A few years ago, my daughter was in awe of a particularly awesome long-range shot executed during a television drama. My little freckle-faced kid turned to me and said, “Daddy could you do that?” I laughed and said, “No, and he couldn’t either!” In the movies, folks don’t eat or drink water for days, and, bleeding from serious wounds, they manage to leap over tall buildings. They don’t reload, don’t carry extra magazines and wear shoulder holsters backward. Separating the cinema and myth from reality is important for anyone interested in firearms for personal defense. Myths perpetuated over the years and repeated by those who should know better could lead to deep legal trouble or a toe tag in the morgue.
Shotgun Myths
Shotguns are powerful home-defense firearms, often underutilized because shooters don’t practice and don’t handle recoil well. In Hollywood, just racking the shotgun will sometimes cause an intruder to flee. Brandishing a firearm may stop the least dedicated criminals — those motivated only by profit. But a high percentage of violent criminals are motivated by a desire to cause human pain and suffering. Racking the slide may just enrage them. I have witnessed a felon grab an officer’s shotgun and attempt to crawl up it to the buttstock!
A shotgun must be carefully aimed at modest distances.
Another myth is shotguns don’t have to be aimed. A shotgun handles mostly by feel, true. But the shotgun pattern with modern buckshot loads is only a few inches wide at home-defense ranges. A shotgun must be aimed as carefully as a rifle.
And as for birdshot as a suitable home-defense option, remember it is useful for taking game so small it may be held in the hand. The majority of birdshot pellets penetrate 3 inches of gelatin. A few reach 6 inches. Buckshot is needed for personal defense.
The Truth About Dry-Firing
Will dry-fire damage a firearm? Well, that depends. Firearms of the .22 rimfire variety should never be dry-fired. This is due to the firing pin normally crushing the case rim against the chamber. When the firearm is unloaded, the firing pin contacts the chamber. The side of the chamber becomes pitted, and the firing pin could break. Modern centerfire revolvers and automatics are fine to dry-fire. Just the same, a snap cap is never a bad idea for safety.
Another myth commonly disseminated is that pistols will fire when dropped if they’re loaded. Modern revolvers have a transfer bar lever that keeps the hammer off the firing pin, and automatics feature a firing pin block. But firing when dropped does happen. Original 1911-type handguns will sometimes fire if dropped dead on the muzzle from 6 feet or more, as the firing pin will take a forward run against spring pressure. Modern 1911 handguns, however, have either a firing pin block or a heavy-duty firing pin spring.
The 1911 on the left doesn’t have a firing pin block; the one on the right does. Common sense tells you the locked firing pin is safer.
Thirty years ago, a major metropolitan agency conducted a drop test of pump-action shotguns. When dropped from 6 feet, all types fired about half the time. So the myth isn’t completely false but doesn’t apply to any handgun you should be carrying.
Drawing and Shooting Myths
Some will tell you that you don’t need a round in the chamber of an automatic because you will have plenty of time to draw and rack the slide. Gunfights are like car wrecks: They occur very quickly. You may have to draw and fire with one hand. If you are leery of an automatic pistol, carry a revolver.
As a new shooter, you may also hear, “You can’t miss with a laser.” I have observed several folks trying to use lasers in my classes and nearly failing to qualify. Lasers are more training than operational aids and do not alleviate the need to aim. It is all in the trigger press.
If you’ve been told gunfighters used instinctive shooting, remember this isn’t the Old West. And I will never be the instructor in a wrongful death suit telling a jury I taught a shooter to fire without using his or her sights! Wild Bill Hickock wrote of using what would be today called a “flash sight picture.” And Bat Masterson ordered Colt SAA revolvers with a special tall front sight. Tom Threepersons had a square custom front sight made for his SAA revolver (now in a museum). Folks who wanted to hit used their sights, and so should you.
If you want to hit something, use your sights!
Myths About Ammo
An old myth that dies hard is that .22s bounce in the body. I have shot untold squirrel and rabbit, and preparing them for cooking was something of an autopsy. A .22 tracks straight. It’s the same with the .22 bullet wounds in humans I’ve seen arriving at the hospital. There’s a hole in the front and a hole in exactly the same place in the back. A through-and-through hit.
Along similar lines, the .45 will not necessarily knock a man down. The .45 is a good personal-defense choice, but it isn’t infallible. No handgun has enough power to knock a man down. Muscular constriction and blood loss cause collapse.
In regard to blanks, they are not harmless. At least two movie stars have died from tragic incidents related to blanks on sets. Some may think blanks are a good home-defense option for warning shots or not wanting to shoot anyone. If presenting the firearm doesn’t work, the blank will probably convince the burglar you are not serious. Blanks are for starter pistols, not threats. Perhaps you would be better served with an actual less-lethal option.
All the way up to the state government level, misinformed people believe Teflon-coated bullets offer increased penetration. Teflon, or molybdenum disulfide, is simply a coating. Part of the intent in outlawing Teflon-coated bullets was to ban the original KTW load. The projectile was a mix of brass and steel core in a pistol load that gave cops an advantage over felons in vehicles or behind cover. The problem was the load was available in a wide variety of calibers and, sure enough, it would penetrate body armor. Today, polymer-coated bullets accomplish much the same. Anti-armor-piercing bullet laws swept all Teflon-coated bullets under the bus.
Parting Shots to Consider
Have you heard of undetectable firearms? I don’t know of any. Even the outline of a water pistol will show up on an X-ray. That doesn’t mean lawmakers have not addressed undetectable firearms! California statute bans “undetectable” firearms. But how will they find it to charge you?
Firearms myths abound in today’s market. Some say you are only paying for the name in a quality firearm, but then a good name is good to have. Study these myths and consider the sources. Some have a grain of truth, but most do not. Stay safe!
