"Accuracy suffers..." *puts all shots into center mass

The debate is over. The only reasonable way to carry is a minigun with the barrels spinning at all times.

The older I get, the more I appreciate someone who does NOT make blanket and inflamatory statements. Thank you Paul.

bigfoot saw paul harrell once in the wilderness and is still telling the tale to this day

I knew a guy who carried a 1911 with one in the chamber. I said "Isnt that dangerous?" He said "Yea, thats kind of the idea!"

The only gun channel on youtube with Shakespeare references and a college-level vocabulary.

So this is Paul's favorite of his videos. I just watched the interview with him...man it's so true, you don't know what you've got til it's gone.

11:09 is by far my favorite point he makes in the whole video. It’s very frustrating being told “carry loaded or don’t carry at all” when both parties know that it’s a blatantly ridiculous statement. I don’t care who you are, you’d rather have an unchambered handgun than just your fists alone if shit hit the fan. It’s a purposefully aggressive and condescending attitude meant to put down people who are not 100% confident with the idea yet.

I always carry two rounds in the chamber simultaneously. In case the first round misses.

This guy has permanent early 2000s videography and presentation style and damb does it show. He is by far the most well spoken and informative gun channel on KZfaq.

7yrs later, and still a staple of what's made Mr. Harrell a legend. Love the double-dry sense of humor, and the flexing-that's-not-flexing, with the accuracy of every shot, and unending collection of firearms. Every one of these is absolute gold. Thank you sir!!!!

I get the feeling that if Paul were to punch me in the stomach, my spinal chord would probably break. He's a stacked fella.

You are the least confusing gun channel

I was a cop for 30 years and survived three deadly force encounters during my career. What I learned is IF you’re attacked in a way that you need your gun it will happen w/o warning (you will NOT see it coming) and so fast that you will NOT have time to chamber that round. A revolver is a good option for anyone who is uncertain about carrying their auto loader chambered.

There is NO 1 best correct answer. Everyone is different and everyone's situation is different. Each has to find which is best for their particular needs.

I carried empty for about a week and a half for only 2 reasons. 1. I just bought my handgun and didn't have a good holster for it. 2. I hadn't carried before and wanted to be slightly more comfortable before keeping one loaded.

Most gun channels are full of hyperbole and people telling you what you have to do or have. Paul's one of the few that knows what he is doing, has common sense and delivers great content without a massive sized ego.

Another reasoned, intelligent video from Paul. No macho nonsense, no "know it all" bullshit.

This is a great video Paul, i see why it’s your favorite, that demonstration segment was very long and went nearly flawlessly.

What's amazing is, after watching a LOT of Paul's videos I've realized that the vast majority of what he says is plain basic common sense. But a lot of it is stuff I've never really thought about. I don't carry a firearm btw, I'm just interested in the subject.

Clicked because it was in my recommended, stayed because Paul is well spoken and very informative.

When I first started carrying concealed I had the same worry, was raised up to never carry a semi-auto with a chamber loaded. To relieve myself of this fear I loaded a snap cap in my gun, chambered it and carried it that way at home and at work (I work alone) for a week. After doing that for a week, never unloading it, i was able to see the gun had not went off, i bounced it around, dropped it on carpet/in chairs, put it in the glove box of my car and done anything I could think of to make the gun "fire", It never did, fast forward to today, i always carry with 1 in the chamber. It might have been an odd method but it showed me that I was worried about something I shouldn't be.

When I first started carrying, I had safety concerns about the Glock so I carried DA/SA pistols. After awhile I became more comfortable with the safety my holster (kydex IWB) provided. I finally got my head around the fact that a Glock was safe with a little training. I guess I evolved into it. So my point is; don’t criticize the new guys on their carry choices. Give them a chance to “evolve” at their own rate. Great video and thanks for allowing other points of view.

....just an observation: after 35 years in LE and the USMC, i can tell you, when the poop goes south, i don't care how much you practice putting a firearm into battery, the fewer "things" you have to think about, the better! If you carry concealed, learn to be comfortable carrying with "one up the tube". If you have kids, teach them and remove the mystery, and if you need, keep the firearm at home w/o one in the chamber. Confrontation at home will probably be way less urgent than on the street.

