Sharp as a Marble - Chance Ballew saved my life.

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Firearm Safety

Remember this excellent article in Shooting Illustrated? The one that said “Do not try to catch a dropped gun”? Yeah, well that article became near and dear to me this weekend when I made a boneheaded mistake and ended up flinging my Glock 20 to the ground.

I was getting ready to head out and put on my Minotaur. As a safety measure, I always remove my holster with the gun still in it, and put it on the same way. Well, one of the clips had managed to snag itself in a belt look and I was a little… overly vigorous trying to de-snare it. My hand slipped and hit the grip of the pistol. The lizard-brain kicked in and I tried to grasp the grip to prevent it from leaping out of the holster which only managed to fling the damned thing further.

What happened next happened in super slow motion. I watched the barrel rotate over and over as it made its little trip down the gravity well, constantly reminding me that there was no safe place to jump to as the rotation guaranteed I’d be covered anywhere I went. In the back of my head, I heard Chance’s sultry voice screaming “DON’T CATCH THAT GUN”.

The sound of a fully loaded, Glock 20 hitting the tile was probably the loudest sound I’ve ever heard in my life. However, while I wasn’t smart enough to NOT launch the thing, I did manage to react by throwing up my hands like a little girl presented with a spider and prevented myself from trying to catch it, which is a natural response.

The Glock is safe to drop. Knowing this doesn’t lessen the pucker factor, but I knew that trying to catch a spinning firearm put me in infinitely more danger than just letting it hit the floor.

Thanks Chance!

posted @ 4/5/2011 10:49:28 AM

Incoming Links

SayUncle » If it saves just one life on 4/5/2011 10:56:39 AM

We Provide Useful Information | Shooting Illustrated on 4/5/2011 11:21:50 AM

Comments

John Farrier says:

on 4/5/2011 11:44:16 AM

Glad you're okay, Robb. The training paid off.

I heard Chance’s sultry voice

Mancrush.

Laughingdog says:

on 4/5/2011 11:59:25 AM

I learned to not instinctively try to catch falling objects when I grabbed for an iron that was going to the floor. After getting a small burn, it occured to me that there was no consequence of a steam iron falling that really justified trying to stop its progress.

Glad you didn't shoot yourself.

Weer'd Beard says:

on 4/5/2011 12:02:58 PM

Glad you didn't grab for it.

How'd the Glock finish hold up to the tile?

SayUncle says:

on 4/5/2011 12:15:10 PM

How'd the Glock finish hold up to the tile?

It's a glock. So, fine and he doesn't care. :)

mike w. says:

on 4/5/2011 12:15:32 PM

I'm still trying to figure out how you wear a holster and a leather belt without any pants....

Robb Allen says:

on 4/5/2011 12:20:42 PM

mikew, trust me. It's better off without an explanation.

And there's no damage to the Glock nor the tile. In fact, I was more worried about cracking the tile because that would have resulted in the Mrs. cracking my skull.

Bubblehead Les says:

on 4/5/2011 12:57:41 PM

Now repeat it 3,000 times on BOTH sides to build up the Muscle Memory. Also, tell us what the finish looks like then, and if it'll still fire. Hey, don't laugh. Pistol Abuse can span a whole season of a TV series. Remember last season's Handguns and the crap they heaped on a Springfield Xd? And they're always doing something to a weapon on Guns and Ammo TV, right? Keep us up to date on your progress.

Jay G. says:

on 4/5/2011 12:59:09 PM

I've got to admit, Chance does have himself one sexxeh voice.

Oh, wait, was that out loud?

Gunmart says:

on 4/5/2011 1:34:45 PM

I've done it...

"Yikes" was basically my reaction to the entire ordeal...... I was just returning from a trip to the store and was untucking my undershirt when the gun and holster went tumbling to the floor. My instinctual reaction was to quickly pull my toes and hands out of the way. I knew better them to grab for it (Thanks Plaxico) and I surely didnt want a broken toe -- It is interesting to note that my hands actually ended in the "hands up" surrender position when it was all over with.

The gun fell on carpet, so there was no damage of any kind...... and the drop safety worked, so there was no accidental err, uhh negligent discharge. It was also a good lesson to slow down and think before doing anything with a gun.

Weer'd Beard says:

on 4/5/2011 2:08:24 PM

BTW, My 1911s have been dropped a couple of times as well. They're drop-safe so I just grumble about the fumble.

Mad Saint Jack says:

on 4/5/2011 2:52:57 PM

FYI , you should check your zero to make sure your sight didn't move. (been there done that,)

Robb Allen says:

on 4/5/2011 2:54:04 PM

MSJ - Plan on it. Maybe it helped knock the rear sight enough to get the leftward aim point fixed! ;)

Stan says:

on 4/5/2011 3:32:24 PM

For some reason I imagined Chances voice as that of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman. Of course the Gunny would be most displeased if you dropped your weapon in his presence.

MJM says:

on 4/5/2011 3:59:53 PM

Yep, I believe guns are better than ever. Better designed, better made, and better materials. This is the golden age of the gun--I bet that statement drives the left nuts!

Windy Wilson says:

on 4/5/2011 4:14:30 PM

I wasn't thinking of Gunnery Sergeant Hartman so much as Sergeant Stryker in "Sands of Iwo Jima" -- "You'll sleep with your rifle tonight."

Patrick says:

on 4/5/2011 4:59:38 PM

For the last time.. it's a magazine... not a clip! OH wait.. you meant the holster clip.

However, it is loop and not look.. :P

/spelling nazi

Paul B says:

on 4/5/2011 5:51:25 PM

Learned my lesson on dirt bikes. When things go south, get away from the bike. It will chew you to pieces.

Linoge says:

on 4/5/2011 11:19:30 PM

And I learned my lesson on knives... sliced myself up right decent when I dropped a rather sharp paring blade, and learned my lesson ever since.

Now, I drop something, I get the hell out of the way.

Newman says:

on 4/5/2011 11:21:59 PM

Dropping a handgun made in the last 10-11 years on the ground is much safer than trying to grab the firearm in mid air. I know this because I performed what seemed like countless California DOJ handgun tests when the law was first enacted. Part of that test is to fire 600 rounds down 3 handguns (1800 round total for those in Rio Linda) and then drop all three handguns from one meter high onto concrete with a primed round with the bullet a powder removed from the same lot that was used during the firing portion of the test. Each handgun was dropped in 6 positions for a total of 18 drops on three handguns. All the handguns that can be legally purchased from a dealer have to go through this procedure. Excluding curios and relics if I remember correctly. So other than the damage to the finish and sights and of course your pride the chances of the handgun discharging on it's own without another object interfering are improbable. The handgun I carry every day is one I dropped and it functions like a German watch, but it's not a Glock. This reminds me of a cook at a church camp years ago when I was a teen that said you should always let a knife drop and not to grab it because it could or would cut you.

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