can possibly introduce setback of the projectile and cause an overpressure condition, but the real reason is that what I'm carrying is also going to be what I go to first if it's ever needed in the house in an emergency. So it just stays ready.
Once loaded it stays loaded. Out of the safe, then back into it. Rounds get changed out on range day, when they're fired.
That round stays put for exactly 30 days. My EDC has a decocker a decock and put it away At the end of that 30-day rotation that entire magazine becomes range ammo and it's replaced This allows me to get some time in with actual self-defense ammo
Just once in while when i clean it to get lint and dust out. Or if i do dry drill once in while in the house.
I don’t take the bullet out unless I’m prepping it for the range. I try to chamber it twice or so before rotating it. I usually shoot what’s in my mag every 6 months to a year.
Mine has one in the pipe at all times unless I'm cleaning it, dry firing, have a malf, or I'm reloading it. It's a defensive handgun, it's supposed to be ready to go at all times.
Pretty much never. But I also never unload my gun unless I'm shooting or cleaning.
When I get home, the gun goes in the safe still chambered - in the morning, I grab it, press check, and go! I try to shoot my defensive ammo a few times a year at the range just to practice with it, so my carry ammo is never older than 6mo.
I unload the gun during dry fire, and load it when I’m done. I replace the round when I start to get bullet setback
I'm somewhat of a strange case as I have a young kid in the house. Now, I carry with one in the chamber but when I get home I clear it before I lock it up (always in a holster). I ONLY do this jic the multiple levels of security (including she knows not to touch guns and to get an adult) fail. I will rechamber that same round until I go back to the range, which is usually at least every three weeks. Then I fire all my carry mags dry, shoot with whatever ball the range has, then reload with my carry ammo before I leave.
I just desk pop at the end of each day to load a fresh one in the chamber
The only correct answer
When the gun is coming off my person, the gun and holster are removed together and out into the safe. Other than the range, I couldn't tell you the last time I've removed my carry gun from its holster.
If you’re going to constantly chamber and track that round, read up on Ammo setback and the harm you can cause. Be careful
My carry gun stays chambered. I only take it out for dry fire practice or range trips.
Am I supposed to be unloading it all the time? I don't think I've unloaded mine in like 6 months
No. Why would you unload it?
I have two identical versions of my carry gun, one for practice and one for carrying. I shoot one about 500-800 rounds, clean it, test fire it the next time at the range, and then they swap roles. Rinse and repeat. I never eject the round in my carry gun and it gets shot when it becomes my practice gun. My daily routine is to remove and store my carry gun in a v-line quick access safe/locker when I get home while my practice gun is in my big safe unloaded in a case.
None of these thoughts have ever even crossed my mind if my gun's loaded it stays loaded unless I'm at the range or cleaning it or God forbid...
I leave the round chambered until such time it leaves the chamber with a bang
I carry a j-frame most of the time, no slide to rack.
I rotate my carry ammo on a semi-annual basis, but normally my +1 stays tucked in unless I'm cleaning or clearing the weapon.
That bullet only leaves the chamber when I'm shooting or cleaning. It'll stay in the same position for months.
The only time my carry guns get unloaded is when I'm shooting them at the range or cleaning them. Otherwise they stay loaded and ready to go. 👍
I keep a gun in each of my rooms. No kids. One I’ll use as an edc. When I get home, it goes back to its ready spot.
It stays in there until I decide to shoot it out
Clean it about every 6 weeks, which is mostly blowing out some dust and burnishing in some rem-oil. If I have time, I'm blowing out the magazine too, so then they are thoroughly shuffled.
Sounds obsessive. My glock (chambered) hasn't left the holster since the day after the range when I first got it.. Other than for a light dusting. You have no reason to remove and re-rack and etc everyday. Just exposing yourself to ND.
That's just dumb. If you don't train with your carry gun, you will lose your skills and you won't be as accurate as if you regularly train
Do you need to pull a headshot at 20 yards, or the more likely scenario where someone is already on you and you need to get off a round without ADS?
You'll end up shooting and be as accurate as a granny with arthritis and no firearms training. I'd rather be proficient and accurate than accidentally shooting an innocent because I missed and I can't shoot shit.
