I Goofed

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TarDevil

TarDevil

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So, I kinda have some checklist things as I go out the door, such as wallet goes in my hip when I holster.

Yesterday I took some home made salsa to a neighbor. When I got back to my house and changed clothes I realized I was carrying a pistol with an empty magazine.

I had been dryfiring at the house, holstered the pistol while logging into our late team meeting, then trotted out the door with an unloaded gun.

One more thing to add to the checklist. You woulda thought it would have been near the top. Some things we take for granted.

Got any such tales?
 
I used to unload and separate ammo from gun when I got home every night. Our daughter was little, I didn't have a safe to put guns in, and we lived in an apartment.... Anyway, I got up one day, loaded up, must have gotten distracted by something, and headed out. It was only hours later that I realized that I'd chambered a round, but forgotten to put the magazine in the gun. IOW, if things had gone sideways for me that day, I had exactly ONE round to straighten them out.
 
TarDevil said:
. . . I was carrying a pistol with an empty magazine.
Click to expand...
Spats McGee said:
I had exactly ONE round to straighten them out.
Click to expand...
My solution is to build handling habits that check your work.

For instance, when the gun is lifted from its resting place, the mag is dropped to visualize the last indicator hole, the slide is press checked, and the mag is slapped back in and pulled.

Another example: your wallet never, ever, rests on a surface that isn't your dresser top. If it goes back and forth, hand to pocket, you can't leave it somewhere.

This sort of habit isn't bulletproof, but it is does create opportunities to notice your mistakes as variation from the norm.
 
edwardware said:
Another example: your wallet never, ever, rests on a surface that isn't your dresser top.
Click to expand...
Wallet has only one place in my house it stays unless it's in my pocket. To be honest, I'm that way about about most of my belongings...a place for everything. It is the sole reason I grimace on the rare occasions when my wife cooks.
Good points on holstering up. The problem yesterday is, I'd already done all that, then unloaded to practice dry fire. When I stuck the gun in my holster for the meeting I reverted to "normal," in every way except bullets. I didn't even notice the light gun.
 
Just booked a prisoner. Left the jail. A few blocks away made a traffic stop.

Got out of my car and did a little ritual where I pushed down on my .45. Pushed the base of the mag and checked the thump snap.

Nothing there. (Insert string of muttered obscenities)

Pulled my 642 out of my ankle holster. Stuck it in my duty holster, walked to the back of the violators car, yelled “Slow your ass down a little, and, have a good evening.”

Drove back to the jail, got my gun out of the lock box.
 
Last edited:
TarDevil said:
So, I kinda have some checklist things as I go out the door, such as wallet goes in my hip when I holster.

Got any such tales?
Click to expand...
I've armed myself and left the house, driven 20 miles before realizing I left my wallet behind. No DL, no CC permit, no money, and too far to turn back. That's where you tell yourself "I hope to heck the HP isn't out doing random license checks today", or "shoot, I'm at 1/4 tank and no cash or credit card".

I can generally avoid your issue because I never leave a magazine in any of my pistols when they are "parked" somewhere. If I'm practicing with a carry piece, I practice without a magazine, and it always gets a full mag as soon as I'm done with practice (dry-fire, presentation and aiming, etc.)

Spats McGee said:
I used to unload and separate ammo from gun when I got home every night. Our daughter was little, I didn't have a safe to put guns in, and we lived in an apartment.... Anyway, I got up one day, loaded up, must have gotten distracted by something, and headed out. It was only hours later that I realized that I'd chambered a round, but forgotten to put the magazine in the gun. IOW, if things had gone sideways for me that day, I had exactly ONE round to straighten them out.
Click to expand...
Good thing your pistol doesn't have a magazine disconnect (and I assume it doesn't).
 
sgt127 said:
Just booked a prisoner. Left the jail. A few blocks away made a traffic stop.

Got out of my car and did a little ritual where I pushed down on my .45. Pushed the base of the mag and checked the thump snap.

Nothing there. (Insert string of muttered obscenities)

Pulled my 642 out of my ankle holster. Stuck it in my duty holster, walked to the back of the violators car, yelled “Slow your ass down a little, and, have a good evening.”

Drove back to the jail, got my gun out of the lock box.
Click to expand...
Kinda like that for me once. Just booked a prisoner and got called to a disturbance. When I arrived I realized my gun was still in the locker at the PD. My partner loaned me his derringer.
 
I don't normally carry so I haven't had any of these issues. I can remember forgetting my backpack on the way to the airport for an overseas trip. Passport in the backpack. Wife saw it and brought it to me. What a woman. What I have to add is thanks for saying what you forgot or the mistakes you made. It makes all of us think more about things.
 
bangswitch said:
I've armed myself and left the house, driven 20 miles before realizing I left my wallet behind. No DL, no CC permit, no money, and too far to turn back. That's where you tell yourself "I hope to heck the HP isn't out doing random license checks today", or "shoot, I'm at 1/4 tank and no cash or credit card".

I can generally avoid your issue because I never leave a magazine in any of my pistols when they are "parked" somewhere. If I'm practicing with a carry piece, I practice without a magazine, and it always gets a full mag as soon as I'm done with practice (dry-fire, presentation and aiming, etc.)

Good thing your pistol doesn't have a magazine disconnect (and I assume it doesn't).
Click to expand...

That is what I am afraid of, once I get my CPL, if I forget to take it with me. Surely it is in their system, but presumably depending on the state, the consequences of not having it on me may be mild to harsh.
 
BTDT. Generally happens when something else happens to disrupt my normal routine. Since the odds of ever having to use it are so astronomically low, being without the gun or it's ammo for a few minutes/hours of any normal day, is only a little concerning. BTJM.
 
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