After a while, when I was sure the safeties stayed engaged,
the gun didn't fall out of the holster, the holsters were covering
the whole trigger guard, etc, I started chambering a round.
And that's fine you eventually came around.
The problem is someone who's been carrying for a while and is still stuck in this mode.
Honestly my advice to anyone looking to get their license/permit (unless you live in a constitutional carry state) start carrying around the house while you wait for your approval.
I know I carried for about a month before my license finally was approved and by then carrying in public was very anti-climactic, sure the nerves was still there but not as much as you'd think.
By then hopefully anyone who is scared to carry chambered will have worked out the kinks and nerves of it.
You just trusted your holster, gun, and belt, the first day you
started carrying? You had absolutely no doubt, that using all this
untested equipment wouldn't result in a ND?
I'll be honest the first week I carried, which was at home and of diminished danger I did not.
It was not that I did not trust the gun.. actually pretty much every gun made since the 80's has at least 1 sort of drop safety.. firing pin block, sear block, etc
Even the lowly hi-point has a counter weight (HP rattle) for drops and a sear block on safe.
I once seen a test where a glock was dropped out of a plane into a farmers field, no discharge, dragged behind a truck, no discharge, tossed off a 3rd story building.. no discharge.
I do not have a glock but the story would be much the same with many handguns these days.. long guns are a different story.. but hand guns.. they're MADE to be carried, and can take a hell of a lot of punishment before they'd discharge from rough handling.
It also helps if you know the design of your gun and can see for your self how it works.. either via diagrams, online take downs, or doing it your self.
Once you see the kind of safety build into modern handguns you won't have any worries as far as the gun it self goes.
Belt.. did not worry, again I knew the gun was safe.. if it fell to the ground I was not worried.
Holster.. was never worried the gun would fall out.. I carry OSB and started with a Fobus Evo w/loops, These holsters have passive retention on the gun, it's adjustable, You stick it in the holster and shake it upside down.. you adjust tension until it no longer can fallout due to weight.
Those with open tops and no retention at all I can see the concern for it slipping out, But again, gun would not discharge.
As far as trigger guard.. now this I admit had me a little worried when I started.. the holster I had was plastic but it just barely covered the rear of the trigger guard, infact there was a small gap.
One thing you brought up is safties.. In my exp they generally can not be trusted to stay on.. OR even off.
If your gun has a safety practice your draw with it on.. even if you carry it off.. you never know when it'll get bumped on, although rarely, it's usually on -> off that's the more common.
I stared with a Taurus pt92, cocked 'n locked, I kept noticing the safety getting bumped off.. it's ambi so honestly that's the problem.. if you have a safety only on the side closest to your body it's much less of a problem.
So I stopped carrying it that way and now carry hammer down with the safety off.
Honestly the holster would probably do it's job just fine cocked w/safety off but I was not comfortable.. 92's have a long DA pull.. but the SA is quite nice and light on them, but unlike guns like the 1911.. no grip safety or secondary safety.
You'll really have to figure out how comfortable you are with your setup.
But my advice is this, There is no excuse for not carrying chambered.
If you are not confident in your belt, buy a new one.
If you are not confident in your holster, buy a new one.
If you are not confident in your gun, CARRY SOMETHING YOU ARE.