I just *might* be one of those guys who won't carry with a round in the chamber because of the mental block I have due to safety concerns. Whether or not I am being logical, it's just not something I'm comfortable with. Thank you for not snubbing your nose at me. This video was very informative.

"Bearded loud mouth!!!" Now that was hilarious!!! Thanks Paul! Cocked and Locked!

This shows one of the reasons I love your presentations. You NEVER assume everyone has the legal or financial ability to go out and buy a brand new Glock G17. People live in different places and are in different financial situations. You provide information for everyone who is interested in shooting, not just people who can afford the latest kit or are allowed to use the best pistols provided. Oh, and the Beretta M1934 is one of my favorites, I got one from my dad when he got too old to shoot.

Paul’s favorite video. What a legend.

To carry with a loaded chamber or not to chamber. That is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of a bearded loudmouth or to suffer a negligent discharge.

"They put laws and rules in place making it extremely difficult to buy them" 9:50-10:00 Or as better defined in the constitution as "infringements".

When I was on submarine duty, our Doc, a NAVY Corpsman, told me of a time in Somalia with the Marines when he was caught fending off an attacker with a sidearm. He was driving with his M9 in the holster in the required condition 3. A young man, at a turn in the road, grabbed him through the open window. He pulled his weapon and racked the slide one-handed against his leg and pointed it at the man holding his left arm. After reporting this incident, he was charged under UCMJ for obviously maintaining his weapon with a round in the chamber, since he could not have racked the slide without his support hand. During the interview for his hearing, he picked up the unloaded pistol and racked the slide against his leg. The charges were dismissed. Doc demonstrated this cocking procedure for us at every range session he attended. I think that it is much better to have a round in the pipe, if you can.

Never gets old watching Paul tell you just how it is. His ability to somehow infuse humor in an otherwise very serious topic is amazing! Great job Paul!

As a professional lawman, I carry my trusty revolver in a holster on my hip and my bullet in my shirt pocket. Andy says it's safer for everybody that way.

141 back-flipping FBI agents disliked this video.

I have a lot of fun with this debate. We, in Canada, cannot carry any weapon, and if somebody up and slaps Prime Minister Trudeau I expect that hands will be banned to carry as well. (Slightly sarcastic I know.)

Recently found this channel, and been binge watching. Great advice, thanks Paul.

Here in California the lawmakers don't want people to think too much, so not to worry about chambered or empty, you can only carry a holster, leave the gun at home.

Paul, I just found your videos, and I found them as most instructive and clear I watched in internet. Thank you very much for all your work and efforts. Greetings from Prague, Czech Republic

Always locked and loaded. You rock Paul. Keep on keeping on.

My 4th reason to carry chambered is that racking the slide makes a lot of noise, and sometimes it's important to be able to bring a pistol into action quietly, namely when the threat's attention is elsewhere

I think a great way to gain confidence in your carry weapon is to learn how to completely disassemble it to every last part, and put it back together again. You don't need to be a professional gunsmith to do this, but DO have a parts schematic and pay attention to how everything fits together prior to taking it apart. Doing this will give you a deeply intimate knowledge of how your firearm operates as the mechanical assembly of parts that it is. It will also allow you to fully inspect and clean your weapon, improving its longevity and reliability to function. I was originally scared to death about using my Astra A-100's decocking mechanism, and quite wary of carrying with a round chambered. It wasn't until I fully disassembled my pistol to do a parts inspection and restoration (manufactured in 1993 according to the manufacturer stamp, and looked like it was never fully cleaned in all that time) that I realized how unfounded my fears were. Turns out there are multiple redundant internal safeties (no manual safeties aside from having a VERY long and heavy DA trigger pull) to ensure if one fails, the others will still operate. Without going into detail about the internal workings of my pistol, let's just say I now carry with a round chambered, hammer down. The DA trigger pull is I think 6-8 pounds, and has about a 1.25" travel, so I have no fear of the trigger accidentally getting pulled while the hammer is down. With the hammer back and the trigger now SA, the trigger is about 2.5 pounds, and has maybe about 1/8th" travel. Very good feel in SA, IMHO. In SA mode, I would be VERY concerned about a negligent discharge with a round chambered. DA, not at all, as that is some seriously deliberate trigger pulling to fully articulate the DA. So yeah, know YOUR weapon. It amazes me that some people, even my own brother, are scared to death to take apart their weapon. Guys, it's not too dissimilar to Legos, or building/assembling a computer. Just make sure the parts go in as they need to be, and in the proper order, and any Joe-Blow can do basic gunsmithing, if you want to call full disassembly and reassembly gunsmithing (I wouldn't call it that).

