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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.
 
#28 ·
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.
I did a search of the archives before asking this question, as I do before asking any question on any forum. So pardon the F out of me. If you don't want to be bothered by such questions again then perhaps the search feature should be worked on.
 
#29 ·
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.
In Oregon,do they not have church's,supermarket's,malls,
restaurants or other public places ? I wish it were easy to be able to pick where a problem would occur, we would all just avoid that place. Trust me Oregon has a lot of crime regardless of the what the liberal politician's say.

I agree with your statement though, you have to be comfortable and respectful of your weapon.
 
#31 ·
In Oregon,do they not have church's,supermarket's,malls,
restaurants or other public places ? I wish it were easy to be able to pick where a problem would occur, we would all just avoid that place. Trust me Oregon has a lot of crime regardless of the what the liberal politician's say.

I agree with your statement though, you have to be comfortable and respectful of your weapon.
i must not have made myself clear. i meant there is almost nowhere i have to worry aboutt carrying and running afoul of thee law, as in i don't have to leave it in the car unless i'm going to a courthouse or the post office, which is extremely rare. oregon has vaery few restrictions was my point.
 
#32 ·
Carrying without one in the pipe is like jumping out of an airplane, and then trying to pack your chute. :shock:
 
#33 ·
Agreed, Oregon is a great place with minimal restrictions. The city o' Portland has separated itself from the rest of the state in that regard, but I'm okay with never visiting that hellhole again.
 
#34 ·
Ok, this is how I remove my gun from my Iwb holster. My hand toches nothing but the slide (top metak piece) There is no way for gun to go off. I am not touching the grip saftey or the trigger and can get a frim grip on the gun.
 
#39 ·
I always carry a loaded chamber.
 
#41 ·
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.

So coming from Seattle-Tacoma area which is where I live Oregon don't recognize my CCL?
 
#42 ·
What is the law concerning carrying locked and loaded in oregon? If you get stopped by the law is there a fine?
in oregon you can carry a loaded ready to fire weapon pretty much anywhere (HOWEVER, localities can restrict the carry of "loaded" firearms this means that areas of portland, oregon city, independence, parts of salem and others all have some restrictions on this. and it's very hard to get clear answers from anyone regarding exactly where these zones start and stop. some areas say you can't even have a loaded magazine with you. these local restrictions do not apply to concealed carry permit holders your rifles are not mentioned as being affected by this exemption and it is left open ended as whether or not you can get into trouble for carrying a loaded long gun or long gun magazines into a restricted zone however I can carry as many loaded handguns as I want cocked and locked into any city or county in the state. and I can openly carry them with no permit cocked and locked in any part of the state that does not have local restrictions specifically banning the open carry of loaded firearms. hope that was helpful and not too confusing.

to OP: I carry loaded and chambered.
 
#44 ·
I know this is really old, but to OP why do you disarm to go into the bank?

edit:And now that I went and read the rest of the thread my question was answered


I only carried unloaded for the first couple of weeks after I got my CC license. Even though I wore it in a holster around the house to get used to it, I found myself adjusting the holster a lot trying to find the right position. It just made me feel safer since I was making a lot of contact with the gun.
 
#45 ·
agreed, if you're gonna carry empty then don't carry.
 
#47 ·
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.
Why bother even carrying? An unloaded SD weapon is nothing but a rock to throw. To each his own but an empty chamber on an SD pistol? You might as well leave it at home.
 
#48 ·
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?
A cop is the last resource you want to use for questions about the law. Learn your states statutes for yourself. If you do it wrong and get in trouble that cop ain't the one who is going to be in trouble. YOU carry, YOU are responsible for knowing the laws the pertain to you.
 
#49 ·
This same question about carrying an XD pistol with one in the chamber (or not) comes up pretty frequently. It's easy to say to someone that it is ineffective not to have on in the pipe, but people new to concealed carry with a weapon without an external safety can be reluctant because of that "one in a million" (to quote the OP).

I think that the most important thing is to be comfortable. I also think the answer is easy. If the owner of a gun like the XD just isn't comfortable without leaving the chamber empty, just carry it empty for as long as it takes to realize that no matter what you do - no matter how often you may holster and un-holster - that the trigger won't pull itself.

I've read suggestions where people said to carry an empty gun in the home to get used to it. But if you feel a need to have a CCW permit, then it follows that you feel a need to carry. Certainly carrying with an empty chamber isn't ideal (although many policemen carry that way - as do members of the Israeli Defense Forces). But it's better than nothing. After carrying that way for a while, it will become apparent that it's virtually impossible for an accidental discharge with the XD.

If you can't get comfortable with carrying the XD as it was designed, maybe it's not the right gun for you.

Peace,
D.
 
#50 ·
So coming from Seattle-Tacoma area which is where I live Oregon don't recognize my CCL?
Here's an interactive map that will show what states have reciprocity with each of the other states. I was surprised to see that Washington State doesn't honor a resident's permit from Oregon - yet would not only honor my Florida resident's permit from as far away as possible in the "lower 48" - but also a non-resident permit from Florida (maybe everyone should just come to Florida to get their permits). :)
 
#51 ·
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.
I will have my CHL within a week… can't wait to carry into my bank (it's totally legal, none of that stupid "gun free zone" crap) but I will still feel rebellious carrying a loaded weapon into a bank. (sorry, for a 40-something its as rebellious as I can get) ;-)
 
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