Home Defense Guns… Keep Them Loaded or Not?

Curious about what people think on this. Do you keep your home defense gun loaded? Does it depend on if you have kids, the type of gun, or where you live? Personally, I feel like keeping one loaded at all times is risky, even without kids around. But I’d like to hear other thoughts. For context, I don’t have kids and my home defense gun is a Remington 870.

I keep rifles and shotguns “cruiser ready”—mag loaded, chamber empty. My pistol stays in a quick-access safe, chambered, just like it would be in my holster.

Perry said:
I keep rifles and shotguns “cruiser ready”—mag loaded, chamber empty. My pistol stays in a quick-access safe, chambered, just like it would be in my holster.

This is exactly what I do.

Perry said:
I keep rifles and shotguns “cruiser ready”—mag loaded, chamber empty. My pistol stays in a quick-access safe, chambered, just like it would be in my holster.

Yep, think of a quick-access safe as a holster for your home.

I keep my gun with a loaded mag and empty chamber for home defense.

If you don’t have kids and your gun is drop-safe, I don’t see a big issue with keeping it chambered as long as it’s securely stored.

For your 870, though, since it’s not drop-safe, ‘cruiser ready’ is probably best—full tube, safety off, and slide lock disengaged. That way, you just rack and go.

@Tilden
I used to keep a round chambered, but after having kids, I switched to a loaded mag and empty chamber.

Ren said:
@Tilden
I used to keep a round chambered, but after having kids, I switched to a loaded mag and empty chamber.

Same here, but no kids. My wife avoids firearms completely, so I keep the chamber empty for peace of mind.

Ren said:
@Tilden
I used to keep a round chambered, but after having kids, I switched to a loaded mag and empty chamber.

No kids, so my carry gun always has a round in the chamber.

Teo said:

Ren said:
@Tilden
I used to keep a round chambered, but after having kids, I switched to a loaded mag and empty chamber.

No kids, so my carry gun always has a round in the chamber.

I keep one chambered when carrying, but home defense is a different scenario.

@Ren
I think that makes sense. If you’re carrying, you don’t always have both hands free to rack a round. At home, you likely do.

@Tilden
I use a shotgun for home defense, kept ‘cruiser ready.’

I also have a second firearm hidden in a quick-access spot for my girlfriend, just in case. Small, easy to use, and out of reach for kids.

@Tilden
That’s how I do it too. Full tube, empty chamber, safety off. I just can’t bring myself to dry fire my 870 in my house, even when I know it’s empty. But I’ve put countless hours into handling it at the range, so I know I can run it smoothly when needed.

@Briar
You can also just slightly retract the pump while pressing the slide release instead of dry firing.

Tilden said:
@Briar
You can also just slightly retract the pump while pressing the slide release instead of dry firing.

Yep, that’s the way to do it. No need to dry fire at all.

@Briar
I use dummy rounds for practice. Keeps things safe and lets me get the feel for my shotgun without burning through ammo.

I have kids, so my guns are loaded but not chambered. I know some people say that’s pointless, but I’d rather have that extra layer of safety with a 6- and 3-year-old in the house.

Asa said:
I have kids, so my guns are loaded but not chambered. I know some people say that’s pointless, but I’d rather have that extra layer of safety with a 6- and 3-year-old in the house.

Carrying a gun on the street and having one for home defense are two different things.

On the street, you might only have a split second to react. At home, you’ll usually have at least a few seconds to rack a round, especially if an alarm or a barking dog gives you a heads-up.

@Riley
I get this. If you’re in a high-risk area, it makes sense to keep one chambered. But for most people, the risk of an accident outweighs the need for an instant draw.

Noor said:
@Riley
I get this. If you’re in a high-risk area, it makes sense to keep one chambered. But for most people, the risk of an accident outweighs the need for an instant draw.

That makes sense, but I’d argue that 99.999% of modern handguns in proper holsters are totally safe to carry loaded. If you ever have to use it in self-defense, having to rack the slide might be the difference between life and death.

@Leighton
Exactly. Watch real-life security footage. If you don’t have a round chambered, you’re already behind.