Alcohol and guns... Very Serious

[KINGMAX]

Guns and Car Keys

Guns and car keys should be on the same level when it comes to mixing in alcohol.

I have give up drinking as a hobby a long time ago. In the past, I would leave my carry at home if I knew that I was leaving the house to go drinking. I just feel as if it would be adding major risk to your night out. After all, you are just looking to have a good time and return home.

 

[.cheese.]

I don't drink much, and as of the moment I can't drink at all or else I'll become diabetic (I have genetically high triglycerides which could ruin my pancreas).

However, when I did drink, at first I would unload my guns and lock them up. As I got to know myself more as I drank, I realized that I really wasn't the type to get whacko when I've had too much. Instead I get very calm and quiet, and eventually just go to sleep. So if I were to drink today, I'd be ok keeping my guns loaded as my problem would more be: being too sleepy and calm to deal with a real threat if it arose, than it would be to get crazy and possibly do something stupid.

 

[scrat]

isnt that why we have the ATF

seriously i would love to call them up some day and say.

" hey i need some advice. What kind of bourban should i drink while smoking a stogie and shooting an sks."

 

[glockman19]

I was pondering the same thought a few days ago.

That is, if I have even just a glass or two of wine some Saturday evening and then the situation arises that I need to use a firearm to defend myself and family, what will be the consequences, even if I am totally justified in my actions?

Or worse, what if I error somehow during the gun's use and then it is learned that I had some amount of alcohol in my system during the event? Like if I was injured and taken to hospital and the blood test show the presence of alcohol?

Something to think about ahead of that possibilty.

Jus tcame back from dinner. Had 1 1/2 glasses of chianti. Was carrying. I don't drink, anymore, to get drunk. I drink a glass or two of wine with food over a 2 hr dinner I'm not impared. but...it's definately something to think about.

 

[Two Cold Soakers]

Last I heard alcohol is a depressant. It slows mental and physical reactions and functions.

Remember the cliché example of hitting the button when the light comes on?
Plotting the reaction time over the course of "a couple drinks"?
If I recall correctly, reaction time increased with the amount of alcohol consumed.

Now, imagine along with me, intruder violates my space; I go through condition yellow, orange-red-offensiveweaponspotted-(insert all the other things that may race through the mind before making the decision to) FIRE.

Is a couple of drinks going to slow my reaction time to the point that a "badguy all hopped up from smoking crackaphetamine" can dispatch me as I escalate the situation a bit more slowly and sloppily that I have at my recent practice sessions?

For me, the possibility exists that my reaction will be slowed and judgment impaired. I guess I’d refer to the blood alcohol ratio used to determine fitness to operate a motor vehicle. I only ask that you be honest with yourselves.
Self justification and rationalization can cost lives.

I submit that if one’s reaction time has been significantly lowered through ingestion of depressants, one may be better off going unarmed.

 

[distra]

In most states the DUI limit also applies to firearms. If your blood alcohol level is >0.08 and shoot someone in selfdefense, you will have an incredibly hard time justifying the shoot. Let alone the fact that you could go to jail for being legally intoxicated and carrying a firearm. In CT, it is a Class B misdemeanor for drinking and possessing a loaded firearm. At the minimum, your permit will be revoked. Bottom line, why do it. In my opinion, it's fine if you want to engauge in drinking activities, but leave the firearms out of it. Lock 'em up and drink away. If you are that concerned about your own security, then stay clear headed all the time.

 

[AlaskaErik]

I'm not a heavy drinker, but occasionally I'll have four drinks in the evening. Even then, I'll maintain possession of my carry weapon, since there is no guarantee that the BGs will skip my house during that time. I'm a mellow drinker, so I don't play games or do anything stupid with my pistol during that time. It's a non-issue with me.

 

[SniperStraz]

I think its all about knowing your limits. That being said, limits are sometimes pushed more easily due to other factors. (being tired, not eating, taking some allergy and/or cold medications, etc.) These are not always easily distinguishable factors. I have heard many times of people "drugging" themselves by accidently popping the wrong pill before drinking and the like. For the most part I think that its probably safe for mature experienced drinkers/gun owners. I'd say that as a rule of thumb if you have a beer bong in one hand you probably shouldn't have a gun in the other. Casual drinking is not nearly as dangerous but we all have to make personal decisions. I don't think that anyone here on THR can vouch for if you are just a capable in judgement, drawing, aiming, trigger control, steady follow up shots and gun retention after throwing a few back. I vote that its better not to do it at all. If you have a designated driver back from a friends house have him be armed as well and ask him to watch your back. As a general rule I don't drink anywhere that I don't feel safe or with anyone I don't trust.
END RANT
Be safe. -Straz

 

[Taurus 66]

Some people can drink a little and remain in control. Some can drink a little and lose control. Some can drink a lot and remain in control. Some can drink a lot and lose control. But who determines who is and isn't in control of themselves and a situation? If you are under the influence of alcohol and must use your weapon to stop a deadly threat, who has the right to say, "You were too drunk to legally defend yourself!"? If the threat was real, your act of self defense should go unpunished.

It would be convenient if the BG(s) would comply with your wanting a 'TO' and come back when the effects of the alcohol have worn off.

OTOH ...

If you like to get buzzed and play with guns, this is not an emergency time to take to arms. If you flash them around, rack slides, spin the cylinders, point the muzzle in an unsafe direction, handle guns with finger on trigger, dry fire, or do this, that, or the other unsafe act to impress others, you must be held accountable if anything bad happens.

 

[RODS]

I'm not saying it's right,but many years ago when shooting trap or skeet they would sale beer in the club house.Shoot a round,drink a beer,shoot a round drink a beer.It would go all night like that,The guys would know then they had too much and just sit in the club house and keep drinking or stop drinking and keep shooting.It went like that for a lot of year and no one ever got hurt.we drove home after!!!!Like the others have said you need to know ourself and know if you have had too much you can stop.I have had a lot of beers in the duck boat as well,again I'm not saying you should or shouldn't just be careful.

 

[geekWithA.45]

There's a distinct difference between "available" and "handling" while judgement impaired.

You've gotta know yourself, and draw some lines that you won't cross.

If you're unable to do that, then you probably oughta put 'em up and accept the "brassard of peace" for the duration.

 

[Harry Paget Flashman]

If alcohol impairs judgment (and I think it does) then how can one know ones limit reliably? Speaking for myself I never did. I have drank and driven and drank and handled firearms. For me it's easy, I gave it up in September 1978 and now when driving or gun handling I only have to worry about stupid and not impaired. It's an easier burden.

 

[wacki]

I used to drink a lot at home and I had a bolt action rifle stashed under the bed. Despite heavy drinking not a single chunk of lead has made it into the barrel. Honestly one person is so different from the next it really is a matter of judgment. The biggest indicator of recklessness is whether or not they are willing to point an empty gun at someone while drunk but not sober. If their respect for the firearm goes down when intoxicated then they either need to stop drinking or invest in a time lock.

 

[Biker]

Then you *know yourself*, Harry. That's how it should be. I also know myself. Picking an arbitrary number of drinks before you can't carry means that one doesn't know him(her)self. Err on the safe side.
Me? I refuse to carry when I've had 38 or more brews in an 12 hour period.
I just won't do it.

Biker

 

[cajun47]

i find some of you worry about things too much. if you think you can't trust yourself with guns and drinking thats cool.

i been shooting handguns, shotguns, rifles since i was 10. my first drunk was at 14. i would go camping with my friends and we would always get beer or whiskey....and we had our shotguns.....and we shot them while drunk. we always followed the rule of not pointing a gun at something we didn't want to destroy.

well at age 36 we are still alive! i now have a camp with the same childhood friends. deep down the bayou in the lawless unpopulated swamp. we go there, cook, get drunk and shoot our handguns or ak47s while sitting down on the front porch chugging down beers. empty beer cans don't live long. we never had an accident and i find my aim is just as good when drunk.

 

[Max Beep]

Right now I don't have CCW permit (hoping to change that soon) so if I'm outside the house, drinking or not, I'm not armed. Once I get the CCW the two things I won't do is drink (anything) and drive or drink (anything) and carry. At home I always have access.

 

[subierex]

If I drink anything, even one beer, a firearm will not be touched until the next day. Most often I'm too busy having fun to even think of them anyway, but it is a self-prescribed rule.

