Thanks for the prompt responses.
I see no reason that I would want to store or leave the gun with the slide locked back. But I notice that a lot of the photos people post of their guns are in the locked back position. I guess they do it because it looks cool? (I guess it does look cool).
I asked because I bought my XD used, and it did not come with anything other than one magazine. I saw a sign at the Sheriff's sub station (in the local shopping mall) that they were giving away free gun locks. So I asked for one and it's the same kind of cable lock that comes with the XD.
It was easy enough to figure out how to use it....but to do so requires first locking the slide back. Out of curiosity, I looked at the on-line user's manual at the SA website (I did not get a printed manual with the gun) and they tell you to put the lock on and to then ease the slide forward. They do not say "why". But common sense says that the slamming forward could hurt someone.
So then out of further curiosity, I checked out the ILS (integrated locking system) on my 1911 SA .45.
I found that the lock will only engage (key turn) with the slide forward and the hammer down.
As far as the range I shoot at, they have never to my knowledge stated any rules about how to keep a gun that is tabled. No signs, nothing. In the store itself it seems as if the guns that are put on the counter generally are placed with the slides locked back.
There are quite a few bullet holes in the walls of the store. According to the owner and also to the sales guy who sold me on the XD, most of the ADs that occurred happened with Glocks. They did not tell me this because Glock is their competition. They sell Glock pistols and they sell more of them than any other brand.
Which just goes to show.....brand name recognition goes a very long way!!!
When I got my XD Sub, that day was the very first day I had ever even heard of the XD.
I wonder how the XDs and the Glocks would sell in that store if they had a steady inventory like they do of Glocks. As it is now, they have very few XDs in stock at any given time. I do notice because I have been going to shoot on average better than twice a week. (Subject to change if they do not get more reasonable with their ammo prices)
http://www.floridashootersnetwork.com/phpbb/viewtopic.php?t=4694
Peace,
D.