The Loadout Room
Menu
  • Shooting
        • Pistol
        • Pistol Accessories
        • Rifle
        • Rifle Accessories
        • Shotgun
        • Machine Guns
        • Air Guns
        • Ammunition
        • Optics and Sights
        • Weapon Lights
        • Tips & How-To
        • Concealed Carry
        • Holsters
        • Suppressors
        • Precision Rifle Shooting
        • Firearms Training
        • 1A Gun to Ride the River With: The Smith & Wesson 686
        • The Tristar folding shotgun is ready for your wilderness adventuresThe Tristar folding shotgun is ready for your wilderness adventures
        • maxim defense cqb stock (8)The Maxim Defense CQB Stock: Short and Sweet
        • Perfecting your zero | A little help goes a LONG wayPerfecting your zero | A little help goes a LONG way
    • Close
  • Gear Reviews
      • Mission Gear
      • Camping Gear
      • Survival Gear
      • Medical Gear
      • Adventure & Travel
      • Knives & Tools
      • Overland
      • Disaster Preparedness
      • Footwear
      • Womens Gear & Clothing
        • RIP-MVehicle Preparedness: Fast access to essential items | Grey Man Tactical RIP-M
        • Midland radioOverland Essential | Midland Radio MXT275 | GXT1000
        • ppGrab your gear and go | Here’s everything you’d need to build an adventure go bag
        • Scrubba Washbag: Keep your clothes clean in the fieldScrubba Washbag: Keep your clothes clean in the field
    • Close
  • Men’s Lifestyle
      • Fitness
      • EDC
      • Eyewear
      • Watches
      • Electronics & Technology
      • Downtime
      • Mens Clothing & Accessories
      • Manly Skills
      • Style & Grooming
      • Gentleman Drinks
      • Crate Club
        • The Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stingerThe Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stinger
        • How to determine how long you have before the sun setsHow to determine how long you have before the sun sets
        • fireWilderness survival expert breaks down how to build a fire
        • 5.11 Tactical Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt5.11 Tactical Expedition Long Sleeve Shirt, SWAT Tested and Approved
    • Close
  • News
  • Video Demo
  • Shop

Do you carry with a round in the chamber?

Walther P99 AS: The Original PPQ

May 7, 2018 by Graham Baates Leave a Comment

Carrying with a round in the chamber or not was previously always a debate for me and in the shop I hear all kinds of reasons why some do and others don’t.  Almost any professional tells you that if you are carrying you might as well have a round in the chamber otherwise you’re less prepared, and missing out on one round of capacity.  Depending on what you’re carrying that one round might be a substantial percentage of your capacity!

So why do some carry without one in the chamber?  For me it was a simple matter of comfort.  Despite logging nearly 1,000 hours of professional instruction and carrying for a few years the thought of accidentally touching off a round during the excitement of the moment frightened me.  Fate was kind enough to put me through a few firefights and so I have the advantage of having experienced just how sensitive, and how insensitive we can become to noise, movement, our own finger strength etc while under duress.  What if I bump into something, am startled, or some other what if and I end up hurting an innocent and going to jail?  The culprit in our mental anguish is the, “what if”.  We are carrying because of what ifs in the first place.  Perhaps the least rational choice I’ve heard is from those who decide before they leave the house if they need a round chambered for the day or not.  I can see that for a small percentage of the population it may make sense to think about the day’s duties and have an inkling as to whether or not they need that round, but for most people I highly doubt it.  If we had premonitions that today would be the day to have a round in the chamber but yesterday wasn’t then we’d also likely be able to just avoid the situation in the first place.

It’s not outlandish to simply practice so that racking the slide is a part of your presentation, but it is outlandish to think that doesn’t slow you down some.  This conundrum was always with me until recently.  After our Zastava trip I came to really like the idea of a decocker.  Zastava of course essentially copied Sig Sauer’s P229 and then added in some of their own features, but regardless it’s a great gun.  Load the pistol, chamber a round, and decock so that you now have a round in the chamber, but a long, heavy double action first trigger pull that is not easy to accidentally fire.  Sequential shots are short and light single-action.

Enter the Walther P99.  Unlike many other striker-fired guns the Walther P99 (and the Turkish copy Canik TP9) can be decocked and recocked like a traditional DA/SA hammer-fired gun.  This provides the user with the modern niceties of a polymer striker fire without the Glock-style “Safe Action” trigger or an obtrusive external safety.  I realize that this is a “six of one, half-dozen of another” argument, but for me it was the argument that finally made me comfortable carrying with a round in the chamber.  I’d love to hear from you, the reader, as to how you carry and what your rationale is.

My review of the ingenious P99AS can be seen below.  How America missed out on this gun is a wonder to me.  The design is nearly twenty years old at this point and yet the concept blows the mind of many as if it’s a futuristic design.

Photos by Author: Graham Baates

Share This

Filed Under: Pistol Tagged With: arms guide, best handgun, best pistol, canik tp9, Do you carry with a round in the chamber?, Graham Baates, TAG, thearmsguide, Turkish copy, Walther P99

About the Author

Avatar

Graham Baates “Graham Baates” is a pen name used by a 15-year active Army veteran who spent most of his time in the tactical side of the Intelligence community including tours in Afghanistan and Iraq. Post-Army Graham spent some time in the 3-Gun circuit before becoming a full-time NRA Certified defensive handgun instructor. After more than 1,900 hours instructing he now works as an industry writer while curating a YouTube channel on the side.

See All Graham Baates Articles

More From The Loadout Room

Comments

What’s Hot

Top 8 upgrades every Kel-Tec Sub 2000 owner needs: MCARBO parts review
Featured

Top 8 upgrades every Kel-Tec Sub 2000 owner needs: MCARBO parts review

Why .45ACP is an outdated caliber
Ammunition

Why 45 ACP is an outdated caliber

Ammo Review: CCI COPPER-22, the Fastest .22 LR Ever
Ammunition

Ammo Review: CCI COPPER-22, the Fastest .22 LR Ever

AR Build Kits under $300
Firearms Technology

Peak AR: Davidson Defense AR Build Kits under $300

Featured

Stories from Delta Force Selection: When not to dance

Email Newsletter

Sign up to receive email updates daily and to hear what's going on with us!

In Case You Missed It

Gear Reviews

A Gun to Ride the River With: The Smith & Wesson 686

October 9, 2019 Leave a Comment

Camping Gear

The MSR Pocket Rocket | Your little camp dragon

October 8, 2019 Leave a Comment

The Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stinger
EDC

The Outdoor Edge ParaClaw: A concealed stinger

October 7, 2019 Leave a Comment

Gear Reviews

A plate carrier for the big boys: AR500’s Testudo Gen 2 is a good pick for large frames

October 7, 2019 Leave a Comment

Get it on Google Play

© Copyright 2021 Crate Club Group · All Rights Reserved.

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Advertisers