Maintain your chambered round when carrying?

[Underwhere]

So I realized what has been happening.
I carry a Glock 36 and whenever I get home, I always un-chamber it and stick the chambered round back on the top of my mag. I don't carry +1.

I chamber and unchamber that round many times per day.

When I go to the range, I like to shoot with the ammo that I carry, so I pull out my mags and go at it.

Many times the first round fails to eject properly.

I believe the reason is because I chamber/unchamber the round so many times, the lip of the casing gets fuxored and so it fails to eject.

What do you guys do with your ammo to make sure this doesn't happen? Any tips?

 

[pdm]

You can dump all the ammo out of the carry mag and put the one that was chambered in the bottom.

 

[sourcehill]

You can dump all the ammo out of the carry mag and put the one that was chambered in the bottom.

+1. Cycle those bad boys and I bet your problem goes away.

 

[jar]

I chamber and unchamber that round many times per day.

I'm curious why. I don't carry yet, so forgive me if this is a dumb question. Besides the ammo wear issues, more administrative gun handling increases the chances of an ND. Not that I'm saying it's likely, but the chance of an ND without manipulating the gun is zero.

 

[N.E. CHARTERS]

Fluxored? Even thats not in my Dicshunary

Ill have to check to see it that happens on my .45 auto. 8/10 plus 1 depending on the mag.

why cant You can leave it chambered all the time?

or Shoot the whole clip once a week for practice?


I was thinking kinda about the same thing in my double action S&W .45ACP revolver. I used to carry 6 rounds but started keeping only 5 with the hammer on an empty chamber after reading that more people have been shot by their own guns from falling on a hammer.

 

[Twigg]

...

I chamber and unchamber that round many times per day. ...

Why ?

...
I believe the reason is because I chamber/unchamber the round so many times, the lip of the casing gets fuxored and so it fails to eject.

What do you guys do with your ammo to make sure this doesn't happen? Any tips?

Stop doing the above, no reason for it.

I leave my loaded 1911 cocked & locked (Safety on.) in a locked ready access safe when it is not on my person. The less chambering and un-chambering the better.

 

[M1911]

I don't carry +1.

Why not? The Glock 36 has a relatively small magazine capacity. Why would you not want to take advantage of every round you can?

I chamber and unchamber that round many times per day.

Huh? Why?

My Kimber Compact is topped up with 6+1. When I'm not carrying, it sits locked in a lockbox. When I get ready to carry, I take it out of the lock box, remove the magazine to verify the mag is loaded, reseat the magazine, then check the chamber to verify the mag is loaded, then holster.

What do you guys do with your ammo to make sure this doesn't happen? Any tips?

Simple. I leave it in the gun.

 

[Cuda444]

Cycle your ammo definitely. Constant rechambering of a round like that chews up the extractor ridge at the base of the shell casing due to the extractor riding over it so many times. That's the last thing you want if it ever comes time to actually use that round and the rounds below it in the mag.

Out of pure curiosity, why unload when you get home? Little ones around?

As I'm typing this there is a Glock 30 sitting next to me, loaded and ready to go. It will stay that way all day and will always be within 2 feet of me or on person. When its bedtime, the gun comes off and goes in the safe under the bed... still loaded. In fact, it only gets unloaded for cleaning, the range, or to cycle the round in the chamber (which is rare)

 

[Pilgrim]

rechambering the same round repeatedly can cause bullet set back which will increase case pressure and could cause catastrophic problems when you fire it.

I'll repeat the above posters questions, why keep rechambering many times a day and why not a full load? What can possibly require you to rechamber so many times?.

I've gone weeks without emptying my carry pieces - maybe months.

The more you do what you do, the more you're asking for an ND.

 

[HOPHEAD]

Leave one in the pipe. There is no good reason to carry a self defense weapon with an empty chamber.

Cocked, locked, and ready to rock.

 

[Underwhere]

I agree that when you carry you should have one chambered. I do that.
The issue is more storing it for the night.

I have 2 safes in the house.

A large one for storage of ammo, guns, supplies and a "nightstand" safe where I keep a 1911 ready to go 100% of the time.

My carry weapon is the one where I am having the issue. Basically when I wake up in the morning, I chamber a round and carry it. When I go to bed and put the gun away, I unchamber it and put it in my safe with the rest of the guns that are not loaded and not chambered. I unchamber it because I already have a nightstand gun ready to go. I'd like to keep the large storage safe consistently unloaded.

So perhaps I really should be cycling the ammo, but I'm afraid that if I do that, over time I'll just end up with 6 rounds that don't eject properly.

 

[The Goose]

Leave one in the pipe. There is no good reason to carry a self defense weapon with an empty chamber.

Cocked, locked, and ready to rock.

Well said! I concur.

