Single Action Six
Member
Is it really SAFE to relinquish your sidearm during a minor traffic stop LEO encounter..!!..?
There are some states, when interacting with a LEO, where one must inform the LEO that they are in possession of a firearm. At the time of notification some LEO's will temporarily relieve the person of their sidearm, unload it.. and then at the end of the interaction, hand the empty firearm (along with the separate ammunition), back.
My question has to to with the SAFETY aspect of the LEO trying to "make safe" your sidearm, when in various situations, that same LEO is most likely unfamiliar with your sidearm that he/she's handling. As we all know (and this is in NO way any disrespect to the men and women who wear a shield), but.. many of them are NOT firearms people. There are departments from border to border whos officers only intimate encounter with their sidearm (or any firearm for that matter), is when they have their yearly qualifications.
This now brings up the question of.. "How SAFE really is it to hand over a loaded sidearm to a LEO who (in a great likelihood), is unfamiliar with even the basic operation of that firearm?" I've always felt (as well as others), that (in situations described above), the SAFEST place for your sidearm is in the holster.
Here's a short gun show story that one can use as a comparison.
Went to a gun show and at the door was a firearms safety person. As always, I presented my empty pistol with the slide locked back.. and the empty mag inserted. Upon handing the pistol to the safety person/gun checker he dropped the mag on to the table top and hit the slide release. As he did this I picked up my mag and started to hand it to him saying.. "You need to put this back in the gun....", but before I could continue with what I was going to say, he gave me the old evil eye saying quite loudly.. "NO magazines are allowed in the guns".
Still standing there with the mag offered to him I watched as he fumbled around pulling the trigger while trying to drop the hammer so he could tie wrap it. This circus act continued for about 30 seconds or so.. all for naught. Finally he looked back up at me and said something to the affect that "he couldn't allow me to bring the pistol into the show because he was unable to drop the hammer due to the fact the pistol was broken.. and thus was unable to tie wrap it like he had the others". I calmly took the pistol from him, inserted the empty mag.. squeezed the trigger and dropped the hammer. (ie: Without the mag in, you're unable to pull the trigger. It's one of the 5 different safety features on this firearm.)
So.. if a gun show safety person, who I found out later had many years of handling all different types of firearms, is unable to render a pistol safe (drop the hammer).. just how safe is it to hand over ones "LOADED" (especially if it's "cocked & locked), sidearm to a neophyte LEO firearms person?
Please comment.. Thank You.
Single Action Six
There are some states, when interacting with a LEO, where one must inform the LEO that they are in possession of a firearm. At the time of notification some LEO's will temporarily relieve the person of their sidearm, unload it.. and then at the end of the interaction, hand the empty firearm (along with the separate ammunition), back.
My question has to to with the SAFETY aspect of the LEO trying to "make safe" your sidearm, when in various situations, that same LEO is most likely unfamiliar with your sidearm that he/she's handling. As we all know (and this is in NO way any disrespect to the men and women who wear a shield), but.. many of them are NOT firearms people. There are departments from border to border whos officers only intimate encounter with their sidearm (or any firearm for that matter), is when they have their yearly qualifications.
This now brings up the question of.. "How SAFE really is it to hand over a loaded sidearm to a LEO who (in a great likelihood), is unfamiliar with even the basic operation of that firearm?" I've always felt (as well as others), that (in situations described above), the SAFEST place for your sidearm is in the holster.
Here's a short gun show story that one can use as a comparison.
Went to a gun show and at the door was a firearms safety person. As always, I presented my empty pistol with the slide locked back.. and the empty mag inserted. Upon handing the pistol to the safety person/gun checker he dropped the mag on to the table top and hit the slide release. As he did this I picked up my mag and started to hand it to him saying.. "You need to put this back in the gun....", but before I could continue with what I was going to say, he gave me the old evil eye saying quite loudly.. "NO magazines are allowed in the guns".
Still standing there with the mag offered to him I watched as he fumbled around pulling the trigger while trying to drop the hammer so he could tie wrap it. This circus act continued for about 30 seconds or so.. all for naught. Finally he looked back up at me and said something to the affect that "he couldn't allow me to bring the pistol into the show because he was unable to drop the hammer due to the fact the pistol was broken.. and thus was unable to tie wrap it like he had the others". I calmly took the pistol from him, inserted the empty mag.. squeezed the trigger and dropped the hammer. (ie: Without the mag in, you're unable to pull the trigger. It's one of the 5 different safety features on this firearm.)
So.. if a gun show safety person, who I found out later had many years of handling all different types of firearms, is unable to render a pistol safe (drop the hammer).. just how safe is it to hand over ones "LOADED" (especially if it's "cocked & locked), sidearm to a neophyte LEO firearms person?
Please comment.. Thank You.
Single Action Six