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"... At the time the weapon discharged, it was reportedly in a cocked and locked position; that is, the hammer was cocked and the thumb safety was engaged to prevent the hammer from striking the firing pin. A live round was in the chamber ..."

Round chambered, weapons discipline, not! It was reported the safety was on. I wonder if it wasn't?

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No, it's pretty standard to have a round chambered with the safety on. For some models having the hammer cocked is also correct general carrying procedure, depending on the firing mechanism the particular gun uses. I do still find it worrying that a firearm would discharge in this manner. Most have multiple internal safeties to prevent accidental discharge during things like a drop from a height.

I am not familiar enough with the details of the Colt firing pin safety, but I believe 'dropped from a height' is not necessarily equivalent to 'pulled from 3ft into a 1.5T magnet'.

Please read the actual article, it answers all those questions.

They proved that the safety was on because the empty shell was still in the chamber, since the safety prevented the slide from moving and ejecting it.

"... They proved that the safety was on because the empty shell was still in the chamber ..."

Is this the first time a round has been discharged with safety on?

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