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View Full Version : Being ready to draw!!!!



AIRret
02-11-2012, 07:25 PM
We talk about going to the range, practicing the draw, takeing classes etc. These are things we do to get ready for the day we might have to use our guns. What I haven't heard (I' new to this forum so maybe this has come up before) is how important it is to keep your shooting hand free for action! I know there are times you don't have a choice, but many
people don't even try. For instance, when I come home I don't enter the house with my hands full of books bags or what have you. I open the door with my hand on my gun and with great caution. I don't know, maybe my habits come from growing up in a very bad part of Detroit. Folks may think that when trouble comes you can just drop what is in your hands. Well you would be surprised how conditioned we are to
hanging onto our things.
Many years ago I was taking a bus home from Wayne State University at about 3pm. Shortly after exiting the bus (on a semi main street) a man exposed himself to me and then chased me toward his waiting car. I ran like hell and I knew the area so I got away. I was lucky, I got away eventhough I had 4 books, a tape recorder, thermos, and a purse! I NEVER droped my things so I could run faster. I know how I reacted as an 18 year old, so now I keep my gun hand free and clear until I'm in a safe situation

Bawanna
02-11-2012, 07:32 PM
All good points AIRret and true too. Human conditioning is tough to fix. I've never been to Detroit but I do tend to keep my strong side hand available. Little things like opening my jacket when I put on a seatbelt so I can still access my gun are just habits.

Stuff we need to think about before bad things happen.

Thanks for the reminder.

ltxi
02-11-2012, 08:39 PM
How sad to have to live in a place like that. One that makes you feel you need to have a weapon in hand every time you unlock and enter your home through your front door. I'm as cautious and aware as anyone, but I can't imagine having to live that way.

AIRret
02-12-2012, 05:01 AM
I no longer live in Detroit. I escaped to the Air Force and now that I am retired I have move back to MI but this time I live in the suburbs. Funny thiing is; eventhough my neighborhood is nice we have been having a rash of home invasions and burgleries.

Bill K
02-12-2012, 06:24 AM
Not guilty. One of the reasons I have such a high regard for front pocket carry. In many instances you can have your hand on the gun ready to go in which case the draw is very fast. Plus no garment to clear that could possibly cause you to botch the draw. I know others don't care for pocket carry and I respect their opinion.

OldLincoln
02-12-2012, 11:51 AM
>>we have been having a rash of home invasions and burgleries<<

This is a big issue. I see a lot of folks hardening their homes with security gates and doors. When we can afford it we'll put the wrought iron fencing around our front porch. For now I use a "Buddy Bar Door Jammer" to slow down the kicking in the front door. I also replaced 2 of the screws in the hinges with 3" to be sure and get into the 2x4 studs. The standard screws only go into the fragile door frame. Reports of kick-ins are the door was still closed in the frame and laying in the entry.

These are simple and easy precautions, but they don't replace carrying and being aware of your surroundings. When I sense something I put mt hands on my hips or at least my right one and lift my shirt with my thumb only with the tail caught in the "V" of the thumb and forefinger and the finger exposed. While not on the gun itself it's next to it and it is not apparent to innocent folks I'm armed. I want the guilty ones to take heed and go somewhere else.

LaP
02-12-2012, 12:31 PM
I no longer live in Detroit. I escaped to the Air Force and now that I am retired I have move back to MI but this time I live in the suburbs. Funny thiing is; eventhough my neighborhood is nice we have been having a rash of home invasions and burgleries.

Even though you're not in Detroit anymore, keeping those fears will still help you stay safe. There's nothing wrong with entering your house, business, or car with a head's up and eyes open attitude.
Having grown up in the Bronx, I still lock my front door when home. I also lock my car doors when driving. I've seen too many bad things happen... locking doors is just an easy way to gain time to get yourself prepared.

Home invasions and carjackings occur EVERYWHERE.
It ain't paranoid, it's prudent.

HDoc
02-12-2012, 05:19 PM
Even though you're not in Detroit anymore, keeping those fears will still help you stay safe. There's nothing wrong with entering your house, business, or car with a head's up and eyes open attitude.
Having grown up in the Bronx, I still lock my front door when home. I also lock my car doors when driving.

