"for most of the time that autoloaders have been around chamber empty was the preferred mode of carry"
- Like I stated above, the earlier models did not have the internal safety devices; thus, it was not necessarily the 'preferred' method of carry, but it was the safest; but now, with newer autoloaders it is just as safe to carry a loaded vs. unloaded. An example if I may, back in the old Corps, when we carried old .45s, there was no round in the chamber, unsafe. Did we like it, no, but it was the safest method of carry - and we hated it (not the round, but the method of carry with the old .45s). Now with the M9/Sig, there is a round in the chamber. Some branches/divisions now carry new .45s and guess what, there is a round in the chamber.
I do not believe the old vs new argument works in this argument...
"there are advantages and disadvantages for each method of carry"
- I am curious, what are the advantages of carrying an unloaded gun?
- Like I stated above, the earlier models did not have the internal safety devices; thus, it was not necessarily the 'preferred' method of carry, but it was the safest; but now, with newer autoloaders it is just as safe to carry a loaded vs. unloaded. An example if I may, back in the old Corps, when we carried old .45s, there was no round in the chamber, unsafe. Did we like it, no, but it was the safest method of carry - and we hated it (not the round, but the method of carry with the old .45s). Now with the M9/Sig, there is a round in the chamber. Some branches/divisions now carry new .45s and guess what, there is a round in the chamber.
I do not believe the old vs new argument works in this argument...
"there are advantages and disadvantages for each method of carry"
- I am curious, what are the advantages of carrying an unloaded gun?