Really enjoying the open-minded approach to so many of these videos.

This is absolutely the best video on this subject I've ever seen. As with most things in life the answer isn't black and white, but rather there are shades of gray. Thank you for a very informative presentation.

Ngl, Paul is kinda jacked. Not in the "goes to the gym 3 hours a day, everyday" kinda jacked, but in the "hardened badass who became a dad and gained a little bit of a dad belly" kinda jacked. And I find that way more intimidating than the former.

Paul, you are the best. Great to actually have a highly intelligent man teaching firearm use. Excellent as always!

My mom keeps her double action S&W .38 with one empty chamber because that's something my dad taught her,which had validity back in 1880 and everyone had a Colt SAA.I've explained it to her numerous times,she nods her head like she understands,but she won't listen because it's ME that's telling her.Although she knows I know what I'm talking about,she doesn't understand because both my dad and mom's understanding of guns is at about a 1920s ma and pa on the farm level.The only way they would change is if Jesus Christ came down personally and told them to put a sixth round in that revolver.

The chances of an accidental discharge seem to be greater than the likelihood one would need to draw and not have time to chamber a round. Carrying with a round chambered or not should be more of a decision based on those odds and also a case by case basis. Even though danger is everywhere, there is a higher probability it will happen in certain areas while you’re in those areas. If I’m in a large city and end up on the “rough” side of town, I’ll carry one in the chamber. If I’m shopping at the grocery store, I won’t carry one in the chamber. I realize that is an oversimplification, but it’s for example purposes. Training to chamber a round can significantly reduce any adverse effects one may otherwise experience in an extremely close quarters encounter. I rarely carry one in the chamber. I simply believe I’m more likely to have a negligent discharge rather than be attacked, regardless of how much I train. I enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.

One angle that people don't think about or I have not heard people talk about is the presence of kids around I have four small boys under age 11 and it just makes me nervous as hell to keep one in the chamber even though I'm very cautious and conscience about where it's at at all times.. all it takes is one mistake of me leaving it in my jacket pocket as I fall asleep and my 3-year-old reaching in there and pulling the trigger.. so by me having to rack it it just creates one extra step of safety for my kids

I freaking love the way you explain things. I figured most of the stuff out on my own through the years, but you still manage to hit some points I've never thought about.

I have been watching PH videos for some time now and find the down to earth presentation easy to watch and learn from. I don't need the over the top attitude I see from other sites , just sound information to consider. I will continue to watch and recommend you to those who are interested in learning about firearms.

Another excellent video, Paul. I'm one of those who fall into the category of having been trained by the British Army (LT in the Royal Greenjackets), where the carrying of sidearms was mandated for Condition 3. I'm most competent, and feel safest (Browning HP35) doing that, which I believe is known as Israeli Carry. So, the bottom line here, is, there is no "right way," to carry. It is whatever is the best way for you, in whichever way you feel most comfortable and in line with whatever training you've undergone. Keep up the good work, Paul, you do a fine job mate!

"Are there any cases where you should carry unchabered?" - "Yes, if you're an Italian partisan running around in the late 1930s."

I’ve watched many of paul’s videos repeatedly and in most, including this one, get more the second go round. Usually because they have a lot of content. In addition, as my personal gun knowledge has increased (thanks mostly to paul), I understand some of the nuance of what he says better. I encourage people to rewatch his vids that are on subjects you like. Always worthwhile.

