Safety and Responsibility, Good Information

Skill Set: Slam Fire

The free floating firing pin strikes the primer every time the chamber is loaded, although normally not with enough force to fire the round, until it does.  Keep the muzzle pointing in a safe direction.

During a class this week a student’s pistol experienced a couple of “slam-fires.”  Twice, during an empty reload with a Browning Hi Power, the pistol fired when he cycled the slide to chamber a round.  I was watching him carefully – we had just started working on empty reloads and I was watching him carefully - so I know his finger was nowhere near the trigger when this occurred.  The pistol was pointing downrange – we teach students to keep the muzzle on target during reloads - so there was no danger.  Slam fires are not uncommon, and an important reason to always keep the muzzle pointing in a safe direction during all manipulations.
The pistol in question had been modified.  It had a trigger job done by a gunsmith.  In order to get a lightweight, crisp trigger ‘smiths will often cut the tolerances too close on the hammer and sear, and/or lighten up spring pressures on the trigger components.  Cutting and fitting everything to these tolerances will produce the desired feel.  But often it’s usually not long before things wear, and the hammer starts to jump or follow the slide forward as it cycles.  The result is an unintentional discharge.  This would be different from a negligent discharge, which results from the finger being on the trigger at the wrong time.  (Although technically this is a form of negligence since the weapon has been modified to the point it is unsafe.)
Be very careful when it comes to modifying a trigger.  First, make sure the gunsmith you’re using is qualified to perform the work you’re looking for.  Work that’s performed improperly is dangerous to you and anyone else around you.  It can lead to slam fires, plus for defensive purposes a trigger that is too light is simply dangerous.  Under stress you’ll end up firing an unwanted shot; this is especially true when attempting to reset the trigger after firing a shot.  A light trigger also potentially opens you up to some serious legal problems.
Slam fires will occur with long guns too.  The AR, AK, SKS, 870 shotguns – and most other long guns – have a free-floating firing pin.  This means that every time a round is chambered the firing pin hits the primer.  Normally it doesn’t striking the primer hard enough to ignite and fire a round.  But, if you have a faulty round, or a high or sensitive primer the weapon can fire when chambering a round.  This is true while firing and when manually loading or reloading.  And yes, slam fires will occur with bolt-action rifles as well.
A dirty firearm can also cause slam fires.  When too much grime builds up in the channel for the firing pin it prevent can the firing pin from traveling freely.  If the firing pin locks up in a forward position it can cause a slam fire.
The possibility of a slam fire means when you’re manipulating your weapon – loading, unloading, reloading or clearing stoppages - the muzzle should pointing in a safe direction.  For administrative manipulations – loading, unloading or checking its status – the muzzle should be pointing downward and at something that would stop or trap an errant round.  During reloading or clearing a malfunction the muzzle should be on target, so if a slam fire does occur the round is going downrange.
Owning a firearm is about responsibility.  Buy good equipment.  Be careful when it comes to modifications.  And always keep the muzzle pointing in a safe direction.
Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, lsafety and responsiblilit

Excellent advice from Tiger Mckee

Skill Set: The Fundamentals of Defense

Even if you have a firearm, it could fail, taking it out of the fight. Armed or unarmed, your threat response is almost the same.