I'm a happy drinker anyway.

 

[cajun47]

"Right now I don't have CCW permit (hoping to change that soon) so if I'm outside the house, drinking or not, I'm not armed."

you can bet the bad guy is armed. btw you can't carry in your vehicle?

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I agree with the "know yourself" attitude.
A BG doesn't care what your current state of mind is. If you were drinking and you had to defend yourself it might hurt you later in court (though if it was justified, it was justified). However that's probably better than a nice funeral you won't enjoy from inside your coffin because you chose to go defenseless in your own castle.

 

[NC-Mike]

If you're in your own home, you have every right to be in any state of drunkenness you so choose, as long as you don't hurt anyone...

If the SHTF while you're imbibed, I guess you'll either be carried by six or judged by 12... Sounds like a bad place to be and I hope it never happens to me because there's nothing more I like to do than have a few cold ones while the charcoal gets hot.

BTW, I lowered and flared the E-port on my Sistema while I was half in the bag, I knew it was not a great idea, but it came out OK.

 

[CNYCacher]

Had a lot of experience drinking in college. It would be a fair assessment to say that any given weekend had a 75% chance of me being VERY drunk either Friday or Saturday night, or both. Hard liquor, beer, you name it. I could be seen drinking beer a pitcher at a time, or maybe a glass of whiskey and ice.
These are just the facts. Like it or hate it, call me what you will, just sharing facts from my past.
Here's another fact: I never gave my car keys up once at any party. Nor did I attend any party where people were asking for keys at the door. They were always in my pocket as they usually were, and it was never an issue. NEVER ONCE in 4. . . okay 5 years, did those keys ever make it into the ignition switch in my car with me behind the wheel after I had been drinking. I lived, partied and parked on campus, and my car was never more than a 5-minute walk from me, but I never got behind the wheel, and it wasn't for lack of necessity.
There were many times when the celebrations were punctuated by my needing to leave, and through all the alcoholic haze, I knew that I could not, must not, would not drive. Was my judgment impaired? You bet it was! Completely drunk, I taught a stone-sober freshman how to drive a stick for the first time while I sat in the passenger seat of my highly modified 300ZX Turbo. How's that for impaired? But certain serious things I had ingrained into the collection of "I know this to be true" and that was enough for me. One of those things is "Don't ever drink and drive." among others is "Don't drink and play with guns."
I don't drink like I did in college anymore, but occasionally I do imbibe and maybe once or twice a year to the level I was at weekly in college. Many of those times there are firearms available to me, as they are always, but I don't get them out. Actually, just this past Friday night I said "I'll show you in the morning." Instead of "Yeah, come with me to the basement." when a friend asked to see a new purchase I had made recently. We were both on our second drink and he just shrugged and said "Okay."

Like Biker and others have said, "Know Thyself"

 

[ZeSpectre]

I suspect that my answer is going to be pretty unpopular but here it is anyway. If you start drinking you've started disarming yourself so you might as well finish the job and lock the guns away until you are done.

 

[gggman]

I have read several posts on this thread that give me great concern. For those of you who choose to carry while drinking, or drink while carrying, I sincerely hope you never are in a situation where you have to use lethal force. If you ever shoot anyone while you are under the influence, whether you are justified or not, you will have my prayers, because you'll need them when the lawyers get through with you.

 

[Biker]

BS. Quit propogating that old wives tale as fact, since it may or not be true. I've been civily sued twice (once involving a firearm, the other a bat) and had been imbibing some adult beverages prior to both instances. It wasn't an issue in either case because I wasn't drunk.
In any case, if you're in the right, you're in the right. Maybe y'all ought to put away your shooters when you're forced to take your pain pills or depression meds. Ya think?
How about when you're sleep deprived?

Biker

 

[Vern Humphrey]

This is going to sound like fodder for the antis, but here goes.
Does anyone here imbibe and maintain possesion of their firearm (in the home only) because they realize that being "loaded" does not exempt one from needing self defense weapons?

If you think you're going to need self defense weapons, why would you get "loaded?"

You should only get loaded when you know you will not be required to handle weapons, operate machinery, drive, and so on.