Chamber Empty or Loaded

[mtmuley]

I don't think the other hot carry thread went 240. mtmuley

 

[cahunter805]

We always carry with the rifle chamber empty. A few years ago around here a father and pair of kids were riding in their jeep hunting. Rifle was sitting in the seat next to the driver with the barrel resting on the floor board. Jeep hit a rut pretty dang hard, safely failed, rifle went off, ricocheted off the steel floor board and killed the young boy in the back seat. I never count on a safety. Safety is a mechanical mechanism and a mechanical mechanism can fail at any moment.

This was a tragedy and reminder that mechanical things can fail. Also was a reminder of why I never have a loaded chamber.

 

[Brian in Montana]

To each his own, but I have a round chambered unless it's before or after shooting light.

 

[TN_Rifle_Junkie]

Chamber empty, dryfired. 5 round mag in my front pants pocket, second mag in my bino pouch, third 10 round mag in my top pocket of my backpack. I never travel with a round in my chamber unless I am still hunting and know exactly where the game is AND who else is in the territory. Too many accidents with poor muzzle control to do it any other way.

 

[mtnkid85]

I keep rifles empty for the most part. Ill occasionally chamber a round if I am by myself since I don't need to worry about where another person is in relation to my muzzle. Pistols in holsters are always chambered though.

 

[mevertsen]

That’s what most people seem to say, but why? It’s way more dangerous than carrying a long gun with one in the chamber IMO.

My handgun is in a holster on my belt. The holster prevents access to the trigger. My only hunting handgun is a Ruger GP100 .357.

With my bolt action rifle, or muzzle loader, there is the possibility of the safety being bumped and trigger being bumped by a brush, etc while walking.

If I am in the final steps of a stalk or sitting in ambush, then I put a round in the chamber or cap on.

It would be quite difficult, noisy and cumbersome to try and load 6 rounds in a cylinder and be quiet about it.

A proper holster (no a $15 uncle Mike's) is the safety in a handgun.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Always surprised how the earth can be loaded with so many ignorant and ridiculously stupid people. If your Mom’s phone number turned into money, how much money would you have?

 

[Firedad]

Since it was brought up, I CC loaded. No safety on my 365. It’s illegal to have a loaded rifle or shotgun in a vehicle, including a UTV. As to carrying the rifle, my best friend was killed in a hunting accident by his brother’s gun so I tend to carry empty. Shotgun stays loaded until I stop or want to rest the gun on a fence or something. Meateater Campfire Stories had a tale of a shotgun propped against a fence where a dog had knocked it over and stepped on the trigger, shooting a man in the arm and in his side. His teenage son saved his life applying a belt as a tourniquet.

 

[dirtclod Az.]

This is the exact reason i only choose rifles with a 3 position safety and locking bolt. A rifle without a round chambered is of no more use to me than a walking stick.

Slingshot- locked and loaded...Spitwad ALWAYS!

 

[dirtclod Az.]

Always surprised how the earth can be loaded with so many ignorant and ridiculously stupid people. If your Mom’s phone number turned into money, how much money would you have?

1

 

[mikeg1005]

Loaded unless its in my pack.

 

[drifter52]

Gun loaded round in chamber at all times while in the field

 

[wapiti406]

If I'm outside of the vehicle and it is legal shooting light I always have one in the chamber.

 

[Boarmaster]

Generally speaking if I am big game hunting and moving I do not have a round in the chamber. If I am stationary then I have a round in the chamber. Exception would be when I bird or bunny hunt with a shotgun. I don't really still hunt for large game.

 

[Cav1]

All I know is that I find it rather ridiculous that Peter Paul Mauser's original 1898 design could not discharge accidentally even if the firing pin broke in two but that my new Remington 700 is about as drop-safe as a WWII Japanese Nambu pistol. Some modern sporting rifles have a safety that is little more than a trigger block and they are definately not drop safe.

That's why I'm a big fan of the 3-position safety like a Mauser or Ruger (A) for safety and (B) to lock the bolt closed. With both the Remington 700 and the Savage 111 carried on the sling, more than once I've looked down to find the bolt hanging completely open.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Always surprised how the earth can be loaded with so many ignorant and ridiculously stupid people. If your Mom’s phone number turned into money, how much money would you have?

I don’t remember writing this, but it’s awesome.

 

[nhenry]

I don’t remember writing this, but it’s awesome.

 

[Don Fischer]

I would think people hunting in heavier cover do. how you gonna come up on an animal close and chamber a round and not have it hear it. Bitb hunting I use SxS and lot's of times carry the gun broke open. sound of closing the action is no big thing when the dog is pointing the bird. On the other hand when I hunted with flushing dogs I used a pump and carried a round in the chamber. Used to be a NSTRA judge and required everyone to carry their gun with the action open and chamber MTY, they hated me for it!

 

[Pucky Freak]

I’ve gotten in the practice of loading 4 rounds in my 5-shooter revolver when hunting so the first trigger pull is no fire. With DOA (internal hammer) and 6.5 lb trigger pull its highly unlikely to fire when I don’t expect it to…but on a chest harness it’s still possible to catch the trigger on a branch or a strap and shoot through my pelvis.

 

[OntarioHunter]

All I know is that I find it rather ridiculous that Peter Paul Mauser's original 1898 design could not discharge accidentally even if the firing pin broke in two but that my new Remington 700 is about as drop-safe as a WWII Japanese Nambu pistol. Some modern sporting rifles have a safety that is little more than a trigger block and they are definately not drop safe.

That's why I'm a big fan of the 3-position safety like a Mauser or Ruger (A) for safety and (B) to lock the bolt closed. With both the Remington 700 and the Savage 111 carried on the sling, more than once I've looked down to find the bolt hanging completely open.

The problem, of course, is the Mauser military striker safety is not compatible with a scope. Same with my Springfield. What made those safeties so reliable was the fearce spring loaded tension applied to the safety shaft. Aftermarket scope relief striker wing safeties typically don't have that kind of tension. Without it pressure on the bolt handle MAY disengage the safety and allow the bolt to open or gun might discharge accidentally. This was an issue with my sporterized Springfield for almost sixty years.

I changed to a different design wing safety and also recently replaced the striker with a fresh one (unused WWII surplus part). This seems to have resolved the issue. The safety is now much "stickier" so bolt is safely locked down. But now there's another issue. My scope is now quick detach to access iron sights in very heavy cover or bad weather. When the scope is detached, the safety lever is no longer protected by it and sticking up in the air where anything can grab and disengage it (see below image). I could unload the chamber of course, but in very thick cover I often won't have time to load a live round if a shot presents itself. Two possible solutions: #1 Change it two a Model 70 style 3-position safety. Actually, a Model 70 safety and bolt housing will screw right into a Springfield bolt. It requires having a machinist create a new firing pin/striker but it's doable. Ed Lapleur in Bellingham, WA formerly made these safeties for Springfields and Mausers but he sold his pattern and tools to a Midwest gunsmith. That guy wants five hundred bucks for the kit (Ed sold them for $280). Not worth it. Option #2 is change my striker friendly Timney trigger to their "deluxe" model which comes with a trigger block safety. That would eliminate the safety sticking up in the air (trigger block model is activated by a lever alongside the receiver tang). That's probably the most affordable option - I can install it myself. If I can find a used Model 70 bolt, I may try option #1. First I gotta find a good gunsmith or machinist to make the firing pin. In the meantime all I can do is be extremely cautious when the scope is detached ... which shoyld be very rare.