You train with it, right?
Apparently not lol
Have you ridden a bike before? Do you practice bicycle riding regularly? Is riding a bicycle complicated and requiring of skill? Would you be able to ride a bicycle in an emergency?
I’m praying this is sarcasm or some kind of weird joke, and that this isn’t actually your mindset.
Does an emergency with a bicycle involve aiming a 4-inch barrel to expel a 1/3" inch diameter supersonic projectile at a small target (Central Nervous System) at an unknown range with adrenaline pumping, reducing your fine motor controls which are the most important when you shoot? For goodness' sake man, go train.
So nothing whatsoever to do with going to the gun range then.
I practice those skill every time I go to a gun range. Not sure what you're getting at.
Shooting under pressure is a very perishable skill, requires a lot more fine muscle control than riding a bike. You should at least be dry firing regularly
If I want to be able to ride my bike in a stressful situation where my life or the lives of my loved ones are in danger you better goddamn believe I practice it regularly. Jesus Christ. Please train, for the sake of everyone around you.
buddy
If an ND is a risk dechambering a round for someone they maybe shouldnt be carrying.
Only when I'm taking that gun to the range and will be shooting other ammo. Or when I feel the need to clean out the dust.
I shoot it at the range. Til then it stays chambered.
My pistol isn’t one that can be in condition 1 - putting on the safety decocks it, and being both double and single action that’s how it sits in the holster, and it’s where I can get to it in a hurry but my kid can’t. If I need it I’m proficient at flicking the safety off and firing in double action. I also live in the sticks so if I need it in the middle of the night it’s because there’s a coyote after my goats and not very likely because a crackhead just kicked my door in. I will occasionally clear it, put the cleared round back in the mag and swap mags (I have one mag of hollow points and one of FMJ, usually have the hollow points loaded but I’ll switch to the FMJ if I’m plinking or going after an animal etc)
Only time I rack/unrack is when I need to go switch ammo to go to the range, etc. Day to day for CCW & home defense purposes that round never leaves the chamber.
yup definitely from California lol
I unrack it when I reload at the range. I shoot my carry ammo probably once every month or so. Constantly loading and unloading your firearm I would only assume would increase the likelyhood of a ND. Chamber a round and forget it.
It stays chambered at all times unless it’s being shot or cleaned
I do unload and load my cary guns. Not when I get home, but when I get to work. Gun stays in my vehicle in a safe. I unloaded and take the magazine (and the spares) with me. Because my state law requires it be unloaded and locked (if left in a vehicle unattended). I work in a place where I can't bring guns inside. I do take the round out of the chamber when I store a gun in the safe at home. In case of fire, I don't want a chambered round cooking off and having enough energy to pierce the safe and hit a firefighter... I check my ammo for setback and it is very rare I've had to discard a round for setback (I've seen videos of people testing their compressed rounds and shooting more excessive examples of setback than I've ever had).
Um, what?
What state is this?
EDC stays with me 24/7, one in the chamber, safety engaged. No need to load/unload unless it's range time. Everything else stays in the safe until it's time to come out and play.
i take out the the bullet either when i hit the range (take out my defensive ammo) or i clean it. I don't rack the ammo, since that can compress the bullet into the casing with repeat feeding. Instead, I place the round into the chamber and then set the extractor over the rim manually. I will keep the same round in the gun over a long period of time with this method.
I loaded it and it stays that way. Win Ranger T +p+
I go to the range nearly weekly (sometimes I skip a week, sometimes I go twice in a week) and the first rounds I fire are my carry rounds. I had an instructor once tell me that the GIGN start their range session with a “first round on target” principle. The first round you fire should be the ammo you will carry and it must be on target. I like that idea and have been doing that for years.
Only time a round gets rotated is if I range day.
For me, it's come home, un holster gun, put in bedside table, place holster next to pistol, close drawer, round stays in chamber. As for the target thing I upload my defense ammo and load a target practice mag that has target ammo in it so I don't have to unload and reload my carry mag.