Hey, that's my line! I was going to reminisce about my grand-mother off the Grand Concourse taking 5 minutes to unlock her door when we visited.
Once she figured it wasn't a junkie it was " CLICK,CLICK,SLIDE,CLICK,TURN,
CLICK, THUMP (that was the bracing bar) CLICK. Then big old grandma sloppy kisses and hugs.
I actually though that was normal until I moved to N.C. But to this day,
nothing gets left in the car and everything gets locked. Condition Yellow is
normal.

LaP
02-12-2012, 07:38 PM
Hey, that's my line! I was going to reminisce about my grand-mother off the Grand Concourse taking 5 minutes to unlock her door when we visited.
Once she figured it wasn't a junkie it was " CLICK,CLICK,SLIDE,CLICK,TURN,
CLICK, THUMP (that was the bracing bar) CLICK. Then big old grandma sloppy kisses and hugs.
I actually though that was normal until I moved to N.C. But to this day,
nothing gets left in the car and everything gets locked. Condition Yellow is
normal.

People in Indianapolis wonder why I lock my door when I'm home....
I tell them that I'm protecting my most valuable asset... MY LIFE. People don't realize that there's a percentage of badguys that WANT you to be home when they break in. That's exactly why they're breaking in.
When living in upstate NY, a family of four was tortured for two days before the the bastard killed them. It's not uncommon anymore.

P.S. You reminded me of how my Grandma would plant a big sloppy one on the mouth while grabbing both my cheeks (my face cheeks, my face cheeks :rolleyes:). Oh, some memories should be kept buried.:eek:

wyntrout
02-12-2012, 07:55 PM
Removing my CCW is the last thing I do when returning home. I've seen the cops and regular people in the movies remove their weapons as soon as they are in the door... and then, they seem to want to undress and jump into the shower or the tub!
... and of course , the front door is still unlocked and the blinds and curtains are open... IF they have any! Well, sometimes they jump into bed or start having sex as soon as they get through the front door. THEN... the BG's or whatever attacks them!

Movies aside, I at least try to look for any signs of break in and listen for noises. I've cleared the house a few times when I wasn't sure about something.

When I'm out of the house and shopping, I try to keep my right hand free and have my keys ready to use, especially the remote control.

Today when I returned to my van in the parking lot at Wal-Mart, I saw piles of glass... the privacy glass like that my van has on all of the rear windows. I was hoping it wasn't mine and did a complete walk around of the van looking for damage. The parking spot to the right had piles of glass as if several windows had been smashed during a break in... or vandalism... the sides AND the rear. I'm not sure it wasn't there as I pulled into my space. I know there WAS a vehicle there when I parked.

I try to pay attention and my situational awareness is always ON.

Wynn:)

TriggerMan
02-13-2012, 05:34 PM
Even though you're not in Detroit anymore, keeping those fears will still help you stay safe. There's nothing wrong with entering your house, business, or car with a head's up and eyes open attitude.
Having grown up in the Bronx, I still lock my front door when home. I also lock my car doors when driving. I've seen too many bad things happen... locking doors is just an easy way to gain time to get yourself prepared.

Home invasions and carjackings occur EVERYWHERE.
It ain't paranoid, it's prudent.I agree LaP. I am ready when I enter my place. Costs me nothing. May one day save everything.

Also near Detroit and prepared.

Bawanna
02-13-2012, 05:42 PM
Interesting story related, maybe 5th or 6th cousins.

My youngest 17 was down the street saturday night with some buddies. Got to horsing around with one kid and half way wrestling. My kid apparently got the kid in a head lock and basically he said uncle so my kid let him go. Soon as he did the other kid reared back with his elbow and busted my kids nose.

So mom and older son (I'm in the sack with the fever) it's 1 in the morning blow down there and take him to the hospital to get looked at.
The other kids have their car keys and phones etc at my house. Wife tells them the door is unlocked, just go in get your stuff and get out. They said what about bawanna?:eek: She told them he's sick, his hearing aid is out, don't turn on or off any lights and if he happens to be up and moving around do exactly what he says.

They said maybe they should go in and wake me up and tell me whats going on. She told them that was a very risky and poor idea.

Where do people come up with this stuff.

ltxi
02-13-2012, 06:53 PM
Uh, maybe she knows you??

