I've hade my permit for a while but don't carry all the time as my school is on federal property and I can't take it there or even have it in the car.

However, when I do carry, I carry a Glock 26 which I am very comfortable with.  The holster is a "in the pants" Bianchi.

I carry my gun unchambered/uncocked.

Is there an issue with carrying your Glock locked and loaded?  I just kinda feel like it could go off and shoot myself.  I know the police probably carry their like that and I have never heard of any problems.  

If I am going into a "high risk" neighborhood or to the store in a bad area, I chamber a round.  I know if I really needed it quick that it would be a disadvantage to have to chamber a round before shooting or if something happened to my other hand, I would be SOL (i have practiced racking the slide with only 1 hand though using something to push against.  It is rough on the gun and isn't easy and wouldn't want to have to rely on it).

I am thinking of going to a gun like the HK USP that has a manual safety and decoker, or a sig similar, just because I like the idea of a safety.  (I know the glock's is built into the trigger)

What do you all think?  How do you all carry your glocks?

Thanks,
Mac

So long as your holster covers the trigger of the firearm, it is both safe and preferable to carry the weapon Condition 1/loaded and ready to go.

Quoted: So long as your holster covers the trigger of the firearm, it is both safe and preferable to carry the weapon Condition 1/loaded and ready to go.

What Combat Jack said.

Also I would get comortable with your carry gun, so you know you won't pull the trigger on accident. A gun is only as safe as the user.  Get a decent holster that won't collapse on ya for safety reholstering.  Or a diffrent gun. Bottom line be safe..be familiar with your carry gun.

I always carry with one in the pipe on my G30, never had a problem.  Folks carried revolvers without a safety long before Glocks were around, but if you are not comfortable don't do it. You can practice drawing and racking it in one motion. Just make sure you practice enough so it becomes second nature. You will probably not be able to think that through in a high stress situation.

I carry 13(1 in chamber 12 in mag) in  a full size 357sig service XD.  I wear a comp-tac C-T.A.C to work every day.

I don't see the point in carrying  a pistol unless its ready to fire.  

The fact that you're asking this question means that you NEED to get formal training.

Sig Academy, whatever. You'll be very glad you did, it's money well spent.

I will have to agree with Combat_Jack as well. If you have a proper holster, you should carry a Glock(or any other gun) with one in the chamber.  I also agree with Rodent. It is not an insult or a mean spirited dig, just concern for your safety.  If you are short on funds and you live out west or can get to Las Vegas cheaply, you can get a 4 day basic handgun course at Frontsite for $85 with a certificate. Good training at a great price. If you live out east, maybe some of the guys on your state forum can point you to some good classes in your area. I personally try to take, at minimum, one course every two years to keep me from developing bad habits. Good training buddies can help that as well.  Check out the article on the "21 foot rule" to see why one in the chamber is a necessity.

Number one- get training with your gun and practice till you are comfortable with your gun.
Remember practice practice practice. Practice ,with your gun empty, carring around the house. Sitting, reaching, walking up/down stair and such.

Glocks a very safe if you remember the safety is on the trigger and the best safety is the one between your ears. Practice till it is second nature to keep your finger off the trigger till you are ready to shoot. Develop muscle memory, finger off the trigger.

Find a trainer, take a class if needed. Practice practice practce with your holster.
Gunsite has a good videos called Tactical Pistol and Concealed carry, They are both great for information and training proceedures.

When I first started carring I carried a 1911 with no round chambered. I lucked out in the fact I had a Police officer firearms trainer. He help me and as he said " Carry the gun the way the designers wanted it to be carried. LOADED. Otherwise all you have is a paper weight on your hip."

Hope this helps

PS-------PRACTICE.

Thanks guys for all the advice.

I am very familiar with my Glock as I shoot it alot, however, I have never had a professional course like Frontsite and never known how really to carry the gun the "right" or best way.

I will look into one of these courses.

Thanks again

Until you pull the trigger there ar 3 safety's preventing your glock from "just going off"

Quoted: Thanks guys for all the advice. I am very familiar with my Glock as I shoot it alot, however, I have never had a professional course like Frontsite and never known how really to carry the gun the "right" or best way. I will look into one of these courses. Thanks again

I can recommend Gunsites Basic Defensive Pistol (250) class from personal experience. Friends of mine have taken classes from Clint Smith, and Col. Cooper and some of the instructors at Gunsite also spoke highly of him, so I suggest you check out Thunder Ranch.

