Posted on 04/17/2003 11:33:23 AM PDT by always vigilant
(Hartford-AP Apr. 17, 2003 11:35 AM)_ An off-duty state Capitol police officer has been exonerated in a gun incident at the Bushnell Center.
An investigation began in February after Officer Paul Warren's personal gun went off accidentally inside the crowded theater.
The incident occurred during intermission of "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife" starring Valerie Harper.
The gun, a .380-caliber Browning automatic handgun was in his shoulder holster when it went off as he and his wife were returning to their seats at the end of intermission.
Both Hartford police and state Capitol police could not determine why the gun went off and found no negligence on Warren's part.
They also determined he did not violate any laws or department policy.
It was no slam at Police Officers but they ain't being represented by their best here today. Further, if this had been me I would be up a creek, but the Officer gets a walk and they don't know how it happened.
You're clueless about guns and self defense.
For starters, if I thought it was "time to have a shell loaded", I would either avoid the situation or have my rifle with me.
Also, a "theater" can change into a "crime scene" in less time than even the most expert gun handler can chamber a round. Therefore, folks should ALWAYS carry with one in the pipe once they have become proficient with the weapon.
A modern semiauto will NOT fire if dropped.
Armed people are not allowed in my place of business, and that includes cops who are there without invitation or a warrant.
You are either a nonsensical hypocrit on a major power trip or a freelance prison guard.
So you have effectively, in your "place of business", set yourself up
as a petty dictator through gun control.
Congratulations.
How American, how patriotic.
He's a cop, so he is above the law.
If this was Joe Citizen, he likely would have faced criminal charges for negligence. In most areas, he would have plead guilty, paid a fine, and lost his guns as a result.
Or you're holding something you can't let go of (who knows -- a baby, another bad guy, rung of the ladder you're on (or let's see you practise that two-handed draw-and-chamber while running up stairs), whatever). Or your hand or arm is injured (bad guy slammed a door on it or just whacked it with a baseball bat, whatever).
If something did happen in a darkened theater, he would have had plenty of time to take his weapon and chamber a round. It's not like walking down a dark street or something.
So you are suggesting someone chambers a round to walk down the street, unchambers to enter the theater (remember the terrorist in the Russian theater few months back?), and rechambers when they get back on the street, unchambers to enter the restraunt, etc.
If your method of carrying unchambered is the best way, why don't the cops use it?
What's the difference tween carrying a semi chambered (bad) but a revolver chambered (good). Many semis are DAO and have a trigger pull weight similar to revolvers. Should the revolvers be unchambered?
I think the NRA guidelines not to carry chambered and the restrictions against carrying shotguns chambered are primarily designed for hunting or field applications. Not self defense situations.
Can you chamber a semi one handed while pulling your wife or kid to safety with the other? (I know, you don't have wife/kids, wouldn't let them walk in dangerous places if you did.
good luck...
While I'll agree that there are occasions where merely brandishing the pistol will cause the bad guy to back off, that may also just prompt him to try and take it from you. If you're not ready to shoot in that case, you probably shouldn't be carrying at all.
The basic rules of firearms are more than well-known to a majority of gunowners. What seems to be the argument here is whether to carry "cocked and locked" or not.
Being a female that carries in a concealed carry purse, I feel "cocked and locked" is asking for a whole world of hurt. The amount of jostling a handgun takes in a purse, even though there is a built-in holster, is way too much for me to feel that I was carrying safely in "cocked and locked" mode.
The negligent discharge of the police officer is a case in point.
That is certainly your right-do whatever makes you comfortable. For that matter, I have heard the Israeliis carry in condition three- but the cocked and locked carry mode is standard for any local/county/state/national department that allows SA pistols I have ever heard of. I would point out, also, that for most handgun proficiency (sp?) drills, par is a sub 2 second draw and doubletap from concealment, without the added step of racking the slide.
I think ultimately it depends on the context. Certainly, a military officer in an armor unit doesn't really need a instantly available weapon. For that matter, who knows if he needs his own weapon at all? If it gets bad enough that captains/majors et.al. are firing weapons, there will likely be lots of them laying around for them to grab.
For a cop, or a CHL civilian, however, the situation is a little different. In an urban environment, it's entirely conceivable that there won't be time to draw, rack, re-aquire grip, acquire sights, drop the hammer, and run away.
I think the cop screwed the pooch- but only 'cause he had an AD. The fact that his weapon had a round in the chamber is completely in line with the policies/procedures of virtually all law enforcement agencies in this country.
Just out of curiosity, in what decade did the training you underwent take place? I'm not trying to be snotty, I'm really curious- there was a pretty significant shift during the latter part of the last century, when Cooper started popularizing the 1911, and arguing against point shooting. Prior to that, I suspect most people would have agreed with your position.
Now, the overwhelming majority of trainers (rightly or wrongly) would disagree.
I wonder if what we have is merely a generational difference in training?
I'd have to go back to my CCP training and say that in your purse the way it was suggested to carry was chambered and decocked. It was never taught to depend on the safety in a purse.
In this way you can shoot the thing from your purse if necessary.
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