Firearm Myths That Won’t Die: Separating Fact from Fiction

Firearm myths have been around for decades, fueled by Hollywood, misinformation and misunderstanding. Whether it’s about gun functionality, self-defense or gun laws, these myths can shape public opinion and even influence legislation.

Let’s debunk some of the most common gun myths to help you separate fact from fiction.

Common Myths About Guns (Debunked)

Myth #1: More Guns Mean More Crime

Many argue that an increase in gun ownership leads to more violent crime. However, studies show that lawful gun ownership does not correlate with higher crime rates. In fact, areas with higher legal gun ownership often experience lower rates of violent crime.

Myth #2: You Don’t Need a Gun for Self-Defense

Some claim that firearms aren’t necessary for personal protection and that calling 911 is sufficient. The reality is that law enforcement response times vary, and many self-defense cases prove that responsible gun ownership can save lives when immediate threats arise.

You may also hear 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.

Myth #3: The AR-15 Is a Military-Grade Weapon

The AR-15 is often mistaken for its military counterpart, the M16. However, the AR-15 is a semi-automatic rifle that fires one round per trigger pull, unlike the M16, which has a fully automatic capability. Civilian AR-15s are not used in military combat.

Myth #4: Gun-Free Zones Make Us Safer

The idea behind gun-free zones is to reduce firearm-related incidents. In reality, they often create targets for criminals who know law-abiding citizens will be unarmed. Studies suggest mass shootings frequently occur in these zones.

Myth #5: The Second Amendment Is Outdated

Some argue the Second Amendment was only meant for muskets and is irrelevant today. However, the framers of the Constitution designed the amendment to ensure citizens could protect themselves against tyranny and threats, regardless of technological advancements.

Myth #6: Racking a Shotgun Will Scare Intruders Away

Hollywood often portrays criminals fleeing at the sound of a shotgun being racked. While it might deter some, many criminals are not intimidated and may even become more aggressive. A shotgun should be treated as a defensive tool, not a deterrent sound effect.

Myth #7: You Don’t Have to Aim a Shotgun

A common misconception is that shotguns spread wide enough that aiming isn’t necessary. In reality, shotgun spread is minimal at typical home-defense distances, meaning accuracy is just as important as with a handgun or 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.

Myth #8: Dry-Firing Damages Your Gun

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, which can cause pitting and even break the firing pin.

That said, most modern centerfire handguns and rifles are designed to handle dry fire without issue. In fact, dry-firing is an essential training tool for improving trigger control and accuracy. Using snap caps is still a good precaution.

Another myth commonly spread is that pistols, if loaded, will fire when dropped. Modern revolvers have a transfer bar lever that keeps the hammer off the firing pin, and automatics feature a firing pin block. However, negligent discharges can still happen. Always follow the four firearm safety rules.

Myth #9: Leaving Rounds in a Magazine Wears Out the Spring

Many believe keeping magazines loaded for long periods weakens the spring. However, it’s the repeated compression and decompression of the spring that causes wear. A properly stored, loaded magazine can last for years without issue.

Myth #10: Big Calibers Will Knock Someone Down

Movies often show people being thrown backward when shot. In reality, no handheld firearm has enough force to do this. Stopping power comes from shot placement and penetration, not sheer caliber size.

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.

More Firearm Myths Debunked

The world of firearms training and self-defense is full of strong opinions. Some are grounded in real-world experience. Others are repeated so often they start to sound like fact even when they aren’t.

That’s why Concealed Carry Magazine regularly runs “Gun Myth-Buster,” a column that takes a closer look at some of the most common claims circulating in the firearms community. Each installment examines a popular belief about guns, training or self-defense and compares it against real-world data, practical experience and common sense.

Below you’ll find selections from that column. As new myths are tackled in the magazine, we’ll continue adding them here so you can see which commonly repeated claims actually hold up … and which ones don’t.

Subscribe to CCM to be the first to know →

Myth: Metal Detectors Can’t Detect Glocks

This is one of those gun myths that won’t die, no matter how implausible it is or how many times it’s been debunked. Still, here we are, talking about “plastic Glocks” slipping through modern-day metal detectors.

First, let’s address how this myth started. When the Austrian-made Glock 17 appeared in the U.S. in the mid-1980s, it was touted as being predominantly plastic and therefore lighter to carry.

As a result, some people claimed that Glock 17s could slip through metal detectors unnoticed. This ultimately led to the passage of the Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988, which banned guns containing less than 3.7 ounces of metal. Ironically, the Glock 17 contained only about 4.5 ounces of plastic out of its 24-ounce total weight — less than 20 percent. The remaining 80 percent was metal.

This fear and sensationalism came on the heels of the “golden age of hijacking,” which author Brendan I. Koerner said occurred between 1968 and 1972. The Federal Aviation Administration didn’t require all travelers to pass through metal detectors until 1973. There was even a rumor that Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, known for sponsoring terrorist acts against the U.S., had attempted to buy hundreds of Glocks, which critics derisively nicknamed the “hijacker’s special.”

Ironically, the Glock 17 wasn’t the first polymer pistol, even though it drew much of the media’s ire. The Heckler & Koch VP70 was released in 1970. In fact, gun manufacturers had been experimenting with various forms of “plastic” as far back as the 1930s and 1940s, using materials such as Bakelite and nylon.

