[cobb]

My question for some of the veterans of ccw, where or how do you load your ccw, more interesting would be, where or how do you chamber a round before leaving the house?
A couple of years ago at a local bowling pin match I had a slam fire with my 1911, and of course the muzzle was pointed down range and just put a big hole in the ground about 20 feet out. So do you chamber a round when pointing the firearm in what you consider a safe direction, or do you go as far as point the muzzle into a 5 gallon pail filled with sand, or is a slam fire something that never occured to you that would happen?
I live in the country, so I never cycle live rounds through my gun in the house, I just step outside and do that, but city slickers don't have that convenience. ;) So what do you do?

[voilsb]

beretta 92fs ... pistol on safe, slide locked to the rear, no mag. load standard cap magazine with 16 rounds into pistol. release slide. disengage safety. holster. now I'm at 15+1.

[jsalcedo]

I point at the TV and let the slide release go over a full mag then
flick the safety on.

My wife wants a new TV but I follow the rules and keep my guns in good repair.

[Logistar]

Beretta 92FS (Vertec) Safety on. Insert magazine... rack slide. (No access to firing pin with safety on.) After round is chambered, safety is moved to OFF position and gun is carefully placed into holster.

Taurus PT-111 Insert magazine. Rack slide while pointing at something "unimportant". If I am worried about it, I let the slide go forward VERY s l o w l y . (Riding the slide.) It will hit the bottom of the feed ramp and very slowly slide into the chamber. - Then placed carefully into holster.

[Standing Wolf]

I unload my pre-agreement Smith & Wesson model 60 .357 magnum revolver only when I give it its weekly cleaning.

All my .22 caliber match pistols are unloaded for the sake of magazine springs; everything else, however, is always loaded all the time.

[cool45auto]

I'm with the Beretta guys. Safety on, no contact with firing pin, pop in mag, rack slide, eject mag, top off and reinsert mag.

[Mike Irwin]

I carry a revolver.

I ensure that it's loaded before I leave the house, and close the cylinder.

Ready to go.

[HS/LD]

No kids.

All guns always loaded.

H&K USP (carry gun)
Safety on.
Insert full mag.
Release slide.
Eject mag.
Top off.
Insert mag.
Holster.
Safety stays on.

HS/LD

[Racegun]

Hell, I just step out in the backyard where the steel plates are hanging in that big tree and take aim. I load the gun and bang a plate. That loads the really pretty shiney, lightweight, custom girly gun 1911 Commander and then I just put it in my custom carry holster and go shopping after putting on the safety . Hell the gun won't shoot anything in that mode unless I disengage the safety and get a good grip on the beavertail so I am so cool. I do love the 1911 made by my husband!

It's no problem on Texas county land and if there was we are the local PD armorer. We have no problems out here in fly over sticks!

[dakotasin]

i keep my guns loaded.

if i have taken them apart for cleaning, or whatever, i just load the mag, pop it in, open the door and point it at the grass strip between my house and neighbor's house, rack the slide, put it on safe - and that is how i carry it (cocked & locked).

not worried about the noise or whetever from a slam-fire. the gun is pointed in a safe direction, and nobody cares about a little racket. though, i've never had any sort of a malfunction w/ my 1911...

[Tamara]

The only time I unload my CCW guns is once a week or so in the back yard. Less often for the purse howitzer. :uhoh:

[winwun]

Model 36. What was your question again ?

[Gophfer]

Mine stays loaded. I point in safe direction (at ground) rack slide and engage safety.

[JohnBT]

I just point mine at an exterior wall, or the fireplace, and load 'em up. The walls are 14 inches of solid brick and covered on the inside with an inch or so of plaster. The fireplace is really sturdy.

John

[Hemicuda]

Well, the only time the CCW piece gets UNLOADED is when it's in for cleaning... but the procedure is to clean it, then push a full magazine into place, and drop the slide...

