Anwers
>>>1. Do you carry with one in the chamber?
Carrying with an empty chamber negates the whole purpose of having a weapon. I carry with one in the chamber.
>>>2. How do you carry (Front pocket, back pocket, inside waist band, etc)?
I carry in a strong-side holster (meaning I am right-handed and carry on my right side) directly over my right hip. I wear a Blackhawk CQB SERPA holster. In the Summertime, I often wear a very thin Kydex inside-the-waistband holster under a shirt. The last few years have seen a surge in popularity of nice, casual summer shirts designed to be worn untucked. I take full advantage of that. When an untucked shirt is not an option, I wear a suit or a jacket. Contrary to what most men seem to think today, wearing a nice sports coat will not kill you and looks damned sharp.
>>>3. Do you prefer revolver or auto?
Semi-auto. I carry a snubnose revolver when jogging but a semi-auto pistol is my prefered weapon for reasons of capacity, concealability, and ease of follow-up shots, plus its the weapon my employer issued.
>>>4. What exact gun do you carry the most?
Glock Model 23, .40 S&W with 3-dot tritium sights.
>>>Also, what are those little trigger safety things that you can stick behind the trigger to keep it from depressing then just pop it out when your ready to shoot called?
Dunno, but it sounds like a good way to die in a gun-fight.
There are two alarming issues about your post. 1) you seem to be considering carrying an unloaded (no round in the chamber) weapon, and 2) you seem to be considering disabling your unloaded weapon with some sort of trigger-safety death-trap thingy. To me, this indicates you have some concern about negligent "accidental" discharges. It's good you are concerned, but carrying unloaded and using a trigger block are not suitable work-arounds for this issue.
Modern firearms simply do not discharge on their own. If they did, not one firearms manufacturer would be in business - this litigous society we live in would see them sued out of existence. Rest assured, even a cheap firearm will not spontaneously go "bang." Two issues that might contribute to an unintentional discharge are 1) a crappy holster, and 2) sticking your finger on the trigger before you are ready to shoot somebody (yes, shoot somebody). The solutions are simple and I don't mean this to be condescending: 1) buy a quality holster, and 2) don't put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
Do a search on "holster" in this forum and you will find dozens, maybe hundreds of threads dealing with holsters. Start your research there. DO NOT ask some cop down at the 7-11 what sort of holster he carries off-duty. If he does carry off-duty, odds are he carries in an issued holster and has no idea what brand it is. I am a trainer for a federal agency and out of the three squads I am responsible for in-service training, I am the only one who has bought his own holster. The rest carry with whatever they are issued and don't even know what brand that is. COPS MAY NOT BE YOUR BEST SOURCE FOR ADVICE! You want a holster that fits your belt (or a belt that fits your holster), covers your weapon's trigger guard, and has some sort of retention characteristic. Your holster should have some sort of secure attachment for your belt. It should not have a steel clip like a cell-phone holster. Except for specialty items like fanny-packs or Kramer shirt-holsters, your holster should be designed specifically for your weapon make and model. Expect to spend between $50 for a well-made synthetic and up to $170 for a top-of-the-line leather holster. $50 sounds like a lot but I shake my head every time I see an $800 H&K in a $15 generic nylon holster. The FIST holster (Google it) Model 20 in thin Kydex is an excellent example of an inside-the-waistband holster that meets these criteria. The Galco FLETCH is an excellent leather "scabard" holster that won't set you back a month on your house payment. The Blackhawk SERPA holsters are economical and tough, but leave a little to be desired in the area of concealability.
Training. Training will help solve a lot of your concerns. Scratch that, GOOD training will help solve a lot of your concerns. If you are new to concealed carry, some additional training is worthwhile. Try and find a trainer who specializes in defensive shooting in your area, not one who will just have you shoot at bulls-eye targets. If you can find a training facillity that does Airsoft or Simunitions training, that is a big plus. When I went through my academy at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, we constantly had instructors reinforcing the no-finger-on-the-trigger rule, whether it was on the line, working with Simunitions, Red Guns (inert plastic training weapons), etc. Even if you can't afford professional training, or don't have a trainer near where you live, practice keeping your finger outside the trigger-well (part of "trigger discipline") when you are at the range. I like to draw on my target with my finger outside the trigger-well and wait until I conciously tell myself NOW the target presents a threat. THEN I slip my finger onto the trigger and prepare to fire. As soon as I'm done firing, I slip my finger back out of the trigger-well. I don't count the hits unless I used proper trigger discipline. Let me say that again: I don't count the hits unless I used proper trigger discipline. Constant reinforcement works. If you practice enough, and practice keeping your finger off that trigger until you are ready to shoot, you will pick up some pretty safe habits. Notice I didn't say you will "become comfortable." I point my weapon at people on a fairly regular basis. I've been doing so for over 10 years and I'm still not "comfortable" with it and I hope I never get to be. Every time I do it, I look forward to putting my weapon safely back in the holster after someone on my team has cuffed the bad guy. People who get too "comfortable" end up having negligent discharges.
Congratulations on getting your permit and best of luck in your training.
JY