Ikeo74
02-13-2012, 07:22 PM
I don't know you and I think it's a real bad idea! I know I wouldn't do it.:ohmy:

JFootin
02-13-2012, 08:45 PM
I know you and I know I wouldn't do it.:ohmy:

jlottmc
02-14-2012, 07:08 AM
I wouldn't do that. Might be close to the same reaction at my house. Difference is that I don't sleep, nor have a hearing aid. Who said life shouldn't be interesting?

PYROhafe
03-01-2012, 09:19 AM
I don't carry yet (signing up for the class next month) but maybe I should start learning to do more stuff with my left hand

Tinman507
03-01-2012, 09:24 AM
http://www.pagecovers.com/covers/funny/i_like_pie.jpg

AIRret
03-01-2012, 05:43 PM
Yes, Detroit was a training ground, and I feel safer for it.
Once I get home I still carry, if my gun is not in my holster it's sitting in front of me on the coffee table.
A couple times a week my husband and I play a little training game. We start with our guns unloaded and concealed. And then when one of us says "threat" we imediately draw (not at each other). We find this to be better training than repeatedly drawing when we decide to draw. We run this exercise off and on for a couple of hours.

jocko
03-01-2012, 06:17 PM
I don't carry yet (signing up for the class next month) but maybe I should start learning to do more stuff with my left hand

know in India, ur left hand is used for wiping ur ass and not used for anything else. Just sayin:popcorn:

mr surveyor
03-01-2012, 06:38 PM
know in India, ur left hand is used for wiping ur ass and not used for anything else. Just sayin:popcorn:



moral to the story.... never shake hands with the one armed guy from India

TheTman
03-01-2012, 08:08 PM
We can't draw and fire from a holster at either of our indoor ranges here. That's where dry fire practice comes in. I do a safety check on my gun, the practice drawing and aiming at different things around the house that I pretend are bad guys. Since I live alone back on the farm now, about any direction is safe, but I still never point towards the neighbors across the street. I like to practice with a variety of clothing and jackets and such. I really enjoy doing this with my laser equiped .45, so that I can hit the laser button and see how close I am to the target when I'm point shooting. With my other guns I usually bring the gun on up and use the sights. Practicing drawing with a variety of jackets and sweaters and whatnot, helps get you conditioned for a real life situation where who knows what you'll be wearing and you won't be tripped up by an extra layer of clothes.

I don't worry much about going into my house after I've been gone, I can see tracks in the gravel driveway if anyone has been there. And not too many people are out walking around in my neck of the woods unless they've broke down somewhere down the road. My biggest problem is kids in 4wd trucks coming in my drive and taking a drive out through the wheat field, and once they pulled in my drive and took a baseball bat to my mailbox and smashed it up pretty good and knocked the post it was on over. You know my neighbor saw it all, followed the kids home, got their address and descriptions of the kids, and filed a police report, yet not a damn thing was done about it. I don't think they even got a talking too from the Sheriff. I understand they have a lot more important things to do, but maybe a talking too might have made them think a little before they moved up a notch and did something more serious.

QuercusMax
03-02-2012, 07:36 AM
My biggest problem is kids in 4wd trucks coming in my drive and taking a drive out through the wheat field, and once they pulled in my drive and took a baseball bat to my mailbox and smashed it up pretty good and knocked the post it was on over.

This is a good (?) illustration of how most of the "threats" we face are not actually life-threatening, even if extremely irritating. There's nothing that being armed and ready will do to help with this kind of stuff.

I face it too: People who drive right past (and perhaps shoot at or tear down) my "No Trespassing" signs, drive ATV's and snowmobiles on my land, cut locks off of gates so they can get in, harass the cattle, hunt on my land without permission, etc.

BG's come in many flavors and sizes, but in the end, they are all BG's. I console myself by saying that "It's better to be irritated by a BG than to be a BG."

mr surveyor
03-02-2012, 08:54 AM
The local law enforcement might not have taken the mailbox incident seriously, but I'd bet the Postmaster would have made a very strong case of it. You may have bought the post and the box, but I believe that the USPS considers it their property, and they don't like to share.

ptoemmes
03-02-2012, 10:25 AM
This is kind of timely....could get lengthy but will try to be brief.

My two GSDs and I take a morning on-leash walk each day: house to out of the neighborhood onto secondary street for .5 mile or so and .5 mile back again.

Just this AM, on the way back in crossing the feeder street into the subdivision I hear breaking glass then a house alarm coming from neighbors house - maybe 10 houses down from mine.

