Your carry gun is NOT for Show & Tell

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JohnKSa

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Your carry gun is for self-defense. If you are in public, there's really only one reason to draw your carry gun. This is not the reason.



Please be careful out there. Don't be messing with your carry gun in public unless you need it to defend innocent life.

When you deal with your carry gun at home, follow the safety rules and keep the handling to an absolute minimum while it is loaded.
 
I'm sure he thought he did. Screwups are bound to happen which is why it's critical to minimize the opportunity for them to occur.

The simplest way to have avoided this one would have been to leave the gun where it belonged.

I'm not sure what he was showing his buddy, but I am sure it wasn't worth a bullet in the gut.
 
Guns forums are a version of show & tell, but may not be receptive to subsequent Q&A , IME.
Many people like to post, "I pocket carry _____" perhaps accompanied with a vague explanation of "meets my needs".
Uh, what does "meets my needs" mean? Most likely possible answers may include statistics, location (good area), rationalizations, but usually not full disclosure.
Full disclosure is they are unwilling to carry something better when they otherwise could, but that is usually unsaid in gun forum show & tell.
 
Guns forums are a version of show & tell, but may not be receptive to subsequent Q&A , IME.
Many people like to post, "I pocket carry _____" perhaps accompanied with a vague explanation of "meets my needs".
Uh, what does "meets my needs" mean? Most likely possible answers may include statistics, location (good area), rationalizations, but usually not full disclosure.
Full disclosure is they are unwilling to carry something better when they otherwise could, but that is usually unsaid in gun forum show & tell.
Is there a point to your post that's relevant to this thread?

The simplest way to have avoided this one would have been to leave the gun where it belonged.
This is the lesson, period.
 
Its usually scary/hairy enough just watching people handle "empty" guns in a gun shop the way they point them everywhere without thought. Then there's always that one boy who just has to pull out the gun hes carrying.....

I have a number of friends who either work at, or own gun shops, and you hear the crazy stories all the time. Its not at all an occasional occurrence either. And thats with a big sign on the door as you walk in telling you to keep it holstered.

If you want to work on your situational awareness, a gun shop is a great place to do it. :thumbup:
 
Keep putting out the message.

My current favorite gun shop has that sign on the door. Would that more gun owners take it as a personal rule. I've had folks grab their shooter and whip it out to display it in all it's loaded glory, then fiddle unloading it to hand around, reload it, and then casually holster it while wearing loose clothing to conceal it. I will never again remark on it if I think they are carrying.

We need to NOT ask as our part of being safe.

Despite rumors to the contrary, a gun only discharges when a human is touching it. A German Shepherd can chew the grip off, fine, a human touches it and it will go bang. Engineers have worked hundreds of years to guarantee that result so that it will go bang if we need it. Don't expect it to not go bang messing with it. We don't tolerate defective guns that can't discharge, we buy guns that WILL discharge.

It's a stick of dynamite that lights the fuze every time its in your hand, and it only goes out if you let go. Keep hanging on and it will go off, not if.
 
CDW4ME writes:

Guns forums are a version of show & tell, but may not be receptive to subsequent Q&A , IME.
Many people like to post, "I pocket carry _____" perhaps accompanied with a vague explanation of "meets my needs".
Uh, what does "meets my needs" mean? Most likely possible answers may include statistics, location (good area), rationalizations, but usually not full disclosure.
Full disclosure is they are unwilling to carry something better when they otherwise could, but that is usually unsaid in gun forum show & tell.

We've seen/heard this from you in relevant threads. It's not relevant to the subject of this one (unless it can be determined that it was the material of discussion in the video.)
 
The mis-handler does seem to pull the slide, rearward, several times, but never really far enough to clear the chamber. (Was he really that weak? Or, did he really not know how far to pull slide?) Even the one time that the mis-handler seems to have something in his hand, and makes a motion as if placing a cartridge on the counter, well, there is nothing on the counter, when his hand clears that area, so, well, yes, the chambered cartridge was still in the chamber, the whole time. Simple as that. What a shame.

Of course, the unsafe muzzle direction was absolutely egregious, but, sadly, very commonly seen at gun stores.

Maybe, just maybe, a broken extractor or broken ejector could be a factor, enabling a cartridge to remain chambered, but, that is why safe muzzle direction is so vital, and also why we MUST check the chamber, rather than rely upon simply going through the motions.
 
