Why your gun should be fully loaded

[crebralfix]

Here's an example of why the chamber should be loaded:

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/forum60/6137.html

It's a good lesson. The guy made several other mistakes, but that's not the point of the article.

...to OC without one in the chamber. I know I have said on OCDO before that I preferred to carry without one in the chamber, but tonight I found out I was wrong in my thinking.

I always walk my dogs after work, and tonight was no exception. With the time change, it gets dark early, so even though walking after dark isn't the safest thing to do sometimes, I still do.

The walk was normal until the very end. I was getting ready to turn onto my road, and I was headed home when all of a sudden I heard a growl from my one dog, and I turned around to see a pit bull (or a pit bull/boxer/something big mix) on a dead run across 4 lanes of traffic, teeth barred, headed straight for me and the dogs. I foolishly had one of the leashes wrapped around my shooting hand, and before I could transfer it to the other, the dog was on us. He was headed for my leg or my wife's little dog ( I couldn't tell). So I kicked him in the head, and that gave me enough time to free my shooting hand and grab my gun. I pulled on him, and pointed it at him and yelled at him. Lucky for me, he was gun shy, and backed off, which gave me a second to chamber a round. I stood there for about 10 seconds, pointing the gun at him, my dogs going wild barking and wrapping leashes around my feet as they were trying to get to the dog. Then I heard someone call out, (it must have been for the dog), and the dog turned around. He ran back across the road, nearly getting hit. With it being dark, I couldn't really see which house the person was calling from, just the general direction. I should have gone across the street and found out, but I was honestly a bit shaken, and just wanted to get home. I don't scare easy, but a dog that big running at you out of nowhere has a way of putting a little bit of fear in you. My dogs have gotten out before and run over to a neighbor's house before, so I know sometimes dogs get loose, and owners can't really help it. This was a little different; I didn't know this dog, and pit bulls, or whatever pit bull mix this was, aren't really known for being friendly to strangers and other dogs.

So that's the long version of what changed my mind, thinking, and habits of how I carry. I will be carrying with one in the chamber at all times now. You other folks can do as you like, but I guess it took a first hand experience to change my thinking. It was a really helpless feeling knowing that I still had to chamber a round before my gun was anything more than a really expensive hammer. It turned out fine, thank God, but I'm not going to let myself feel that way again, if I can help it. But what do you folks think, was I wrong for pulling before the dog did anything? I felt like I was in danger, and it seemed like the correct thing to do. But there again, I've never had to pull on anyone or anything other than a target before. Let me hear what your thoughts are.

 

[foghornl]

Yes, carry with one in the pipe if you have an auto-loader..."Vigoro Strikes Mixmaster" a lost faster than you think...

The only time any firearm of mine I am using isn't 'fully loaded' is when I am shooting my Blackpowder Cap-n-Ball "Navy Colt".

Ther is a significant reason those old single-actions were carried "5-Up", that is hammer resting on an empty chamber...ever hear of 'Going off half-cocked."???

 

[Eyesac]

It was a really helpless feeling knowing that I still had to chamber a round before my gun was anything more than a really expensive hammer

I'll bet!

 

[mr_blove]

The line,

"I didn't know this dog, and pit bulls, or whatever pit bull mix this was, aren't really known for being friendly to strangers and other dogs."

Is incorrect, it is like saying guns kill people and we all know that is incorrect. A dog is a trainable animal and is only what a owner makes them, a responsible owner will socialize their pet and train them to be a functioning member of society. I have a 120 lb rott that is the biggest dork and loveable teddy bear in the world! Change the stereotype!!!

 

[meef]

I pulled on him, and pointed it at him and yelled at him. Lucky for me, he was gun shy, and backed off, which gave me a second to chamber a round.

Umm...... he was.... gun shy....?

You can just see the wheels turning in Fido's head sometimes.

"Damn! This dude just pulled a gun on me. If I don't back off he might just make taxidermist bait out of me! Whoa!"

 

[mr_blove]

Ever since I took my dog when I went shooting he knows what it means when I draw my sidearm and starts to bark at me.

 

[Pimpstar00]

i believe you did well, and you learned a good lesson without being hurt. mr blove, my friend has a lovable huge rott too. but, they and certain other breeds do carry an intimidation factor that would strike fear into people.

 

[mr_blove]

Yes but I belive that is in part to do with a stigma that has branded them by bad owners.

 

[igpoobah]

Stereotypes exist because they are MOSTLY true. Without truth, it wouldn't be a stereotype. And of course, there are always exceptions.

 

[mr_blove]

Yeah, and the stereotype is there because of irresponsible owners not properly training their animal!

 

[Darthbauer]

My cats are gun shy thanks to back when I had airsoft guns.

 

[Vonderek]

Is incorrect, it is like saying guns kill people and we all know that is incorrect. A dog is a trainable animal and is only what a owner makes them, a responsible owner will socialize their pet and train them to be a functioning member of society. I have a 120 lb rott that is the biggest dork and loveable teddy bear in the world! Change the stereotype!!!

An incorrect analogy as a gun is an inanimate object and has no emotion or free will. These types of threads always bring out the Rott and Pit Bull owners in defense of their breeds but the truth is that most owners of these breeds (that I have seen, but perhaps not members of this forum) do not take the time to train them. These animals are bred for gameness and are naturally equipped to be efficient fighting machines. I see it every day at the local dog park where I take my dog to be exercised. Without fail, the pits are owned by young males as obvious status symbols. The dogs usually come with big chrome chains around their necks and no tags (another indicator of irresponsible ownership as it shows these dogs may not have had their annual shots). They obviously have had no training and many exhibit few social skills with other dogs and can be aggressive. A dust-up with other breeds can usually be resolved fairly quickly but with pit bulls and rotts can be another thing altogether. I also see pits running loose in my neighborhood. For this reason, I always carry when walking the dog, even if only letting her out into the front yard.

