Quote:
Originally Posted by Cobrabill
AMF-you are correct,it IS a personal choice.However,you saying that it takes "minimal time" to "rack around"in a life or death scenario is patently false.Any time you MUST use two hands to operate a handgun*you are losing valuable time.
As far as a better man goes...nahh,i just know my weapon well enough to dis-assemble and re-assemble it blind folded.
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I agree. I think that loaded and ready is the best state of readiness.
The part that I disagree on, is that I think it's a minor reduction in tactical readiness for a MAJOR increase in safety to NOT have a round chambered. Particularly in the case of a pilot with a closed cockpit door between him and any potential threat.
I used a graduated posture. If I'm out late at night or driving through a bad part of town or I'm walking to my vehicle (and I have an opportunity to rack a round) then I'll carry ready to go.
Most of the time, if I'm out eating with my family or shopping at Wal Mart or whatever, I carry the gun, with a magazine in, but no round in the chamber.
We could debate the ideosynchracies of personal defense tactics all day long. There are others that would argue that if you get into a physical confrontation, NOT involving a weapon, then having a loaded gun on you almost FORCES you to draw it (unless you like to fist fight and roll on the ground with a loaded firearm pointing at your person). In almost ALL states, that's going to at best get your carry permit revoked, and at worst get you some jail time or probation for brandishing a weapon (you have to have ACTUAL threat to your life to justify drawing your gun on someone....so until the guy puts his hands around your throat.....being in a fist fight doesn't absolutely satisfy that requirement.)
It's a personal preference issue. The overall larger point (and if you're a gun enthusiast or LE professional I'm sure you agree) is that under almost all circumstances (not involving another person) if your weapon goes off, it's your fault. The the government's...not the program...yours.
I know all my guns in and out. I can disassemble and reassemble blindfolded as well. I carry a Glock, which the ONLY operable way to fire the gun is to pull the trigger (which also has a safety on it). You could take the gun and drop it off a 5 story building and it won't fire (I've actually seen footage of a loaded Glock being placed inside a steel container and shaken like hell and it won't go off.) Even still, I can't stomach having a loaded gun pointed at my crotch (at least not for very long). That's why I choose to not rack a round. It's just an extra safety precaution.
I truly agree that if you have to use two hands, it's a reduction in readiness, but I think the likelihood of the scenario is small (even minute) and the safety advantages are HUGE.
I fully support pilots carrying pistols. But I also think that they ought to have more training than a couple of weeks at some course. You wouldn't let a pilot fly a plane if he had only a couple of weeks training.....why would you want him to carry an instrument that's designed to kill people and could potentially cause a catastrophic accident on a civilian aircraft?