I'm back with an LC9s !

[revhigh]

Especially since most encounters requiring a gun for self defense will likely occur practically within fist fighting distance. Can you imagine trying to draw under those conditions let alone draw, AND rack the slide, and chamber a round successfully ?

The perp could probably disarm you twice under those circumstances.

Every single person carrying a gun for self defense should be required to read that book.

REV

 

[NixieTube]

Especially since most encounters requiring a gun for self defense will likely occur practically within fist fighting distance. Can you imagine trying to draw under those conditions let alone draw, AND rack the slide, and chamber a round successfully?

Very dangerous and not likely to succeed. Also, the really important part of concealed carry for people who practice it is to *remain concealed.* That means: "INVISIBLE right up until the point you know you really need to draw the gun." If you have to rack the slide, you're not drawing per se, you're making the gun ready to fire. It's a two-handed operation, you're not going to accomplish it smoothly in a lot of cases, and if you mess it up, you're probably not going to be able to tell the Bad Guy: "Hang on a few more seconds while I clear this round and rack the next one in. I'll send a text message when I'm ready for this."

 

[Alan in GA]

I disagree. Empty chamber for me UNLESS I enter a risky or suspicious area-such as have flat tire or vehicle breakdown. I've only had it a week and not had a chance to get it out and shoot it. Got about 300 rounds ready to go.
If I don't have time to chamber a round so be it. Safety is my number one goal and a round in chamber when no risky area is entered seems better to me. I'll be signing up for a local concealed carry course soon. I've been shooting handguns for about 50 years but CC is new to me.
I understand your round in chamber point but until I see good enough reason to change, empty chamber with loaded clip is what I will do.

 

[WAYNO]

I disagree. Empty chamber for me UNLESS I enter a risky or suspicious area-such as have flat tire or vehicle breakdown. I've only had it a week and not had a chance to get it out and shoot it. Got about 300 rounds ready to go.
If I don't have time to chamber a round so be it. Safety is my number one goal and a round in chamber when no risky area is entered seems better to me. I'll be signing up for a local concealed carry course soon. I've been shooting handguns for about 50 years but CC is new to me.
I understand your round in chamber point but until I see good enough reason to change, empty chamber with loaded clip is what I will do.

And I disagree with this. I do not have the ability to recognize all risky areas. The folks that got shot up at our mall last year I'll bet didn't recognize the mall as a risky area. And if I knew ahead of time an area is risky, I likely wouldn't be there.


WAYNO.

 

[Yawn]

I disagree. Empty chamber for me UNLESS I enter a risky or suspicious area-such as have flat tire or vehicle breakdown. I've only had it a week and not had a chance to get it out and shoot it. Got about 300 rounds ready to go.
If I don't have time to chamber a round so be it. Safety is my number one goal and a round in chamber when no risky area is entered seems better to me. I'll be signing up for a local concealed carry course soon. I've been shooting handguns for about 50 years but CC is new to me.
I understand your round in chamber point but until I see good enough reason to change, empty chamber with loaded clip is what I will do.

Alan, I wouldn't carry that way, but I don't think that is your real problem. YOur real problem is that you are not training for a consistent muscle memory reflex for all situations. Sometimes you will be loaded and other times not. This actually will open a bigger door to accidental discharges. Yes, we are to treat every gun like it is hot... But if yours rarely is, the temptation to slip into bad habits will rise. YOu could be in trouble when your firearm is hot. I treat all like they are hot... In part because in my house they all are. Also, Some military's carry with an empty chamber, but practice a plan for that situation... You can draw in a way that chambers a round. Your problem is that you will have one in the chamber at times and at times not. Seeing a round discharge in a moment of heightened emotion when it was expected can really throw someone for a loop. And then there is round count... If it were a full size SR9 holding 17, not as big a deal. Most guys I know won't purchase, let alone carry a firearm whose safety swings the opposite direction. Or, all of there carry Gus have or don't have safeties.

 

[blume357]

With proper training there should be no reason to NOT carry with one in the chamber. I have to agree with most folks on this.... the chances of knowing when you are going to be in a bad situation that needs immediate response is very unlikely....
then again we all tend to believe the tools we currently have are what everyone else should have.
my latest tool was going through a very intense 4 day defensive handgun course... now with constant practice to keep in tune I can put two rounds to center mass and one to the head in less than 2 seconds at 30 feet or less and this is done with out having to 'think' through it... then again this 'tool' cost me just around 5 grand...

 

[CoyoteHunter_]

Considering that a man can run 40 yards in just a few seconds I don't want to have to take the time to chamber a round in my pistol before I can shoot in a defensive situation. It takes time to uncover the holster and draw the weapon and with practice that time can be shortened a bit.