A mention people with handicaps would would benefit from your experience and expertise. Thank for sharing your knowledge

"Weird old guns". That just made me chuckle a bit. Love your videos Paul, keep putting out the great content.

Been watching youtube videos about guns intensively for about two months and just today came across Pauls videos. Im glad I did today. The depth and clarity of his analysis and content are just phenomenal. Thank you Sir.

The concept of carrying in the manner that suits you and your level of training is an interesting one. Great channel and video by the way Paul. It amuses me to watch people who carry one up try and demonstrate an empty chamber draw- genuinely no offense Paul. You mentioned later in the video that if you are going to carry with an empty chamber, train and train hard for it. Perfect advice. I carry empty chamber here in South Africa (57 murders per day and 38/100 ppp= high murder rate and an excellent reason to carry at all) and I have trained/ practiced until I can beat most people who carry one up in a draw and fire two shots-accurately-scenario. I carry empty chamber because I carry a striker fired pistol without an external safety. (I won’t mention names to avoid the usual arguments.) The fact is that all I have to do to negligently discharge my firearm, is to make a mistake the equivalent of dropping a cell-phone. I’ve never dropped my phone; I’m not prepared to bet a life though, that I never will. So yes, make your choice and train hard, either way. Your ability to use your firearm effectively is all in the training. Whichever way you carry it. Besides, I’m quite comfortable chambering a round before I enter an area in which I may be required to use my firearm. Therein lies the difference. I, and others like me, have a strategic imperative to be aware of our surroundings. That is the first step, 95% of the defensive act in fact. The next is avoidance; 4,5%. Then only comes the fighting; ,5%. And that’s in one of the most dangerous non- war torn countries on earth. Yes this requires more training than usual. So be it.

Bravo Paul all these tactical warriors need to see your view on loaded chamber as a retired vet i agree with your take on this subject,

Paul... You are absolutely the BEST teacher out there. Also, it's nice that you pointed out those "tactiCOOL" people with the butt hair on their faces.

Such a wealth of knowledge with a little humor to make learning from you more enjoyable. Thank you Paul!

By far the best "Gun" channel on KZfaq. You are great Paul, thanks for the lessons.

Of all the videos I've warched on this subject, I like your video the best. I appreciate your perspective and opinions on this subject. Thanks for a great video!

Mr. Harrell I have not seen a gun channel so educational and entertaining as yours. You are extremely knowledgeable and speak clearly. Thank you sir.

Good video. His answer is basically, "In most cases yes and here's why but there are some exceptions, here's why". It's worth watching. Paul's delivery is calm and easy to watch.

I've always heard carrying with an empty chamber is the equivalent of saying you'll put your seat belt on in time for the crash

Paul - you are - hands down - one of the best instructors and evangelists for our community. I applaud your efforts and bow to your expertise. I must admit that the Instructor and RSO in me cringed just a bit as (at 04:56) I watched you chamber a round and then work at it a bit to get that Glock into your Pocket and not some kind of Level X holster system designed to allow blind re-holstering in a safe and secure manner... It's times like that where your immense level of experience and expertise really show - and where most neophytes are often completely mistaken. It may be safe for you but I would caution anyone with less experience as to the viability of carrying a loaded/chambered weapon with only a trigger safety in their pocket like that. It's too easy to get something like a pen, or keys (or anything else you may have placed in your pocket) get jammed up into the trigger guard and end up with an AD/ND as you press the weapon down into the pocket space. Or worse than an AD/ND - an AD/ND with some kind of a debilitating injury. I have seen it happen, and it's more likely than many may think. Again - I think it's fine for someone like you to make that choice for yourself, but I would encourage you to strongly advise against it for anyone with less experience - and this is coming from someone that routinely carries my 2011 à la Magnum PI - which opens me up to age jokes I am quite sure... But this is just an opinion based on my own experience. It's certainly nothing resembling gospel for sure. Thanks for all you do.

Can't tell you how much I have learned from your videos! Excellent, Sir!

