# Would you trust your chamber indicator when you need your handgun for self defense?



## cclaxton (Jul 10, 2011)

Would you trust your chamber indicator in a self defense or combat situation or would you visually inspect the chamber for a round before you need to pull the trigger?

Some guns may be more trustworthy on this function than others, but I am asking this as a matter of training. Checking the chamber visually takes time in a violent encounter. Is it really necessary?

CC


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

Well, the only thing I trust before CC is to load the magazine, rack one in the chamber, drop the magazine, top off the magazine and safely decock the hammer, then take the safety off and then conceal. I own a Beretta PX4 Storm FS compact as my primary CC pistol and I follow this "routine" like clockwork any time I carry. One must always assume any gun is loaded, it only takes one mistake to prove an undesirable result. I don't put any faith in a chamber indicator although my 92 and compact cleary verify one is is the chamber via the indicator/extractor and I generally look to verify. I guess my answer is I already know what condition my firearm is in before I CC and the only thing I would verify from that point forward in a lawful self defense scenario is the target.


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## jakeleinen1 (Jul 20, 2011)

Glocks, I rack the slide and then i shoot thats about it... I trust the indicators but i dont ever look at them nor use them.


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## rgrundy (Jul 16, 2011)

I check out my pistol in the morning and put it in my holster and forget about it. I know it's ready if I need it and there is no need to fiddle with it.


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## cclaxton (Jul 10, 2011)

If you must use the handgun in a gunfight to save yourself or an innocent, wouldn't you want to KNOW the first round is going to fire? That first shot is critical and it gives away your position and any element of suprise you may have had. I would want to be certain that first round is in the chamber. Then the question is whether to trust your routine and/or the indicator or do a visual check. 

I think its obvious that we don't trust the chamber indicator when we are checking to see if the gun is UNLOADED. We always visually inspect the firearm....don't we? In both situations your life can depend on whether it is loaded...or not. 

I am currently being trained to always check visually, which is different from my previous routine. 

CC


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## bruce333 (Sep 1, 2006)

rgrundy said:


> I check out my pistol in the morning and put it in my holster and forget about it. I know it's ready if I need it and there is no need to fiddle with it.


saved me some typing.



cclaxton said:


> If you must use the handgun in a gunfight to save yourself or an innocent, wouldn't you want to KNOW the first round is going to fire?


There is no way to know with 100% certainty that the first round will fire. A gun is a mechanical device which can fail. Which is the reason for malfunction drills.


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## Shipwreck (Jan 26, 2006)

The guns I keep loaded are ALWAYS loaded. I never have to wonder if there is a round in the chamber.

On guns unloaded, I still double check (like they do at a guns tore) when I pull them out of my safe. Especially if I'm gonna do dry fire practice


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## Holly (Oct 15, 2011)

I have no reason to NOT trust it. I check myself, since I always have time. If I didn't have that time to my advantage, I would certainly trust the indicator. It knows better than I do at that point... especially since I am constantly second (or triple) guessing myself.


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## ponzer04 (Oct 23, 2011)

I carry a 1911 with no indicator, I carry with one in the chamber and I know it is there and if i got into a situation I would trust that since the gun hasn't left my hip that it is still loaded.

my wife's rugers have chamber indicators that are pushed up by the bullet case when a round is in the chamber so I don't see how that could give you a false positive


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## MLB (Oct 4, 2006)

While I don't have any reason to mistrust them more than any other part of the gun, it's just a mechanical device. Seems to me that they are primarily for marketing purposes; I really don't see any other use for them. 

We've already mentioned that you wouldn't count on them to determine a "cleared" firearm, if handed a firearm we'd still check it manually. If you're carrying it yourself, it's loaded.


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## TedDeBearFrmHell (Jul 1, 2011)

my carry weapon is always loaded and dangerous..... the chamber is loaded till i unload it and do a visual check into the pipe....i dont trust a mechanical device like a LCI or a safety..... i will not bet my life on either.... thats why my finger stays off the trigger till i am ready to blow a hole in something.


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## Cat (Apr 12, 2011)

tumbleweed:smt035:help::smt028


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## AirForceShooter (May 6, 2006)

Why would I even want this usless device on a gun. Particularly a carry gun.

