Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

Do you guys keep your home defense AR or bullpup rifle with a round loaded in the chamber (and on safe) or empty but with full mag in the mag well?

A friend and I were debating over whether we'd be able to react to fast enough during a home invasion scenario with chambering a round properly under stress. I know that with my STG556, I need to fully pull back the charging handle and let it slam the round into the chamber or else it won't load properly and fire. If chambered incorrectly, I'd have to pull out the mag, then pull back the charging handle again and let it slam the round fully in... else it'll double-feed a round. In which case if a bad guy kicks down my door suddenly during a home invasion, I'd be screeewed!

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

Mines loaded, but it don't have children or visitors with kids.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

I have two kids 3 and 5. No waiting accidents in this house. However even with my gun and bullets in 2 different spots I can have it loaded and shot before you get down my hallway.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

Someday, I'll be able to keep a loaded weapon within reach at all times. But for now, the kids are only half grown and it only takes ONCE for something to happen. (Of course, it's always loaded when I'm carrying it, and locked up when it's not.) The dogs WILL give enough warning (and slow a person down long enough) for me to push the buttons, hear the beep, and grab what I need. If possible, it's always best to have the weapon loaded, it'll be the seconds that count, not the minutes. But never assume that no one will mess with it or anything when it's unattended.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

We don't have any kids yet and the guns are always locked away in the safe when company comes over anyhow. Just wondering even with the safety engaged how safe a cocked and loaded rifle is like my MSAR STG556. Seeing how the safety only blocks the trigger from being actuated and doesn't physically block the hammer from accidentally dropping.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

Normally I would have it chambered but with kids, yeah, I'm not taking the risk. I keep 'em 'aircraft' loaded and on safe (and out of sight). Usually it's a FN FAL or an AK so one motion and it's ready for mr. bad guy.

More likely to have a kid mess with it I think than not getting it into action in time. I also have my pistol handy at all times so if I don't have time for the boomstick then at least I have that to soften 'em up a bit.

Since you don't have kids to worry about, I would run it hot but that's just my .02

whether you think it or not, you may very easily forget that the chamber is empty come that time, just one of those wierd things when adrenaline starts flowing! There's a reason it's called a 'dead man's gun'

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

Never keep round in chamber, too easy to jack one in, and have all that safety. We have a 6.8 stag & 10-22 hanging on hooks above exterior entrances; mostly for bear, wolves, fox, and rabbits. No crime where we call home. If I had to worry about home invasions, I think I'd move to a better place.

I do keep several loaded revolvers on top of china closets, ect; high where they can't been seen but easily accessible if I ever had to shoot somebody inside the house; which has never occurred in all these years.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

I raised 3 kids with loaded guns in the house. They were taught from a very early age that guns are not toys, and that they will kill if handled improperly. No kids around now, so guns are all over the place. I do pick them up when the grandkids are in the house, but we still shoot around them, and with them. My daughter could out shoot me at 13, and my oldest boy's first complete sentence was "Gun pow, daddy, gun pow", he was two, and had just shot the 12ga for the humpteenth time. IMHO, an unloaded gun is nothing more than a brick, or a base ball bat.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

agreed about educating the kids, that's the way I was raised and never messed with my dad's guns when he wasn't around and I hope my kids learn/have learned the same. My 4 year old got to shoot my 870 with some super light skeet rounds last month, very stoked! I do like keeping a long gun in the house as it is much more effective; I'm in a rural setting so hitting another house is unlikely.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

Two things I taught my sons from the start, never touch any of the firearms in the house unless I hand it to them and if anyone asks "No. We don't have firearms". Now they're old enough and trained enough to handle all the firearms we have, and we live by the "No, We don't have firearms" answer.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

All guns SD/HD firearms loaded plus 1 all the time!

I have two kids. (10 & 12) Both know how to shoot & safely use a firearm. Both know where & when they can/cannot touch them.

Because of the time spent educating my kids (when they were younger) & taking away the "forbidden fruit" & "curiosity" factor, firearms are really a NON-issue for my kids. (They honestly could care LESS!!!)

But, fortunately, both have already made up their mind to CC when they are of legal age.

-

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

Even with no children in the house, I do not keep my long guns chambered. Handguns are all chambered with full mags, but if I need to take the time to get to a long gun then I have time to chamber a round.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

I totally agree with educating children at an early age to take away the curiosity of playing with something forbidden to them. That's how I grew up.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

+1

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

I keep pistols loaded.

Does anyone sleep with a gun in bed?

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

Not physically in the bed, but there's one just above my head, and another just above my wife's head. Our dogs will slow anybody down enough to do what we need to do.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

My wife has a Springfield .40 on her nightstand. I have my STG556 hung on the wall next to my side of the bed. =)

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

Norahc, to each his own. I'll not condem you for not having loaded guns in the house, but remember this, if I'm the BG coming in you home, I won't give you time to get a gun, nor load it! You probably won't know what happened to you, it will be so fast, if I do my part right. I'm there to take what I want, and I intend to leave in one piece!

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

And you wouldn't make it past the threshold. I said I never kept my long guns chambered but ALL of my handguns are chambered, and I ALWAYS have at least one on my person when I'm awake and when I'm asleep I always have two within arms reach. If it's as fast as you claim, then I wouldn't have time to get to a long gun now, would I? I would have to use the handgun that I have on my person.

And that's assuming you get past the doberman and rottweiler...

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

I love my 870 so much I cuddle with it at night. Kidding.

I have to keep both my firearms unloaded and locked due to the wishes of my dad. I have a 6 year old step brother and I wouldn't want him hurt either. But I have been teaching him proper firearm safety (never touch a gun, all guns are loaded, etc.). I have a friend that keeps a loaded handgun on top of the fridge and has a young daughter but it is obviously out of her reach. If stuff starts to heat up in the city or there is a natural disaster you can bet my guns will be unlocked and loaded.

Would a .223 get any major overpenetration?

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

YES IT WOULD! I would not use a 223 in my house. That bullet could go through both ends of my trailer pretty easily. I keep a 10-22 loaded and handy. No hanguns yet. I want them, but I can't do it on unemployment.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

I saw a show on the Sportsman channel l;ast week, they were talking about some of the new 223 rounds that wouldn't penetrate as far as a 9mm. Can't remember for sure, but think Hornady was one of the makers.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

my thought as well, if i have time for a long gun, i can chamber a round. if it's an as fast as i can go scenario, my 226 is what i'm going for.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

Any sort of a home invasion attempt in my home will cause so much noise and ruckus that there would be plenty of time to chamber a round before the security door (or window) could be breached.

Re: Home defense AR: Kept w/ round in chamber?
 

My guns are all locked up in the safe. Not loaded. I have lived in my home for almost 30 years with no problems. I also have my nephews running around and they are nuts.

Lately I have been thinking of keeping my Beretta 92 in my nightstand. I live in a safe area with pd only 1/4 mile away but you never know.