The Briefing Room
General Category => Sports/Entertainment/MSM/Social Media => Shooting Sports => Topic started by: txradioguy on February 21, 2019, 09:26:42 pm
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By Sheriff Jim Wilson, Shooting Illustrated
I have gotten to the point where I seldom visit online gun forums, blogs or comments sections. The simple reason is that I have seen a huge amount of bad advice offered about personal defense and firearms. Some of that advice, in fact, is downright dangerous.
The latest piece of dangerous advice was shared with me by a shooting buddy. The nameless “expert†on this particular forum was suggesting that the best defense handgun is a single-action revolver, carried in the holster with the hammer cocked. Yes, with the hammer cocked.
It appears that this particular scribe believes that this technique is very fast and accurate. I would suggest that it can be so fast that the shot may be made before the gun is even out of the holster. In which case, something more than band aids would likely be in order. I won’t belabor the point because anyone who knows anything at all about handguns can see how foolish and dangerous such a practice would be.
Another piece of internet advice that got a lot of mileage was the suggestion that people should carry their semi-automatic pistols with an empty chamber. This was touted as the proper technique because some military organizations required it, ignoring the whole issue of response time. While I understand that some folks, for one reason or another, may not feel safe carrying with a loaded chamber, the obvious solution is to carry a double-action revolver or just get some professional training with a semi-automatic pistol.
While I understand the entertainment value of the various forums and blogs, folks should keep in mind that personal defense is a serious business with serious consequences. It may be difficult to get sympathy from a jury when you tell them that you got your advice and guidance from “Bubba†on some random blog. When I want to check on a defensive technique, I go to known experts in the field, people like Rich Grassi, Claude Werner, Dave Spaulding, Grant Cunningham, Ken Campbell at Gunsite Academy or Clint Smith at Thunder Ranch, to name just a few of the real experts who are out there. Many of these experts even have their own web pages to check out.
Seeking advice and information that helps us to better defend ourselves is a smart thing to do. However, the defensive shooter is well advised to consider the source of the information and to make every effort to use only the best sources. You might want to keep in mind that Ol’ Bubba, who advocates carrying a cocked single-action revolver in your holster, is probably not going to be available to testify in your defense.
https://dailycaller.com/2019/02/20/self-defense-advice-consider-your-sources/
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So which, pray tell, sources should we consider?
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The latest piece of dangerous advice was shared with me by a shooting buddy. The nameless “expert†on this particular forum was suggesting that the best defense handgun is a single-action revolver, carried in the holster with the hammer cocked. Yes, with the hammer cocked.
I am far more comfortable with a single action revolver, so I think I can speak to this: This thought is just plain dumb, especially so because cocking the gun can easily be incorporated into the draw - Almost a natural motion in the process of pulling the iron... As can be proven in the case of fast-draw artists, none of which that I know of, starting their draw with the gun cocked in-situ. Add to that the inherent danger of jill-poking the trigger, and the whole idea is not only silly, but dangerous. Perhaps he meant half-cocked, but I fail to see any real advantage there in the mechanics of the draw in comparison to a resting hammer either.
Another piece of internet advice that got a lot of mileage was the suggestion that people should carry their semi-automatic pistols with an empty chamber.
That I can see, because I still do it. But I do it because I still am not comfortable with my own capabilities using a semi-auto... I fully understand it can be safe to carry one in the chamber, but I do not believe that to be true in my case, until my own motor function, muscle memory, and basic habit allow for that eventuality.
Seeking advice and information that helps us to better defend ourselves is a smart thing to do. However, the defensive shooter is well advised to consider the source of the information and to make every effort to use only the best sources.
That's right.
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So which, pray tell, sources should we consider?
There's a lot of what you see on YouTube by so called gun "experts" that should probably be avoided.
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A good article with plenty of sage advice! Kudos, @txradioguy!