Gun Safety & Holstered Firearms
Posted by greenisthecolour11@reddit | Firearms | View on Reddit | 26 comments
Just had a conversation with someone and gun safety came up. I told a story from three decades ago that’s been burned into my memory. I was a kid who already knew how to safely handle firearms, so I assume that’s why it was such a memorable encounter.
When I was in elementary school, a cop, who wasn’t there for security reasons or in response to a crime, was in our classroom with a Beretta pistol on his hip. I’m guessin it had a full magazine plus a live round in the chamber as well. He was goin around lookin at whatever worksheet we were fillin out for his lecture, and he was bending over at each desk. You can probably guess where his gun was pointed when he bent over to talk to the kid beside me, but in case you can’t, it was right between my eyes.
Does the number one gun safety rule not apply just because you have your gun in a holster? Don’t think I’ve ever asked anyone their opinion on the matter.
ceapaire@reddit
Nope, you're not handling the gun. A properly functioning firearm with whatever passive/active safeties engaged in a proper holster has no chance of going off because nothing can get to the trigger.
The 4 rules are for handling the firearm, and are simplified rules so they're easy to remember.
2allegedly@reddit
“Always Keep Firearm Pointed in a Safe direction. Never point your gun at anything you do not intend to shoot.” - doesn’t spec if it’s in your hand or on your hip. Safe direction is not in someone’s face no matter how it’s being held.
ceapaire@reddit
If it's in a holster, it's not being held. Being held means it's in you hand.
2allegedly@reddit
Cool gonna rack one one carry upside down just because no hands 😅
IAmMagumin@reddit
Not the gotcha you think it is.
2allegedly@reddit
Not really into gotchas just having a convo about holster position. I would not be ok with any firearm pointing at my kids face in school no matter what statistics/law of probability state.
sewiv@reddit
Just means you're ignorant and proud of it.
2allegedly@reddit
Bold statement. lol
hindsighthaiku@reddit
that's the same falacy/argument antivaxers use...
NinjaBuddha13@reddit
Not all of us own P320s. Most of us can safely holster a firearm and point it directly at our own dick all day, every day, for decades.
2allegedly@reddit
Own dick > someone’s face imo.
GFEIsaac@reddit
The number one gun safety rule that you're referring to is not realistic. Everyone pretends it is, but it isn't.
Bortjort@reddit
I don't think it represented a real danger but I also think it's good to mind your barrel at all times even if the gun is holstered
Stock_Block2130@reddit
It was holstered and his hand was not on it. Three decades ago it was totally safe. Nowadays I would be concerned that a kid might try to grab the gun.
Low-Landscape-4609@reddit
Retired police officer here. I also worked in an elementary school as a school resource officer. Most apartments carry the Safari Land level 3 and after reading your question, I can't really see how it would have been pointed at anybody because of the way the drop angle is on the holster. I'm not saying it didn't happen but it's not making sense my friend.
greenisthecolour11@reddit (OP)
Had an OWB holster, and he was bent 90 degrees at the hip. I was sittin down behind him. Everything that was normally pointed at the ground on his holster suddenly wasn’t.
Unless your gun’s pointed upward to begin with, if you rotate your holster 90 degrees in either direction, the muzzle’s gonna cross paths with a person sittin behind/in front of you.
sewiv@reddit
And it's in a holster, not a hand. Unless it's a p320, not gonna do anything.
sewiv@reddit
When I bend at the hips, my belt doesn't rotate. How are you wearing a holster that it does?
Low-Landscape-4609@reddit
We'll see you in duty gear or plain clothes? As far Elaine duty holster will not do that. Does not work that way. I promise. They have a contoured piece of plastic and the holster is dropped like a competition style holster.
greenisthecolour11@reddit (OP)
He was on duty. Don’t remember exactly what the material of the holster was, but I could see into the barrel when he leaned over.
Not familiar with Safariland holsters. So they have a weighted tip or somethin that rotates the holster and always keep it pointed at the ground regardless of the position of the belt? Almost like a plumb bob?
Low-Landscape-4609@reddit
No. They just dropped like a competition holster which means that the holster sets below your waistline and is attached to the duty belt. Bending over at the waist doesn't change the angle of the barrel.
greenisthecolour11@reddit (OP)
I understand what you’re sayin now.
Haven’t paid attention recently, but I feel like all the police on the show “Cops” during the 1990s had a belt that sat way up on their hips with a holster that didn’t sit below it.
The photo I attached is a perfect of what I’m talkin about. That gun’s gonna point at someone behind that guy if he bent forward. The belt’s above his waist, and the holster’s at the same level.
Low-Landscape-4609@reddit
Okay, that makes much more sense. That is a holster that is been out of date for years and no longer used. I am familiar with them though.
Well to answer your question now, no, there's no way in hell in that holster the guns going to go off so you can come up with your own conclusion on whether or not it was unsafe or not but it ain't going off in that holster. As a matter of fact, those holsters were horrid and terrible to draw your gun from so he probably ain't getting it out either LOL.
That's one reason we don't use them anymore. Too much retention and very slow draw.
ceapaire@reddit
I mean, a Beretta from the early 90s might've just been a thumb break leather holster.
Low-Landscape-4609@reddit
He posted a picture. It wasn't. It was a level 3 duty holster that I'm pretty familiar with.
Fuhugwugads@reddit
For practical purposes, a gun in a proper fitting holster is inert. The gun and holster together are a system. I don't price out a gun for it's affordability without including the holster since it's such an important element of the safety system.