Is there a point to your post that's relevant to this thread?

CDW4ME writes:
We've seen/heard this from you in relevant threads. It's not relevant to the subject of this one (unless it can be determined that it was the material of discussion in the video.)

The thread title is show & tell, do all replies have to match the topic as you perceive it, or is related, like addressing the title sufficient. Rhetorical.
Gun forum show & tell full disclosure is a topic inexplicably disliked by some, vague with rationalization sprinkles is preferred.
 
My opinion:

If you're carrying...you're carrying.

If you're going to a gun shop/gun show/gun smith or some such...then the gun you intend to present for whatever reason is NOT your carry and ought to be carried in its own case/bag.

If you're going hunting (with handgun/rifle/shotgun), then your hunting arm is your hunting arm. Your carry is still your carry.

Don't confuse your carry with show & tell, your hunting arm, or the gun you're taking to the shop.

Unless you're training with it, or (heaven forbid) actually in need of it for deadly force, keep it holstered.


DOES THIS MEAN YOU CAN NEVER "SHOW" YOUR CARRY PIECE?

Certainly not. But there is a time and a place for such matters. Wisdom is knowing when this is.
 
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He pulled the slide back at least twice after dropping the magazine. This is why you look and feel for that chambered round leaving the firearm. Sure that extractor should pull it out, hit that ejector and the round might be on the floor. Or you might miss it and shoot your buddy in the stomach.
 
There is a related issue of using a weapon mounted light for your administrative flashlight. Which means, pulling the gun out of the holster, turning the light on, then pointing it wherever you think something dropped or needs to be seen.

A gun out of the holster is a lethal weapon. When I see it come out, I'm thinking, who does that guy want to stop with it? Me?

The situation can quickly escalate because the owner waving the gun around to show it off is overstepping social boundaries while demonstrating how many inches of barrel he's got. Ahem.

Mas Ayoob said something along those lines once, it involved not unzipping your pants in public. Keep it in the holster. At the very least you prevent some Karen hotlining you to the PoLeece and being a Man with a Gun! in a public place. You do NOT want to be holding it if they show up. It's a high risk situation when they come barreling in looking for a SHOOTER! and there you are, admiring your buddies piece.

Another forum is running a 9 page thread on this and many new gun owners simply don't understand. It's like "Of COURSE I can show off my new Corvette come on outside I'll burn off the tires." This isn't going away any time soon with millions of new shooters who aren't familiar with the rules of safety or the customs and courtesies. Much less the law and law enforcers.

By the way, a Good Samaritan did stop a perp and because he was holding the perps AR when the police arrived, he's no longer with us. That's Show and Tell, too. It can get you killed. IIRC the perp survived.
 
Occasionally a friend will ask if I’m carrying, either 1) good natured ribbing cause I’m a “gun nut”, or 2) cause they’re mildly concerned with the area we’re in. My answer is always the same, “concealed means concealed”.

Watching that video made my stomach churn; a series of bad decisions leading to a serious injury of a friend.
 
Wow, first off, what....why did....first off, all the questions. What was he thinking, why did he think that was necessary, where did he think he was, who does that? I'm not sure what he was trying to demonstrate, but he sure seemed to struggle racking the slide back. He was also covering the ejection port with his hand. I'm assuming he was attempting to take the weapon down, but wow, not the time or the place. Best case scenario, he takes the slide off without incident, the sales guy looks back over to see two firearms on the counter where the is only supposed to be one, one of which has been disassembled, a loaded magazine and one loose round. At that point, as the sales guy, you gotta have both of them leave I would imagine.
 
Your carry gun is for self-defense. If you are in public, there's really only one reason to draw your carry gun. This is not the reason...

Agree 100%. Great reminder and great vid to drive home the lesson.

When you think this can happen to anyone if the 4 Cooper rules or the 3 NRA rules are not always foremost in our mind when carrying it's very sobering.

Years ago I knew two police officers who inadvertently fired their duty weapons into the floor of their respective departments. One was a fellow officer at my department and the other was a good friend at another department. Both great guys. Conscientious and responsible individuals. But it only takes one time... a moment of carelessness.

Thankfully in those situations no one got shot. They were at least following one rule... "Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy."
 
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