One Rule We Forget When Teaching New Shooters

[Len S]

After reading this thread my first thought was" This should be common sense, a no brainer." My second thought was" Well smart a$$ why haven't you ever thought of it?" I have never dropped a firearm. I have fallen in water,river in late november Northern IL and kept my shotgun out of the water, "duck hunting is fun repeat duck hunting is fun repeat." But I have not dropped one YET. Thanks for the heads up. I hope that, after all the years I have been shooting, I would have done the correct thing without this thread but who knows common sense usually isn't.


Len

 

[SsevenN]

I dropped a loaded 9mm out of a shoulder holster while sitting on a funny stool. I could feel it slide down the side of my body and my thighs in slow motion. Honestly I probably WOULD have tried to catch it but I locked up with a mixture of fear and shock...
Guess it worked out for the best!

 

[littlegator]

I thought that was what the lanyard was for... just kidding. However, does anyone use a lanyard on their gun while shooting? Obviously, it's not found on everything, just on a few models.

 

[1911Tuner]

Good point. It's the first instinct. I remember seeing a barber grab for a dropped straight razor when I was about 15. Not pretty.

 

[Ala Dan]

Good Point~!

and ever so plainly stated~!

 

[Valkman]

I've always had a bad habit of sticking my foot under whatever is falling, and that has not been good since I started making knives. I haven't had a knife sticking out of my foot yet and hopefully I'll keep remembering in time!

 

[1911Tuner]

I've always had a bad habit of sticking my foot under whatever is falling, and that has not been good since I started making knives.

Yeah. That could be a mite rough on the little piggies.

 

[hksw]

NEVER TRY TO CATCH A DROPPED GUN. Period!

An excellent rule.

 

[Wes Janson]

Err, wot?

Why are all of you people dropping guns in the first place...? Aside from an unfortunate incident involving a flying Benelli barrel, I can't say that I've ever lost control of a firearm, loaded or unloaded.

As for trying not to catch one, all I can say is..you're pitting an entire life of reflex against the remote odds of actually dropping a pistol. Having an accidental discharge would indeed suck, but I can think of many other theoretical occasions where the successful deactivation of the catch reflex could prove equally disastrous. And I doubt you can really teach your brain to make the instantaneous decision that "Oh, this time it's a firearm and not something else, I should let it go".

On top of all that, I really don't think new shooters need yet ANOTHER dictum being yelled into them their first time on the range. Far, far, far more important is that they focus on muzzle discipline and trigger finger control. Anything else you start insisting they pay attention to is going to directly influence those two factors, both of which are much more likely to cause an accident than a dropped pistol. People can only focus on so many things at once, and suppressing a catch reflex really isn't that important compared to muzzle and trigger control.

 

[ctdonath]

On a related note, I think some of us forget how hard it is to work the action on some/most guns. Those of a weaker persuasion could seriously hurt themselves trying to force it to cycle.

 

[86thecat]

Good article over on cornered cat for working a slide with less muscle.

 

[Kind of Blued]

Having an accidental discharge would indeed suck, but I can think of many other theoretical occasions where the successful deactivation of the catch reflex could prove equally disastrous.

Really?

All I'm coming up with is a bomb, and that probably wouldn't go off from a four foot drop. Otherwise, I would put death as more disasterous than dropping the Mona Lisa, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Holy Grail into a volcano all at the same time.

That'd make for a hell of a drinkin' story though.

 

[wideym]

I learned about letting falling items fall when I knocked my soldering iron off my desk. As you could imagine a burned hand teaches quite well to let it go, on the other hand the second time I knocked it off the desk I let it go, but learned to wear leather shoes while working around hot irons. After the third time I learned electronics was not for me.

 

[BlackBearME]

That's a good one. I've been lucky enough to not have dropped one yet, but there will come a day, perhaps. Good to keep in mind.
Also,

If you can, endeavor not to be where the muzzle is pointing.

This is great advice for life. Sigged.

 

[Zach S]

NEVER TRY TO CATCH A DROPPED GUN.

I learned that the hard way, shot some stereo equipment that I took out of my car for some odd reason (herculine the trunk?).

Still have the speaker, box and the slug. I keep them to remind me of my stupidity.

 

[2nd 41]

Good thread. Thanks. There is a natural reaction to catching dropped items. I will keep the No Catch Rule in mind each and every time.

 

[Deavis]

It is a tough instinct to overcome, glad I haven't had to test my ability to resist instinct. I forgot to cover that with a new shooter last weekend too, always a good reminder.

 

[1911NM]

In my dotage, I don't think I would be able to "reactively" discriminate between a gun and a knife, ie, to slide my foot under a gun to break the fall. I know from experience, I jump back at both, and the consequences of a damaged gun are enough to remind me not to be butter fingered. I can just see me getting it all backwards and sliding my foot under a knife, yeeouch.

 

[sixgunner455]

Growing up in a knifemaker's shop taught me very early in life not to catch sharp, hot, or otherwise dangerous pieces of metal as they flew through the air or hurled themselves at the ground. Just getting out of the way is the mantra.

I've applied that to guns without actually thinking about it, though I was drilled extensively at basic not to drop them in the first place.

 

[Patrick_Henry]

Having never dropped a gun, this never really entered my mind. It does make more than enough good since though. I certainly don't catch knives when I drop those and the result has been at least one slightly bent tip. You can believe that I won't be dropping one again in the near future...

 

[Brian Dale]

It just occurred to me that the Original Post actually describes an example of following Rule 3 all of the time, even in unexpected circumstances.

The reason to

NEVER TRY TO CATCH A DROPPED GUN. Period!

is that everybody must "Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target." That's true even when the gun is falling toward the ground.

I'm not playing word games here. By "the reason," I mean that it's the reason in terms of time, space, gun motion and gravity. "Never try to catch a dropped gun" will make an excellent teaching tool when discussing the Four Rules.

Thanks again, kingpin008.

 

[theken206]

as someone with fast hands and reaction...... going to have to work on this lol

going to be teaching a friend to shoot/saftey and ill make sure to explain why ya dont want to try and catch a dropped gun to her as well.

 

[lucky_fool]

Good advice. Knock on wood, but I haven't tried to catch a dropped gun yet.

I did drop-and-catch a running angle grinder once.

Once :banghead:

 

[theken206]

hahahaha, yeah sounds like one of those things you do ONCE.

like try and turn off a coleman latern by the screw on top.............