"Chambered or not?" solution...maybe

[CSACANNONEER]

I bought an alarm system and a big dog that thankfully has protective instincts with regards to my wife and our property line.

Screw the alarm system. I have two little dogs and a big dog. The little ones don't eat as much but, their ears work just as good as the big dog's ears do. Once one barks, they sound the alarm.

[tacticalcity]

Practice dry getting the gun from the drawer from your bed. We dry practice drawing from a holster...we should practice dry at getting the nightstand gun. Do it a million plus times dry, and you will do it right when it counts.

My finger instinctively goes to where it is supposed to, high and on the slide. Because that is how I handle guns every single time...and because I practice it dry to the point of insanity. The idea that it would ever find its way into the trigger guard before I made the concious decision to fire, is obserd at this point. Pitch black, or broad day light doesn't matter. I handle the gun the same way every single time. If you don't...you need to work on that.

The idea that it is safer to carry/store a gun without a round in the chamber is one of those gun myths that just will not die. Half loaded guns lead to a false sense of security that leads to NDs. They also slow you down to the point of being worthless in a gunfight. Anybody who feels otherwise has zero concept of the speed at which a gunfight occurs.

Expert after expert tells us time and again not to do this, yet people keep insisiting on doing it. Ask Jeff Cooper, Chuck Taylor, or one of the new guys like Travis Haley how they feel about this subject and they will all tell you the same.

If you lack the confidence and competence to do, get more professional training. The higher your skillset, the more comfortable you will be with one in the chamber. If buy into this for one second, and feel the least bit nervious about running the gun in Condition One, you need more training. No ifs ands or butts about it. I say that not to be a jerk, but to be honest. We tend to think of ourselves as if we are as good as we are going to get. Especially before we actually get some actual professional training. But the more training you get, the more begin to realize is possible, if only we put in the time and effort. Guys who have never taken a course swear up and down that they are only human and swear they will never reach a skillset that they will feel comfortable without a safety, or carrying in condition one, or without a DA first pull, or going without whatever additional safety device outside of proper gun handling skills they think will save their bacon. Then you talk to them a year or so later. They've gotten that training, put in the dry and live fire practice, and now they have to swollow those pre-training words because they can't believe they ever thought that way.

[gregm784]

+1 for the holster

[whipkiller]

First off, thank you all for not simply stating my idea was stupid, (which it was) and instead giving constructive criticism and analysis to set me straight.

Thank you for pointing out the Saf-T-Blok, it seems someone has already come up with a better design.

Thanks also to those that pointed out that another mechanical device is not the answer. The tool is not the problem, I am the problem. If I have an issue with the tool or how it is staged for use, then I simply need a new tool or different setup/strategy.

When I decided my home needed to be secure, I didn't try to invent some new security device. I bought an alarm system and a big dog that thankfully has protective instincts with regards to my wife and our property line.

I am currently looking into a new handgun (because who needs an excuse to buy another and I still don't have one in .40) and the model(s) of interest are SA/DA. I still need to rent or test out at a range with someone that owns the current top of my list to ensure a good match.

Thanks again for teaching someone who is humble and eager enough to learn. It is why I love Calguns...and my wife is right, I need to get more sleep.

I'd like to commend you; that is about the best Ive ever seen someone take constructive criticism on the internet. People usually get all butt-hurt and defensive.

Well done, sir.

Judging by your avatar picture, the bad guys are in BIG trouble, 'cuz you didn't just buy a big dog, you bought a big FLYING DOG!!

[Lead Waster]

^^ OK, I agree that training is part of the solution. I REALLY need to train in the trigger discipline. I almost got disqualified at a match for not keeping my finger out of the guard when I moved from one target to the next (gun was pointed down range as I moved, btw). Almost. But I realize I need to train that into my brain.

But as for a chambered gun, there is also the situation where some BG sneaks into you house and without waking you...takes your gun. Now he may not intend to shoot you, but an ND will be much much more likely here.

