Ever have a fumble?

[Bat Guano]

Back in the day I shot a fair amount of IPSC. As I recall I was trying to go fast with a 1911 and it flat got away from me. Cocked and unlocked it flew several feet in front of me and hit the ground. Time sort of slows up at times like that and I was waiting for it to go bang. That it didn't was probably due to John Browning's grip safety design and the grace of God. No witnesses, but I learned a lesson that day.

Somewhere around the same time I watched a guy do a leg shot with a .45 hardball. I used to use his bloodstained pants as a visual aid in a gun safety class.

Slow is smooth and smooth is fast.

 

[redlevel]

A year or so back I sold a very nice (possibly unfired) Model 10 to an older (than me) gentleman. We met in a mall parking lot. The gun was of course unloaded. I handed it to him and he immediately started fumbling with it, eventually dropping it on the pavement. My wife still laughs at my reaction, sort of a guttural "UGHHH." He said, "Well, I didn't want to do that," handed me the money, and we both went on our way.

 

[feralmerril]

I heard this on the radio many years ago. I had just flew to milwaukee and there was a report of a (plain cloths) cop that hung his coat up on a rack and sat down to eat in a resturant. The coat fell off the rack and a gun in the coat pocket went off hitting another patron in the neck! I have no idea of what kind of gun it was.

 

[Gunsnwater]

Try some weight in the jacket pocket and swing the hips. I had a teacher who demonstrated his technique of not letting things like that to chance. He positively took care of loose garments as part of his draw. He would grab and tuck behind the gun the cloth and grab the gun in one smooth motion. Only when he showed me the steps could I see what he was doing. When he did it for real it was a blur. His secret was only the motion necessary nothing extra. Most of my life has been learning by mistake, these fumble stories are valuable and should not be hidden.

 

[feralmerril]

You think thats bad? I went to get my CCW class and the instructor dropped his gun twice durring the 4 hour philibuster!

 

[Smithsrevenge]

You think thats bad? I went to get my CCW class and the instructor dropped his gun twice durring the 4 hour philibuster!

now i feel much better haha

 

[.45goblue]

I had an almost fumble. I was visiting my parents and the dog decided it was a good time to get loose.

As she ran by me, I took a dive to try and grab her. Well, I missed. And about halfway through my roll, I felt my M&P 45c slipping out of my IWB holster.

Well, I tried to grab for it (while still rolling) but it was already out. By the time my roll was complete and the gun was up in the air, I made a last ditch effort to try and catch it (blindly) where I thought it would be.

Somehow I guessed right and It ended up in my hands, but I think next I'll just try and holler to the dog. "Here girl!"

Very embarrassing situation.

 

[bp231986]

I had an almost fumble. I was visiting my parents and the dog decided it was a good time to get loose.

As she ran by me, I took a dive to try and grab her. Well, I missed. And about halfway through my roll, I felt my M&P 45c slipping out of my IWB holster.

Well, I tried to grab for it (while still rolling) but it was already out. By the time my roll was complete and the gun was up in the air, I made a last ditch effort to try and catch it (blindly) where I thought it would be.

Somehow I guessed right and It ended up in my hands, but I think next I'll just try and holler to the dog. "Here girl!"

Very embarrassing situation.

Just friendly advice, but be careful grabbing a weapon that is falling....might just grab it the wrong way and end up sqeezing the trigger and migh even end up pointing it at yourself. Even though its just habit to grab something that is falling its best with a loaded gun to let it drop rather than just grabbing at it quickly.

 

[HOUSTON RICK]

I came in the back door from an ammo purchase carrying too much ammo and several 22 long rifle rounds fell out of the box and bag and hit the kitchen floor. Two detonated and the casings put small chips on the wallpaper. I put down the bag of ammo and thanked the Lord that no pne else was home. Don't carry too much ammo on a single load or you can fumble.

 

[Smithsrevenge]

I came in the back door from an ammo purchase carrying too much ammo and several 22 long rifle rounds fell out of the box and bag and hit the kitchen floor. Two detonated and the casings put small chips on the wallpaper. I put down the bag of ammo and thanked the Lord that no pne else was home. Don't carry too much ammo on a single load or you can fumble.

