Possible to tell if a Glock has one in the pipe?

[tank mechanic]

Hey ghh3rd ,

I do not understand why you are so focused on checking the condition of the trigger to see if the weapon has a bullet chambered. Quite a few posters have explained the proper way to check the loaded condition of your gun.

Here is a youtube clip on how to perform a function check. Note how the slide is only pulled back enough to check the condition of the chamber and not far enough back to actually chamber a round.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukuNxcbnrzY

 

[Zerodefect]

I can respect your reason for carrying with an empty chamber at home. In those conditions, young ones crawling on you, I'd probally want an empty as well.

Glad you got over the fear of that, for CCWing elsewhere. Its all about a good holster.

I'd recommend keeping the Glocks trigger uncocked when you have it on an empty chamber, that way if you do have to draw, it'll be instantly noticeable by your trigger finger that.....oops, you forgot to cock it.

 

[John Parker]

One last thing to mention -- I just tried pointing the gun at a mirror, and found that I can easily see the chambered round. I'm not sure if this would work for anything but a subcompact.

As has been said before, the external extractor will tell you if you have one in the tube. It pushes out and you can feel it with your finger. Double check the chamber if necessary. Don't ever assume that the gun is unloaded. Easy! :-D

 

[ghh3rd]

Do what is called a brass check daily just cock the gun enough to tell if you have a round chambered and the allow the slide to go forward.

That's a simple enough solition - thanks.

 

[The Lone Haranguer]

If one feels the need to constantly check chamber condition, one is doing something wrong.

 

[HippieMagic]

The indicator on gen 3 glocks is on the extractor... it sticks out just enough to feel. You can't really see it visually unless you know what it should look like when one is chambered. The easiest way is to just run your finger over it. If you can feel it good then the round is in there. It really isn't hard to rack the slide though and I don't feel a difference between having the trigger set or having it completely uncocked.

 

[GLOOB]

I think all loaded chamber indicators are useless. Press check and seeing brass is the only way I'll be comfortable that a gun is loaded. But I'd never press check a gun which I believed to be in condition 0 (and which is intended to stay in condition 0). To be satisfied it's NOT chambered, I always go the full 9 yards. Remove mag, lock slide back, look and feel for an empty chamber AND magwell, release slide, reinsert magazine. It goes without saying, I'd never trust a chamber indicator to tell me a gun was unloaded.

 

[average_shooter]

I'd recommend keeping the Glocks trigger uncocked when you have it on an empty chamber, that way if you do have to draw, it'll be instantly noticeable by your trigger finger that.....oops, you forgot to cock it.

I'm not sure how you practice your draw or shooting technique, but I would imagine this is pretty bad advice.

Your finger should not be on the trigger until you are on target and ready to fire. If at that point, in a defensive situation, you realize there is no round chambered then it is likely too late for you. If your finger is on the trigger before you are ready to fire you're a horrible accident waiting to happen.

Do not rely on your finger on the trigger to tell you what condition your firearm is in.

 

[augustino]

Is that Glock loaded?

I like you think the Glock is a fine pistol. In fact so much that I went from 9MM to 45ACP Model 30. I like the fact that with a 30 I have 10 in the magazine and 1 in the chamber. A total of 11 45ACP rounds in the palm of my hand.
My 30 has the round in chamber indicator but even with it, it's difficult to be certain. And being of the mindset that has always and wishes to continue carrying with one in the chamber, I opted to have the Cominolli manual safety installed. After buying the 30, the money I spent on this incredible safety is some of the best money I ever spent!
Go online and conduct a search for this device and give the man Joseph Cominolli a call. He's a great guy, decades of firearms experience and is more than willing to talk with you. He sent me a milled lower section of a Glock before I ordered one, to see if I would like it!
Tell him I said hello and let him know that I sent you his way. You will NOT be dissapointed if you have the Cominolli manual safety installed on any Glock. And then you can safely carry with 1 in the chamber.

 

[bigfatdave]

Why not carry with a round in the pipe?
If you are worried about a ND, you need a better holster or a better carry method.
I can suggest an experiment:
1-Remove all live ammunition and loaded magazines from the room
2-Make sure the pistol is unloaded
3-get someone else to agree the pistol is unloaded
4-make sure a magazine is unloaded
5-get someone else to agree the magazine is unloaded
6-load the magazine with snap-caps
7-chamber a snap-cap
8-holster the pistol
9-abuse the pistol in the holster, attempting to pull the trigger
10-examine the pistol, see if it has "fired" the snap-cap.

I understand that a Glock's trigger does not reset after the striker fires unless recoil occurs, so you have an indication of whether the trigger was pulled. You can expand the experiment to include any abuse you can imagine, it should reveal any flaws in your holstering setup.

 

[cloudedice]

I like bigfatdave's suggestion.

However, if you're worried about your muzzle frequently pointing at one of your family members, maybe the real problem is your method of carry. What kind of holster do you use?

 

[Sapper771]

#1: If it is a newer generation Glock, there is a nub on the protruding surface of the extractor. If the nub is not flush with the slide and it is sticking out, it is loaded.
On the older model Glocks, experienced folks can tell if the Glock is loaded by just looking at the position of the extractor. Its hard to explain in words with out a diagram or pictures.

#2: Press Check !

#3: I have heard of people cutting a slit in the barrel hood ( like on other auto pistols) to act as a window so the shooter can see the cartridge in the chamber. I wouldnt recommend doing this as it can weaken the chamber.

#4: DONT LOOK DOWN THE MUZZLE TO SEE IF YOU CAN SEE YOUR HOLLOW POINT GIVING YOU AN " OH FACE" !!!!

That all I can think of for now.

 

[HoosierQ]

You do not want to have to rack the slide if you find yourself in a jam. With an semi-auto, things can go wrong with a feed...it happens. Sometimes it happens with a manual feed...less often under normal circumstances...under duress? Anything can happen.

Carrying a Glock in Condition 1 at least guarantees one shot as long as the trigger and striker work. If the second round has a feed problem well, you got one shot off.

...not to mention the time, two hands, all that, to rack the slide.

The alternatlve to those who are uncomfortable with Condition-1 carry is to move away from striker fired pistols and go with a double-action, decocker pistol like a Sig or 3rd Gen S&W, FNP, Beretta, etc.

 

[John Parker]

t goes without saying, I'd never trust a chamber indicator to tell me a gun was unloaded.

Absolutely.