I was listening to the local talk radio guy on the 3rd. He was talking about Plaxico Burress shooting himself in the leg at a club in NY.
He said that Burress did several stupid things, one of which was having a round in the chamber. Having a gun in a club, not having a current CCW is a definite no-no, but the talk show host said that Burress was wrong for having a round in the chamber.
He's a nice guy, talked to him several times. It's well-known that he has a CCW permit. I just couldn't believe the guy doesn't carry a weapon with a chambered round.
So I sent him a quick email...
Austin,
Every weapon I carry has a round chambered at all times.
If you ever NEED to use your weapon, you'll want to have a round in the chamber. Not doing so puts your life, and the lives of those around you, in danger.
Checked that email account today to find that he had replied back.
I was amazed at his "cushion most can live with" comment.
Austin,
Add that .5 seconds to the time it takes to draw the weapon. How far behind the power curve do you wish to be in a life and death situation?
The longer it takes you to have a fully functional weapon in your hands, the more cushion the bad guy has, the longer you're at a disadvantage, and the longer your life (as well as the lives of those around you) is in danger.
Something you're also not thinking about is that if you're in a situation where the bad guy has his attention focused elsewhere and you decide to go ahead a rack that slide to chamber a round, you've just given an audible alert to the bad guy that's screaming "I HAVE A GUN!" By doing so you've made yourself his priority target. The slides of semi-auto pistols make a very unique sound that EVERYONE recognizes (just like shotguns). If you think you'd rack the slide slowly and quietly so as to not raise suspicion, you're taking for fawking ever to react. Three to four times as long based on your .5 second comment.
What happens if, in the heat of the moment, during that adrenaline rush, you pull your weapon and immediately aim it at the bad guy?
Click...
If you haven't been in that situation you don't know how you're going to react. You NEED to stack the deck in your favor. As a CCW permit holder the only time you should need to use your weapon will be when your life or the lives of those around you is put at risk. At the moment you decide you NEED to use your weapon you're already at a disadvantage. Combine that with the sense of panic (normal) and the instant adrenaline rush you'll get and there's a myriad of things that can go wrong.
I was in the military for eight years. During those eight years I had three close calls. I'm alive because of decisions I made and my strong will to live.
What you're saying is equivalent to saying you won't wear a seat belt in your car but will instead put it on just before a crash.
Just as in a car crash, you don't always see it coming.
Stay safe,
Jason
Thoughts?
He said that Burress did several stupid things, one of which was having a round in the chamber. Having a gun in a club, not having a current CCW is a definite no-no, but the talk show host said that Burress was wrong for having a round in the chamber.
He's a nice guy, talked to him several times. It's well-known that he has a CCW permit. I just couldn't believe the guy doesn't carry a weapon with a chambered round.
So I sent him a quick email...
Austin,
Every weapon I carry has a round chambered at all times.
If you ever NEED to use your weapon, you'll want to have a round in the chamber. Not doing so puts your life, and the lives of those around you, in danger.
Checked that email account today to find that he had replied back.
I was amazed at his "cushion most can live with" comment.
Austin,
Add that .5 seconds to the time it takes to draw the weapon. How far behind the power curve do you wish to be in a life and death situation?
The longer it takes you to have a fully functional weapon in your hands, the more cushion the bad guy has, the longer you're at a disadvantage, and the longer your life (as well as the lives of those around you) is in danger.
Something you're also not thinking about is that if you're in a situation where the bad guy has his attention focused elsewhere and you decide to go ahead a rack that slide to chamber a round, you've just given an audible alert to the bad guy that's screaming "I HAVE A GUN!" By doing so you've made yourself his priority target. The slides of semi-auto pistols make a very unique sound that EVERYONE recognizes (just like shotguns). If you think you'd rack the slide slowly and quietly so as to not raise suspicion, you're taking for fawking ever to react. Three to four times as long based on your .5 second comment.
What happens if, in the heat of the moment, during that adrenaline rush, you pull your weapon and immediately aim it at the bad guy?
Click...
If you haven't been in that situation you don't know how you're going to react. You NEED to stack the deck in your favor. As a CCW permit holder the only time you should need to use your weapon will be when your life or the lives of those around you is put at risk. At the moment you decide you NEED to use your weapon you're already at a disadvantage. Combine that with the sense of panic (normal) and the instant adrenaline rush you'll get and there's a myriad of things that can go wrong.
I was in the military for eight years. During those eight years I had three close calls. I'm alive because of decisions I made and my strong will to live.
What you're saying is equivalent to saying you won't wear a seat belt in your car but will instead put it on just before a crash.
Just as in a car crash, you don't always see it coming.
Stay safe,
Jason
Thoughts?
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