I keep a round in the chamber and have the PRO model which does not have an external safety. I'm careful at all times when I am using this pistol. My external safety is my trigger finger and the training that I go though. I'm even more careful when I'm putting the pistol back into the holster as that is the time that I fear the most.

I don't plan on pulling the trigger or even putting my trigger finger into the trigger guard area unless I'm ready to shoot.

But to each their own. This is just how I decided to carry my gun. Other's do it differently and it's their life not mine.

When I think about this decision I often think about the Michael Brown Shooting incident where the Police officer had to draw and shoot quickly with the guy bull rushing the policeman. It took several rounds from his sig sauer pistol to stop the assailant. You only have a few seconds to get a round off before the guy gets to you if he is running at you fast. You may not have time to rack the pistol and take the safety off before you can shoot the first round.

I'm not the fastest at drawing and shooting and I won't be getting any faster as I have no place to practice the draw and shoot. Most ranges that I have access to don't allow that. So I need all the speed advantages that I can get. Therefore the round is in the chamber and there is no external safety to worry about. The safety is like the Glock safety.

Got to go as I'm running out of time.

 

[roylt]

I'm not the fastest at drawing and shooting and I won't be getting any faster as I have no place to practice the draw and shoot. Most ranges that I have access to don't allow that.

You could dry fire in your livingroom. Draw and pull the trigger. Maybe add a light or laser so you can get an idea on where your shot would hit.

 

[NH Rugerman]

It takes a high level of training and practice to be able to draw, cycle and fire with accuracy a semi-automatic handgun, regardless of type....to be able to do it in the time that is required during a life threatening confrontation is highly doubtful and down right dangerous. Too many things can go wrong.

The majority of police officers are NOT gun people and probably shoot once or twice a year as required ONLY , they carry their guns LOADED....just sayin'.

 

[NixieTube]

Wow, I had no idea my thread about buying an LC9s would morph into a back-and-forth about tactical pistol, but in a way I'm glad it did. I stand behind my own first recommendations, but I wouldn't try to force anyone to do things.

To my mind, you gain very little and have a big chance to lose a lot more by not carrying your modern "carry" pistol with a round in the chamber. I don't see what you really gain, and the chances you will be able to rack the round during an emergency being iffy aren't a matter of conjecture, they're a matter of study.

I think you can be reasonably sure of one thing: the Bad Guy isn't going to have to rack his slide to chamber a round. He's going be shooting at you, or pointing his chambered gun at you, or waving a knife at you, or someone else in your very close vicinity, in all likelihood. Places where you might feel danger or not sense danger intuitively are good sometimes, but not always. And nothing really ever works the way you imagine it will where human beings are involved. Einstein could imagine his way to Relativistic theory but people are not as easily derived.

Maybe the people in this thread who want to carry their guns that way will reconsider in the fullness of time. It's their option to do what they feel is best. These situations are decided in seconds and fractions of a second in many cases. Personally I wouldn't do it, but to each their own.

Regardless of what you think right now, honestly the best thing to do is get more training and spend more time shooting and handling whatever gun you choose to carry, so that you are the best - and safest - at using it that you can possibly be. Good luck and best wishes.

 

[dieselscout80]

It's hard to rack a slide without other people at least hearing it.

 

[jadek44]

As a retired LEO, if the chamber is empty on your carry piece you might as well leave it home.

 

[NH Rugerman]

^^^^^^^^^Amen^^^^^^^^^

 

[Yawn]

As a retired LEO, if the chamber is empty on your carry piece you might as well leave it home.

As nice as that may sound... It isn't realistic. Not every shooting has a person running to you at a full sprint, firing an AK in full Auto. I would have much preferred to have had a gun with a full mag and none in the chamber sitting on my side in a holster, in one of the mall shootings, versus just the belt around my waist. It isn't the best way to carry and severely limits or ruins your options in some to MANY situations, but not ALL of them.

 

[Racer9]

Ok, I got a chance to fondle one recently. Very nice!! Now I just need to find one IN STOCK at the right price.

Found it! PSA has them for $299!!! Get them while they're hot!

Next up laser sight.

PS, I practiced in the store pulling and clicking safety off, it is very easy.