In 30-40 hours you learn more about pistols than you've learned in a lifetime at the range. Its an eye opening experience.

Quoted: The fact that you're asking this question means that you NEED to get formal training. Sig Academy, whatever. You'll be very glad you did, it's money well spent invested wisely.

Fixed it for ya...

I agree 100%. Get some training! A Sig, Glock, (or any DA semiauto pistol) is designed for Condition 1 carry.

Quoted: Thanks guys for all the advice. I am very familiar with my Glock as I shoot it alot, however, I have never had a professional course like Frontsite and never known how really to carry the gun the "right" or best way. I will look into one of these courses. Thanks again

Just shooting it isn't enough.  One needs a lot of practice on presentation and holstering (and trigger discipline).  When you practice those things enough, you won't have any doubts about carrying with one in the pipe.  The gun absolutely will not go bang if nothing is touching the trigger.

another reason to carry a round chambered, in addition to the readiness issue+the gun's loaded so you always treat it as such, is that a loaded to capacity handgun makes it easier for you to prove the number of rounds fired in a self defense situation.  no one will have to investigate the "missing" case that someone could accuse you of hiding or doing something underhanded since you can point to the fact "see, i fired two rounds, and my pistol is short two".

Is there an issue with carrying your Glock locked and loaded? I just kinda feel like it could go off and shoot myself. I know the police probably carry their like that and I have never heard of any problems.

There is not much of an issue either way.  The Glock is fine to carry chamber loaded, but you don't give up much real-world practicality if you choose to carry chamber empty, as there are advantages and disadvantages for each.  

+1 on getting training and also, "train" yourself as much as possible, i.e. learn and practice safe handling techniques.  Take a defensive handgun class, also try shooting IDPA or USPSA which will give you some good gun handling experience.  

I still don't really like the lack of safety devices on Glocks and XDs for most carry situations, so I usually carry a SIG (with it's DA trigger first shot) or a 1911 (with it's thumb safety engaged) which I feel more comfortable carrying.  For high state of readiness, I can live with "ready now" operating systems of Glock and XDs however.  

went for a bike ride with my glock 30 in a hip pack today. no problems, just like the numerous other times I've done it
I use a Sidearmor holster

As for the argument of carrying with or without a round.....

The lil' philosophy I go by is that.......... if you have time to load your gun, you probably have time to get out of the situation.

Also, racking a gun isn't real quiet if you don't ride the slide (which you shouldn't do anyways).

I agree with the training necessity.

I carry a Glock 27 in a IWB Galco holster.  Can't think of a single reason to carry without a round in the chamber -- I'm always carrying Condition 1.  As several others have said, the Glock and pretty much all DA pistols (yeah yeah, glock isn't exactly DA, but it's close enough for this discussion) are designed to be carried that way.  You waste valuable time bringing the gun into action if you have to rack the slide first.

Another big plus 1 on the training issue.  I would like to comment on the Front Sight thing though.  I don't know where you can find a 4 day certificate for $85, but I have seen them recently for $200.  The web site that used to have them for $95 has raised them to $400.  Even at that price, they are still well below any other 4 day course at Gunsite and Thunder Ranch.  Front Sight may not be as glamorous and certainly is less intense than the others, but you still get top level training.  They wont turn you into a high speed, low drag operator, but you will learn the firing stroke, proper gun handling and technique, legal and ethical issues, mindset, carry methods and all the basics to get you started on how to carry and shoot.  

One other advantage to FS is the location.  Most airlines have cheap rates into Vegas and rental cars are not horrible.  Stay at the Saddle West hotel in Pahrump and you're looking at less than $50 per night and they are gun friendly and only 20 minutes away from the class.  All things considered, its one of the best bargains in pistol training.

Another good way to get more comfortable with your carry gun is to look up your local IDPA affiliate.  You'll find a great group of knowledgeable people and a chance to work on your gun handling, safety control and tactical shooting under pressure.

You'll also gain practice drawing from concealment, using cover, reloading, distinguishing between threat and non-threat targets, and engaging targets in the proper tactical order.  Depending on the resources they have available, you can work with moving targets, low-light shooting, and shooting from a vehicle.

I shoot in tactical matches weekly, and while it's not perfect, it's probably the best readily available, affordable practical experience opportunity for civilians.