After having a discussion of loaded vs empty chamber with a somewhat naïve (newer) concealed carry person, I came up with some good points(seem good to me anyway).
Although it may seem that an empty chamber makes the firearm 'safer' to carry, simply carrying isn't the big issue. AD's are more likely to occur during handling(as in loading/unloading) and once the firearm is in the holster, it's quite unlikely to discharge w/o outside influence.
From my perspective, the bigger concern is the extra movement and handling required if/when one might need to draw the gun and chamber a round. Do you have that much time? Do you have free use of both hands? Can you manage this w/o making a big show of the actions? Will those actions be considered 'escalation of force' later?
I'm not a big fan of quick draw--if I feel the need, I intend to have my gun in my hand. That said, being able to discreetly draw w/o showing your intent is a BIG factor. Dragging out your hogleg and yanking the slide is VERY provocative and for the witnesses might seem that you're the aggressor.
FWIW, I don't unload my carry guns unless/until I need to clean them.
Although it may seem that an empty chamber makes the firearm 'safer' to carry, simply carrying isn't the big issue. AD's are more likely to occur during handling(as in loading/unloading) and once the firearm is in the holster, it's quite unlikely to discharge w/o outside influence.
From my perspective, the bigger concern is the extra movement and handling required if/when one might need to draw the gun and chamber a round. Do you have that much time? Do you have free use of both hands? Can you manage this w/o making a big show of the actions? Will those actions be considered 'escalation of force' later?
I'm not a big fan of quick draw--if I feel the need, I intend to have my gun in my hand. That said, being able to discreetly draw w/o showing your intent is a BIG factor. Dragging out your hogleg and yanking the slide is VERY provocative and for the witnesses might seem that you're the aggressor.
FWIW, I don't unload my carry guns unless/until I need to clean them.