So I'm a Little Unconventional...

[Thunder71]

As a rather new handgun owner and permit holder since January of this year I am new to this world.

My gun background consists of tweety birds with a pellet gun as a kid and pheasant hunting with various shotguns over the years. I grew up with shotguns in the house, sitting open or cased in the corner of my parent's bedroom with the ammo on the floor next to them, it was never an issue, I was taught to treat all guns as if they were loaded - no matter what.

Typical - easy to follow, basic rules.

Fast forward to me closing in on 40 and I finally do something I've wanted to do for many years, own a handgun. I bought my first, an XDM 9mm Compact just a few months ago, shortly before getting my permit to carry, I already have 3 more since then, I love it and shoot every chance I get at the range - I even shoot over lunch break and became a member of 2 gun ranges, one near work and one near home so I could practice any time without much inconvenience to my family life, which includes my wife and 3 kids (8, 4 and 3).

That said, I seem to butt heads with members of all handgun forums that I'm on, something I am absolutely not used to.

I feel I'm generally well liked by most people and get a long well with all types and walks of life, but I feel the most out of place when I discuss my practice with handguns, in particular the fact that I carry without one in the pipe.

Breathe.

I want to carry with one chambered, I do. I'm actually coming to terms with the fact that I will simply have to carry with my PM9 chambered just for the fact that it's a stubborn mule when it comes to hand racking it. It's a perfect concealed carry weapon in my eyes, so I'm coming to terms with this slowly but surely.

My XDM could care less how one gets chambered and has become my bedside companion for now. I've practiced over and over drawing and chambering in one motion and have become quite good at it.

Anyway, I'm not trying to defend my position on carrying chambered or put down anyone who carries with one in the hole. I guess I'm just saying that it's taking me some time to adjust, I've never left a shotgun loaded, unless I'm out hunting pheasants.

For me, it's a little overwhelming... threads start about how you carry and I post my position on it and essentially end up in a 40-1 battle in most cases if I'm lucky, it's not intentional and I don't mean to argue the subject but it happens.

To anyone I've had a disagreement with in this regard, please know that I don't disrespect you for carrying with one in the hole and I hope to get to that point one day, but do understand I have my reasons - and to me they are 4 very important ones and I cannot imagine how I'd feel if something ever happened to any of them, or anyone else, because of being human myself.

Thanks to anyone who has taken the time to read this, I am trying and learning more every day, all I ask is for a little mutual respect.

Take care and be safe.

[Bawanna]

You've shed alot of light on yourself that was probably unknown to many of those who you may have butted heads with here and or elsewhere.

The fact that your a relatively brand new member of the handgun world more clearly explains your aprehension in carrying a loaded chamber. Many many new shooters are that way and who can blame them. I"m a little that way with a new gun. I want to get to know it before I load it and carry it.

Many refuse to own a gun that doesn't have some sort of external manually operated safety of some sort. Thats ok too. I know some like that that are actually ok with Glocks? How silly is that.

Right now your probably lacking in confidence (and thats a good thing). Kahrs are incredibly safe, very forgiving in the accident department.

There will come a time when you'll get comfortable and you'll carry with that chamber loaded. It might be a long time before you go the 1911 cocked and locked route and maybe that day will never come and your no less of a man for that either.

Keep shooting, keeping bonding and you'll eventually have no worries with that Kahr fully loaded.

[mr surveyor]

here's a simple way to "get over it". Buy yourself a 1911 (cheap side just for the "test", or better one for a keeper), an old Star Model BM, or any other single action pistol with a big old hammer and thumb safety. Get a cheap holster...anything that fits will do. Then every night while at home, and weekend time while doing those odd jobs around the house, holster up and carry the unloaded SA pistol with the thumb safety disengaged. Unless that gun has a damaged sear/trigger mechanism, that hammer ain't gonna fall without some help in the trigger guard. Now if a touchy triggered SA pistol, without the safety engaged, don't drop the hammer by itself, why would you even think that a safe action DA pistol would?

Simple


surv

[yqtszhj]

It's a free country. Carry how you like. I understand.

I had a single action colt 380 that I was paranoid about carrying cocked and locked. That's how I ended up with an LCP first then my CW9. I like the long revolver like triggers and carry in a holster to cover that better than that short, crisp trigger in the 1911 style for concealed carry. I just make certian that I know where the trigger is and where my index finger is.

[MW surveyor]

With three young children, I can understand your reluctance to carry the PM9 with one in the chamber in the event that you forget to un-chamber the round/clear the pistol when you get home or put the pistol up for the night.

As you have indicated, you keep an XDM bedside and can rack a round in it easily. So, when at the range practice sling shotting the first round into your PM9 until you can get to to chamber the round correctly and fire.

As Bawanna said, you are new to this and probably you also had some second thoughts about carrying initially. You have evidently got beyond this fear of carrying and I believe that you will eventually carry with a round in the chamber of the PM9.

BTW - no apologies are necessary in defending your opinions or actions.

