Be aware of how your activities affect your preparedness

[Packman]

Tonight, I went rock climbing, like I do pretty much every Friday night.

However, tonight I was really pushing myself, and ended up exhausted. For those of you who've never tried it, rock climbing is very telling on your forearms and fingers.

When I went to clip my holster back onto my belt in the truck, I couldn't even use the clip. I had to wedge the belt into the clip in order to secure the holster. This concerned me, as I normally carry a S&W 3913, with a pretty heavy DA/SA trigger pull.

Sure enough, when I got home, I unloaded the gun and tried to dry fire it. As I suspected, my hands were so tired I couldn't pull the trigger in DA mode. I pulled out my .38 revolver, and had the same problem. The only SD gun I could operate properly was the XD .45, which is striker fired and has a much lighter pull.

Now, I think that under the stress of an SD encounter, the adrenaline being dumped into my system would probably overpower the tired muscles with no problem, but I'm not positive of that. In any case, it was sobering to have a gun on my belt that I might not be able to employ if the need arose.

Just something to consider: be aware of how your activities, including exercise and recreation, can affect your level of preparedness. It's the little things you don't expect that can make all the difference.

 

[Toforo]

Aye, the high rocks of southwest Florida can leave a man's trigger finger weak and wanting.....

 

[jim in Anchorage]

 

[chris in va]

Actually I appreciate this post. I'm going kayaking today and will be stuffing my Kahr into my drytop for the trip. Unchambered however...

 

[mokin]

Good post. I don't know if I've ever been so exhausted after a workout that I couldn't pull the trigger but I expect so. I do know that I have done workouts that have left me so worn out I didn't try. When I do bricks I frequently just put my pistol away for the day. Stand down time.

 

[matrem]

Sure enough, when I got home,

I sure hope you're not the one driving home!

 

[bigalexe]

Wow this thread reminds me of something that happened this week to me.

I sometimes use a power-assisted wheelchair I recently got to get around. However the battery died and I had to manual myself a good distance back to my car. Because I was tired I found that I couldn't load it into my car normally and had to do some extra disassembly in order to get it loaded. Now how the heck does this affect guns?

I was alone... in a parking garage... in a visibly weakened state... unarmed on a college campus (gun free zone). I don't carry regularly (no CPL yet, lets not debate this point though) but heck criminals may as well just camp out the handicap spots in school zones and they could have a field day, it's practically the "Unarmed Defenseless Citizens R-US" zone.

 

[CoastieShep]

Adrenalin will overpower it, no matter how tired you are. I don't doubt it at all.
Quick example...
9 years ago, get in a wreck with a drunk driver. Run around to passenger side and fling open door to check on wife, no problems.
Couple days later, go pick up personal stuff from totaled truck. Had a very difficult time opening that door. Difficult as in foot on truck, both hands pulling on door handle. No, I'm not a little guy either.

 

[smince]

Just something to consider: be aware of how your activities, including exercise and recreation, can affect your level of preparedness. It's the little things you don't expect that can make all the difference.

And the kicker is, if you are that fatigued your situational awareness will be down as well (so much for those who say they are 'switched on' 24/7).

This could very well be the time that you need your pistol...