Thanks Paul, I still love coming back every now and again and looking at your videos and listening to your wisdom. Your sarcasm always puts a smile on my face. Also, very useful and insightful info. I appreciate it. God bless you brother.

When I was overseas we always chambered a round when we left the wire so I do the same when I leave the "wire" of my house. My non-expert advice is either way you choose, make sure to train your muscle memory so that under stress your movements are automatic.

Very informative as always! I carry a Smith&Wesson M&P 40 Shield, and when my two small rug rat grandkids (4 &2) are with me, I most always carry with an empty chamber. It has nothing to do with my training or abilities, it is that having the chamber empty, and the handgun safety off I have extra peace of mind when the kids treat me as a jungle gym climbing and jumping on me. Like you, I am pretty good chambering a round and getting the round on target. I feel that the likely hood of the saftey getting disengaged while they romp around on me is extreemly slim, but so is the likely hood of needing to draw and shoot a perpitrater.

Brilliant! More fantastic stuff from a great channel. Thanks Paul!

your honest and you make a lot of sense. thanks!!

When my little boy was 3 or 4 years old, I carefully unloaded my 1911, then tested him on the ability to manipulate the gun. He could take the safety off and pull the trigger. He could even cock the hammer. What he couldn't do was to rack the slide. So, I carried that 1911 for a few years with an empty chamber. Of course as he got older, and Massad Ayoob's "Gun proof your children" techniques became more viable, eventually I started carrying cocked and locked again. Now, someone might say, "Why are you letting your kids get into your guns?" Well, unlike them, I know I am not perfect. It IS possible I might leave my gun lying out some day, and my son might find it. I just didn't find that the extra second I might have to take to get the gun into action in a (let's face it) very unlikely attack, was worth the extra risk of having a chambered round. I think people need to consider their own situations with guns, and figure their own possibilities. And stop listening to Internet blowhards who make statements about always or never doing this or that. Every person's situation is different. BTW I now carry a Walther PPQ with a round in the chamber.

lol.... A week or two ago I made a comment on one of your videos about this very thing. The fewer steps you have to go through to get a round out the end of the barrel, the less likely you are to make a mistake, which is why I carry the gun I carry. Time for an anecdote: A friend of mine used to carry a 12ga Winchester behind the seat of his truck for self protection. He was firm about keeping the safety on and keeping the chamber unloaded. Well, as with many firearms, you have to charge the thing before you can engage the safety. So one night when my friend was closing up shop and heading to his truck, some jackasses decided to try to rob him. He managed to pull his shotgun but could not fire the thing. So he remembered that he needed to chamber a round, but could not pull the action slide to the rear. He was frozen solid with fear, unable to reason the steps needed to fire. He would have had to depress the slide release, chamber a round, and disengage the safety if he could have actually remembered to do so. A few simple steps, all forgotten in the stress of being attacked. Fortunately, the would-be robbers took a look at that shotgun and tore their asses out of there in a hot second. It could have gone really, really bad for my friend. Another story: My brother lived in a small but gang-infested city. While he and his brother-in-law were stopped at a convenience store they came under attack by not less than ten gang-bangers. My brother always had a gun in the car but kept it unloaded because of the draconian gun laws in California. My brother, seeing they were under attack, dove into the passenger floorboard through the driver's side of the car to retrieve his pistol. Just as he got his hand on the gun he could feel the perps dragging him out of the car by his feet. He came out with his 9mm pistol and the low-life perps scattered like flies. The gun was empty. He didn't have a chance in hell at getting a magazine loaded into the gun, much less in getting a round chambered after that. Once again, with divine fortune, the gang-bangers saw the gun and backed off. Good thing it was dark because they apparently never noticed that the gun had no magazine in it. This ALSO could have gone very, very badly for my brother. I carry my single/double-action Taurus PT-92 AF pistol with a round in the chamber, hammer forward, safety off. I would not feel too comfortable carrying say a Springfield XD with a round in the chamber, but maybe that's just me. Maybe that's why I carry my Taurus instead of a Springfield XD.

