Empty Chamber Carry Costs Defender His Best Opportunity

Something that wasn’t mentioned...where’s the reload? Forgetting everything else that happened or didn’t, I’d wanna be “prepared” in case they returned.
 
Empty chamber, or the fabled (but real) Israeli Carry is very much alive and well. Below is a good article that gives you background and reality of carrying with an empty chamber...reality is, it is only here in the states that handguns are commonly carried with a round in the chamber.

Personally, I carry chambered as that is how I was "raised" to carry a sidearm.

Still boils down to how you train...the old maxim, train as you fight.

https://www.thetruthaboutguns.com/truth-israeli-carry/


***********************************************************************




The People of the Gun have little time for “Israeli carry.” They scoff at the idea of concealed-carry with a pistol that has an empty chamber. “Why add an extra step to a defensive gun use, especially when adrenalin is flowing and time is short?” Safety? “Keep your finger off the trigger!” Yes, well, let’s take a look at the history of this carry method and current state of Israeli method in Israel.

Israeli Carry pre-dates Israel. Empty-chamber carry was adopted and popularized by legendary close-quarters-combat self-defense instructor W.F. Fairbairn, Firearms instructor Fairbairn considered the relative frequency of administrative [gun] handling vs. gunfighting and declared chamberless carry to be the best method, with the highest gun safety, for people with limited training.

Fairbairn institutionalized the method for the Shanghai police in the early 1910s. His 1942 book Shooting to Live With the One-Hand Gun spread the gospel of empty-chamber carry.

For most of the 20th century, “Israeli carry” chamber empty was the standard for military, police and civilians. The state of Israel was created on May 14, 1948. Its fighters/civilians carried their handguns in the “traditional” manner.

In post-war America, with the development of modern drop-safe semi-automatic handguns, World War II veteran Jeff Cooper and others argued against empty-chamber carry. American law enforcement and civilians followed suit.

The rest of the world didn’t switch to carrying semi-automatic pistols in a holster with a round chambered. And still hasn’t. While there are a few Israeli military units that carry pistols with a round chambered, Israelis continue to carry without a round chambered.

For one thing, it’s illegal to do so for civilians, most military and police. For another, empty-chamber carry satisfies the same goal that inspired the practice in the first place: sidearm safety.

If you’ve been to Israel, you may have noticed the large number of people carrying firearms. Armed soldiers (on and off duty), security, police, and Mossad are everywhere. I haven’t seen a more openly armed populace with modern firearms anywhere in the world.

Despite the fact that Israel is surrounded and infiltrated by enemies, the likelihood of an attack by a terrorist or criminal are low. According to nationmaster.com, Israel’s murder rate is 20.47 per million people. In the U.S., it’s 42.01.

Most of the altercations that Israeli police officers deal with are physical; gunfights between police and armed criminals are almost non-existent. (Israeli police don’t wear body armor.) Additionally, most terrorist acts don’t involve firearms and or bombs as they did in the second intifada.

There’s another important factor: Most Israelis carrying a firearm don’t carry a loaded firearm because they want to. They carry one of them because they have to. This takes away from the sense of personal responsibility for their firearm.

All of which means that the odds of an Israeli being injured or killed by an negligent discharge are higher than the chances of facing a similar fate from a terrorist or armed criminal.

In the past year in Israel, with the uptick of car ramming and stabbing attacks by terrorists, the issue of Condition One chambered or not didn’t prevent any of these terrorists from being neutralized.

As for the “delay” caused by carrying unchambered, racking and firing . . .

To qualify for duty, all Israeli military and police units must meet a standard of 1.2 seconds for placing the first round on target at eight meters with a handgun, starting unchambered. I doubt that most chambered-carrying U.S. gun owners can match that.

As a former IDF soldier and current U.S. civilian, I always carry chambered and train my students to do so. But I fully understand those who choose to carry a loaded magazine, but without a round chambered, whether for safety or psychological comfort.

In the end, your ability to neutralize your threat won’t come down to whether or not you carry your defensive firearm with a round of ammo chambered. It will rely on the way you train and the circumstances surrounding the altercation.

Ron Grobman
 
I think what the article above mentions, but fails to really emphasize, is the training aspect. If you train on an empty chamber, and train so it becomes second nature to draw-cycle slide, engage-then cool...rock and roll. You are probably just fine.

But I would still think that if you spent that time training on drawing-engaging then your times would still be faster. I think the fact that most armed US civilians >cant< do it in 1.2 seconds, or even 3 seconds, is probably a great argument >not< to carry chambered.

I totally get where the mentality came from, when firearms werent "drop safe", and even single action revolvers had the cowboy load of lowering the hammer on an empty chamber. But aside from the rare manufacturing defect, most all modern firearms are "drop safe".

So, if you carry unchambered, then practice practice practice.

If you dont, just keep your finger off the trigger like you should, use a good holster, and dont be an idiot.
 
Long_Hunter said:
To qualify for duty, all Israeli military and police units must meet a standard of 1.2 seconds for placing the first round on target at eight meters with a handgun, starting unchambered. I doubt that most chambered-carrying U.S. gun owners can match that.
Click to expand...

That's a tough standard to match. Depending on what they consider "on target" and how big that target is.

But 1.2 is a decent time with a hot firearm out of a good OWB holster, without a cover garment.
 
NKD said:
That's a tough standard to match. Depending on what they consider "on target" and how big that target is.

But 1.2 is a decent time with a hot firearm out of a good OWB holster, without a cover garment.
Click to expand...

Yup, and that hits on another detail that isnt considered. Most of us dont go about our business with a drop leg super tactical holster keeping our heaters at the ready. We have them shoved in IWB holsters with cover garments.
 
NKD said:
That's a tough standard to match. Depending on what they consider "on target" and how big that target is.

But 1.2 is a decent time with a hot firearm out of a good OWB holster, without a cover garment.
Click to expand...

Yeah I wanna call BS on that. I've seen the videos and even met a couple of Mossad trained guys who carry like that, but I can't believe the entire police force and the entire military is capable of doing that... Especially since everyone has to serve 2 years there...
 
There was a holster I saw once that was designed to rack the slide as you pushed the pistol through it to draw. Was a neat concept, but alas it didn't catch on so it must have sucked to use.

edit...found it

http://www.rusmilitary.com/html/c-equip_belts.htm
 
Last edited:
As far as the video goes, yeah, seems kinda moronic to throw that much lead, then casually walk over to the door, look out, then turn your back to the threat and just casually walk back.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Rob
I carried an empty chamber in a combat zone anytime we came on KAF (Kandahar Air Field). SOP there.
 
Never been in that situation and hope I never am so it’s hard to criticize but by the time he started shooting the threat was basically gone. I still don’t have much of an issue that he did I just feel I would be worried about all my shots going into perps back and they were running out the door.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Me.
Don't know about that one, they were in the process of leaving, looks like their backs were to the shooter. Would have hate to have been walking down the sidewalk when he started blazing.
 
Too many details missing on that 1.2 seconds example. They don't say if that gun is holstered, just that it is unloaded for one. I don't believe for one skinny second that even half of them could draw, rack, and put a center mass shot on target at 7 yards in 1.2 seconds on command.
 
Can only watch, with no audio right now. Looks like the threat was gone and putting lead into their ass/back though making him feel
better was probably not the best idea. I have no room for an unloaded weapon. That's like carrying a dull knife.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Me.
Yeah, you could start a race with the engine off so you don’t accidentally jump the start, but if you can’t start with the engine on you aren’t good enough to race.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom