Round in the Chamber

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Round in the Chamber

Posted: 11/30/2012 3:15:59 PM EDT

So I've been carry for a few years now, just wanted some opinion about keeping one in the chamber when you come home for the night and put it away?
I used to always take it out the round the 1st year i was carrying, but then one of my leo buddy's told me it wears the ammo out very fast to where it might not fire.
So now i keep it in all the time except when i go to the range. I do keep the gun in a safe that only myself and the wife have access.

Thanks in advance.

Posted: 11/30/2012 3:39:44 PM EDT

[#1]

Need clarification.

Are you talking about leaving your gun fully loaded when you put it in the safe, or are you saying you take the mag out but leave the round in the chamber, or that you leave the mag in but an empty chamber?

Posted: 11/30/2012 3:40:00 PM EDT

[#2]

Rechambering ammo can and will cause bullet setback. The problem is not if it will fire, but when it does it will have overpressure issues. Secondly, the more often you manipulate the pistol with live ammo, the more chance of an ND. And finally, why? There is no more useless tool than an unloaded firearm.

Posted: 11/30/2012 3:41:36 PM EDT

[#3]

No i leave the mag in, i put it in a quick access safe next to the bed so i also have a firearm within reach at night.

Posted: 11/30/2012 3:41:51 PM EDT

[#4]

I keep my chambered and holstered. And don't remove the round your Leo buddy is correct and if I do un chamber it I pull a few rounds out of the mag and then reload the mag with the chambered round a few down.

Posted: 11/30/2012 3:45:41 PM EDT

[#5]

Having a mag in with no round in the chamber is about as useful as tactical brick.

Posted: 11/30/2012 4:52:56 PM EDT

[#6]

I always keep a round chambered. Repeatedly chambering the same round can cause setback as already stated, and it roughs up the bullet. I also want to have my sidearm in the exact same loaded condition every time I pick it up in case I needed to rapidly employ it. I don't want the uncertainty of a potentially loaded or unloaded weapon in a life or death situation.

Posted: 11/30/2012 5:35:19 PM EDT

[#7]

Stop unloading your gun all the time. The only time they should be inloaded is at the range when switching to ball ammo and for cleaning.

Posted: 11/30/2012 5:54:15 PM EDT

[#8]

Rechambering a round won't cause it to "wear out" (whatever that is) but it DOES have the potential to create a setback situation, which can make your gun kaboom.

I check rounds that I'm rechambering against a known unchambered round to make sure the bullet isn't creeping in.

Posted: 11/30/2012 5:59:59 PM EDT

[#9]

Quoted:
Rechambering ammo can and will cause bullet setback. The problem is not if it will fire, but when it does it will have overpressure issues.

Secondly, the more often you manipulate the pistol with live ammo, the more chance of an ND.

And finally, why? There is no more useless tool than an unloaded firearm.

Precisely.

(Now with more paragraph formatting

)

Posted: 11/30/2012 6:42:28 PM EDT

[#10]

An unloaded firearm is nothing more than a poor impact weapon.

Posted: 12/1/2012 2:11:48 AM EDT

[#11]

Quit unloading it. It's unnecessary.

As stated, repeated chambering of the round can cause bullet setback. Also, we've been told that repeated chambering of the round can cause the primer to break down overtime and cause the round to not fire at all. I've never experienced that, however.

Posted: 12/1/2012 5:51:34 AM EDT

[#12]

There is no benefit to unchambering the round because you still have to treat the gun as being fully loaded anyway.

Posted: 12/1/2012 7:44:20 AM EDT

[#13]

Quoted:
Stop unloading your gun all the time. The only time they should be unloaded is at the range when switching to ball ammo and for cleaning.

X10

Except with guns I have that I don't use in the safe. I keep the mags full & chamber empty.

Posted: 12/1/2012 12:23:41 PM EDT

[#14]

Quoted:
I keep my chambered and holstered. And don't remove the round your Leo buddy is correct and if I do un chamber it I pull a few rounds out of the mag and then reload the mag with the chambered round a few down.

Chambered & Holstered or a Revolver.

-JC

Posted: 12/1/2012 2:07:55 PM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
Rechambering a round won't cause it to "wear out" (whatever that is) but it DOES have the potential to create a setback situation, which can make your gun kaboom.

I check rounds that I'm rechambering against a known unchambered round to make sure the bullet isn't creeping in.

Repeatedly chambering a round can affect the primer. This is the "wearing out," he is referring to. Setback is another issue. Both can be remedied by riding the slide forward slowly when chambering, instead of letting it slam home.

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Posted: 12/1/2012 2:37:17 PM EDT

[#16]

I don't see any reason to unchamber a round when getting home and putting it on the nightstand. I usually take off my holster with it and it sits on my nightstand still holstered anyway. The only time I unchamber is when I want to dry fire, which is a few times a week. I rotate through carry ammo about every 3 months anyway. It gives me a chance to shoot with what I carry and make sure it's still performing like it should.

Posted: 12/2/2012 4:26:31 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

So I've been carry for a few years now, just wanted some opinion about keeping one in the chamber when you come home for the night and put it away?