Had a rough day at work and just watched this Paul Harrell video and I feel good now. You can select ANY video by Paul and you will learn something, you will laugh, and then you feel better about this messed up world we live in. He just takes you into his world. One that I wish I could go to after days like I just had. Thank you, sir.

Fantastic video. Thank you for everything, Paul.

I have already watched most of his videos but didn't add comments, only hit the "like" icon. He said in a previous video he won't benefit unless a comment is made. Even if it just says "Hello".....I'm re-watching them all. Guess he's pretty good IMO!!!!! Thanks for the video's!!!!!

Time is the least of my concerns. Biggest issue is short stroking the slide and pulling the trigger on an empty chamber. It adds one more variable. One handed operation is also a concern. I carry a 1911 in condition one every day for all of the above reasons. I have young children at home. The same gun has an empty chamber at night because of that. They don't (yet) have the physical strength to chamber a round. It's an extra layer of safety. And yes, I'm training them in gun safety. When the gun is on my person it is ALWAYS in condition one.

One in the chamber for me. For my concealed carry I have a SIG SP2022 with a DA/SA trigger. SA pull 4.4lbs and DA pull 10lbs. So it's nice because you can chamber a round, then de-cock it, then have that deep pull for the first shot. Mix that with a quality holster and you aren't misfiring anything.

I just recently too a conceal and carry course. Even after the instructor discussed this topic I still had some reservations about carrying with a chambered round. I really appreciate your discussion on the topic and I am rethinking my stance. Really like your videos!

I watch a lot of gun videos, and these are the best videos I've seen.

I've watched a few of your videos now, and you've given me a lot to think about. I have never thought about practicing reaching around (to grab the gun) with the non-dominate hand if your dominate is defending you. Thanks for all the knowledge you are sharing!

Paul would give some excellent public speeches his calmness just makes others calm and able to listen.

Very well said sir. I appreciate your detailed explanation in your videos. You've clearly put some thought into what you say in your videos, and it's very informative!

Thanks for this, Paul. There was a time when I carried a revolver. All my chambers were loaded.

Three words about your videos. Concise, precise, informative. Thank you!

I love the humor, and appreciate the perspective. One of my favorite channels haha

Always love your logic. Thanks

I'm glad I found your very informative and easy to understand videos. Professional.

Paul......YOU ROCK!!!!!! Thank you for logic before anything else. I like decockers a lot!!!! SIG is my go to tool.....

Love your videos. Very educational. Thank you sir!

Hey Paul - great content. Really helping out the younger generation. Especially now a days when bad information is so rampant. I've binged watched a majority of your content over the past few weeks as I've gotten into firearms in a more serious sense. I cant thank you enough, the fact that I had to pay $0 for this, and you still were grateful to do it. You're good people and I hope you are doing well. Kindly

I like how you bring up the second part because ive gotten that from people because I don't carry with a chambered round just because I don't feel the need. but do practice pretty often to be efficient with pulling the slide as I draw my gun an you have one video that I watched that really helped cut some seconds off my time

When I had kids at home I kept the 45 in the night stand without the chamber loaded. It is hard for little ones to rack the slide on a big old Colt 45.

Great video Paul. Always learning a lot by watching.

I'm sure Paul has covered it in other videos, but the correct holster for a striker-fired pistol is a must. Thanks again Paul, always worth watching, never BS.

I find your mannerisms and dry comedy accompanied by useful and informative content, both helpful and fun. I reference your videos from time to time with my community training class. (10-15 years) and my safe and secure first time gun owners class. All free for anyone to attend. You sir are amazing, and a large part of our arsenal against ignorance. Thank You.

Geeze. I just came back here from 2019. Your video production has very much improved Paul, but the eloquence and significance of your points have not paid the price - always a great video from you, no matter the year. Great job!

You are wonderfully funny ! Thanks for these videos !

I just love the way this bloke rolls. It is the best gun channel in the internet by far. There's no blah blah blah about the virtues of Simply Safe, online gaming or plugging of merch. There's just good demonstrations, equally good explanations, and clearly stated opinions of this intelligent, articulate man. Five stars.