 

[moga]

...and I was headed home when all of a sudden I heard a growl from my one dog, and I turned around to see a pit bull (or a pit bull/boxer/something big mix) on a dead run across 4 lanes of traffic, teeth barred, headed straight for me and the dogs.

I had almost the same thing happen to me, except the pitbull was promptly run over the moment he left his driveway and stepped foot into the street.

He would have been in a hell of a fight with my Bullmastiff had he crossed the street, but being hit my the minivan instead of fighting with a dog more than twice his size saved me the trouble of inviting the animal gestapo to my doorstep. My dog surely would have been made into the killer for defending us from the attack of a pitbull on the loose.

 

[BigG]

With a revolver you don't have to worry whether one is chambered or not. Just point and click. It's the perfect solution.

 

[mr_blove]

Vonderek I think you hit it right on the nose. I am not sayong I trust all dogs of these breeds, when I first moved into my house I was told by my neighbor there a couple of pits that were agressive and would roam the neighborhood randomly atticking dogs or people. Now at the time I had 2 110 +lb rotts and I am pretty sure they could handle themselves but I didn't want any harm to come to the so I carried both my CCW and a telescoping Asp baton. I guess from my first post I am trying to say that I hate irresponsible owners that give the breed a bad name which in turn causes lawmakers to lean to Breed Specific Legislation a.k.a. BSL :banghead::banghead:


My neighboor is a HVAC guy so he in people's homes all the time and the breed that he has been biten by the most is a Dachshund, only 1 problem with a big dog but it didnt attack just made him nervous.

Sorry for hijacking this thread.

 

[Stirling XD]

Vonderek nailed it!!! Cetain breeds attracked certain owners. Yes, there are many exceptions and I believe mr blove is probably one of them. I will always be more leary of a pitbull that a poodle.

 

[Thernlund]

Lucky for me, he was gun shy, and backed off, which gave me a second to chamber a round. I stood there for about 10 seconds, pointing the gun at him,

I must admit that I found that funny.

As it said over and over, the devil is in the details. Lots of factors to consider while in the moment. But, the way I read it is that the dog appeared to be attacking. That is, his movement and demeanor did not suggest he was "playing".

If that were truly the case, I'm 90% likely to have shot it immediately upon entering my "space".


-T.

 

[Fish828]

Lucky for me, he was gun shy, and backed off

Some people might think this is ridiculous but it's true sometimes. I have a half rottweiler half coonhound and he barks and goes into attack mode when he sees me holding a gun and keeps his distance. curiously, he does the exact same thing when i aim a rubber band at him...

 

[jabotinsky]

You have to be a nitwit to pull your weapon on a dog just because it's running in your direction. Pitt bulls are less aggressive toward humans than most other breeds, with a lower incidence of attack against children than say, poodles or golden retrievers, according to the American Kennel Association. Maybe it's better to talk to the police or the owner of the dog rather than playing the canine gunslinger and spraying lead all around the neighborhood. An example of why we should always CCW with a round chambered? No, another example of Life in Condition Orange.

 

[rainbowbob]

You have to be a nitwit to pull your weapon on a dog just because it's running in your direction...Maybe it's better to talk to the police or the owner of the dog rather than playing the canine gunslinger and spraying lead all around the neighborhood.

jabotinsky:
I don't think anyone here is advocating "spraying lead all around the neighborhood". A well-placed round in the head of any dog clamped on to your pets throat - or your leg - may be appropriate, however.

 

[jabotinsky]

I don't think anyone here is advocating "spraying lead all around the neighborhood". A well-placed round in the head of any dog clamped on to your pets throat - or your leg - may be appropriate, however.

Agreed.

But the first clearly aggressive move came from the human in this case. I have dogs run up to me all the time when I'm walking my dog...I don't start off by kicking them in the head or pulling a gun. I have defended unarmed successfully against very large attacking dogs and armed humans when I've had to..drawing a gun is a last defense within a range of alternatives when your life is in immediate danger, not clearly established in this instance. Killing a dog is a sin, they're mostly better than we are.

 

[rainbowbob]

I have defended unarmed successfully against very large attacking dogs and armed humans when I've had to...

jabotinsky -
Thank God (and apparently your self-defense training) that you were able to succesfully defend yourself in the above described circumstances. I think most of us would rather employ the "unfair" advantage of an armed response, however. That's why we carry. I would have no problem committing the "sin" of shooting a "very large attacking dog". I'm curious why you were not armed?

 

[Mainsail]

Killing a dog is a sin, they're mostly better than we are.

Then you've never met me, because I'm way better than any dog.

 

[MikePGS]

Umm...... he was.... gun shy....?

It's strange, but this isn't the first time I've read on here about a dog reacting to someone pulling a gun on them by backing away and ceasing to threaten them. Not sure if its the actual gun, or the posture and command someone tends to assume when getting ready to throw down on the dog. Probably the latter.

 

[qwert65]

Well animals aren't stupid and dogs can learn like anything else. As a vet student and one who's worked in the field for years The general consensus and the stats show that small dogs bite more often than big dogs-of course big dogs have the Potential to be much more dangerous, but dog to dog basis be warier of the little ones