I used to always take it out the round the 1st year i was carrying, but then one of my leo buddy's told me it wears the ammo out very fast to where it might not fire.

So now i keep it in all the time except when i go to the range. I do keep the gun in a safe that only myself and the wife have access.

Thanks in advance.

Removing and inserting the magazine with the same round on top, or re-chambering the same round can cause damage to the round.

My solution to this is:

a) Shoot often enough it doesn't become a problem

b) remove all the rounds, and replace them in a random order so the effect is spread out

Most of the time though, I don't unload them. I have no kids in the house and the teenager doesn't care about guns. My defense weapons (two pistols, one shotgun) stay loaded with one in the chamber all the time... sometimes weeks at a time. They've all fired when I walked into the woods to go shooting.

Also note, many LEOs don't know shit about guns, and repeat errors that other guys who out rank them who don't know shit about guns say.

Posted: 12/2/2012 6:47:57 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Rechambering a round won't cause it to "wear out" (whatever that is) but it DOES have the potential to create a setback situation, which can make your gun kaboom.

I check rounds that I'm rechambering against a known unchambered round to make sure the bullet isn't creeping in.

Repeatedly chambering a round can affect the primer. This is the "wearing out," he is referring to. Setback is another issue. Both can be remedied by riding the slide forward slowly when chambering, instead of letting it slam home.

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Repeated chambering can effect the primer in weapons with free-floating firing pins, like AR's. Not an issue with most pistols. And trying to remedy the set-back issue by riding the slide home just encourages a bad habit.

Posted: 12/2/2012 6:49:33 AM EDT

[#19]

Quoted:
Rechambering ammo can and will cause bullet setback. The problem is not if it will fire, but when it does it will have overpressure issues. Secondly, the more often you manipulate the pistol with live ammo, the more chance of an ND. And finally, why? There is no more useless tool than an unloaded firearm.

This. Carry gun comes off belt, goes in nightstand. And yeah, always chambered. Otherwise it's unloaded, and that's not going to do you any good.

Posted: 12/3/2012 5:09:17 AM EDT

[#20]

A note about setback. Test your own gun & ammo. Don't just take the Internets word.

Posted: 12/3/2012 6:20:00 AM EDT

[#21]

Quoted:
A note about setback. Test your own gun & ammo. Don't just take the Internets word.

every handgun i have ever owned has caused it if the same round is routinely re chambered. Set back is a real issue. worse with some ammo than others but ALL are susceptible to it.

Posted: 12/3/2012 8:42:25 AM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:

Quoted:
A note about setback. Test your own gun & ammo. Don't just take the Internets word.

every handgun i have ever owned has caused it if the same round is routinely re chambered. Set back is a real issue. worse with some ammo than others but ALL are susceptible to it.

In one of the gun magazines a few months ago they had an article about this same issue. They tested several calibers in several weapons and ammo from multiple manufactures. Every bullet no matter what gun or manufacture did have some setback. Some of the ammo the setback occured in just seven times of rechambering.

Posted: 12/3/2012 9:44:06 AM EDT

[#23]

I tested my own guns & ammo. Nothing had a measured setback from a factory boxed rd at 25 chamberings. Can it happen, yes, Will it go KB after 2 or 3 cycles? I highly doubt it in my own testing for my own guns & carry ammo. I do rotate the rd however after 3 chambers.

Posted: 12/3/2012 12:00:10 PM EDT

[#24]

Quoted:
Stop unloading your gun all the time. The only time they should be inloaded is at the range when switching to ball ammo and for cleaning.

Even then that shouldn't be an issue. Keep your training magazines and carry magazines separate. I have 2 that are for carry and 3 for training. The two sets never get mixed.

Posted: 12/3/2012 1:49:26 PM EDT

[#25]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Stop unloading your gun all the time. The only time they should be inloaded is at the range when switching to ball ammo and for cleaning.

Even then that shouldn't be an issue. Keep your training magazines and carry magazines separate. I have 2 that are for carry and 3 for training. The two sets never get mixed.

I meant "they" as in the gun, not the magazines. The only time a gun for defensive use should be unloaded is for the reasons above.

Posted: 12/3/2012 2:46:06 PM EDT

[#26]

Do I carry a round in the chamber? I wont answer but...

Any knife I carry, does have a blade.
My tactical flashlight always has batteries.
And I drive my car with gas in the engine.

Hope that gives you some insight.

Posted: 12/4/2012 8:02:28 AM EDT

[#27]

I don't even unholster at night. Weapon, mag, wallet, keys etc. stay in / on the pants when I go to bed. That way if I need to get up in the middle of the night for something, I can pull on my pants and have all my stuff already on me. Plenty of time to change over to new pants each morning.

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Posted: 12/4/2012 3:27:10 PM EDT

[#28]

yes

there are not many things more useless than an UNloaded gun. keep your fucking gun loaded. that means: full cylender or a FULL magazine and ONE in the chamber

Posted: 12/4/2012 3:41:26 PM EDT

[#29]

i keep my gun fully loaded all the time except when cleaning, or dry firing, or in between mags at the range. no need for a safe unless you have youngsters that might get ahold of it before you are awakened to their presence. should go like this. get up, put on pants, put on gun, end of the day, take gun out of holster, take of pants, sleep, repeat.

