Concealed Carry for Women

Carrying A Round In the Chamber

We know to best defend ourselves and our loved ones we must be ready, equipped and know what to do if necessary. Winning and surviving is about having the edge in the fight, whether that is in time, equipment, skill, and perhaps even in luck. Carrying your gun with a round in the chamber can give you the edge.

What an interesting topic this is. Take a moment and view the video first. Then read below.

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Why is it hard for some?

We need to give ourselves the edge to win. As discussed in the video, there is no doubt that not having a round in the chamber can put us at a great disadvantage and at additional risk. So why then is having a round in the chamber something we hesitate to do? We, after all, carry a gun to be able to defend ourselves so naturally, we don’t want to put ourselves at greater risk, so why do so many choose to do exactly that?

Fear

We do so because of fear. We fear having a negligent discharge and someone getting hurt.

This is a good thing to not have happened, so being concerned is natural and healthy. It is only responsible for us to do everything we can to prevent it from happening. But fear can also cause us to make decisions and choices without fully understanding the issue and its ramifications. We then make emotional decisions and not ones based on completely accurate information and perhaps ones that are not in our best interests.

It’s About Confidence

The KEY factor in this decision I believe is CONFIDENCE. This is where both the question and the answer lie. Your level of confidence in knowing your gun and handling your gun are directly related to your confidence and willingness to carry your defensive handgun with a round in the chamber.

You are the keeper of your confidence and you are the only one that can raise it. Committed practice and experience is what can and will raise your confidence. Do your homework and due diligence in selecting the proper holsters and equipment to minimize negligent discharges.

Practice holstering and unholstering your unloaded gun to gain confidence and skill. Practice shooting as much as you can so you know everything your gun can do and everything it can’t do. An interesting suggestion once shared with me is to put dummy rounds in your carry firearm and toss it on the bed, couch, or chair or even let it land on the floor a few times. (of course I am not condoning damaging your gun, so caution and wisdom must be used) See if it discharges. Try it in every configuration you can imagine, hammer back, safety on, safety off, locked, and cocked. You will find what will not discharge the firearm.

It may give you a sense of relief to know that it takes some serious carelessness to have a firearm discharge when loaded without you squeezing the trigger. Older firearms would be a different story as they don’t have as many built-in safety features as newer firearms.

Final Thoughts

Carrying a gun is serious business, with serious consequences. if you are going to carry a gun you need to be READY to carry one and ready to use it. If you are not, then perhaps you should wait until you are. Ready means being mentally prepared, it means you are trained, comfortable and competent to carry and use your gun.

Anything less leaves you and others at risk.

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4 thoughts on “Carrying A Round In the Chamber

  1. deb says:

    Lack of confidence and lack of knowledge is prime in all fear, most new gun owners need lot’s of safe gun handling experience such as dummy bullets, Air Pistols, unloaded guns etc lot’s of handling, grip, stance and holster draws will bring on your confidence.. you just need lot’s of practice! don’t rush yourself.. but do lot’s of practice.

  2. RonBow says:

    Go to YouTube and search “negligent discharge”. Most of the stories you will see involve people who had lots of confidence, and even a lot of experience.

    The only responsible way to carry a firearm and to train with it regularly. Train doesn’t only mean burning dollar bills down at the range. Train means practicing your draw, your aim, and your dry-fire in front of the bedroom mirror. Once you start training regularly, and you know you weapon, you can make an intelligent choice on how to carry.

    I used to carry with a round in the chamber. I did it for years. But now I have reached the level of training that I can draw, rack and aim without thinking about it. I feel much safer knowing that my gun has an empty chamber, and zero chance of participating in a negligent discharge. But I also know I can bring it to bear when I need it.

  3. Tina V. says:

    I was always unsure about carrying a round chambered for my CCW. But after a bit of practice and finding a good holster (I carry AIWB with a StealthGearUSA holster), I have found it much easier to carry my firearm. Thanks for the great article!

    1. Cat says:

      Tina..l also carry appendix IWB with a StealthGear Ventcore holster for my Walther PPS M2. I always hesitated carrying around in the chamber because of the softer vented back of the holster. It’s not completely flexible as it has a stiffer core under the vented panel, but it’s not hard like the front of the holster or other Kydex holsters. Any thoughts?

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