[Dollar An Hour]

I'm trying to determine if storing in condition 1 is the norm, or if people prefer an empty chamber & safety off so a rack of the pump is in order.

I'm new to pump shotguns, always been a handgun guy, forgive me if this is a stupid Q. :uhoh:

Thx!

[shadowalker]

Mine is stored with the tube loaded (8) and an empty chamber.

[highorder]

Mine is stored with the tube loaded (8) and an empty chamber.

+1

leaving the hammer cocked is not desirable for reliability and longevity of the spring.

[Pete409]

Magazine loaded, safety off, hammer down on an empty chamber.

[Big Boomer]

Stored with tube loaded, safety off, dry fired before loading so no need to depress slide release when racking action. Sidesaddle full of six more.

[Waywatcher]

leaving the hammer cocked is not desirable for reliability and longevity of the spring.

False. The spring will be just fine. Cycles affect longevity.

I store mine full magazine, saftey-off, empty chamber, hammer down for safety reasons... Most respectable handguns have firing pin blocks or 'drop safeties' to prevent an inertial discharge in the event of a drop. Most shotguns have no such feature and the only thing holding the firing pin back is a spring. A dropped shotgun has the potential of discharging. The manual safety only blocks the trigger.

So in a nutshell storing a shotgun with the chamber empty is safer to prevent accidental discharges.

[sammoh]

Same as everyone else here stores theirs. Tube loaded, safety off, empty chamber.

I might add its right next to my bed, between my bed and my nightstand.

Sam

[spyderdude]

Stored with the mag tube loaded with 2 3/4" 00 buckshot (6 rounds), hammer down, empty chamber.

[proud2deviate]

Tube full (7 rounds of 00 buck. Considering the wisdom of 6, though,) chamber empty, safety off, hammer down.

[Black Majik]

6 in magazine tube, empty chamber

[ronto]

Mag full, safety off, chamber empty, bolt closed, trigger pulled...ready to rack.

[Biker]

Yup, 'Cruiser Ready' for me, same as my Bushmaster.

Biker

[Dollar An Hour]

Looks like it's unanimous... Full tube, empty chamber, hammer down & ready to rack.

I'm not sure what all the hubbub is over safety location on different brands of HD shotties, since the only time I could see safety really coming into play regularly would be hunting.

[Magnuumpwr]

8) 3 1/2" OO buck in tube, 1 in chamber, safety on. Normal use for night time predators.

[proud2deviate]

8) 3 1/2" OO buck in tube, 1 in chamber, safety on. Normal use for night time predators.

Dayum! How long is the barrel on that sucker? How many 2 3/4" inch shells can you cram into it?

[Dave McCracken]

Not quite unanimous....

Since around 1980, my HD 870 has been stored empty chamber, mag full minus one round, safety on, hammer cocked.

This was the way our 870s were kept at work, and it made sense to keep things the same at home.

And, while it's difficult for kids or non trained adults to make it fire, cogniscienti may make it so in a twinkling.

BTW, besides me taking it out last year and firing off a few rounds just to see if it worked, it also got the zero checked last fall just in case I got to go Bambi Stomping. Usual 4" group at 100 yards, 2" low.

[Fred Fuller]

Same as Dave, here. Since I went to school, I keep 5 rounds of 00 in a 6-round magazine (or 3 in a 4-round magazine), chamber empty, hammer cocked and safety on, with 6 (or 4) Brenneke KO slugs in the sidesaddle. That way the gun is ready to take a slug in the magazine if called for first thing. In an 870 with the hammer down/action unlocked, it can be hard to get a round past the shell stops if needed.

All you folks who believe in the hammer down doctrine, PLEASE get into the habit of cracking the chamber open and checking the chamber visually AND BY FEEL before you lock the bolt and drop the hammer. MAKE SURE that chamber is empty...

lpl/nc

[308win]

Six in magazine; loaded chamber; safety on. We don't have young kids. If I wake up in middle of night or any other time and need it then, the less time it takes to get it ready and the less I have to do to make it ready to go, the less chance for anything to go awry.

[mljdeckard]

I'm with waywatcher. Repeated compression wears springs out, not leaving them compressed.

I DO have small kids, I like the extra assurance about the slide being locked, one more little thing preventing the really small ones from messing with it. Tube loaded, empty chamber, slide locked.

[Homerboy]

Cock the empty gun, safety on, and 6 on the stock. I recall once as a young cop, a mutt got a hold of a cop's shotgun from his car. Couldn't figure out how to unlock the slide to chamber the round. Everybody who has seen a shotgun on TV know to pump the slide, but only knowledgeable people know how to unlock it is it's already cocked.

[Constantine-p89]

I have a single shot 12 so I have one loaded in the chamber under the bed.

[esq_stu]

Tube full (7 rounds of 00 buck. Considering the wisdom of 6, though,) chamber empty, safety off . . .
+1, except it's 3 buck (20 gauge)

[Regolith]

Tube full (4 rounds of Federal Vital Shock 2 3/4" 00 buck...finally found some in town), chamber empty, hammer cocked, safety on. Same as Dave McCracken. I don't have to worry about longer range shots, so I don't keep an extra place for a slug. I also have 5 extra 00 shells stored in a butt cuff shell holder.

[LT1coupe]

Like above, empty chamber, 7 rounds of #triple in the tube. I do not let the hammer down. The sound of the 870 slamming one home serves as my audible warning.

[JohnKSa]

12ga 870 Marine Magnum.

4 rounds of alternating slugs & 00buck in the mag, buck up first. Stored muzzle down, chamber empty, hammer down, slide unlocked, safety off.

Sidesaddle full, 3 rounds 00 buck, 3 rounds slug.

All ammunition is 3" magnum.

[mc30707]

Remington 870 HD, empty, locked in the safe

G19 on night stand:evil:

[copaup]

Full mag, empty chamber, hammer down, safety on. 00 buck in the mag, 3 rounds buck and 2 rounds slug on the stock, just in case.

[Big Boomer]

alright, I am "shotgun dumb" what is the wisdom of six? Or 1 less than full mag capacity?

[proud2deviate]

It would allow you to stuff a slug (or other special shell,) in the tube and get it in the chamber quick, in case you need one on your first shot. It would also reduce the likelihood of your mag spring binding up and turning the gun into a single shot.

[brentfoto]

Full mag, no round in chamber, safety OFF, hammer cocked (action is locked). I don't want that forend moving or sliding down at any time.

Good compromise tactical vs. safe for ME- otherwise shotgun is leaning against wall and could slide and fall down. If it gets into the wrong hands, they may have a problem cycling the slide, unlike others who have trigger tripped.

Very quick to activate-just 'rack and roll', with the proviso that one must remember to press the Action Bar Lock in order to cycle the first cartridge. Then you can 'fire away' because safety is already OFF.

Also, and due to the necessity of pressing the Action Bar Lock in order to cycle the first round, one's finger is then conveniently located outside the trigger guard and you can then safely ambulate without fear of inadvertently pulling that trigger.