Clackity-Thunk! (Oh no! I'm soiling my pants!)

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mountaindrew

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Why is there such alot of hubbub about the terrifying effect of the sound of a pump shotgun being cycled? It doesnt sound that scary to me, especialy not more than any other mechanical sound. If you were a burglar and you heard a lever action rifle Cluck-Thack or a semi auto pistol slide being dropped, would you say "Well at least its not a shotgun!" I dont think most people could tell the difference!
 
My take is to never bank on psychological effects, especially when that means that I'm sleeping next to an unloaded arm.
 
If anyone has watched TV or been to the movies they are familiar with the sound of a racking shotgun. How many times have police officers held up memo books or other objects in order to have the bad guy try to shoot around those objects rather than through them?

A lot of bad guys and the populace at large get their ideas from the media by and large. Perception of reality is your reality. Shotgun racking is a definite in the pucker factor meter! ;) :D
 
I had an experience on guard duty once with the Officer of the Guard trying to sneak up on our bunker. I carefully removed the magazine from my M-16, locked the bolt to the rear and waited. As I heard him approach I simply hit the bolt release. I think he peed his pants - the noise of the bolt at 2:00 AM on a quiet night in Vietnam sounded very loud. :p
 
Perhaps the sound of a shotgun rack is more intimidating because, with a shotgun, you know there is less chance of the shooter missing than if he/she racked, and was about to use, say, a handgun.
 
Racking the slide just gives the perp an aimpoint.
The only reason my shotgun doesn't have one in the chamber is because its not my primary HD weapon. Both my pistols have one in the chamber ready for some Jetli style gun-fu!
 
My 2 cents...

I dunno, but if I heard that "chunk-chunk" sound in a dark area, knowing that the owner is awake, aware, and loaded for bear...and has a shotgun, which can take yer head off at the waist, I wouldn't wait around for the "boom" ! And, being on the other end of the shotgun...behind cover, in a dark area that I am familiar with, I would hope that that sound might be just intimidating enough to send the perp packin'...because, to tell ya the truth, I don't want to kill anybody...but if it's gonna be me or them...I'll be breathin' when it's over ! :evil:

PS My house gun is a Mossberg 500 Cruiser loaded with 8 shots of 12 guage persuasion...all double buck
 
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To a nervous ,drugged up perp, any sound may responded to with rapid fire from his gun !!! The only psychological thing I trust is when the perp says 'oh my god I've been shot'
 
I leave the gun locker in my room unlocked at night with the shotgun cruiser ready. The glock next to my bed however is fully loaded with one in the chamber
 
Some of you guys misunderstood me. I'm not saying that racking a shotgun wouldn't have any effect (most crimainals dont want to engage an armed opponent) Im saying that they couldn't tell the difference between a shotgun, levergun, my Saiga AK makes a good noise, ect, ect. I might not be able to, and I spend some (not enough :rolleyes: ) time around differnt types of guns.

If a burglar tries to laugh off the sound of my Saiga (or marlin1894)in the darkness, he will be laughing through a couple'a new holes in his chest.
 
I guess I just don't understand why someone would want an unloaded gun around :confused:
 
I guess I just don't understand why someone would want an unloaded gun around :confused:
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In my case, it's just the heebie-jeebies caused by a cocked single-action weapon with no firing-pin safety and a pot-metal lowest-bidder sear left cocked for months on end. Probably irrational, but it takes naught-point-zero seconds to ready for action, and unless I'm wearing a ghillie suit under my bed, Mr. Intruder probably has a pretty fair idea where I am. If he's a Palestinian tango who's gonna blast through the wall with his AK, he'll do it at the sound of mattress springs or an AR chambering... :uhoh:
 
pot-metal lowest-bidder sear left cocked for months on end. Probably irrational
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Now, let me preface this by saying I don't keep my 870 with one in the chamber, either, ;) but is it a common thing for the hammer to accidentally go forward on a pump shotgun? I don't think it's ever happened to me, but then again, both my shotguns are fairly young 870s.
 
I keep my Rem 870 next to the bed, mag full, chamber empty, safety off.

Here's my reasoning behind that condition and the cachet given to the "CLACK CLACK" of a shotgun being racked.

First, the condition...already been addressed by another poster. I prefer to not trust the Rem 870 safety and sear with a loaded chamber.

Second, the sound.

If I need the shotgun by the bed when I'm in bed, it's going to be dark and someone will have broken into my house during that time.

Situation 1--the break-in is done by somebody looking for stuff and money, who mistakenly thinks the house is empty. The CLACK-CLACK is a loud, clear message that the house is occupied by an armed person. Gives potential thief chance to retreat. However, someone who doesn't retreat at that sound will probably have to be shot anyway..........

