That's where Robb hits it in his latest "reality check" post:
I think I see your issue
Just go read the whole thing. It won't take you long. Robb interjects a whole lot of common sense in the whole re-holstering debate. In a previous post dealing with why he feels that Condition 3 carry is a bad idea, the notion had been addressed that one of the reasons some folks give for carrying in Con3 is that if there's a round in the chamber, it's possible that a piece of clothing could wind up in the trigger guard when re-holstering, causing a discharge. Robb's point - and I agree 100% - is that no one gives out prizes for "Fastest Re-Holster" in the real world.
Look, if you're involved in an incident where you've had to draw your firearm in real world context, it means that you either shot someone or were just about to shoot someone. More than likely, you are going to have adrenaline pumping pretty damn hard, and performing *any* task is going to take a considerable amount of effort. If you honestly and truly believe the threat to be over - to the point where you are going to put your gun away - then you can take an extra five seconds and make sure you're putting it away correctly. Those five seconds won't kill you. Shooting yourself in the leg because you were rushing could.
I look at this in the very same vein as the "racking your shotgun will alert the bad guys to your position" argument. While it is certainly true, it is hardly "real world" - the average joe is excruciatingly unlikely to be invaded by operators that are going to triangulate his position based on the sound of a shotgun being brought into battery. More than likely, it's going to be a tweaker looking for some cash to grab or electronics to nick quickly to pawn for drug money, and the sound of the shotgun will either have zero effect or you'll get lucky and it'll scare them off. In either case, you've got a loaded shotgun in your hand in case the worst happens. Even if only 10% of the goblins breaking in run, isn't it worth one round to try to be that 10%?
Robb's point is that it's mindset that's the important thing here, and again I agree completely. If you have drawn your sidearm from concealment, it had better be because you perceived an immediate and imminent danger to yourself and your loved ones. It shouldn't be "I heard a noise" or "I thought I saw something over there"; it should be "holy crap that 300 pound biker with a machete is coming right for us!" If you get lucky and the sight of you drawing scares off the 300 pound biker with a machete, great - you win without firing a shot. If you think he's still around, don't reholster. If you're confident enough that the threat is gone and you want to put the gun back, take a few extra seconds and do it right.
I practice drawing from a concealed holster because *that* is the action that I want to be smooth, muscle memory. I want my draw to be fluid, nearly effortless, and require a minimum of brainpower and a maximum of my hands and arms knowing where they should be because I've done it a zillion times. It should be like dialing a familiar phone number, where you do it without even thinking about the number itself but the pattern your fingers make on the phone. Drawing your sidearm from its hidden place should be very much like that. I don't practice putting my firearm back in the holster, because I can take my time and do it properly. The extra five-ten seconds to untuck my shirt, look at the holster, and carefully put my firearm back inside are worth not risking an accidental discharge that could put me or others at risk.
Some things need to be done fast, some don't - getting the gun out should be done fast; putting it back not so much...
That is all.
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9 comments:
You know, I just realized something.
The folks that claim to carry in Condition 3 (hammer down on an empty chamber) because they're afraid of an accidental discharge on reholstering?
I don't think that's the issue.
You see, if you've drawn your gun, you'd damn well better have racked the slide to load a round in the chamber. If the situation is grave enough to warrant pulling your piece, it had damn well be ready to use - else you've no business taking it out of the holster.
In which case, guess what? You've got a round in the chamber *anyways*.
Now, if you're going to take the time to drop the magazine, eject the round, and the re-insert the magazine (presumbably after loading the ejected round back into the magazine), then you've got *plenty* of time to re-holster properly.
I suspect the issue has nothing to do with re-holstering. I suspect it has more to do with folks being afraid of their firearms.
Again, mindset.
"If you honestly and truly believe the threat to be over - to the point where you are going to put your gun away - then you can take an extra five seconds and make sure you're putting it away correctly. Those five seconds won't kill you."
And, as I said at Robb's post, if it's not safe for you to take the 5-10 seconds needed to safely re-holster your carry gun, then you probably need to rethink the idea of re-holstering it at all.
Sticky Holsters no longer offers a reinforced mouth option on their holsters except to LE and military customers. Without reinforcement the holster needs to be removed from the waistband to insert the handgun. They said they consulted with a number of instructors and self-defense tacticians before making this decision.
Like I said at Robb's, you will probably be shaking so hard from the Adrenaline dump reholstering is not going to be as smooth as one thinks, unless you're in Afghanistan doing this everyday. Now play with the pistol to put it back in Condition 3? Uh, are you TRYING to cause and AD?
Having been there and done that, if your hands are shaking, just set the pistol down under you are steady. Heck, after my shooting, I let the Police render my Weapon safe for me. If it's going to be awhile before they show, then you should follow Mas Ayoobs Advice and try to render First Aid, call an Ambulance, etc. You can place the Pistol someplace out of the way.
And I still don't understand how one could play with a Revolver with shaking Hands to get an Empty Chamber Safely, nor rack the Slide on a Pump over and over, then reload, all while the Goblin is bleeding out.
Real World Shootings aren't nice and neat.
Dave, or you could buy a Remora...
Weer'd: I did. Two of them. Neither has the reinforced top. I just mentioned Sticky Holsters as an example that this aspect of defensive carry is being discussed elsewhere.
Several things to think about.
One is a Dragon Fugly IWB holster is designed to allow easy re-holstering. Another, as Jay mentioned is practice. My club has monthly pistol competition, I practice for it and participate in it. One of the actions is to safely draw and then re-holster. The use of a manual safety is an important part of that (I use a compact 1911 or a Browning Hi Power .40) Muscle memory on takng the safety off at the appropriate time when drawing and back on when re-holstering is an important part of that practice.
All that said, once again Bubblehead Les has an excellent point about the nervous rush during an armed encounter. I hope I never need to experience it, but pray that my training will help me to safely get through the encounter.
That is why I like DA/SA SIGs with their decocker. Dropping that hammer with the decocker before re-holstering does not require any involvement of the trigger and returns the weapon to DA mode with the hammer down from SA mode with the hammer cocked.
Jay, I agree. I think the issue here is mindset and familiarity with the firearm. Carrying a loaded gun everywhere is scary the first time you do it, for nearly anyone... and some of that fear can carry over. The condition of having a holstered gun at your hip will become familiar (and therefore non-threatening); but unless you practice regularly, the act of drawing and re-holstering can still be scary to a newbie.
(I read a comment once -- sorry, I forget where -- in which a woman said that she loved her 1911, but was nervous about carrying it cocked & locked. She was given some memorable advice -- unload your gun, double and triple-check that it's unloaded... then, pull the hammer back and put the safety on. Then wrap it up in some towels and throw it in the dryer (cool cycle) for a few minutes. Then take it out, and note that the safety is still on and the hammer is still back. The point was that such jostling is a lot more than anything we're likely to do in our daily lives.)
And concerning your basic point, I'm reminded of Heinlein: "never make decisions in haste that don't call for haste". Ditto for actions.
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