If you’ve ever asked yourself the question that’s in the title of this article, you’re going to want to give this a good solid read.
Quite a while ago, we posted a short and to-the-point article about carrying one in the chamber. We have decided to elaborate on this a little, as we came to the realization that many people who are starting out with firearms or completely new to them may not realize a few things when it comes to their concealed carry firearms.
How safe is it to carry with one in the chamber?
We’ll start with this: If you are carrying a modern firearm, it is extremely safe to carry your firearm with a round in the chamber. Features such as manual safeties, internal safeties, heavy triggers and FINGER DISCIPLINE will not allow your firearm to discharge unintentionally. A cocked and locked 1911 is no more dangerous with a round in the chamber than a revolver. We’ll stress this again: with a modern firearm, it will not discharge unless your trigger is pulled. However…
There are some exceptions to this, such as the type of holster you use (or if you don’t use a holster at all). Let’s say you have a flimsy holster that is not molded to your firearm and you go to re-holster. During re-holstering, part of the flimsy holster is folded over and gets into the trigger guard. This can, and has, depressed triggers and made the firearm go off. This is a negligent discharge. While very rare, it’s important that you are using a proper holster for your particular firearm. We stand by using a molded holster 100%, such as the Crossbreed holster pictured. Whether it’s a popular hybrid leather/kydex IWB holster or another type, having a holster that’s made to fit your exact firearm goes a long way.