And yeah, it can happen. My coworker was (for some reason) relying on his 8 foot tall backyard fence to keep badguys out and left his patio door open with only the screen closed to defend against mosquitos. He woke up the next morning to find his laptop gone, his kids' Xbox gone as well as many thing, including things IN HIS BEDROOM. If there was a gun on his nightstand, it would be gone too. If he had one and the thugs were screwing around with it, it might have gone off.

The easy solution to THAT is to close and lock your d*mn doors! BUT that is a situation that might occur as well. A SNEAKY thief, not one that kicks down doors and sets off alarms.

[RCinright]

All solved by a good SA/DA revolver.

[p2rider426]

Why not a holster secured to your nightstand? That way you don't need 2 hands (one holding onto the holster while the other one draws the weapon out), and even if your fingers happens to land in the trigger area when reaching for the weapon, the holster will protect from a ND.

[TwinStick]

...Do it a million plus times dry, and you will do it right when it counts...

You do realize that's 55 times a night, every night for 50 years, right?

[nocomply25]

Practice dry getting the gun from the drawer from your bed. We dry practice drawing from a holster...we should practice dry at getting the nightstand gun. Do it a million plus times dry, and you will do it right when it counts.

My finger instinctively goes to where it is supposed to, high and on the slide. Because that is how I handle guns every single time...and because I practice it dry to the point of insanity. The idea that it would ever find its way into the trigger guard before I made the concious decision to fire, is obserd at this point. Pitch black, or broad day light doesn't matter. I handle the gun the same way every single time. If you don't...you need to work on that.

The idea that it is safer to carry/store a gun without a round in the chamber is one of those gun myths that just will not die. Half loaded guns lead to a false sense of security that leads to NDs. They also slow you down to the point of being worthless in a gunfight. Anybody who feels otherwise has zero concept of the speed at which a gunfight occurs.

Expert after expert tells us time and again not to do this, yet people keep insisiting on doing it. Ask Jeff Cooper, Chuck Taylor, or one of the new guys like Travis Haley how they feel about this subject and they will all tell you the same.

If you lack the confidence and competence to do, get more professional training. The higher your skillset, the more comfortable you will be with one in the chamber. If buy into this for one second, and feel the least bit nervious about running the gun in Condition One, you need more training. No ifs ands or butts about it. I say that not to be a jerk, but to be honest. We tend to think of ourselves as if we are as good as we are going to get. Especially before we actually get some actual professional training. But the more training you get, the more begin to realize is possible, if only we put in the time and effort. Guys who have never taken a course swear up and down that they are only human and swear they will never reach a skillset that they will feel comfortable without a safety, or carrying in condition one, or without a DA first pull, or going without whatever additional safety device outside of proper gun handling skills they think will save their bacon. Then you talk to them a year or so later. They've gotten that training, put in the dry and live fire practice, and now they have to swollow those pre-training words because they can't believe they ever thought that way.

+1 as always tactical city has great input. Thanks.

[ParanoidCivilian]

A holster seems to be the logical choice.

[swifty]

If you have a useful and critical evaluation of the idea then I would like to read it.

This sounds like a politician trying to make a gun safe.

I do my best to vote them out of office.

[tal3nt]

Dude, just keep it chambered and leave the little trigger thingy alone.

[unamused]

Get more training.

A round in the chamber is how a defensive weapon should be carried. You don't know what the situation will be when you need your firearm and what condition you will be in.

It sounds silly but what if your off hand is asleep (like from sleeping on it) and you only have one good arm. It's still possible to rack a slide with one arm, people do train under those circumstances, but why lose seconds if that was the case? I would rather have my last resort tool be at the ready with minimal fuss.

I remember reading a story about a guy getting carjacked by some dude with a knife, I think. The dude was trying to pull him out of his car to steal it/beat him up/ kill him... etc who knows what they would have done. But anyway, with one hand trying to keep him in the car, he grabbed his loaded glock with his other free hand and fired away at the would be car jacker. Imagine if he had a mag in the gun with an empty chamber... that glock is as good as a brick or any other blunt object.