I was reading an article that mentioned Israeli military/intelligence services train to carry a handgun with the chamber emply. A round is then chambered upon drawing the pistol.
What is the rationale behind doing this? Safety? I can understand this if carrying, say, a High Power where cocked-n-locked with just the thumb safety may present AD concerns. But with the availability of firing pin safeties, da/sa operation, and an additional manual safety on top of that making hammer down on a loaded chamber fairly safe, why continue to carry empty chamber, even on say Sig P226s, which the article said Israelis also use?
Seems like the delay in putting the weapon in firing condition - drawing, racking the slide, taking aim - would present a concern counterbalancing or outweighing concerns over carrying safely with a loaded chamber. Or are the situations where such delay is a concern just not that common?
Would you or do you consider carrying empty chamber to be a satisfactory mode of carrying?
What is the rationale behind doing this? Safety? I can understand this if carrying, say, a High Power where cocked-n-locked with just the thumb safety may present AD concerns. But with the availability of firing pin safeties, da/sa operation, and an additional manual safety on top of that making hammer down on a loaded chamber fairly safe, why continue to carry empty chamber, even on say Sig P226s, which the article said Israelis also use?
Seems like the delay in putting the weapon in firing condition - drawing, racking the slide, taking aim - would present a concern counterbalancing or outweighing concerns over carrying safely with a loaded chamber. Or are the situations where such delay is a concern just not that common?
Would you or do you consider carrying empty chamber to be a satisfactory mode of carrying?