Your HD shotgun - Ready to fire?

[DontShootMe]

I'd like to hear some different opinions on how you keep your HD shotgun 'at the ready':

Is it loaded?
Is there a round in the chamber?
Is the safety on?
Is it in a locked container?

Personally, my Mossy 500 is in an unlocked soft case, loaded with 000 buck & slugs, a snap cap in the chamber (which I pull the trigger on, so the firing pin spring is relaxed while stowed away)

To use: I must rack once - snap cap goes flying, 000 buck loads into chamber. BG gets earful and immediately knows my location and choice of home defense.

I'm ok with this for now. But I'm always looking for improvements - What's your strategy?

 

[Andrew Wyatt]

I leave it unloaded, hammer down, with five rounds of buck on the butt cuff.

there are kids around.

 

[Rob96]

Locked in a case, with 7 rounds in the tube, hammer cocked, safety on, chamber empty.

 

[Dave McCracken]

Kept Cruiser Ready. Magazine loaded one round under capacity, action locked closed, safety on.

I can deploy this in a twinkling, but someone not cognizant and trained would have trouble doing it under a minute.

 

[only1asterisk]

Same as Mr. McCracken, to the letter. After using the same shotgun for more than 20 years, it takes almost no more time to fire the first shot from cruiser ready than if the gun were chamber loaded safety off.


David

 

[Okiecruffler]

Like my granny before me

A warm fuzzy SXS with one in each tube, safety on and ready to roll. Wife's mossy has an empty chamber, she likes racking that thing.

 

[Smoke]

hmmmm....I heard a deferrent version of "crusier safe"

My 870 is loaded with 5 OO and 1 slug in the tube. No shell chambered. Action closed but unlocked. Safety off.

Butt cuff holds 4 00 and 2 slugs.

 

[laynlow]

Crusier Safe:

8 shot tube with 5 Remington RR 00, safety off, hammer down.

 

[El Tejon]

It's hot. Loaded with safety engaged.

No kids.

 

[Steve Smith]

No kids, no unsafe adults, no one but me.

All 8 shots loaded, safety on.

 

[cordex]

Same as El T & Steve.

Loaded tube, loaded chamber, safety on.

Hey El Tejon ... are you taking any of Steve Tarani's edged weapons classes this coming March?

 

[El Tejon]

cordex, oh, yeah.

 

[TarpleyG]

I'm w/ laynlow. Hammer down, safety off, full mag tube w/ 00.

GT

 

[Moparmike]

I keep mine empty with rounds on the buttcuff, 100rds of birdshot in a box sitting next to it (for all the good it would do).

It sucks that I cant fully depend on my dad not to touch my guns without permission. Otherwise, I would keep it full tube, empty chamber, safety on.

 

[Bruce626]

After reading various opinions on TFL, I switched...

Environment = no kids, no unsafe adults.

Storage site for Mossberg 500: Naked under my bed.

Condition: Hammer down on empty chamber, 5 in mag tube, safety OFF. In dead of night when goblins go bump, I have to rack the slide but not do small muscle motions like find the slide release and off the safety.

Former condition: Ready to fire upon movement of safety. That was just a little too easy for my conservative view... but, it was silent and fast.

If kids were around, different story.

 

[BWC]

Mossberg 590 /w tac light.

Weapon in soft case beside the bed. No round in the chamber. Safety off. Slide unlocked. 5 rounds in the tube: first three are #4, last two are 00. Side saddle has six more 00. Butt cuff has three more 00, and two sabot slugs.

I live alone so no worries about anyone else getting their fingers on the gear.

 

[Daedalus]

Loaded with the safety on and sitting right next to my bed.

 

[sm]

I live alone, no kids.
When I keep one here, its hot, fully loaded, safety on.
When I kept one in a business, or when had missus and kid, cruiser ready.

 

[Dionysusigma]

Unloaded, stored in a soft case, on other side of house. I'm the youngest person living here and that old POS is a Winchester 1911SL. Figure I'll let the BG kill himself trying to figure it out.

 

[Kampfer]

Cruiser ready no saftey all 00Buck

 

[Sunspot]

Mossy M590A1. No kids. Hot to go. Safety on. Hydro-shok #4.

 

[Darrin]

full tube, empty chamber

 

[BerettaNut92]

I'm with Mr McCracken.

 

[Mute]

Same as Dave, with all Federal Tactical Buckshot.

 

[Mike Irwin]

It's not even put together at the moment...