Carrying a Firearm with a Live Round in the Chamber?

Introduction

Often in a class, I will get a common question. It comes in two forms. One form is it necessary to carry a semi-automatic pistol with a round in the chamber. The second form is it safe to carry a semi-automatic pistol with a round in the chamber. We have to remember the defensive firearm is a reactive tool. Because of this, the simple answer to the first form is yes if you want to be fully prepared to survive a defensive situation. To answer the second question, let’s look deeper into its roots. This deep dive will let us understand this technique’s strengths and weaknesses.

Empty chamber and the Drop-Safe semi-automatic

Empty chamber and the Drop-Safe semi-automatic pistol go back to the early days of firearm technology. We have to go back to the late 1940s when a mishmash of guns could have come from any country. Unfortunately, these early sim-automatic firearms had no dedicated passive firing pin safety. As a result, these firearms could discharge when dropped from any height. In this environment, what was needed was one technique that would work with every one of those disparate different firearms.

Israeli Carry

Israelis developed an empty chamber draw and rack slide technique. The foundation of this new technique assumes your strong hand will always be able to complete the pistol presentation, and the weak hand is free to work the slide. As a result, this technique dramatically reduces the risk of an unintentional discharge while carrying.

Empty Chamber Drawback

The Israeli technique was a good idea, but there were drawbacks.

  • What if, during the draw, someone grabbed your weak arm? 
  • What if you broke your weak arm before you could draw? 
  • What if the attack comes from your strong side? Your strong arm will extend towards the attacker, and your weak hand must cross your body to rack the slide. 

Then there is the human factor. People get into trouble when

they don’t have time to rack the slide. What happens if they are in a compromised position under stress? The hands are shaking. The strong hand grips the firearm. The weak hand is trembling as it tries to rack the slide. This action can create a little stutter effect that will end up jamming the pistol. In these cases, the outcome is never good for the individual trying to defend themselves.

Drop Safe Firearms

The possibility that your firearm will be knocked to the ground or accidentally dropped exceeds the likelihood that you’ll need to draw and immediately fire in self-defense on that particular day. So why don’t we still advocate the empty chamber carry technique? Luckily, time and technology have changed the firearm environment. For example, for many years, we have had drop-safe handguns. You can drop these firearms. Sure, you may ding them up, but they won’t discharge. This evolution means these firearms are safe to carry with a round in the chamber.

Today those serious Israelis carry Glocks with live rounds in the chambers. Today’s firearm is drop-safe, and those Israelis are ready to draw and fire reactively.

Long Guns

What about long guns used for self-defense? These firearms include the AR-15, the 870 shotgun, and almost everything else. Sadly, those guns may not be drop-safe. Because of this issue, the shotgun in the patrol car is normally carried in Cruiser-ready mode. There is a full magazine in this mode, but the chamber is empty. If your home defense gun is a shotgun, it should be in the same condition. The magazine is filled, but the chamber is empty. The round is chambered when you anticipate immediate contact

If you’re an AR-15 owner, the next time you’ve been shooting
remove your magazine and clear the live round out of the chamber. Now check the prime. You may notice a little tiny dimple on the primer. This dimple happened when the round was chambered. When the bolt comes forward, the firing pin bounces forward and strikes the primer because there is nothing to block the firing pin. Usually, this is not an issue. The force is not enough to cause the round to fire.

However, what happens when the firearm dropped hard on the muzzle or struck hard on the butt. This action can cause the firing pin to bounce inside the firing pinch channel. There might be enough energy to drive the firearm to discharge. This issue is why those guns are stored with the chamber empty.

Sometimes You Just Have To

If you only have an old gun or a cheap one that is not drop-safe. I suggest you carry it with an empty chamber. This method would be the only smart way to carry.

If you are new to concealed carry, you may only be comfortable carrying with an empty chamber. However, just like the training wheels on your first bike, you need to move on as soon as possible.

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