[jimbar]

Welcome to the forum.
I can understand not wanting to carry with one in the chamber, being fairly new to handguns. I would hope you re-think it later. My take has always been that if I ever got into a "situation' where I needed to unholster, I want it to be ready to just pull the trigger, not have to chamber a round first. Just my preference. As for around the house, mine is always loaded, ready for use,...but, I live alone, have no small kids around, so it's not a problem.
Keep doing what's comfortable for you, it'll be fine.

[Jeremiah/Az]

Carrying one in the pipe, mostly not carrying, is a subject that seems to get very emotional quickly with many shooters. I see it on most gun boards at one time or another. I carry my PM9 & P380 with a round in the pipe without worry. I have been shooting & carrying guns for more than 60 years. I ,however, can not carry a gun c0cked & locked even though I know it is perfectly safe & the proper way to carry them. I just do not get into conversations about the subject. I guess I just did!

[aray]

Ya gotta make allowances for kids. Just the way it is. Sure, you can train the older ones, but even if you do it right there is an age where they are old enough to squeeze the trigger of "the toy" but not old enough to understand that the gun is not a toy to even touch. No debate on that, though some may argue the relative age ranges.

So what to do? There's no right answer there. You can keep it locked up in a safe, out of reach of the kids (but better be sure "out of reach" really is), no round in the chamber (hint: a safety can be flipped so that's only modest help), trigger locks, carry literally all the time and never have the gun out of your sight & control (but all means all), etc. The answers are as varied as the readers - no one size fits all. We might have our preferences, but it is incumbent on each owner to judge what he/she thinks is best for their particular family and situation. At the end of the day, you're the one who has to live with the consequences of your own actions - no one else.

[OldLincoln]

Aw shucks, Artisan. Most of us here are unconventional, at least to many of the gun forums I've been on. Question is does that make us conventional - hope not.

I initially carried a tiny Colt Mustang Pocketlite 380, a gun that now seems like was about 3" long and weighed 6oz, but I know it was bigger than that. Anyway, it was single action and had a hammer. The forums then (hadn't been here yet) told me I HAD to carry chambered and fully cocked. I looked at that hammer and it scared me, so I didn't. Everything I read and even the gun meisters at my LGS instructed me that if cocked and locked you could throw that gun against a brick wall without even the slightest chance it would fire. Still I refused.

I sold the Mustang and bought the PM9 and forced myself to carry chambered, but in a good holster that protected the trigger. As I became comfortable with that I continued reading and learned more about the design and my confidence in it grew. Now I wouldn't consider any other way.

I inherited another single action hammered gun, the Colt Commander 45. But now that I understand guns better I carry it chambered and cocked and of course with the safety engaged.

It's all good and some things have to grow on you. My belief is that you will over time feel better about carrying the Kahr chambered but the pace at which that happens is up to you. Tired but true saying is better to carry how you want than not carry. I don't know what percentage of SD gunfights are quick draw contests but I suspect fewer than one may think. At least I hope so as I am quite slow.

As far as respect goes, you have mine by standing up and speaking your mind. We do that a lot here and I'm sure you will fit right in.

[Jeremiah/Az]

Ray, I understand & agree. What I don't understand is how are kids different today. My dad's guns were always out or in the corner with ammo right beside them. My kids were raised the same way. No one ever thought of messin' with them. We did get to shoot a lot with dad & my kids with me. Is it the no discipline of today where so many parents just let their kids do whatever they want with no consequence what so ever?

[NewBlackDak]

If it's not ready to rock and roll you might as well carry a rock.

[OldLincoln]

>> If it's not ready to rock and roll you might as well carry a rock. <<

Pretty strong statement. What specific scientific notion is it's basis? Let's see, "rock and roll" likely equates to condition 1, and I presume "might as well carry a rock" could be facetious for not carry at all. Surely you don't mean that if one doesn't carry a weapon in condition 1 they should leave the gun at home, do you?

I tend to believe those well trained in defensive carry tend to carry in condition 1, however, those entering the field of study often are uncomfortable doing so. Those (such as I was) are like new recruits in the military who are not ready to carry loaded weapons until trained how to do so safely. In addition to knowledge, that training provides confidence in their ability to do so, and the combination of knowledge and confidence leads to a fully capable individual, military or civilian.

[HadEmAll]

I believe the simplest argument against not carrying with a round chambered is the fact that you just won't always have 2 hands available when the need arises. We just naturally assume we will.

[Dietrich]

I carry with a round chambered in my DA handguns all the time.However,when I carry my Browning HiPower,I am not comfortable carrying it cocked and locked and I don`t think I ever will be.I have read that this is THE WAY to carry it but I ain`t.Don`t worry about having one in the chamber if it makes you uncomfortable.The only way to get over your apprehension is to go slowly and adjust at your own pace.And don`t worry about someone jumping down your throat about it on this forum.If they do,I`ll guarantee they won`t be jumping down your throat for very long.We`re a pretty easy going bunch and we all have opinions but we try to be helpful to all people with questions and you can`t do that by berating or belittling someone.Go easy and let us know how things progress.

[ripley16]

As a rather new handgun owner and permit holder since January of this year I am new to this world.

I predict your view and carry mode will evolve over time as you become more comfortable with your guns and your abilities. In the meantime; practice, learn and develope your skills.