BehindBlueI's
Grandmaster
- Oct 3, 2012
- 25,952
- 113
I was talking to another detective last night and heard one of the saddest stories I've heard in quite awhile. I won't go into detail, but at one point the victim was able to get to a handgun in the house, put the gun into contact with the attacker...and nothing. The attacker took the gun away from the victim and continued the assault and eventually stole the gun after finishing the attack. Its an absolutely heartwrenching tale, and one I truly wish had a different ending, but reality is reality and we can try to learn something from someone else's misfortune.
So, why nothing? The safety was on.
Guys, I'm not against a manual safety. I carried a 1911 for years and years. However, not all safeties are created equal. Not all are easy to activate intuitively under stress. If your carry gun has a manual safety, you NEED to practice drawing and deactivating the safety under stress. Get a shot timer, have someone run at you from the side while you try to dry fire, whatever, just make sure its burned into your muscle memory and that you can physically always do it.
What do I mean physically always do it? Some guns have lousy safeties. They aren't positioned for easy on/off while drawing, they are too stiff, they are too small, or some combination of these based on the gun design and your hand size. I could not consistently deactivate the safety on the CZ40B under stress, so I quit carrying it cocked and locked and went to hammer down/safety off (that particular gun can be carried either way and be ready to fire at the first trigger pull).
There are, of course, also a multitude of quality proven firearms that do not have a thumb safety. Glocks, XDs, most Sigs, etc. etc.
On a positive note, the victim survived and is a fighter. I hesitate to say "victim" as much as "survivor", but common terminology says otherwise. The person has already bought a replacement firearm...with no manual safety.
So, why nothing? The safety was on.
Guys, I'm not against a manual safety. I carried a 1911 for years and years. However, not all safeties are created equal. Not all are easy to activate intuitively under stress. If your carry gun has a manual safety, you NEED to practice drawing and deactivating the safety under stress. Get a shot timer, have someone run at you from the side while you try to dry fire, whatever, just make sure its burned into your muscle memory and that you can physically always do it.
What do I mean physically always do it? Some guns have lousy safeties. They aren't positioned for easy on/off while drawing, they are too stiff, they are too small, or some combination of these based on the gun design and your hand size. I could not consistently deactivate the safety on the CZ40B under stress, so I quit carrying it cocked and locked and went to hammer down/safety off (that particular gun can be carried either way and be ready to fire at the first trigger pull).
There are, of course, also a multitude of quality proven firearms that do not have a thumb safety. Glocks, XDs, most Sigs, etc. etc.
On a positive note, the victim survived and is a fighter. I hesitate to say "victim" as much as "survivor", but common terminology says otherwise. The person has already bought a replacement firearm...with no manual safety.