I carry with a round in the chamber, always. No need to ever check.

AFS


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## recoilguy (Apr 30, 2009)

Shipwreck said:


> The guns I keep loaded are ALWAYS loaded. I never have to wonder if there is a round in the chamber.
> 
> On guns unloaded, I still double check (like they do at a guns tore) when I pull them out of my safe. Especially if I'm gonna do dry fire practice


Same here.....if I carry it ....it is loaded, I never have to wonder if it is in my holster. The chamber loaded device is a usless unwanted overhyped thing on some of my guns. If the gun I am handling is not my gun or not one I normally carry I will always check it visually before I do anything. The LCI means nothing to me. I would never dry fire an unfimiliar weapon just because the LCI was recesssed. There is no garantee the round will fire just because it is in the chamber. Truth be told I am not sure where the LCI is on some of my guns.

RCG


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## berettatoter (Sep 1, 2011)

Yes, thats what its there for.


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## crescentstar69 (Sep 24, 2011)

You've already lost the fight if you are fooling around checking any kind of indicator. Carry/defense guns should be 100% ready to go BEFORE a critical incident.


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## recoilguy (Apr 30, 2009)

berettatoter said:


> Yes, thats what its there for.


Its actually there to keep lawyer happy not shooters, I think

RCG


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## JerryMac (Dec 4, 2011)

i never look or pay attention to it, i know that mine is loaded, period ,,,, no need to check anything, it is checked before it goes in the holster, and it is loaded.


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## rgrundy (Jul 16, 2011)

cclaxton said:


> If you must use the handgun in a gunfight to save yourself or an innocent, wouldn't you want to KNOW the first round is going to fire? That first shot is critical and it gives away your position and any element of suprise you may have had. I would want to be certain that first round is in the chamber. Then the question is whether to trust your routine and/or the indicator or do a visual check.
> 
> I think its obvious that we don't trust the chamber indicator when we are checking to see if the gun is UNLOADED. We always visually inspect the firearm....don't we? In both situations your life can depend on whether it is loaded...or not.
> 
> ...


Actually your life is going to depend on how well trained your opponent is. If you're a cop your mission is not to search and destroy so you probably won't shoot first. Even if you do, if you've never killed anyone before you'll probably have some hesitation about it. If the bad guy is quick, accurate, has killed before and knows how to deal with a vest you're dead whether you're loaded or not. If you really have to think about if you loaded your weapon in the first place something is very wrong with the training you are receiving. You should have no doubt about anything in a gunfight, especially about if the pistol will go bang or not.


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## thndrchiken (Oct 10, 2011)

Depends on the gun, however if I'm carrying there's a round in the chamber.


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## Lateck (Jul 23, 2010)

This is the reason I like the Ruger SR's LCI.. It shows up! It's loaded! 
But again as it has been noted, one should always know the state of their sidearm! Loaded or not!


Lateck,


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## 45Sidekick (Oct 18, 2011)

ok first thing in my carry weapon i usually keep her chambered and absolutely know so, it has an indicator, but theres no need to look at it if i know that its chambered. smart thing is "know your gun, and know what your loading situation is before you carry it." if you know its chambered, then theres no reason to depend on looking at your indicator when someones intending you harm. the time that it takes you to do that will give your perp enough time to squeeze one off at you, cause his is chambered and he knows it is. so i have to agree with most everyone else. "dont be dumb, chamber your gun."


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## dondavis3 (Aug 2, 2009)

I kinda trust it.

But I press check anyway :mrgreen:

:smt1099


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## ponzer04 (Oct 23, 2011)

if i were in need of a pistol and saw my a Ruger LC9 or Ruger SR9c on the floor and one had that little red flag sticking up and the other didn't i would know the one with the flag is loaded. 


I don't know how you couldn't trust it? I'm not sure of how other companies make their indicators, but rugers is pushed up by a bullet in the chamered... Pretty black and white if you ask me


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## Raymond (Dec 3, 2011)

Always check manually ....my two cents


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## ponzer04 (Oct 23, 2011)

Raymond said:


> Always check manually ....my two cents


I agree, however in this scenario there isn't time or at least there isn't time i would be willing sacrifice. I would pull the trigger and save that little time.


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