If you cannot switch to them while reloading? Yes, if you're reloading a gun, and then try to switch to your side-arm, you go all super reload-speed on the primary weapon, and THEN switch to your pistol. Now mind you, it takes around a second and a half of super-reload speed on the primary weapon, then you switch to your pistol, another second. (1.5 + 1 = 2.5)

So, what's the point? I could just let my primary gun reload, as that's much faster. (Scar of course. If you're using the LMG, you're screwed either way, as you would have to super-fast reload the LMG and then switch to the pistol)

Secondary weapons are especially usefull when you go out of ammo of your primary weapon. And as far as I know, you CAN switch it while reloading. Also, Switching to a pistol is much faster then reloading.

Yeah, I have seen this happen as well, it appears to just be another bug. What really gets me angry is how weak the side arms are. Even if you could switch to them, the Nova and Hammer hardly do any damage. The machine pistol isn't too bad, I've had some luck with that. Idk about the Majestic though.

The thing that ticks me off is if you unload your entire clip, the try to switch to your secondary, it actually goes through the primary reload animation first, without actually reloading your weapon, before you can switch to your secondary. This has caused my unneccesary deaths, as if I could have pulled out my pistol, I may have not lost the gunfight...