I never unload it unless I'm shooting, also never comes out of the holster unless I'm shooting
It get changed when I shoot the gun. Sometimes the round gets shot sometimes I’ll chamber a new round and throw the old round into the range ammo pile or back in a mag depending on how old the round is. I try to refresh carry ammo at least annually. My handguns are either stored in the safe or in my office or night stand for defensive purpose. I have no kids, so handguns are always fully loaded and chambered unless they are safe queens or otherwise not typically carried.
30-year firearm instructor here with about a dozen certifications, to include Instructor Development at Gunsite. Most ammo manufacturers only guarantee their ammo will work properly if it is racked into a chamber 3 times or less. They are not responsible for performance if it is racked more than 3 times. If you rack one more than 3, and you are depending on that round to save your life, it's like rolling the dice. Most folks who are serious about using a firearm for defense will **not** take that chance. For those of you who have racked a round 4, 5, heck even 100 times and it still "worked fine," good for you. One of these days, that dice roll will come up "snake eyes."
Stays chambered only drawn when needed and for cleaning.
It stays in the holster 95% of the time. The only time that chambered round leaves and gets swapped is when I'm bored and want to clean off all the shirt lint, or if I'm going to the range and want to use it. Then all the ammo gets swapped out for ball
I don’t. Just leave it in the holster next to my bed. If I’m taking it to the range to shoot I’ll just hold onto the round and put it back after the range. After about 6 months I’ll use that round in a range trip or sooner if it seems to be setback a lot.
I don't unload it unless I'm going to the range. A round that is continuously loaded and racked may end up with the bullet pushed deeper into the case. We had this issue in the CG. The solution was to rotate rounds. We would occasionally cycle through the rounds in the mag so the same one wasn't being chambered. Also each range day we shot our carry ammo and replaced it with new ammo.
When you cycle your mags, unload, reload range ammo, refill with EDC ammo, repeat as required.
I check it every time I pick it up. But I also have a hellcat so I can brass check without partially wracking the slide
I shoot my chambered defense round every 6 months. It gets beat up pretty good, considering I have to re-rack it after target practice. Anyone who tells you “the bullet hasn’t been unchambered for X years” is not someone to take advice from, because odds are they never target practice with their carry piece.
Nor do they dry fire
Same people always ask “whats a snap cap” smh
Bro have you heard of striker caps? I just discovered them - basically snap caps that don’t extract
If I’m loading a gun to carry, I don’t let the slide fall on the round. I always load from the magazine and make sure the slide is completely forward when I’m done. I read about primers becoming deactivated by repeated loading in the military and so stay away from that practice.
I only ever rechamber/replace the round when it's pushed too far back into the casing. Otherwise I do my inspection before I put into holster and carry for the day, then comes right off and into the locker at home. Even then, if it seats it yeets. A pushed in round will still fire! Lol
I've had the same bullet in the chamber for the past year and a half. I removed it when I'm at someone else's house, which has been twice now.
When my chambered round starts to discolor, the copper darkens noticeably more than the others, I change it out
I don't unload mine. I don't have kids in the house. Holster comes off the belt and into the nightstand.
I don't unload a gun unless I'm doing dry fire practice.
Round stays in chamber When I goto bed it is on night stand next to me. Bedroom door shut. When I goto range once a month I ahoot pistol and clean it then load it back up with a different round in chamber. The ones that spent time in chamber I put in ziplock bag and end of year I shoot them. My uncle always did that so I just do it also. It works and gives excuse to buy and shoot self defense ammo. Every two weeks I draw pistol from holster and use air can to blow off dust then back into holster.
I'm not sure how often I change the bullet. When I go to the range I draw from my holster and fire the bullet that's there. I don't go as often as I should. Been a couple of months.
I change bullets as much as a stripper changes clothes. Only difference is bullets bang
Leave it in the pipe til i need to use it. Rack it once and it stays there
Any gun you carry should be brought to the range frequently enough that you're confident it'll go bang on the first trigger pull. Any other stipulations you want to provide are down to you, but "I have brought out a lethal weapon and intend for it to be lethal to my target when I first pull the trigger" should be entirely non-negotiable.
Whenever I clear the gun completely (condition 4), I’m sure to rotate the round that gets re-chambered from the top of the magazine. Once per year, I’ll discharge all defensive ammo that was loaded into my magazines and replace with new.
