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Comment by runjake | Hacker News Reader

I won't share my opinions of your statement, but I've seen no information on whether or not there was a round in the chamber at the time of the incident.

Regardless, depending on the situation and specifically in the USAF, you are ordered to either carry with a round in the chamber or not, and you'd damned well follow those orders.

It's beside the point, but I imagine, based on my own first hand experience, that USAF Security Forces typically carry without a round in the chamber, in most situations. I did Weapons Courier duty and I was ordered to carry a round in the chamber and be "locked and loaded" at all times.

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It would be wild news if a firearm was able to discharge without a round in chamber. Even without information, for it to discharge there must be a a round in chamber.

Marine Corps order for MP and armed guard standard is round in chamber, weapon on safe, slide forward, hammer down. It stands to reason that is the standard case for all military LEO.

All that to say, anyone who says you shouldn't have a round in chamber is living in a fantasy world.

> anyone who says you shouldn't have a round in chamber is living in a fantasy world.

That was historically a very common military rule, and AFAIK it's still common worldwide, just not in US.

IDF is particularly famous for having empty chamber as the standard protocol, which is why this is often colloquially known as "Israeli carry". And you can say a lot of things about IDF, but one thing for sure: they have operational experience.

USAF SF is probably different (if SOP hasn't changed) because USAF SF gets so little time in training. USAF SF also ironically seem to have the largest numbers of disciplinary issues. Your average Marine, even a non-rifleman, has far better firearms training than a USAF SF airman.

Disclaimer: I was not SF. I was merely surrounded by them in a very high security environment. :-)

Yeah, when I carried a 9mm on watch on US Navy bases, I always had a round in the chamber, weapon safe, slide forward, hammer down. I think it makes sense if you're doing concealed carry in a civilian context to not chamber a round, but if you're on watch and responsible for responding, I think it's different.

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