Still crossing street, a compact pickup truck comes ripping out of the subdivision and blows the stop sign way too close to me and the pups. Got some good visuals, but only a partial tag.

Called the local PD and, as it turns out it was an attempted BE. Gave my statement, etc.

The point is, yes I was carrying (fanny pack usually with the pups) and yes when I heard the glass and alarm I started thinking/preparing.

But it was not the time to draw even as the truck ripped around the corner and blew the stop sign though I was transferring both dog leashes to the weak hand and had the strong hand on the fanny zipper. I was more or less easily able to get out of the way so, firing would not have been a good idea or even warranted (he was not trying to run me down - just got too close).

To tell you the truth, even though circumstantially this truck contained the perp I did not see him leave the properly, get into the truck, and split.

Now another 60 seconds or so of walking and things would have been way different and the scenario way different, maybe warranting at least the drawing of the weapon (a P45), but to tell you the truth not even sure about that - total speculation here - unless the perp had simply not gotten into his truck and split.

I suppose it warrants asking... If you are walking past a likely attempted BE and you see someone run towards their vehicle, I probably would at least establish the grip-to-draw on the weapon and only if he did not get immediately into his vehicle and move towards me draw and possibly fire. Mind you the distances we are talking about are all within 25 feet or so the perp is going to either get into his vehicle or engage me all within 25 feet.

Ya just never know.

Pete

QuercusMax
03-02-2012, 11:25 AM
The local law enforcement might not have taken the mailbox incident seriously, but I'd bet the Postmaster would have made a very strong case of it. You may have bought the post and the box, but I believe that the USPS considers it their property, and they don't like to share.

The Post Office does care, but realistically there's little they can do either. I have had my rural mailbox smashed several times, and mail stolen from it. When I've reported it to the USPS, they have always sympathetically taken the report, and that's all they can do unless there is some detectable pattern that would allow them to track down the perps.

BTW, the advice they do give rural mailbox holders is to never put anything valuable in your mailbox, e.g. if you are mailing a check, don't put it in your mailbox with the flag up for the carrier to pick up, but deposit it in a secure location such as an official letter box or the PO itself. A rural mailbox with the flag up is often an invitation for some idiot to stop and check to see what's there.

TriggerMan
03-02-2012, 11:46 AM
This is kind of timely....could get lengthy but will try to be brief.

My two GSDs and I take a morning on-leash walk each day: house to out of the neighborhood onto secondary street for .5 mile or so and .5 mile back again.

Just this AM, on the way back in crossing the feeder street into the subdivision I hear breaking glass then a house alarm coming from neighbors house - maybe 10 houses down from mine.

Still crossing street, a compact pickup truck comes ripping out of the subdivision and blows the stop sign way too close to me and the pups. Got some good visuals, but only a partial tag.

Called the local PD and, as it turns out it was an attempted BE. Gave my statement, etc.

The point is, yes I was carrying (fanny pack usually with the pups) and yes when I heard the glass and alarm I started thinking/preparing.

But it was not the time to draw even as the truck ripped around the corner and blew the stop sign though I was transferring both dog leashes to the weak hand and had the strong hand on the fanny zipper. I was more or less easily able to get out of the way so, firing would not have been a good idea or even warranted (he was not trying to run me down - just got too close).

To tell you the truth, even though circumstantially this truck contained the perp I did not see him leave the properly, get into the truck, and split.

Now another 60 seconds or so of walking and things would have been way different and the scenario way different, maybe warranting at least the drawing of the weapon (a P45), but to tell you the truth not even sure about that - total speculation here - unless the perp had simply not gotten into his truck and split.

I suppose it warrants asking... If you are walking past a likely attempted BE and you see someone run towards their vehicle, I probably would at least establish the grip-to-draw on the weapon and only if he did not get immediately into his vehicle and move towards me draw and possibly fire. Mind you the distances we are talking about are all within 25 feet or so the perp is going to either get into his vehicle or engage me all within 25 feet.

Ya just never know.

PeteMy concern would be knowing whether its an innocent homeowner escaping an invasion or perhaps chasing the bad guys

ptoemmes
03-02-2012, 11:54 AM
My concern would be knowing whether its an innocent homeowner escaping an invasion or perhaps chasing the bad guys

DAMN good point - glad I asked.