 

[IPSC_DRL]

Hammer resting on empty chamber.

I was thinking kinda about the same thing in my .45 revolver. I used to carry 6 rounds but started keeping only 5 with the hammer on an empty chamber after reading that more people have been shot by their own guns from falling on a hammer.

That only applies to older designs of SINGLE ACTION revolvers where the firing pin on the tip of the hammer can rest against a primer. Modern single actions typically use a transfer bar system to eliminate this issue. With most double action revos the hammer can not come fully forward and contact the primer unless the trigger is in the rearward (pulled) position.

 

[drgrant]

As the others mentioned, why torture the ammo?

For starters, MA law doesn't prohibit loaded storage at home... so
if you have a safe, you can just store it in there without futzing
with it at all. That will save a lot of wear out of the gate.

I can see in some cases, where a guy is forced to unload a
lot (eg, to comply with some rule or regulation) all you can really
do at that point is rotate the ammo. Best idea is to put the
chambered round on the bottom of the mag. When it starts
getting beat up too much, take those rounds and put them
aside.

Another thing that some people seem to miss... (you may already
know this, but it bears repeating... ) NEVER drop a round
into the chamber without using the magazine. It's a nice way to
screw up your extractor, if you do it enough times. Some guns
may be more sensitive to it than others- I just try to not do it
at all, as a general rule. (the extractor was never meant to
snap over the cartridge rim like that, you'll note that in actual
operation, the cartridge slides under the extractor.... )

-Mike

 

[Underwhere]

As the others mentioned, why torture the ammo?

For starters, MA law doesn't prohibit loaded storage at home... so
if you have a safe, you can just store it in there without futzing
with it at all. That will save a lot of wear out of the gate.

I can see in some cases, where a guy is forced to unload a
lot (eg, to comply with some rule or regulation) all you can really
do at that point is rotate the ammo. Best idea is to put the
chambered round on the bottom of the mag. When it starts
getting beat up too much, take those rounds and put them
aside.

Another thing that some people seem to miss... (you may already
know this, but it bears repeating... ) NEVER drop a round
into the chamber without using the magazine. It's a nice way to
screw up your extractor, if you do it enough times. Some guns
may be more sensitive to it than others- I just try to not do it
at all, as a general rule. (the extractor was never meant to
snap over the cartridge rim like that, you'll note that in actual
operation, the cartridge slides under the extractor.... )

-Mike

Interesting tip on loading a round without a mag. I don't do it, but it's good to know.


But again, I do carry chambered.
The issue is that I already keep a 1911 ready to go in a safe.
It's my CCW that I store every night unloaded. I don't see the need to have 2 ready-to-go guns in 2 safes in the same room.

 

[Jaxon]

The only time I "rechamber" a carry round is after practice. Other than that... I leave it in, always with the +1 and ready to go.

Otherwise, why bother?

 

[The Goose]

Interesting tip on loading a round without a mag. I don't do it, but it's good to know.


But again, I do carry chambered.
The issue is that I already keep a 1911 ready to go in a safe.
It's my CCW that I store every night unloaded. I don't see the need to have 2 ready-to-go guns in 2 safes in the same room.

I have 6 ready to go guns in one safe in one room and 3 more (one each) in 3 other safes. To each there own. Leaving the round in the pipe just seems like the easiest solution to your concern.

 

[Underwhere]

Interesting. I didn't realize so many of you kept ready to go guns in your safes.
I may have to rethink some things.

 

[drgrant]

It's my CCW that I store every night unloaded. I don't see the need to have 2 ready-to-go guns in 2 safes in the same room.

I do that at home all the time, and so far the house hasn't
exploded. Of course there are two LTC holders in my home, but I always left the P226 in there "hot", even years
ago.

What I do, however, is I will always put a loaded gun in a
holster... (even some cheap nylon thing) granted, I assume all
guns are loaded upon handling anyways, but the holster is
basically a double reminder of sorts.

-Mike

 

[M1911]

My carry weapon is the one where I am having the issue. Basically when I wake up in the morning, I chamber a round and carry it. When I go to bed and put the gun away, I unchamber it and put it in my safe with the rest of the guns that are not loaded and not chambered. I unchamber it because I already have a nightstand gun ready to go. I'd like to keep the large storage safe consistently unloaded.

Buy another lockbox and put your carry gun in there when you are not carrying it. You can get one for $100 and it is a lot less of a pain in the behind than loading and unloading each day. And it makes it less likely that you'll have an ND. Also, if you don't have to load and unload each day, then we might be able to convince you to top off your gun with the +1 round and keep it that way.

