Pistol Packing Video Maker stands ground - kills moose (VERY GRAPHIC)

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34. I agree that it is wisest to carry a self defense pistol with a round chambered. ...

My son in law prefers to carry with the chamber empty. He sometimes carries a Glock and there have been a number of accidents with this pistol caused by the fact that the safety is on the trigger. Obviously a quality holster, practicing safe gun handling techniques and not installing lighter target trigger assembly on the pistol should eliminate the possibility of most such accidental discharges with the Glock.

Recently my son in law has decided to mainly carry a Ruger LCP because it is so light. I have tried to assure him that the long and fairly heavy trigger pull of this pistol should allow him to carry it with a round in the chamber as long as it is in a good holster. I also pointed out that it may be difficult to chamber a round if he is attacked at close range and only has the use of his gun hand. He told me that he has mastered using his belt or a pants pocket to chamber a round. He can be stubborn so I gave up. Chances are that he will never have to use his weapon for self defense anyway.

I solve the problem by carrying a S&W model 642 double action revolver in a good pocket holster. I'm mainly a wheel gunner and somewhat of a dinosaur in the modern gun culture. I don't believe that it is necessary to have the ability to fill the air with lead if you are attacked but instead to hit what you aim at. I practice double action shooting and am reasonably proficient at close range.

In my opinion a well maintained revolver is extremely reliable and will function with ammunition that might cause a misfeed or malfunction in a pistol. It also no safety lever to remember to disengage in an emergency. The long heavy trigger pull makes an accidental discharge less likely. It's also called a "belly gun" for good reason. You can shove a revolver into a person's stomach and it will fire while a pistol will fail as it is out of battery as the slide will be forced slightly back.

Of course the snubbie I carry only has five rounds. Obviously this might be a disadvantage if I were attacked by several people. I do carry a backup speed loader but it definitely takes more time to use a speed loader than a magazine to reload a handgun. Still I really do not expect that I will ever be attacked nor do I go looking for trouble. I also practice situational awareness which should enable me to avoid most violent encounters. Of course if I were in law enforcement, I would carry a pistol with a much higher capacity.

I have carried a pistol in the past but it was a double action only .40 Beretta Centurion. That was in different time and a more dangerous place than where I currently live. This pistol is quite similar to a revolver as it has a long heavy trigger pull and no safety lever to forget. I carried it with a round in the chamber.