Carrying a gun you've never shot? WTF?

[Brian's Surplus]

I see this all the time. I know people that change their EDC every couple of months, sometimes after just a couple weeks! One guy in particular will often go around a gun show trying to trade a box of one caliber ammunition for another caliber so he has something to carry in his new pistol (usually without a holster). I also know several people that put their carry pistol on the table for sale at a gun show. They say "if I sell this one, I'll just carry that one". I gave up trying to talk sense into them years ago.

Over the years I have had a Failure To Fire with several firearms and several different causes. Problems with the weapon itself, ammunition, magazines and sometimes operator error. I have had FTFs with H&K, Glock, S&W, Remington & Mossberg just to name a few. Most of them were purchased used, some new.

Don't be offended if I listed one that you carry. I carry an H&K as my primary and a Glock as my backup, as well as a Remington 870 in the truck. I have thoroughly tested ALL of them and all of the magazines. I also like to keep 2 of each firearm I use for self defense (as well as holsters, when it applies).

I agree with some of the comments saying that the user needs to be proficient. Anyone that carries an automatic should know how to clear a malfunction well enough that they shouldn't need to think about it while doing it. That said, it's a good idea to try to prevent the need to clear a malfunction in a potentially life-threatening situation.

People sometimes regard me as being somewhat paranoid but I prefer to call it overly cautious.

 

[NHT3]

I've owned 2 new pistols that didn't function on the initial trial. Probably two of the most unlikely suspects, a Glock 19 and a Nighthawk T3. Both were easily sorted out but the point being there is always that possibility. IMHO Ammo is more likely to cause rounds not to go on target but operator error is always the most likely cause malfunctions. TRAINING lessens the possibility of all three issues and while I don't have any idea of percentages my guess would be 80% of people carrying have had no formal training. Go figure.. I'm not the only one here that preaches training but it seems to fall on deaf ears all too often. As BBI said, "you don't know what you don't know" and with all the new shooters that issue has become an epidemic.
The class that BBI an Coach are teaching in a couple of weeks will give you a really good idea if you are good to go or not so much, it is a real "eye opener"!

 

[Snapdragon]

Finally got to the range to put a few boxes through my M10 snubby, and now it's GTG as my Jeep gun.

 

[bobzilla]

I don't understand this. I mean... first thing I do after buying a new to me firearm is shoot the **** out of it. Not for relability, or performance but because it's a NEW FRIGGIN GUN! Why WOULDN'T you want to shoot it?

EDIT: this is also the same reason I could never own a museum piece.

 

[halfmileharry]

I don't understand this. I mean... first thing I do after buying a new to me firearm is shoot the **** out of it. Not for relability, or performance but because it's a NEW FRIGGIN GUN! Why WOULDN'T you want to shoot it?

EDIT: this is also the same reason I could never own a museum piece.

I'll buy one occasionally just for the safe and "looks" factor. Other than that all of my guns are tools and get used.

 

[Amishman44]

I don't understand this. I mean... first thing I do after buying a new to me firearm is shoot the **** out of it. Not for relability, or performance but because it's a NEW FRIGGIN GUN! Why WOULDN'T you want to shoot it? EDIT: this is also the same reason I could never own a museum piece.

I'm with Bobzilla...guns were made to be shot...not looked at!

Exception to the museum piece (which I am not a collector)...but everything else is simply a tool to be used safely!

 

[Amishman44]

I don't understand this. I mean... first thing I do after buying a new to me firearm is shoot the **** out of it. Not for relability, or performance but because it's a NEW FRIGGIN GUN! Why WOULDN'T you want to shoot it? EDIT: this is also the same reason I could never own a museum piece.

I've only seen/held one (1) gun I wouldn't take to the range and shoot...and that was a NIB Remington Rand 1911 from 1944...still in the cardboard box...not a scratch on it...not even were the barrel rubs the slide! It was freakin' beautiful...a truly preserved work of art...something to be respected and protected!

