Is it safe?

[bulldog75]

Fuzzdaddy you beat me to it. Cruiser ready is the way I have mine. All you have to do is rack one in the chamber when you are confronted by what ever. That sound has made Haines underwear a mint. That way my wife who is not shotgun fan, knows to just rack the pump and it is ready to ruin some criminals plans.

[twyacht]

Keep my 870 staggered with #2, 00Buck, and slugs, BUT I do not keep one in the chamber. It is very close at night, and in a strange way, I want them to "hear" the infamous racking. It only takes a moment to do so.

Pistols are close as well, but the 870 Express Magnum, is the "end-all" SD weapon. Put on the CDM rail mounted light, with the adj stock, to shorten it. It's a bad day for anyone that wants to pry open a glass sliding door here at FT. TW.

Agree with dipisc, on both points.


and I hope, it doesn't get to the Sig556, with a Winchester 5.56 frangible in a 30rd mag. (neighbors)..

[Texas_Bryan]

I would have to disagree with betraying you alertness to an attacker by keeping the chamber empty.  I keep my scatter gun, 870, loaded and chambered, but, I leave the action half open.  Three steps to fire, close chamber, safety, trigger pull.  Plus I get the benefit of a visual check on the chamber when I pick the weapon up.

[twyacht]

Texas Bryan, in the same "alertness" factor you mention, with the action 1/2 open, seems one more thing tho "visualize" in the dark.

(might be difficult), take the three steps, and knock it down to two:

Rack, safety is already off, and fire.

Visual checks are going to be secondary, at 4:18 a.m. when the glass breaks.

[Texas_Bryan]

Texas Bryan, in the same "alertness" factor you mention, with the action 1/2 open, seems one more thing tho "visualize" in the dark.

(might be difficult), take the three steps, and knock it down to two:

Rack, safety is already off, and fire.

Visual checks are going to be secondary, at 4:18 a.m. when the glass breaks.

Half chamber visual check can be tactile as well, my night vision is pretty good.  Both times I've grab my pistol in the dark I've checked the chamber, even though I'm absolutely sure It's loaded, by pulling the hammer back a visually checking the chamber.  I prefer to maintaining silence to storming around in the dark middle of the night like Frankenstein...

[Sponsor]

[twyacht]

Half chamber visual check can be tactile as well, my night vision is pretty good.  Both times I've grab my pistol in the dark I've checked the chamber, even though I'm absolutely sure It's loaded, by pulling the hammer back a visually checking the chamber.  I prefer to maintaining silence to storming around in the dark middle of the night like Frankenstein...

I agree about NOT storming around the house, after all we know the layout of our house (even in the dark), better than any potential BG.

I don't have children in the house, (which opens up another situation), but the LESS I have to do, if woken up at o'dark thirty, the better.

The end result is going to be the same, an armed homeowner, who is familiar with his/her house, in the dark, and a BG, who is in the WRONG place.

[ellis4538]

I probably wouldn't keep it standing in the corner either.  I probably would keep it under the edge of the bed on my side...chamber empty, safety off.  Might even keep it in an unzipped case to keep the dust devils out.

JMHOFWIW

Richard

[tt11758]

Mine is cruiser ready, as well.  And as far as betraying my position by racking the slide, I look at it this way.  Unless the BG is high on PCP, the sound of my 870 chambering a round is gonna scare the crap out of him.  EVERYBODY instantly recognizes that sound, and unless the BG is brain-dead or flying higher than a 767, he's not gonna stick around to confirm that the sound is what he thought it was.  And since my objective is to get him the hell out of my house, and NOT hunt him down and shoot him, I'm good with the psychological effect of that sound.

In the case of somebody entering my home in the dark of the night, I have a 4-step plan:
1)  Grab the shotgun
2)  Chamber a round
3)  Take cover
4)  Call 911

Unless the BG enters our room, I'm willing to wait for the cops.  My aim is to defend our lives, not our stuff.

[Timothy]

Unless the BG enters our room, I'm willing to wait for the cops.  My aim is to defend our lives, not our stuff.

Well put....

[tombogan03884]

My pump has the safety OFF, clear chamber, rounds in the Magazine, ( And is propped against the wall    )