Gun Nuts Media

I note with a certain amount of disdain that Walther has patented a mechanism which will prevent a firearm from being disassembled if there is a live round in the chamber.  I am opposed in general principle to adding more parts to a gun, and even more so to adding parts that are wholly unnecessary.  Whenever you add little parts to a gun, you’re increasing the likelihood of one of those little parts breaking and completely bricking your gun.  Magazine disconnects are a great example of this, but this new doohicky from Walther seems like it could take the crown from magazine disconnect safeties.

The issue with people shooting themselves with guns that they’re taking apart has nothing whatsoever to do with the function of the gun, and everything to do with poor training and poor gunhandling techniques.  If you want cops and civilians to stop shooting themselves when they’re cleaning their guns, teach them to unload and show clear properly.  I’ve published it before, but here’s a handy guide on how to properly clear a semi-automatic pistol:

1. Remove magazine
2. Feel inside magwell
3. cycle slide 3-5 times
4. lock slide to the rear, and use your pinky finger to physically feel the chamber to ensure there is not a round in the chamber.

You may now proceed with taking your gun down for cleaning.  The reason why we feel inside the magwell and chamber is because we want our “clearing” procedure to be a technique that works just as well at 2am in no light as it does at 2pm in the afternoon with the sun blazing overhead.

I had a very interesting conversation yesterday with my good friend and Gun Nuts Radio co-host Breda about her recent experience shooting an M14.  The short version of the story is that the recoil from the M14 knocked her back a couple of steps, to which everyone and their brother commented on the video saying “lean into the gun”.  While this is technically the correct advice, it brings up an interesting point – we are often far too quick to correct someone else’s form without thinking through their shooting process.  For those that don’t know, Breda is an amputee, and her left leg doesn’t bend at the ankle.  As she points out in the post linked above, this makes it difficult if not impossible to assume the traditional squared off rifle fighting stance that is taught at most gun schools and in the military these days.

Hence, we find ourselves in a situation where the world does not fit, and in the words of Stella from Silverado, “The world is what you make of it, if it doesn’t fit, you make adjustments.”  I’m not saying that we shouldn’t offer to help other shooters, mind you – but if you’re going to offer advice to someone, make sure you know all the facts of the situation.

Which brings us to the Tactical Thought: if someone asks you for advice on choosing a gun, or home defense, or self defense, before you respond with “get a Glock/1911/shotgun/Tacti-blaster 5000”, ask them questions first.  Get the lay of the land so that when you offer an opinion, it’s an educated opinion.  Otherwise, you end up sounding like some guy who says women can’t rack the slide on a 1911.

God bless you for your service, ladies and gentlemen.