 

[Alan in GA]

All good points. Mine will be empty chamber w/full clip and be IN my pocket
I don't believe that it is better to be unarmed than armed with a pocket pistol.
I attended the 'Active Shooter' seminar held in Marietta, GA. put on by the Marietta Police Dept. Many if not all of the scenarios of active shooters showed quite a bit of time between actual realization that an active shooter was in a building and actual encounter. One showed 13 people killed in one room, all in the fetal position. If only one had a pocket pistol OR any of them had gathered together and charged the individual shooter the result may have been different.
I'm wanting to find a concealed carry course and it's possible to change my mind if I see reason to. However even a set of car keys or pocket knife could cause an AD for a pocket pistol.
I actually don't totally disagree with your 'better prepared' with a round in chamber, I just believe it is not as safe for 99.9% of the time when the pistol is just being carried. Yes, I'll give safety the edge even if it means I'll need both hands and an extra 2 seconds to charge my LC9s Pro. And, I'll avoid all the risky areas I can if possible.
I've just observed too many ADs in my 65 years (been shooting since I was about 12 I think).
Thanks for the advice and sorry for the post highjacking.....but it was worth it.

 

[CoyoteHunter_]

All good points. Mine will be empty chamber w/full clip and be IN my pocket
I don't believe that it is better to be unarmed than armed with a pocket pistol.
I attended the 'Active Shooter' seminar held in Marietta, GA. put on by the Marietta Police Dept. Many if not all of the scenarios of active shooters showed quite a bit of time between actual realization that an active shooter was in a building and actual encounter. One showed 13 people killed in one room, all in the fetal position. If only one had a pocket pistol OR any of them had gathered together and charged the individual shooter the result may have been different.
I'm wanting to find a concealed carry course and it's possible to change my mind if I see reason to. However even a set of car keys or pocket knife could cause an AD for a pocket pistol.
I actually don't totally disagree with your 'better prepared' with a round in chamber, I just believe it is not as safe for 99.9% of the time when the pistol is just being carried. Yes, I'll give safety the edge even if it means I'll need both hands and an extra 2 seconds to charge my LC9s Pro. And, I'll avoid all the risky areas I can if possible.
I've just observed too many ADs in my 65 years (been shooting since I was about 12 I think).
Thanks for the advice and sorry for the post highjacking.....but it was worth it.

All's good. One bit of advice to anyone carrying the pistol in their pocket. They make holsters for pocket carry that protect the trigger so that your keys don't accidently pull the trigger inside your coat pocket.

I would never want to carry a gun with an exposed trigger inside a coat pocket or any clothing pocket the way I keep a bullet in the chamber of my carry gun.

Most all of us will never have to use our gun for self defense. But if I am ever in need of my carry gun I want it to be easily accessible and safe to carry. A good holster is key to the system.

 

[Alan in GA]

I'm shopping for a good pocket sleeve/holster now. A friend reps for those companies, just have not gotten over to his house yet to look around.
I SHOT my new LC9s Pro last night! Love it so far! Already sighted in to point of aim but only shot at 50' or so. Blazer 115 ammo.
Recoil is minimal. After reading/watching some videos I wondered if the 9mm in a small frame semi auto was going to be a handful,....NOT. My friend and his wife shot it and now are going shopping for an LC9s [non Pro]. He wants the safety and my opinion so far is to prefer either gun. Might have more opinion after toting/shooting them some more. Also watching the spring guide rod for evidence of loosening...none yet but only 30 or so rounds down the tube.
So far, I LIKE this Ruger!

 

[sourdough44]

Just back from picking up my LC9s 'Pro' at the local shop. Yeah I paid a little extra, but an easy acquisition, $394 out the door.

I will check the date & the guide rod, cone or not, should be fresh stock. I plan to get a few magazines, 9 round & standard.

So far I just field stripped it to make sure it was clean, then lightly lubed what needed it. For carry I'm a fan of a deep, secure fit with the trigger guard totally covered.


I'll see what rates well, I have a Remora for immediate use if needed.

 

[NixieTube]

Just back from picking up my LC9s 'Pro' at the local shop. Yeah I paid a little extra, but an easy acquisition, $394 out the door.

I will check the date & the guide rod, cone or not, should be fresh stock. I plan to get a few magazines, 9 round & standard.

So far I just field stripped it to make sure it was clean, then lightly lubed what needed it. For carry I'm a fan of a deep, secure fit with the trigger guard totally covered.


I'll see what rates well, I have a Remora for immediate use if needed.

I really like mine (LC9s - the "Pro" model isn't available in MA to us "ordinary people") and frankly what it does is spoil you a little against larger pistols. It's just "right-sized" for CCW and with the accessories and holsters you can buy for it, just a winner of a gun. Now Ruger needs to make them ambidextrous.

I've said this for a while now but the weather had been so awful until recently that I haven't been able to take it to the range, but I expect this gun to shoot very, very, very well. When you dry fire it and the barrel doesn't move at least as far as you can determine, you've got a pistol that can hit things not just at "belly gun" distance or close range but 10 yards, 25 yards, and 50 yards and that's what I expect to see.