What is the very first safety rule when you handle a gun?
I can see that a few of your classmates are already raising their hands. I'm certainly not surprised to see who, though. It is the quiet ones, the grim ones, the people who lie awake at nights because they are afraid they won't be able to rise to the occasion if they have to defend a life. I want someone else to take a stab at it.
Nothing? Not a glimmer? That is very disappointing to me, class. No gold star for you.
Rule #!: Always keep ALL GUNS pointed in a safe direction!
Know that rule! Live it! Tragedy cannot occur if you never forget this very simple instruction.
Note, if you will, that there are no exceptions to this rule. Ever! All firearms will be pointed in a safe direction, and this will happen at all times.
It is important to understand that the basis for this rule, the bedrock upon which it is firmly set, is respect. You respect yourself and those around you too much to ever take the chance of injury or death. You respect all firearms as tools that can be dangerous if handled in the wrong way.
One of the problems I have encountered over the years is the sneering contempt that some people have for the smaller calibers. You can hear the disdain just drip from their voice when they talk about these guns. "Mouse guns!" they say with their lip curled in distaste. "Better hope they get scared and hurt themselves when they run away, 'cause that gun won't bother 'em!"
This attitude is, to be completely frank, stupid as all get out. Although I try very hard to be polite, the one thing I want to tell these people when I encounter them is to STFU and let the grownups talk. If they don't want to be treated like a little kid who still can't pee standing up, then they shouldn't make noises like a toddler.
Porta's Cat has an excellent post on the subject. Your homework assignment is to click on this link and read the whole thing. Extra credit if you read the comments, which are also worth your time.
That is the lesson for today. Class dismissed.
Comments (5)
There may be a different reason to dislike some small guns.
I love my Makarov, and it shoots pretty much where I aim it. The 9mm by 18mm rounds it shoots are less powerful than the 9mm by 19mm rounds that he speaks of, and slightly more powerful than the .380 he is comfortable with. So it's at the big end of the mouse gun range. When I shot my Kansas Concealed Carry Qualifier, I mostly got one big hole, and I'm relatively happy with that. (It was only mostly, and then there was the one feed problem I had.)
One lady came to the class with a little Beretta .32 which she had never shot before. Her target looked like someone was patterning a shotgun, although she did hit the vaguely man shaped target 19 out of 25 times, one more than she needs to pass. One instructor said that the Beretta was an "experts" gun, so a bigger weapon might be better. She sure had a hard time with it. Multiple problems with just operating the weapon.
If pocket guns are more difficult to operate than that would be a reason to at least consider the larger end of the scale. This is pretty anecdoctal though, she had never shot this gun before, and I have no reason to believe she was particularly expert. In fact, I believe she was only there at the encouragement of her husband. (I need to be more encouraging, myself.)
Can you comment on this problem, if you think it is one?
Oh, and something about nervous shooters whose hands tend to shake (especially when the guy in the next booth is shooting something big) would be nice. ;)
Yours,
Wince
Posted by Wince and Nod | October 14, 2006 7:50 PM
Posted on October 14, 2006 19:50
A piddling little .32 revolver was all the woman I married had when someone kicked in the door of her apartment. He did indeed get scared and run away, which is good enough for us.
There is also a case on record of a woman who managed to kill her assailant with four rounds from a .25 automatic, altho not quickly enough to avoid a horrific beating. I'm afraid I can't recall the details well enough to find the link.
Posted by triticale | October 14, 2006 9:26 PM
Posted on October 14, 2006 21:26
Once on the Kel-Tec forum someone said he thought of his P-32 as like buckshot, but in serial instead of parallel.
Posted by AlanDP | October 14, 2006 10:40 PM
Posted on October 14, 2006 22:40
Wince,
My "primary" is a Beretta PX4 (17+1, 9mm). I have also had both .40 S&W and .45 ACP in that role, and a 9mm P-89 bought back in ~1993, and a .357 prior to that. So, I really DO like "bigger calibers", although some may argue that with the 9mm. Sugar Cat (my ladyfriend) has a G-19, and will also likley pick up some variation of 5 shot .38 Spcl snubbie upon passing her CHL.
The .38 Spcl. in a 2.5" barrel (even with +P) is only borderline reliable as a full throttle "manstopper" compared to even a 9mm ball at similar ranges. But, it is still enough round that I would really hate to face it at 50 feet, much less 5 feet.
But, we live in a world of compromises. Sugar Cat is 5' tall and ~100 lb. of Mexican Fury. Her trying to carry her G-19 "comfortably concealed" in anything less than a Burkha would be difficult. The G-19 is a great car/bedside pistol for her. Not so great for Wallyworld parking lot.
I am now mostly carrying the 642 (.38 spcl.) for social occasions, with a Safariland speedloader in one pocket. With it holstered at hip, inside pants, I can retrieve it faster than I can get my keys out of my pocket and can sling accurate shots to the thoracic triangle out to about 20 feet. However, as soon as I get some house buying finances straightened out, I will likley move up to a .44 Spcl snubbie, which moves us right up to "deadly serious" firepower, even out of the short barrel.
Anyhow, just random commentary. I didn't, and would not have, carry the 642 until I had run quite a few boxes of ammo through it at the range in shooting scenarios and knew I could out rounds where they needed to go, and fast.
Posted by Porta's Cat | October 16, 2006 9:18 AM
Posted on October 16, 2006 09:18
A Kel-Tec P-32 with the +1 extension on the magazines (so I can handle it with my big hands) makes a great BUG for me and a (current) primary for my ever-indulgent wife (about the same size as Sugar Cat). You really don't want to get 8 rounds of .32 dumped into you. Sure, only the first couple will go COM but that's because the rest will be head shots.
Heck, we just did a low-light class over the weekend. She used her Walther P22 (.22LR) because it's the only pistol she knew she could run several hundred rounds through without problems and her target from the drill where we shot in total darkness was all COM hits.
Sure, if she had to shoot someone I'd rather she had my .45 to use, but she will have her .32 and she will use it and she will hit the target and that's all that counts.
Posted by KCSteve | October 16, 2006 3:30 PM
Posted on October 16, 2006 15:30