I had this happen last night *without the detonation*

My chief had brought in a Walter P22 that was having feed issues.

I put the mag in in the guard shack, racked the slide and got a FTF. Odd ftf however. The round got stuck 1/2 way in the chamber and 1/2 way out.

Removed the mag, locked the slide back and went to yank the round out of the chamber with my finger nails.
She was STUCK in there. Guess the lead was deformed and just jammed up in the chamber.

I didn't have a push rod so i took apart my zebra pen and used the ink stick to shove down the barrel and gently push it out of the chamber, problem was it took some force. The round popped out of the chamber, bounced off the ejection rod and flew onto the ground.

Happened in slow motion. Knowing that a centerfire will not go off if dropped and a rimfire most likely will i watched it tumble and land right on the lead nose *thankfully*.

Turns out the main issue with the pistol is the ejection spring has become so weak that the ejector wont grab onto the edge of the casing. making 2x feeds happen every time *even more dangerous in a rimfire*.

Going in tonight to change out the spring for him , and giving him a box of CCI minimags to replace the cheapo ammo he had in it

 

[.45goblue]

Just friendly advice, but be careful grabbing a weapon that is falling....might just grab it the wrong way and end up sqeezing the trigger and migh even end up pointing it at yourself. Even though its just habit to grab something that is falling its best with a loaded gun to let it drop rather than just grabbing at it quickly.

Absolutely agree. Thanks for the advice. I thought the same thing about .03 seconds after i caught it.

Thank God that I grabbed it safely.

Hopefully that situation never rises gain, but if it does, I hope to restrain myself from trying to grab for it.

 

[Grog]

About 1/2 way through the shift I was walking with my partner through a huge sand pit out out back talking holsters and such. He has a generic Fobus holster with little to no retention, vs my Safariland 070-83 Level 3 holster.

He challenged me to a draw-off of sorts saying that no retention was better, vs my opinion that level 3 is safer but still fast.

Are there no rules about what can be used? My long time armed job had a list of issued & required equipment. They would have had a cow if I showed up with a $20 holster.


Now that I'm in TX (armed card in hand, but working unarmed until I can find a P/T gig) it seems 99% of the companies let you do what you want.

I rarely see someone working armed, but when I do I see all sorts of wacky stuff like serpas (usually paddle) and other ultra low budget stuff.

 

[Smithsrevenge]

Are there no rules about what can be used? My long time armed job had a list of issued & required equipment. They would have had a cow if I showed up with a $20 holster.


Now that I'm in TX (armed card in hand, but working unarmed until I can find a P/T gig) it seems 99% of the companies let you do what you want.

I rarely see someone working armed, but when I do I see all sorts of wacky stuff like serpas (usually paddle) and other ultra low budget stuff.

Not in Maine no. Most companies Issue level III holsters but my company is relatively new and does not have the revenue to drop $200-$300 per holster per officer.

However I've since convinced my partner to #1 get a bigger gun *hes going with the G17 or M&P 9. Also to get a better holster. My holster cost 1/2 the price of the gun and I trust my life to it. I told him he should do the same haha

 

[4011]

Local PD I was at went to the draw your weapon write a report. ASP and OC where used a lot. Now the Taser is used most all times. Now as far as the draw the weapon that was drawing on a person. Drawing and doing a building search it was for officer safety. I dropped my speed loader once. Dropped before I fed to ole 686. Timed fire so I just acted like I was shooting. Picked it up and was able to get the lost six rounds in before end of the qualifying session.

 

[Smithsrevenge]

Local PD I was at went to the draw your weapon write a report. ASP and OC where used a lot. Now the Taser is used most all times. Now as far as the draw the weapon that was drawing on a person. Drawing and doing a building search it was for officer safety. I dropped my speed loader once. Dropped before I fed to ole 686. Timed fire so I just acted like I was shooting. Picked it up and was able to get the lost six rounds in before end of the qualifying session.

We basically have the same rules. If we draw on a person. Goes in the report.

We draw on bears, coyotes, fisher cats, clearing unlocked areas etc.....no report needed.

Any time we use any kind of force we have to write a report however. I had to grab a drunk guys arm to keep him from decking another drunk guy.........that was also reported.