Math doesn’t lie
Math dictates that loaded chamber indicators do cause a higher failure rate in firearms. A lot more here.
Remember, I do this to entertain me, not you.
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January 27th, 2011 at 2:37 pm
According to that formula, my Glock 19 with a “loaded chamber indicator” extractor is NOT less reliable than one without, since no additional parts were added – they simply modified an existing part to perform the function.
I’m not talking about rule #1 here – that’s a given. Always treat a gun as if it were loaded.
But what if it *really* is UNLOADED and you *really* need it to fire? Knowing it’s empty and that you need to chamber a round is a pretty handy feature in my opinion.
And sadly, math lies all the time. When it does, they call it “Statistics”…
January 27th, 2011 at 5:09 pm
In that specific case, no, the functionality of the firearm would not be significantly compromised by the LCI, or, at least, no more than if the extractor itself had failed. Of course, it is arguable that transforming the extractor into an LCI may have introduced some new possibility for failure, but now we are getting into the mystical world of metallurgy and statics and dynamics.
As for the functionality of knowing whether your firearm is loaded or not, there is an even easier way to accomplish that without changing a single thing on it – rack the slide. If there is a loaded magazine inserted (and “magazine inserted” can be validated by your pinky or visual inspection), then the firearm is now loaded. If the magazine is not loaded, the slidestop will be obvious. And, of course, press-checks are always an option…
I have no problems with people having LCIs on their firearms if they want them, but claiming that LCIs universally do not run into the “any added complexity invites mechanical failure” is not accurate – there are better LCIs out there (for example, ones that consist of nothing more than a hole through the chamber), but there are also ones that can, and have, brick your gun.
January 27th, 2011 at 5:38 pm
All right, I’m gettin’ some press! Knew that 5 years I spent studying engineering was good for something besides driving this desk. ROFL