IF it happened to not already be set there, I then move the safety/decocker to the safe position... allowing the hammer to fall harmlessly... fir this maneuver, I either aim at the TV (floor is wort more than the TV set) or just kinda wander out my front door... (livin' in the middle of NOWHERE has it's distinct advantages!

[El Tejon]

Why are you unloading? Kids?

[spacemanspiff]

i unload to dryfire a couple times a day usually. makes sitting on the porcelain throne more enjoyable. i just make sure the muzzle is in a safe direction (floor, wall, bosses head- oops i dont do that) and that my finger is outside the trigger and the beavertail isnt depressed.

[GlocksRock]

Insert loaded mag, rack slide, holster. I carry Glocks, so that makes it really easy. Very simple manual of arms. No dummy levers aka safetys to fiddle around with.

[TonyB]

Same as Mike Irwin......revolver(sp101)make sure it's loaded,and go.:cool:

[E357]

I carry Glocks, so that makes it really easy. Very simple manual of arms.

Until the day a small piece of brass or primer gets caught in the firing pin hole and 15 of your 17 rounds wind up in the roof.

Never trust the slide. The safest way used to be to load one round into a mag, chamber it, then refill the mag. With a 1911 your were supposed to hold the trigger back when droping the slide. No one under middle age does this anymore.

Elliot

PS: Yes if you want a safe semi-auto, I can't think of one that is safer than a Beretta.

[willyjixx]

i carry loaded. i have a DA/SA an leave one in the chamber with a full mag - 1. and i carry a spare mag. i lock it up every night in my safe after work an leave it in its carry holster. once a week i unload check the rounds check the gun wipe the lint an crud an reoil if necessary. every 6 months usually around my birthday i go an burn my defense ammo an get a new box an change magazines with the other set of em (have 5 mags total) 1s a backup thats at home always unloaded in case i get a bad mag.

bersa thunder .380 with federal hydra-shock. gun goes every where the state of NV will legally let me. then it stays in the safe at night. the mossberg 500 in the corner performs nocturnal security.

[Heat Miser]

With a 1911 your were supposed to hold the trigger back when droping the slide. No one under middle age does this anymore. What was the purpose of this? I can guess, but why the change?

[jsalcedo]

That sounds like an AD waiting to happen.

[Pebcac]

Heat Miser - the idea is that, with the trigger held back, the disconnector is engaged until the slide is down and the trigger released.

To answer the question of the thread, POA is either the floor or into the solid oak of the bureau in the bedroom. If there's ever a discharge inside the house that's not directed at an intruder, the missus will insure that the hole in the floor/bureau door is the least of my worries. ;)

[E357]

Pebcac: thank you for saving me the typing. When are they going to get a spelling checker on this board?

Elliot

[.45Ruger]

I carry a Springfield XD 9. I insert a full mag, and rack the slide. I point the pistol at a stack of pillows in the corner of the bedroom as I do it .

[Heat Miser]

the idea is that, with the trigger held back, the disconnector is engaged until the slide is down and the trigger released. Right, but as Elliott said, unless you are middle age... Do younger people not do this simply because they (ahem...we) mostly use glocks, sigs, etc..??

[willyjixx]

I carry a Springfield XD 9. I insert a full mag, and rack the slide. I point the pistol at a stack of pillows in the corner of the bedroom as I do it .

i couldnt do that. thats where the dog sleeps! 2nd rule of the 4 rules an all yah know:D

i would agree with loading unloading outside but i dont want my neighbors to see, know that i have a CW. plus they could make a call on brandishing to the PD an id have some explaining to do. safest way i believe is to do it in the garage with a cut down 55 gallon drum 1/2 full of sanbags (full "0" sand) an with a lid on it with a hole in the middle about 3 inch diameter.

essentially a bullet trap.

[Pebcac]

No, it's not a model-specific thing, I don't think. This would work with pretty much any semi-auto pistol, as they all should have disconnectors that work on the same principle. I think it's just one of those training ideas that "evolved" with time. I personally feel funny holding the trigger down, but it's a mechanically sound concept.

[Erik]

I load my carry pistols at home the usual way.

[E357]

My comment about the 1911 and holding the trigger back was Directed just towards the 1911. It does bother most people who were trained on modern pistols. The newer popular semi-autos all work somewhat differently and are all fine weapons when properly maintained. I have a preference for older steel guns.

However, the Springfield XD looks like what a Glock should have been.

Elliot

[Heat Miser]

My comment about the 1911 and holding the trigger back was Directed just towards the 1911. It does bother most people who were trained on modern pistols. By the way, I am a 1911 guy. I do hold the trigger down when putting the slide down. Always works well.

[aerod1]

I load my revolver before I leave the house.

Jim Hall

[P95Carry]

P95 or P97 .. same drill ...... and this only happens for cleaning etc .... otherwsie loaded 24/7.

From slide lock and no mag, and no trigger contact ... drop round into chamber ... close slide under control but with firm positive closure ....insert full mag ...... point at floor (office floor is boards over ..... hmmmm ........ mud currently!!) ...... and operate decocker lever.

Return to holster!

[Logistar]

I should have added that my CCW STAYS loaded unless it is being cleaned. - Even then I make sure I have at least ONE gun loaded (per advice from TFL!) while I am cleaning my CCW.

My rules are : If it is IN a holster then it will go bang if I withdraw it and pull the trigger. (If any gun is not "ready to go" then it is stored and not in a holster.)

[pax]

I load mine at the range, when I am done shooting practice ammo.

Never unload it, except at the range to replace my defense ammo with practice ammo.

pax

[Shmackey]

every 6 months usually around my birthday

What are you, from Venus or something? :)

[G Man.40]

I carry a Glock 23. I chamber a round before I leave my house, muzze pointed to the floor. I NEVER NEVER EVER let the slide slam foward just to chamber a round under safe conditions.

[Erik Jensen]

Beretta: Unloading:one at a time at high velocity. reloading: slide locked back, safety on. one round placed in chamber, slide released. fully loaded standard capacity magazine inserted. place in hoster, safety rotated to Off position, thumbbreak snapped on.

Kahr MK-40: unloaded the same way. Loading: insert loaded 5 rnd mag, rack slide, drop and top off mag, reinsert. carefully place in holster. insert 6 round mag into convenient mag holder on front of holster.

both of my handguns have firing pin block safeties, so as long as I keep my finger off the trigger, I'm not worried about a slamfire. I do point in a safe direction anyway, and unless I'm at the range, they're always loaded. (btw, before anyone says anything about how singleloading a handgun is bad, I refer you to my berettas manual. I don't, however singleload any other guns aside from berettas without using the magazine.)

[sm]

I have always kept a 5 gal bucket filled with sand -indoors.

I use it mainly when I've cleaned a gun for a student. I have it to unload/reload when finished. I suggest this to students also, especially those in apts. Just another safety dealie I've done. Though the 4 rules have been harped upon them, IF ever they have ND I hope it is aimed at the sand bucket. If nothing else maybe it will be a reminder to check and keep 4 rules in mind-always.

Personally, I have no need to unload...any of mine. After range time, carry loads inserted at range and fuggitaboutit.

[Shake]

G Man.40,

Are you saying you ride the slide forward to load?

Shake

[Roadrunner]

No kids here too, so my G23 is always loaded. The only time I unload it is for cleaning.

[Edward429451]

I press check my 1911 first, engage safety, drop mag to confirm loaded status, reinsert mag, holster and bye.

If I clean/dryfire/fiddle or whatnot with it in the house, its always reloaded when I'm done. Depending on if I'm upstairs or down I point it towards the floor and rack the slide then safety, or downstairs I have a 5 gal bucket that I put old media in that I point it towards with poured concrete wall behind it in case anything goes wrong.