And More Letters

"Do You keep a bullet chambered or why not...?"

Outside the house, yes. Inside I've a revolver at hand most of the time so the point is moot. Many of the worlds' armed services as well as police forces stipulate an unchambered semi-auto, and the Israeli's in particular have the draw and chamber down to a science. Using the hand-over method, a decent cop can present and chamber faster than most people can with one already in the pipe, but this requires that nasty thing called practice. And it's the sort of practice for which there's no excuse for not doing because there isn't a range necesssary and the simple fact remains that unchambered-carry folks are simply the fastest draws I've ever seen outside of a carny show.

Since we mostly speak of Glocks here, I'll presume you are referring to this particular handgun, and as long as you've a reasonable amount of familiarity with such a weapon there isn't a reason to NOT stoke it before toting, but this is up to the individual. If one is slow and clumsy, taking the time to feed a round while the shit is hitting the fan might result in taking a hit or two, but for the fast and agile the difference is so minute it cannot be measured in real-world time. Remember that chambering and rechambering the same cartridge can and will result in bullet setback, so practicing with dummy rounds or snap-caps is the better way to go.

There simply is no best way to do anything. If a round in the pipe makes you uncomfortable then by all means work on your draw and chamber. Just remember that you might not have both hands free if and when you need the gun. Stop thinking of firearms training as if it were rocket science, maintain a high degree of familiarity with your primary piece, and continue to do what works for you. All of us have different ergonomic needs so copying what someone else says and does can hurt far more than it helps. If your hands lack the strength then make them stronger, but pushing with the gun hand while pulling with the chambering one is quite easy to learn and requires about as much raw power as a 9 year old girl can muster.

Now drop and give me 20.