Two weeks ago was the
monthly pistol match at the local range.
Good times as always. It is a mix
of experienced competitors and new comers.
All are welcome. But there are
several items of note during the match that concerned me. I point these out not to shame anyone, but to
highlight areas of safety concern so we may all be better and safer.
Know how to operate you firearm:
It is a must to know how to
operate your firearm correctly and safely.
Every new firearm comes with an instruction manual. READ IT!
If you bought it used, go to YouTube University and learn about your new
firearm.
On the first occasion a
gentleman came to the line with a 1911.
A great gun with a manual safety.
He loaded and chambered a round, then paused and said “I forgot it had a
safety.” This phrase should not be
uttered. Ever!
The second shooter came to
the line with a SIG pistol, loaded and proceeded to holster his pistol without
dropping the hammer with the de-cocker lever. SIG pistols do not have a manual
safety. It is a double action pistol
with a de-cocker lever. It is not
designed to be carried with the hammer cocked.
That is the point of a double action pistol. I should not hear excuses of why it is OK to
start with a cocked pistol and no manual safety.
Read your instruction
manuals. Know how to operate your
firearm. For your safety and for
everyone else.
Tuck in your shirt:
I know it is hot and
uncomfortable and you want to be comfortable so you un-tuck your shirt to be
confortable. Often times your un-tucked
shirt covers your holster. This is a
problem when re-holstering, you holster your shirt with your pistol. Possibly causing your pistol to fall out of
your holster. Best to avoid dropping a
loaded pistol.
Buy a proper belt and holster:
I understand shooting is not
a cheap sport. There is a lot of new
equipment you need to buy. But it is
important to have a good belt and holster.
The belt must be sturdy enough to support the weight of your
firearm. The holster needs to securely
hold your firearm in place.
What I noticed at the match
some shooters simply wrap the belt around their waist loosely with their $20
gun sock flapping in the breeze. The
problem with this setup is when you draw your pistol you tend to draw the
holster and belt with it. It slows you
down and potentially leads to you crossing the muzzle of your pistol across
your own body. This is unsafe. Your belt and holster must be secure.
If using a single belt, feed
it through the belt loops on your pants.
Don’t wrap it around your waist, it must go through the belt loops. Then cinch the belt tight so the holster does
not flop around. This prevents things
from moving and flopping around too much.
It also helps with re-holstering.
You are not trying to place your pistol into a moving holster.
If you are using a separate
gun belt to hold your holster instead of your pants belt, you want to use Belt
Keepers to prevent your gun belt from flopping around. Belt Keepers are simple straps that wrap
around your gun belt and pants belt to hold everything in place securely. They may be made of leather or other
synthetic materials. They are fastened
with snaps or Velcro.
Heck, buy some Velcro straps
from the local hardware store and wrap secure your belt with them. They will work in a pinch.
One final comment on
holsters. Avoid the $20 gun socks if you
can. In general they suck. They are loose, floppy and generally do not
hold your pistol securely. I understand
you may not be able to afford better.
But do try to afford better.
The same can be said about
the cheap holster and magazine carrier many manufacturers ship with their
pistols. These work if you have nothing
else, but should be thrown away as soon as you buy something better. Do you really want to trust a $3 holster that
came with the pistol? These are mostly
marketing tricks to give the illusion you are getting something more than you
are.
You may spend $50 - $100 for
a good holster. It is worth it, better
and safer.
Kydex is a great
choice. So is old fashioned
leather. Nylon is generally undesireable
as it is loose and floppy. Make sure the
holster is designed for your specific model.
Conclusion:
These are a few of the
safety concerns I saw during the local match.
The shooting sports are fun
and challenging and you meet lots of interesting and friendly people.
But do be safe. Know your equipment and buy the right
equipment so your shooting experience is safer and more enjoyable.
By: Mez
10/16/2016
1 comment:
Regarding tucking in your shirt: I know some shooters leave their shirts untucked so it's "concealed" and to get practice drawing from concealment. That's all well and good, BUT ... make sure you clear your cover garment from the mouth of your holster and do not muzzle yourself as you're trying to reholster your gun. More than one negligent discharge has occurred because someone's cover garment gets pulled into the trigger guard, then the person (instead of stopping to see what the problem is) shoves their gun forcefully into the holster, which moves the trigger to the rear and *BOOM*.
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