The thing is just what was he doing with a loaded weapon in the Barracks, loaded magazines would be removed from weapons as soon as we got into Barracks and weapons would cocked a couple of times to make sure that the breach was clear before you peered up the breech to make sure. If any one pointed a weapon at any one else in our unit, loaded or not, then they would get a goood slapping.

By the way it was a Browning L9A1.
As for the weapon being loaded, it's not exactly a barracks environment. It's simply a building in Baghdad that acts as a firm base for SECDET. The weapons are usually kept at load in this particular scenario (correct me if I'm wrong).

I wouldn't unload until the plane cleared Iraq airspace.

Dear Members,

The US military always had a serious problem with accidental shootings with the .45 caliber 1911. When it was decided to replace it that was one of the major requirements about the safety feature of any replacement.

Also, the Canadian Army in the early days of WW1 were issued a Ross .303 rifle which while a great sniper weapon was extremely dangerous in that the bolt could be inserted after break down and cleaning wrongly and when fired the bolt would explode back into the soldiers face. None of the Canadians were sorry to see the Ross withdrawn and replaced -- ie all though the British Army welcomed them as a sniper weapon.

Jack E. Hammond