 

[IPSC_DRL]

Don't drop a round in the chamber on an autoloader

Another thing that some people seem to miss... (you may already
know this, but it bears repeating... ) NEVER drop a round
into the chamber without using the magazine. It's a nice way to
screw up your extractor, if you do it enough times. Some guns
may be more sensitive to it than others- I just try to not do it
at all, as a general rule. (the extractor was never meant to
snap over the cartridge rim like that, you'll note that in actual
operation, the cartridge slides under the extractor.... )

-Mike

I see people do this all the time with pump/autoloading shotguns as well and as you say, it is VERY bad juju for the extractor/s.
Just drop the shell onto the carrier and close the action. This allows the rim of the shell to slide up UNDER the extractor rather than making it jump over the rim.

 

[Underwhere]

Thanks for the advice guys. I have some rethinking to do.

So even further:
I have been staying at a girl's place.
When I get there I don't feel comfortable leaving it chambered.

Right now I unload and throw a trigger lock on.
What would you guys do?

by the way she is adorable. Not sure if that makes a difference. I think it does.

 

[Len-2A Training]

Small portable gun safe. Lock it up, loaded in the holster and ready to go.

 

[Cuda444]

If it were me I would redraw my set of rules for the safe. Currently, mine are this:

If it's Glock, its hot - Currently there are 2 Glocks, the one I carry and my 23. Both are always loaded and ready to go.

Everything else (ARs, Shotguns, other handguns etc) are loaded but not chambered. If SHTF, grab the 12ga and/or an AR, rack both and go. Leaving the mags loaded and in the guns with the hammers dropped is not only safe (for me) but it avoids fumbling with a mag under stress. Just grab the charging handle and let 'em fly!

It's all about knowing how you store your own stuff and doing it the same way all the time. Some people don't even keep loaded mags at the ready... every gun in their safe has to be loaded before use. If that works for them and they do it the same way every time, great. To each his own.


As for the GFs house. Sounds like you have the easiest and safest method already... Unless you got a little lock box for her place, too. But, what you're doing now seems financially and safety sound. Just don't put the trigger lock on it if it's loaded... BAD juju

 

[Jose]

I'm curious why. I don't carry yet, so forgive me if this is a dumb question. Besides the ammo wear issues, more administrative gun handling increases the chances of an ND. Not that I'm saying it's likely, but the chance of an ND without manipulating the gun is zero.

+1 I too want to know why you disarm when you walk in your home.

I don't.

 

[MassMark]

+1 I too want to know why you disarm when you walk in your home.

I don't.

Agreed - I don't either, but that's just me. I don't disarm until I disrobe. In "night mode", (sweats and t-shirt) I'll then take the 642 out of my pocket, but it's still accessible. When I carried a Glock, I never unloaded it, but again that's just me.....I never had issues with failing first rounds, as I never ejected them until I pulled the trigger and the ammo I carried was the ammo I generally trained with.....

 

[Pilgrim]

I have MANY handguns in my safe. All but the exotic, weird caliber ones are loaded at all times. If I need to go to the safe to get a gun in a hurry, I don't wanna futz around trying to find a mag and load it or try to load a revolver in a hurry...I want to grab it and go. I can reach in and grab anything from a .22 to a 44mag and it's ready to go.

My carry gun is on me at all times or on the nightstand beside the bed. The same gun...no need to have a carry gun and a bedside gun.

The less handling the better.


editted to add:

I have been staying at a girl's place.
When I get there I don't feel comfortable leaving it chambered.

leave it loaded and chambered and tell her not to touch it....unless you don't trust her around it, then you've got another problem.

 

[Jose]

All my handguns are loaded to 100% capacity 100% of the time, on me or in storage.

If I need one at home, I will need it in a huge hurry.

 

[HOPHEAD]

If you are worried about mixing a loaded gun with the unloaded guns in your safe I would suggest leaving the loaded weapon in a holster while in the safe.

All guns are always treated as loaded but gun in holster = loaded gun.

 

[newenglandjeff]

I too unload before storage. I know it is not convenient for SD but I cannot get my wife to grasp firearms safety. And I (personally) will not will not have a hot gun in the house unless everyone understands the firearm safety rules. I'm not knocking guys that keep a hot gun in the safe or even under a pillow if they want, but I'm not comfortable with it in my situation.

Now as for how I deal with my compulsion;

I rotate with 3 mags. We will call them mags A (loading mag), B (carry mag) and C (used mag)

Mags A and B start out filled to capacity. Mag C starts out empty.
When I'm going to carry, I load a round from A then remove the mag (not the round) and insert B. When I unload the round from the gun I put the round in C to shoot at the range in the future.

When A is empty you can fill it to capacity again and switch it to your carry mag. Then B will become your loading mag.
This way you never re-use an ejected round, your magazines wear evenly, you always have a full magazine ready to go.
Of course you dont really need mag C its just a convenience, and if you have more mags it just means you are a more patriotic person.