Why I kept the chamber empty in my semi...

[sprrdhawk44]

I actually understand your concern, as it is a nightstand gun. Waking up from a dead sleep and groping for a gun could be bad. This is not a problem for me 90 percent of the time, as I carry a 1911 which also pulls nightstand duty. I am confident in the thumb safety. However, when I carry my glock, I usually put it in a cheap universal nylon holster, which solves my problem.

[Edg]

An empty gun is worthless. If you have dogs or something to warn you thats one thing. If someone is upon you by the time you draw its damn near impossible to charge a weapon with one hand. I would never under any circumstance keep a gun with an empty chamber outside of a safe.

[Grey Bearded One]

I keep two rounds chambered just in case the first one doesn't fire. That way no need to rack the slide to clear the bad round.

[indianjack]

I used to keep a round in the chamber with the safety on. But that requires flicking the safety off and firing in DA mode. Today I keep the chamber empty with the safety off, so to fire you rack the slide and fire in SA mode. The first method might be quicker, but I feel I'm much more likely to put the bullet on target using second method. I practice that way too, pulling the pistol, racking the slide and firing, so is second nature. One other disadvantage is one less round in the pistol.

[GunLawyer001]

Wide-awake cops have shot people who posed no threat, who were carrying nothing more lethal than a cell phone or wallet.

Most people have at least a moment or two of incomplete rationality when they wake up, especially when sleep is interrupted by a noise. If you're not awake enough to rack the slide, then for damned sure you're not awake enough to take a life.

I don't think that it's a sign of moral superiority or higher intelligence to assign zero weight to the bad outcome of killing your girlfriend's visiting friend, or a fireman, or the landlord, or a cop serving a warrant, and focus entirely on protecting your own ass by minimizing the time needed to kill whomever happens to be in your field of view when the REM stage ends.

You need to be on top of your game to assess a situation and accurately differentiate between an imminent threat and someone who just happens to be standing where you didn't expect to see anyone.

[huskybiker]

Although I'm a firm believer in CC'ing with one in the chamber, I also un-chamber my M&P when I put it on the headboard for the night. I'm a pretty light sleeper and doubt anyone will make it completely into the house w/o waking me up. Besides, I'm only one step away from the fully loaded Mossberg hanging in the closet.

[Lee-online]

My carry guns stay loaded all the time and are placed on the night stand. Next to the night stand is a 870 that does not have one in the chamber but is otherwise ready. If i am woken in the middle of the night i will be reaching for the shotty.

[filgun11]

I keep two rounds chambered just in case the first one doesn't fire. That way no need to rack the slide to clear the bad round.

LOL! Good one!

[Exbiker]

Nothing wrong with that practice. One in the chamber is a relatively new practice(depending how old you are) and at the risk of offending somebody calling a firearm worthless because there is a loaded magazine in it but no round in the chamber is idiotic.
What morons those Israeli commands must be, I'm surprised carrying in such a worthless manner they haven't all been exterminated!

Walt Rauch in Handguns wrote an article called Empty Handed. The difference between one in the chamber and racking was less then 1/2 second.

[brsims]

Semi-automatic: round chambered, safety on in public, safety off on the night stand....

Revolver: round under the hammer at all times.

Shotgun: tube loaded with a mix of 00buck and slug, chamber empty due to shotty's age and slight possibility of drop fire.

Blades belted in public, set in different places around my sleeping area sheathed with retention removed.

Tire billy located under bed, load bar close to hand....hell I even have a sword to gut an intruder with if I feel the need.

After better than a decade of driving big truck OTR, its just about impossible to sneak up on me when I'm sleeping. Plus, I am one of the lucky lucky few who snaps up firing on all eight cylinders. The most time I will waste will be in choosing which level of mayhem I will unleash upon the intruder. Note, if my dog is in danger....gods help whoever made the mistake of entering my home....otherwise I may simply beat the shit out of the intruder rather than kill'em. I hate surprises, intruders, and people in my home in general.....