Situation 2--House is broken into by someone who is not looking for stuff or money, but looking for people to rape, kill, or otherwise brutalize. That person is breaking in precisely because it is late at night, and his intended targets are in bed, just where he wants them. The CLACK-CLACK is not a deterrent, but takes so little time, it doesn't matter. It doesn't matter that the sound shows my position, as the intruder already knows my position...that's why he's breaking in when he's breaking in........Besides, the loud CLACK-CLACK is the signal to my wife in bed next to me to grab the .357 magnum that sleeps on her side of the bed on the nightstand.

Situation 3--House is broken into by a relative, or a drunken neighbor who shows up at the wrong house. The CLACK-CLACK gives a chance for the harmless intruder to yell out and indentify himself.

As for other sounds, some rifle bolts sound about as loud as a shotgun slide. The bolt being racked is about as loud.

None of my handguns sound anywhere as loud as the shotgun being racked.
 
I'm not sure what it is about the sound, but I know it makes my wife (no longer anti; not yet a gun person) nervous when she hears me rack the slide downstairs, even when she knows that it's me and I'm just cycling the actions as I get the guns packed up to go to the range or hunting.

Why is that sound any more threatening that any other action being cycled? I don't know, but it seems universally so. Everybody is familiar with that sound, and if asked could probably give an imitation of it. However, ask your man on the street to imitate any other action type being cycled and you'd probably get a dumb look.
 
Desperado

This is definitely a little OT but this thread reminds me of the scene from Desperado where Antonio Banderas finds himself hiding in a room the bad guy has just entered. He pulls out one of his Ruger P90's and realizes that it doesn't have a round in the chamber. He then proceeds to SLOWLY rack the slide so as not to make any noise to alert the BG and endanger himself or the character played by Salma Hayek who was also in the room. The various pained grimaces and contorted facial expressions he made while manipulating the slide make the scene exceptionally funny. I'm sure most of us would not see any humor in being caught in a similar situation.
 
Cycling the old Remington

I was riding with an LE type out in the LA Basin when he did a stop on a car with blacked out windows. We "thought" there were at least 4 individuals inside. He called for backup (this was about 2am), stepped out behind the door of the cruiser and used the PA to order them out, when no one appeared, he got ticked at threw the mike down- It stuck open, and as he reached in grabbed the Remington 870 and racked the slide (which went out over the PA), it looked like rats deserting the sinking ship. There were 4 out and flat on the ground in less than 15 seconds. Turns out they were bangers on the way to do a drive by... When backup showed up, they found a number of weapons in the car. I have since heard from him and he has used that technique a couple of more times and it has worked each time.

I keep my 590A1 unloaded for the same reasons most of you do- I just don't trust leaving one loaded that long. Also, i don't want to blind grab the shotgun and inadvertently discharge it.
 
...and unless I'm wearing a ghillie suit under my bed, Mr. Intruder probably has a pretty fair idea where I am.
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Well, of course he would. The bed is where you put the pillows under the blankets to mimic you sleeping and draw fire. The proper place to wear the ghillie is in the closet. :rolleyes:

I don't sleep anywhere NEAR my bed, that's a sucker's play. :D
 
If anyone has watched TV or been to the movies they are familiar with the sound of a racking shotgun.
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Well, yes and no. They know what sound-effect is being played while the actor is racking the slide. Is it really the sound of a slide being racked?

We all know what gunfire sounds like. I've never heard that sound in a movie. The sound-effect that's usually played is deeper and more resonant than the familiar crack of a shot.

If you've never heard a gunshot before without hearing protection on, try it sometime (outdoors only and at a distance!) - it's quite different.

So back to the subject - if a goblin hears the sound of a slide being racked, is he going to know what it is, or is he just going to pick up on it as the sound of your position?

I've heard the sound-effect in the movies, but I can't call it to mind right now. Nor do I have a shotgun handy to check out the real sound. Anyone else?
 
Clearly the answer is to rewire your alarm system, so that instead of a siren, it plays the sound of a pump shotgun being racked.

That way, they perp will soil himself and leave, and you get to stay asleep.

:rolleyes:
 
In my case, it's just the heebie-jeebies caused by a cocked single-action weapon with no firing-pin safety and a pot-metal lowest-bidder sear left cocked for months on end. Probably irrational, but it takes naught-point-zero seconds to ready for action, and unless I'm wearing a ghillie suit under my bed, Mr. Intruder probably has a pretty fair idea where I am. If he's a Palestinian tango who's gonna blast through the wall with his AK, he'll do it at the sound of mattress springs or an AR chambering...
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Good post. Same as me... Plus in my area a lot of people who may get into your home are lost and confused drunks. I don't want to shoot someone, especially a drunk... so it's my hope that a shotgun noise = them running away.
 
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