The 1990 film Die Hard 2 amplified the myth on a grand scale. In one scene, John McClane (Bruce Willis) tries to reason with Dulles International Airport’s chief of police (Dennis Franz).

“That punk pulled a Glock 7 on me. You know what that is? It’s a porcelain gun made in Germany,” McClane said. “It doesn’t show up on your airport X-ray machines here, and it costs more than what you make in a month!”

Glock 17s stood in for the film’s made-up porcelain Glock 7s. (If you really want an all-porcelain pistol, a German contemporary artist sells replicas of Walther PPKs as decor, painted with classic tableware motifs to go with your coffee and cake. They’re not for shooting because, well, that would be impractical.)

A Glock won’t slip past modern metal detectors or X-ray machines since only a small portion of the gun is made of polymer. Even a TSA rookie working his or her first shift would immediately spot the outline of an all-plastic or porcelain gun (or anything remotely gun-shaped) on an X-ray screen.

Still, the myth lives on in online forums and social media comments. The next time someone insists that Glocks can slip through a metal detector — or that porcelain Glock 7s actually exist — just point him or her to the artist’s porcelain tableware guns, better suited for upgrading a china set and spurring conversation over coffee.

— Frank Jastrzembski, Contributing Editor

Myth: All Fights End Up on the Ground

You’ve seen the comments, watched the YouTube videos and read the online articles. Whenever you see or hear the word “all,” “every” or “always” used in front of a sweeping statement like this, you should be skeptical. Even if you agree that not all self-defense incidents end up on the ground, what about most of them? And by “most,” I mean a significant percent, like 60 percent or more. I’d imagine it’s nowhere near that, and here’s why.

William English’s comprehensive 2021 National Firearms Survey found that 79.1 percent of defensive firearms incidents occurred within a gun owner’s home or on his or her property. He or she was likely alerted by a crash, shatter or Ring camera notification of an unwanted guest and, hopefully, responded to the threat by retreating to a safe room, calling 911, and displaying or using a firearm only as a last resort.

If he or she was lying in bed or on the couch when an intruder attempted to gain entry, he or she likely sprang to his or her feet as soon as he or she was awakened by a crash, a bang, footsteps or voices and remained standing for the remainder of the incident. It’s hard to envision such a home-defense incident ending with the homeowner on the ground since he or she was defending himself or herself in a familiar environment with restricted movement in the tight corridors of his or her home — unlike in a public space, where he or she would be more susceptible to ending up on the ground.

That’s not to say it’s impossible to end up on the ground during a defensive situation, whether it’s at home or in pubic. But odds are, it would happen while you’re in public — an unfamiliar and unpredictable space where you may be moving and exposed. Maybe you’re attacked from behind. Maybe you’re shoved to the ground by the perpetrator. Maybe you’re backpedaling and trip on a curb. Or maybe, in the heat of the moment while you’re trying to move off the “X,” your feet get tangled and you end up on the pavement. It can — and has — happened.

But will every self-defense incident end with a defender on his or her back? Certainly not, especially if nearly 80 percent of encounters occur where defenders have the advantage of defending themselves on their home turf.

So where did the claim that “all fights end up on the ground” originate? Honestly, I’m not sure, but I’d guess it, like most other myths and inaccuracies, has a lot to do with Hollywood. How many movies have you seen where the good guy dives out of the way of bullets only to land and make the perfect shot from the ground? (Think Will Smith in Bad Boys, who apparently prefers diving and spinning midair instead of shooting from a stable position with both feet on the ground.)

In addition, there’s naturally some crossover between martial arts and the use of firearms for self-defense since both involve defending against a threat. This is no disrespect to martial arts enthusiasts, but I wouldn’t advise a responsibly armed American to defend himself or herself from the ground the way someone might in a Brazilian jiu-jitsu gym. We’re talking defense against a firearm, knife or some other deadly weapon during a real threat to your life. A firearm is an equalizer. That means ensuring you perform as effectively as possible with the firearm — something that won’t be achieved from the ground.

So why am I hammering this point home? Because I want to stress that you should focus the majority of your training time on events that are most likely to occur in real life. Yes, you can practice shooting from the ground if you wish, but don’t spend a significant amount of your time and resources on it. Time is precious, and few of us have much to spare. Spend it on what really matters: controlling your breathing under stress, getting on target quickly and keeping your groups tight. If you can’t master those fundamentals, it won’t matter whether you’re standing, are behind cover, are on your back or are doing midair twists like Will Smith during a fight for your life.

— Frank Jastrzembski, Contributing Editor

The Reality of Responsible Gun Ownership

Firearms are used defensively by law-abiding citizens far more often than they are used in crimes. The presence of a responsible gun owner can deter criminals and save lives.

Statistics show that defensive gun use occurs more frequently than anti-gun activists claim. Many instances go unreported because no shots were fired, but the mere presence of a firearm stopped the threat.

Knowing the Facts About Guns

Misinformation about firearms is widespread. Understanding the truth behind these myths can help inform public discourse, ensure safer firearm practices and protect the rights of law-abiding citizens.

Separating fact from fiction is crucial for responsible gun ownership. Stay educated, train responsibly and always question the myths you hear.