EDC Best Practices: Should You Carry A Round In The Chamber?

 You carry concealed because you know that in the real world, you’re usually your own first responder. Would you want your first responder to show up to a situation with an empty gun? 

Self-defense situations rarely provide the luxury of time. Sometimes, extremely strong situational awareness can give you a heads up that something bad is about to go down (aside - this is the perfect time to pre-stage your draw using the Standoff Concealment Hoodie to increase the speed of your draw). But once you’ve drawn your weapon - there’s no time to spare.

Arrowhead recommends always carrying a round in the chamber of your concealed carry handgun to improve your odds in a life-or-death scenario. To do this safely, you’ll need a proper retention holster and a solid, supportive waistband to keep your weapon in place. Arrowhead “Carrier” pants and shorts are the only athleticwear designed to safely support and retain almost any IWB holster.

While carrying a chambered handgun can be intimidating, there are multiple good reasons to do so.

Fundamental Reasons to Carry Chambered:

1. Speed - A chambered gun will be faster to the first shot than an unchambered gun 100% of the time.

2. Rounds - A chambered gun holds more ammunition than an unchambered gun, by definition.

3. Consistency - A chambered gun requires fewer actions to fire, which is especially important if you are incapacitated or under duress.

Think about it this way: you are carrying concealed because you might need to use that weapon to defend your life (or the life of a loved one). If you have to use that weapon, don’t you want it to be in the best state to be effective?

A note on safety - Modern firearms using reliable ammunition do not fire on their own (no, not even the Sig P320). Always exercise proper weapon handling techniques whenever interacting with a gun. Keep your finger off of the trigger until ready to fire, and keep the trigger free of any possible obstructions.

If you'd like to learn more about the subject of carrying chambered, here is a good video from our friend Colion Noir:

Stay safe out there.