Otherwise, it's off to the range for some bang-bang time!

 

[MemphisR32]

BIL came to town to visit one weekend and wanted to go to the range with me to shoot. We go and he shoots his carry Shield 9mm and a 1911 he picked up. When getting dinner later that day with the wives he says something like it was so fun shooting those guns for the first time today I had been wanting to try them out and see how they shoot. I kinda had a strange thought after that and recall he telling me about 6 weeks ago he sold another gun to get his Shield and saying how it feels more comfortable.

It's about a day later I realize I think he has been carrying this gun and had not shot it. I really dont know the whole story but don't want to get into it.

 

[MohawkSlim]

Do you guys test your fire extinguishers?

 

[bobzilla]

Do you guys test your fire extinguishers?

orange and watermelon. Fire extinguisher is a one time use. A firearm keeps getting used until bullets are no longer made. Besides.... guns are fun. FE are messy.

 

[88E30M50]

I don't understand the mindset of a person that buys a gun and then does not run out at the first opportunity to shoot it. Guns are cool in and of themselves, but they are freaking awesome when being shot. They are all different too. Each of my 1911s has its own personality. You don't figure that out unless you shoot them. That's like marrying a beautiful woman and just not getting around to having an intimate relationship.

 

[Excalibur]

I also have several Fire Extinguishers in case one goes down, but because they aren't reusable, I can't actually test them.

 

[ru44mag]

I don't understand the mindset of a person that buys a gun and then does not run out at the first opportunity to shoot it. Guns are cool in and of themselves, but they are freaking awesome when being shot. They are all different too. Each of my 1911s has its own personality. You don't figure that out unless you shoot them. That's like marrying a beautiful woman and just not getting around to having an intimate relationship.

I like the analogy. As far as handguns, as soon as I get home, I load up all the mags, grab my glasses and ears, and go out back and start shooting.

 

[Onebad06vtx]

I must admit that I am almost as bad as I carry bullets that I have not shot yet.

 

[gglass]

Plenty of people carry a gun as a talisman. They don't really think they'll need it, or that it's mere presence will keep evil at bay. Add in a healthy dose of Dunning-Kruger (people who know very little tend to be much more confident because they don't know what they don't know) and you wind up with people carrying unproven guns.

I don't know of anyone in my circle of family and friends that would carry a gun as a talisman, but your comment reminded me of a story my wife told me about an ex-boyfriend from many years ago. After noticing how well I keep my guns in perfect working order she told me about this old boyfriend that carried a pistol every day even though he know that it was broken and wouldn't fire. Even without being a firearms enthusiast, she realized just how stupid this was and dropped him as a boyfriend in short order... Smart lady!

 

[whiteoak]

Plenty of people carry a gun as a talisman. They don't really think they'll need it, or that it's mere presence will keep evil at bay. Add in a healthy dose of Dunning-Kruger (people who know very little tend to be much more confident because they don't know what they don't know) and you wind up with people carrying unproven guns. You run in to people carrying AIR SOFT guns, including uniformed security guards...and robbers robbing uniformed security guards of their real guns (yeah).

A lot of my robbers were using this CO2 revolver a few years ago: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ignite-B...tor-Pistol-Professional-Grade-BB-Gun/33492216 because it looks real, looks intimidating, and was easy to shoplift at Wal-mart.

I ran across this awhile back and while I've not kept my own stats, it seems quite likely to jive with local experience: Criminals and the Guns They Carry | Active Response Training



The stolen ones tend to have the better ammunition.

That is so true, I can remember at least 5 guns that I found during searches, that were not in working order or loaded with the wrong ammo. I found one .22 that had the ammo in the clip backwards and the clip in the gun backwards? I think that stopped a suicide attempt. I have also seen guys under stress jam up shotguns putting rounds in the mag backwards. And can also tell the story of a guy that got rattled and tried to load a .45 colt with .38's and dropped about 12 round through the cylinder onto the floor before we were on scene.