I’ve talked about the fundamentals of defense many times: move, communicate and use cover, shooting if necessary and thinking.  The issue people have is connecting these same principles to their unarmed response.  I carry my handguns all the time – except where I can’t.  Even though I may not have a firearm my threat-response is going to be the same.
Moving should be your immediate response to danger.  You’re walking in the park and come across a snake upset, rattlin’ and ready to bite.  You respond by moving beyond its striking range.  When face with a person exhibiting dangerous body language your response should be to move.  You move to create distance.  Moving forces the threat to react to your actions, buying you a second or maybe even more response time to figure out what to do next.  You move off line of their attack and try to be a moving target.  It doesn’t matter whether they are trying to hit, cut or shoot you it’s better to be moving.  You move to get to cover and the protection it offers.  Moving applies whether you’re armed or unarmed.
Communicating is key.  Issuing verbal commands to the threat(s) may change their mind about what they thought they were going to do.  You’ll need to communicate with your family or friends, telling them what to do or where to go.  It might be helpful to communicate with yourself, talking your way thorough solving the problem at hand.  Eventually law enforcement is going to show up, and they’ll want to communicate with you.  You may have your firearm, or maybe not.  Communication is still mandatory.
Using cover, taking advantage of the protection it provides is critical for everyone.  Covers protects you from the threat.  He’s trying to hit you.  You position a car between you and him, moving constantly in response to his movement to flank you.  The car offers protection.  The same is true if the threat is armed with an impact or edged weapon.  When the threat has a firearm cover needs to stop incoming fire.  When danger erupts don’t just stand there frozen in place.  Move to cover.
You shoot if it’s required.  By moving, communicating and issuing commands may change the threat(s)’s mind about attacking.  You’re not the victim they thought; they leave or retreat.  If you’re not carrying a firearm shooting may be difficult.  But remember, unarmed is a state of mind.  There are always objects surrounding you that can be used for weapons.  Hit them with a brick.  Throw a chair.  Use a fire extinguisher against them.  Almost anything you pick up can be used as a weapon.
Thinking is always required.  If all you’re doing is reacting to what’s being done to you then you’re operating with the reptilian part of the brain.  Logical thought – necessary to solve your problem –only occurs in the conscious mind.  You must remain calm and steady in order to think logically.  This is true regardless of the physical weapons you are using.
The exam you’ll face is pass or fail – life or death – and it’s not graded on a curve.  The only acceptable option is to win.  Just remember that winning doesn’t always mean physically confronting the threat.  The best option is to avoid or escape the danger.  Study and practice the fundamentals.  Move, communicate, use cover – respond with force if necessary – and always be thinking.
Tiger McKee is director of Shootrite Firearms Academy, 

Glock 19x

Hi everybody!  As we begin to enter the new year I am sure everyone is looking and hoping that it will be a prosperous and exciting year.  I am guessing that if you are involved in the firearm training world like myself you are beginning to plan an make arrangements for what you would like to do and accomplish.  I am sure that the year will be fill of new and exciting guns and gadgets that will be on everyone's wish list.  And, I am also sure that there will be products that will be introduced that you will just look at and shake your head.  Most of the time the manufactures wait until the annual Shot Show, (which generally kicks off the up coming season) to unveil their new models and additions to their existing lines.  For some reason this year one of the biggest players in the business, Glock, is jumping the gun, no pon intended, and releasing their new model Glock 19x.    

Basically, this new model is a 17 frame fitted to except a 19 slide.  It has a lot of the Gen 4 and Gen 5 features as well as some of the features of the FBI M model.  Glock says that this is very similar to the design of the pistol submitted to the Army when Glock was biding for that contract.  The one big difference between this model and the Army version is that the external safety that was on the Army version has been removed.  Good thing!   I am not going to get into any of the features because this is not a review of this pistol.  The purpose of the this feed is to basically state that this is not really anything new.  A 19 slide on a 17 frame.  I have shot this configuration and can't tell you how many times.  Your probably saying to yourself how is this possible the gun did exist prior to now.  Well get ready cause I am going to splane it to you.  And no I did not miss spell explain!  

If you are a Glock shooter then you know that any of the larger capacity 9 mm magazines will work in the smaller 9mm pistols, with the exception of the model 43.  That is to say that you can take a 19 mag and utilize it in the 26. There is a company called A&G and they make what is called a grip extender.  The extender gets fitted over the 19 mag and fills the void on the larger 19 mag.  By doing this you now have a 19 size frame with the shorter 26 slide.  This can also be done by fitting the 17 mag with the appropriate sleeve which fills the void on the 17 mag.  When this combination is inserted into the 19 you now have a 17 size frame with a 19 upper.  oo-lah the Glock 19x.  Not magic folks, just utilizing some equipment.

This could reasonably been done up and through the Gen 3 models.  Not really sure if it can be done with the Gen 4 & Gen 5.  I am not really concerned because all of my Glocks are Gen 3's and a couple of Gen 2's.  I never cared for the Gen 4 and the 5's as the 2's and 3's have always served me well.  

I am glad to see that Glock is keeping up with the needs of it's customer base and hanging right in there and probably leading the pack as far as the competition goes.  Can't wait to see where this moderation is going to take us.  All said and done I really like this new 19x.  I love the finish and the way it looks.  Combat ready!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!