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Concealed carry - loaded or unloaded chamber with the XD?

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Concealed carry - loaded chamber?

41K views 98 replies 85 participants last post by  Cuda66 
#1 ·
When I carry concealed I often carry with the chamber unloaded. While I understand the XD has several safeguards against accidental discharge, I find myself unholstering and reholstering the gun throughout the day (for example, I might take it off and lock it in the car before going into the bank, etc).

I have never had an accidental trigger pull, even with the chamber empty. I guess I'm just paranoid about that one in a million chance I could be re-holstering and there could be something in the way of the trigger.

Should I be worried about that sort of accidental discharge? I understand that I am greatly decreasing the effectiveness of the gun as a self defense weapon by carrying on an empty chamber. What are the alternatives?

Thank you for your time.
 
#2 ·
Try and get used to holstering and unholstering your XD without a full grip on the gun. What I mean is......make sure you DO NOT have the grip safety engaged and you should not have any problems. Just make sure the web/palm of you hand is a little back from the grip safety. If the grip safety is not engaged, even if you should catch the trigger on something, you will not have a discharge.

Carrying a weapon without a round in the chamber is damned near useless.

Alternatives? If you are really concerned about it, get the XD45ACP Service model with the additional thumb safety. The XD45ACP Tactical model also comes with a thumb safety but the service model is a better choice for concealment.
 
#5 ·
agreed, while i dont carry mine. no ccw yet. it is almost pointless to carry a weapon with no round in the chamber. think about it you will only use it if your life is in danger. so if your life is in grave danger and you need to use deadly force, your most likely not going to have time for the racking of a round. unless you get a nice bad guy and ask him for time out.
 
#6 ·
glad i live in oregon because there is almost no place i need to worry about carrying. but honestly, you need to figure SOMETHING out to enable carrying while chambered. how dumb (or dead) would you feel if something happened and someone got the jump on you while you were racking the slide? i remember the first time i was actually carrying locked and loaded (army in bosnia). it felt strange because every time i had ever chambered a round ever since i was a kid, it was because it was about to go bang, and it just felt weird walking or driving around like that, but i got used to it. you can't become complacent, but you can't be cautious to the point of paranoia either. you have to to be both comfortable and respectful with your weapon.
 
#7 ·
Just like you Hubs. If the $hit hits the fan, you will not have time to unholster, then rack back, then aim and squeeze. The rate of an accidental discharge on a pistol with our double saftey standards is very slim to none. I forgot who it was, but they dropped our XD with a loaded chamber, with a mag inserted, and one test without a mag inserted, from like a 50 ft drop. Nothing, they just broke the chamber indicator.

On a personal issue though, condition 1 whenever I leave my doorstep, condition 3 when I am at home. Condition 4 is when I am cleaning. Other than that, I am always ready. One shot, one kill, ready to die, but never will. Semper Fi... But hey, I know most will agree.
 
#12 ·
When you're re-holstering, keep your bugger hook off the trigger and you're your palm off the grip safety. Then there's now way for it to go off.

 
#13 ·
Being a fellow Oregonian, why don't you carry into a bank? If you carry concealed, and have a permit, you are good to go. Just do not show it off, flash it, jsut keep it concealed.
Banks are NOT a Federal building, the money is Federally protected, but they are Not a federal building, therefore, you can carry concealed in a bank.

Full magazine, and One in the Pipe at ALL times.

As always, Stay Safe.
 
#15 ·
Being a fellow Oregonian, why don't you carry into a bank? If you carry concealed, and have a permit, you are good to go. Just do not show it off, flash it, jsut keep it concealed.
Banks are NOT a Federal building, the money is Federally protected, but they are Not a federal building, therefore, you can carry concealed in a bank.

Full magazine, and One in the Pipe at ALL times.

As always, Stay Safe.
lol i didn't look to see where the OP was from. i just assumed he was not from our great state because there is no reason to leave your gun in the car to go to the bank, and lots of reasons to take it with (ever heard of bank robbers?) lol. if you live in oregon, you can carry pretty everywhere...
 
#16 · (Edited)
Well alright, I'd say the general opinion is to keep a cartridge chambered or leave the gun at home! I appreciate the feedback. I love this Great State despite the cancerous tumor hanging from our South border. I was hesitant with the bank thing - for some reason I thought the cop who taught the safety class said not to carry in a bank. I understand federal buildings and post offices require us to leave our constitutional rights at the door. What about local government buildings with no conspicuous sign on the front?
 
#17 ·
Yes. Only way to go. For safety when unholstering/reholstering I have my thumb on the rear sight and finger off the trigger. Gun can't go boom! On the flip side, if you carry with an empty chamber, and need to use your gun, you'll draw with a good "ready to fire grip," but gun can't go boom until the slide is racked! Be smart about it and you'll be safe.
 
#18 ·
An unchambered carry gun is a rock. Always chambered and ready.
 
#19 ·
I can understand the question because when I first started to carry I did not chamber a round. I felt like I did not have the confidence to carry a "loaded" gun.
Then my son yelled at me and gave me a word of advice: "Finger Off The Trigger!"
That pretty much took care of that issue.
 
#20 ·
just wondering, why are you holstering and unholstering? I know of one reason to take it out of the holster during everyday life. Unless you are talking about the first time you put it on in the morning. I carry IWB and I secure the belt first and then holster my sidearm. If you are talking about doing drawing drills at your house, you shouldn't even have live ammo in the same room with you let alone one in the pipe.
 
#21 ·
Sorry reading is fun....I too have to take mine off going into a bank. I unholster with my thumb on the back of the slide as to not engage the grip safety. I do the same when reholstering, more to be sure the slide is in battery.
 
#22 ·
Seriously, Can we go 1 WEEK without haveing this same thread.:mad: We need a sticky....or maybe a supersized SEARCH icon. Talk about beating a dead hourse. That will be the end of my rant.

That being said, if you dont carry with one in the pipe, leave the gun at home and dont carry it. I believe that it take 1.5 sec for a person to travel 21 ft. Try drawing, chambering a round, getting on target, and firing. I doubt that you will be able to do it, espesially under stress.
 
#24 · (Edited)
Well alright, I'd say the general opinion is to keep a cartridge chambered or leave the gun at home! I appreciate the feedback. I love this Great State despite the cancerous tumor hanging from our South border. I was hesitant with the bank thing - for some reason I thought the cop who taught the safety class said not to carry in a bank. I understand federal buildings and post offices require us to leave our constitutional rights at the door. What about local government buildings with no conspicuous sign on the front?

If you would like to learn more about Oregon Gun Laws, check out this site and buy the book. I have it, and it is a very good read. Things in there that I didn't know about portland, (holy cow, what a messed up city) must all be from kalifornia...LOL but it is a Good book to have to help you understand Oregon's laws. It has the answer to almost EVERY question you could think of. Worth the 16.94.

Oregon Firearms Federation OFF

http://oregonfirearms.org/store/uorlbk.html


Also, don't be afraid to ask any question, even if that question was asked before by someone else, because there is NO stupid question, EVER, if you don't know it, then you don't know it, so then ask...

As always, Stay Safe.
 
#25 ·
lock and load.
 
#26 ·
Added bonus, you get one more round in your pistol.
 
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