ECI Requirements?

Long time rifle HP shooter getting into Bullseye here.  What do pistol shooters typically use for an Empty Chamber Indicator (ECI) that is acceptable by NRA/CMP?

Dayglow colored cable ties & weed wacker string are used fairly often.
Cheap, easy to acquire, and cheap

Sorta like what is used for air-guns then, right?

yep...easy to see, easy to use
I keep weed wacker string long enough to stick out both ends & use the cable ties to tag the empty guns w/closed slides in the safe

Yep I use the same weed whacker line in my AP and my bullseye guns.

Great!  Already have an ample supply of this sophisticated piece of shooting equipment.

Thanks!

I bought some .22 dummy rounds for dry firing and was sent a sample pack of chamber flags from this company. You can buy them in bulk and have your club's logo printed on them too if you like.

http://mfgservs.com/

There are a number of items that will work and are acceptable.

The AR 15 ECI are good,
the CMP ones are good
The M1 Garand ECIs work on the CF and 45 relays.
a ZIP tie with a large plastic dayglow flag will work
the minimum is a piece of weed whacker line although as a range officer, I like something a bit bigger and easier to see.

The rules say that it is sposed to be in the chamber/barrel but I see a lot of people put it in the magazine well too.

Be careful to read the rules as written in the books:

NRA:
"3.21 Empty Chamber Indicator (ECI) - An ECI is required in all NRA Sanctioned Pistol competitions to indicate the slide is open and the chamber is empty. The ECI, when inserted into the revolver or pistol must extend into the empty chamber or cylinder and must be externally visible."

Technically this means that the ECI is to be inserted into a chamber of the revolver, rather than the barrel.

An extra addition:  Technically, the CMP requires the firearm to arrive at the line with an ECI inserted:

CMP:
"5.6.1 Empty Chamber Indicators (ECI) Empty Chamber Indicators (ECIs) must be placed in all rifles and pistols when they are brought onto a range. ECIs must remain in the rifles or pistols at all times, except during preparation and firing periods. A rifle or pistol being carried on a range must have an ECI inserted whether it is carried in an uncased condition or in a gun case or storage container."

Note that last part: "...whether it is carried in an uncased condition or in a gun case or storage container."

Weed wacker line, cheep, easy to see, keep several to give to shooters who don't have one. Not to be confused with the weed wackers in CO and WA.

AllAces wrote:Not to be confused with the weed wackers in CO and WA.