Posted: 12/4/2012 8:34:05 PM EDT

[#30]

All my guns are loaded, all the time. I only unload when I'm going to the range.
It's more dangerous to be fiddling with your gun than to just put it away loaded. Every year people shoot themself or someone else while unloading their guns to clean them, play with them, or whatever else.

As for re-chambering rounds, a cop in the past year or so had a FTF in a shooting incident. I don't want to look it up, I'm sure you can find it if you want. He ended up alright, and analysis showed that the repeated chambering of that same top round damager the primer enough for it not to work anymore. Rotate your carry ammo after you unload.

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Posted: 12/6/2012 3:00:50 AM EDT

[#31]

Well,

Ask yourself if your fire extinguisher is loaded...huh?

Your not expecting a fire are you?

And your not expecting a fire fight...but if you do your gun better be loaded...

I have many guns...and every one of them is chambered and loaded to maximum capacity.

Bret

Posted: 12/6/2012 10:35:55 AM EDT

[#32]

Yep leave it chambered.

I'm surprised no one has said this; Whenever I unchamber a carry round and it is time to rechamber, I lock the slide back and drop the round into the chamber, then drop the slide and insert the mag. Rechambering a round from a magazine not only causes setback as stated, but it also distorts the bullet itself...Especially defensive rounds.

Posted: 12/6/2012 12:24:15 PM EDT

[#33]

Quoted:
Yep leave it chambered.

I'm surprised no one has said this; Whenever I unchamber a carry round and it is time to rechamber, I lock the slide back and drop the round into the chamber, then drop the slide and insert the mag. Rechambering a round from a magazine not only causes setback as stated, but it also distorts the bullet itself...Especially defensive rounds.

depending on the firearm, that's a good way to damage your extractor

Posted: 12/6/2012 4:08:29 PM EDT

[#34]

Quoted:
depending on the firearm, that's a good way to damage your extractor

Yeah, I never really thought about it that way. I only do it with defensive rounds so it doesn't distort the bullet. Maybe it would be better to load from the mag and slow the action down a bit as the round is cycled so it doesn't slam on the feed ramp or top of the chamber..

Posted: 12/6/2012 4:13:27 PM EDT

[#35]

Quoted:

Quoted:
depending on the firearm, that's a good way to damage your extractor

Yeah, I never really thought about it that way. I only do it with defensive rounds so it doesn't distort the bullet. Maybe it would be better to load from the mag and slow the action down a bit as the round is cycled so it doesn't slam on the feed ramp or top of the chamber..

no. ALWAYS drop the slide under full force. never risk an out of battery if you can avoid it. rotate rounds IF you have to re chamber.

Posted: 12/6/2012 4:38:34 PM EDT

[#36]

Quoted:
I don't even unholster at night. Weapon, mag, wallet, keys etc. stay in / on the pants when I go to bed. That way if I need to get up in the middle of the night for something, I can pull on my pants and have all my stuff already on me. Plenty of time to change over to new pants each morning.

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Word.

Posted: 12/7/2012 11:28:30 AM EDT

[#37]

Quoted:
No i leave the mag in, i put it in a quick access safe next to the bed so i also have a firearm within reach at night.

This. I have a G19 and a G30 in a quick access safe under the bed. The G19 is my EDC. Comes out in the morning, goes in at night. Round always chambered.

Your LEO buddy is right. Repeatedly chambering a round can result in bullet setback, creating a dangerous condition.

Posted: 12/7/2012 5:23:32 PM EDT

[#38]

I use the Federal Hydra Shok rounds made of the Zinc casings, those bad boys dont bend or malform or nuthin. Them bitches bad.

Posted: 12/7/2012 8:35:41 PM EDT

[#39]

Quoted:
I use the Federal Hydra Shok rounds made of the Zinc casings, those bad boys dont bend or malform or nuthin. Them bitches bad.

not sure if serious

Posted: 12/8/2012 5:52:36 AM EDT

[#40]

Quoted:
Stop unloading your gun all the time. The only time they should be inloaded is at the range when switching to ball ammo and for cleaning.

This what I do. I have no kids yet and no kids over my house so when I go to bed there is a pistol on each nightstand, holstered and loaded/chambered ready to go.

Posted: 12/10/2012 4:31:42 AM EDT

[#41]

Quoted:
I use the Federal Hydra Shok rounds made of the Zinc casings, those bad boys dont bend or malform or nuthin. Them bitches bad.

Um no. Read the FAQ in the ammo section.

Posted: 12/13/2012 8:12:09 PM EDT

[#42]

Hey, I know that it is accepted by the majority of people (on the netz anyway) that bullet setback causes KBs...but has anyone done tests? How much setback is "too much" for each caliber in general? Have any manufacturers (or anyone with the right equipment) done pressure tests on different lengths of setback?

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Round in the Chamber

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