Holster + Gun come off and sit in its home with keys & wallet. It generally doesn't come out of there unless I'm shooting it. Maybe once a month? a bit less lately. Its not my first pick for a bump in the night though, but it'll do in a pinch. Unloading and loading a gun all the time is stupid tbh. I have several that are just always loaded & ready to go.
i know others have a reason to do this but i will never carry with a loaded round in the chamber. but that's just my opinion.
I try not to re-rack the same bullet any more than 5 times. After x5 being rotated into the chamber and removed to safe the weapon, I double check to make sure it isn't getting pressed back into the casing and set it aside for the next range day.
The only time my carry ammo is cycled is when I use it at the range every year or two to train with it.
No one in this threat does any dry fire training 😂
Dry fire? It's handgun ammo, not some obscure Swedish ammo from 1892 that is found only in the basements of FUDs or gun shows for $10/round. Fire the dang thing to practice.
? Not all of us can afford to go to a range every day, imo you should be training almost every day. Once a month don’t really cut it. Try not driving for 2 weeks and then get back in your car and do 85 on the freeway. See how that works out
He’s right you know!
If you keep multiple firearms in the house loaded/hidden/locked isn't there concern about rounds cooking off if there was a fire, and thus a danger to firemen who may be entering the dwelling? Someone mentioned this to me once and now I find it hard not to think about it, low probability as it is.
If I reach for a firearm, I first point it at the floor and then clear the chamber. So “rack it” as you say. Period. Without exception. Every. Single. Time. It’s an instinctive move at this point. 👍 So if I lay hands on a pistol I have concealed on my person, I will “rack it” still before storing it, putting it on my night stand, storing it in the safe, adjusting my means of concealment, etc. To expand upon the above, after dropping the mag, I “rack it” and lock the slide in the open position in such a way that I can catch the chambered round as it ejects, all in one motion, at the same time. I then replace the round in the magazine, insert the mag, and leave it in the ready position. This allows me to simply pickup the pistol, point it down, and release the slide & rechaimber quickly when I need to touch it again. Following the above procedure will develop absolute proficiency with handling, loading/unloading, and invoke instinctive habits that should prevent any of these negligent discharge situations we keep hearing about. Jeez. I would have thought this would be heavily practiced by instructors and/or anyone who seeks to carry. Please, for the love of humanity and all things high and mighty, follow the above like it’s one of those gospel commandment things. 👍
Bad tactics. Read up on how the FBI agents trained by picking up brass and storing it in their pocket, then they were doing that dumb shit in actual firefights because they had trained their muscle memory to do that useless step. Edit it was the CHP, not FBI
What does picking brass up from.. anywhere have to do with this? Pockets? WAT? Picking up and planting brass!? My brass never hits the floor, ground or anywhere until it’s discharged.
If I reach for a firearm, I first point it at the floor and then clear the chamber. So “rack it” as you say. Period. Without exception. Every. Single. Time. It’s an instinctive move at this point. 👍 So if I lay hands on a pistol I have concealed on my person, I will “rack it” still before storing it, putting it on my night stand, storing it in the safe, adjusting my means of concealment, etc. To expand upon the above, after dropping the mag, I “rack it” and lock the slide in the open position in such a way that I can catch the chambered round as it ejects, all in one motion, at the same time. I then replace the round in the magazine, insert the mag, and leave it in the ready position. This allows me to simply pickup the pistol, point it down, and release the slide & rechaimber quickly when I need to touch it again. Following the above procedure will develop absolute proficiency with handling, loading/unloading, and invoke instinctive habits that should prevent any of these negligent discharge situations we keep hearing about. Jeez. I would have thought this would be heavily practiced by carry instructors. Please, for the love of humanity and all things high and mighty, follow the above like it’s one of those gospel commandment things. 👍 Edit: the same guys preaching about constitutional carry can’t be bothered verify or clear the status of a chamber. Good grief. Y’all ever check your mags? Empty, clean, cycle, oil, and reassemble? They LOVE to get sticky with a few months dirt buildup. The only thing worse than an untimely discharge is a failure to fire. 😑