Handgun owners - do you keep one chambered at home?

[spidey07]

Girl was saying last night that she didn't want to go down and sleep on the couch because she was hot. Her reason was she thought I'd mistake her for an intruder and shoot her.

I tried to explain that's utter nonsense and breaks a major safety rule of "identify your target and what's behind it". I'd never just shoot at a figure or a noise. Her reasoning was I may not be fully awake. I tried to explain that when the weapon goes in my hand, your body forcefully wakes you up from adrenaline.

She asked "Is it loaded?" Of COURSE it's loaded, what good is it if it isn't? Do I then throw it at a bad guy? So I told her if it made her feel any better I'd just have a full magazine in it, but not chambered. Made her feel a little better, but she'd prefer the magazine out and next to it.

 

[hanoverphist]

i dont keep one chambered. it doesnt take all that long (even when woken up) to slide that sucker back. besides, that noise is a great deterrent.

 

[TallBill]

i dont keep one chambered. it doesnt take all that long (even when woken up) to slide that sucker back. besides, that noise is a great deterrent.

Or warning, which you don't want to give the bad guy. He should find out that the homeowner is armed when he's been shot.

 

[crab]

Dont keep our guns loaded...cant easily get up in short notice and use them anyway with my disabilities. Guns have locks, ammo in a safe.

 

[spidey07]

Oh, and poll assumes no kids in the house. That's a totally different scenario.

 

[TallBill]

Oh, and poll assumes no kids in the house. That's a totally different scenario.

Not necessarily.

 

[I Saw OJ]

Not chambered but not locked up. I live alone.

 

[hanoverphist]

Or warning, which you don't want to give the bad guy. He should find out that the homeowner is armed when he's been shot.

i dont share that philosophy. i would rather the intruder hear that and run. if they dont, ive trained enough to face an intruder that is aware of my armed presence. besides, i didnt say i would get up and chamber a round before i know what is wandering in my house... i caught a bum rooting around in the back of my truck one night, walked around from the side of the house and chambered a round when i clearly had the advantage. even if he had been armed, he wouldnt have had time to draw since i was already aiming at him when he realized it was a gun pointed at him. strategic affirmation of my presence doesnt make give up my advantages.

 

[dullard]

In her age group (I assume she is under 35, but old enough to date), the three leading causes of her death involve guns and/or cars. She has the right to worry about it.

So, you are telling me that you are skilled enough in the middle of the night in an intense situation to wake up, grab a gun, spot an intruder, spot nearby people, aim perfectly, and shoot. But you aren't skilled enough to chamber it? I just don't buy it. Most likely, you are either skilled enough to do it all or you aren't skilled enough to do what you say you can do.

At the very least, spend the few pennies to run a fan to keep her cool and let her sleep in bed.

Oh, and poll assumes no kids in the house. That's a totally different scenario.

Do we also assume that at no point neither you nor your GF are ever intoxicated or ill?

 

[JulesMaximus]

Since my son is getting older now I just keep all my guns locked in my gun safe. There is a gun in there that's loaded but it's not as though it is easy to get to. I just don't want him getting his hands on a loaded gun...the trade off is that I can't get at them easily either.

 

[BabaBooey]

I keep the 12GA chambered next to the bed,the glock is loaded,not chambered.

 

[Demo24]

Nothing much scarier than hearing a shotgun being cocked somewhere behind you in the dark. Especially if you shouldn't be there. Granted, works for any gun. I prefer the mag in, none in the chamber.

 

[jagec]

In her age group (I assume she is under 35, but old enough to date), the three leading causes of her death involve guns and/or cars. She has the right to worry about it.

So, you are telling me that you are skilled enough in the middle of the night in an intense situation to wake up, grab a gun, spot an intruder, spot nearby people, aim perfectly, and shoot. But you aren't skilled enough to chamber it? I just don't buy it. Most likely, you are either skilled enough to do it all or you aren't skilled enough to do what you say you can do.

At the very least, spend the few pennies to run a fan to keep her cool and let her sleep in bed.

It's a moot point anyway, because by the time you're leaving your room to investigate a strange sound and have to decide whether that shape is an intruder or your girl, you would have chambered a round anyway. Whether it's already chambered when you go to sleep wouldn't matter at that point.

 

[MikeyIs4Dcats]

so the OP doesn't plan on shooting at a figure in the dark. so he intends to wake up, turn on the light, identify and shoot the intruder. So why is the 2 seconds it would take to chamber a round or load a mag an issue? By the time you turn on the light, the intruder is going to either commit or run. If he's within sight at that point and doesn't run, you're likely dead anyway of that's his intent.

 

[daniel1113]

Around my apartment I usually have at least two handguns chambered plus one shotgun with rounds in the magazine but no round in the chamber.

 

[SSSnail]

So what episode of which show is this that you were watching on your Comcast cable?

 

[BabaBooey]

Nothing much scarier than hearing a shotgun being cocked somewhere behind you in the dark. Especially if you shouldn't be there. Granted, works for any gun. I prefer the mag in, none in the chamber.

Bad Idea as now the bad guy knows where you are and you are armed,so if they are armed as well they have the advantage and why I like my 12GA autoloader...

 

[Slapstick]

Depends on the firearm, revolver, well if it's loaded then there's one in the chamber so to speak. Of the semi autos I have, only one has a "safety" and I keep one in the pipe in that one. But for true home defense nothing beat a 12 ga. with #4 buckshot.

 

[FallenHero]

One Chambered, mag in. I rarely if ever don't have a gun within arms reach, along with a sturdy flashlight either attached in the case of my glock, or right beside it for my sig.

 

[spidey07]

so the OP doesn't plan on shooting at a figure in the dark. so he intends to wake up, turn on the light, identify and shoot the intruder. So why is the 2 seconds it would take to chamber a round or load a mag an issue? By the time you turn on the light, the intruder is going to either commit or run. If he's within sight at that point and doesn't run, you're likely dead anyway of that's his intent.

I've got one of those blind you lights on it.

Also agree that you don't want the bad guy to hear you chamber a round - surprise them, identify them as a target, and shoot.

 

[SacrosanctFiend]

My Sig is DA. So, of course I leave one in the chamber. No reason not to.

 

[spacejamz]

In her age group (I assume she is under 35, but old enough to date), the three leading causes of her death involve guns and/or cars. She has the right to worry about it.
.

Just curious if your gun statistics include gang warfare, self defense shootings and criminals killed by police?

I wonder if you factor these out, what is actual risk she faces from being killed by a gun (assuming she isn't in a gang, isn't running from the police or attacking a gun owner)??

http://www.the-eggman.com/writings/death_stats.html

 

[PricklyPete]

I own several firearms and none of them are loaded or really available for me to use. Two of them are handguns (Glock 17 and Sig P220), but I don't feel the need to use them for self defense...just sport shooting. Maybe I'll change my mind sometime down the road...but I just don't feel threatened where I live.

 

[BurnItDwn]

I have a revolver, I keep it unloaded and in a locked box. I don't need it for normal day to day home defense. I have it because it's fun to go to the range and shoot. And I'd like to have it just in case I ever do think I might need it.

 

[squirrel dog]

No I don't,but I don't live live in a crime zone.