Pastor's Daughter Accidentally Shot at Church Dies

[PavePusher]

172. For the record, I've spent 21+ years in the USAF.

The "empty chamber" rule in the military came about, in large part, due to the severe risk-phobia, spotless-promotion record hysteria endemic to non-combat units and politically-motivated rank-grabbers. It is laughed at by any serious student/instructor of defensive shooting.

It is also a result of piss-poor training back when the standard pistol sidearm of the military was the 1911. Designed to be carried loaded, chambered and cocked, with the manual safety ON, it was frequently used improperly by people who's pistol training consisted of 50 rounds a year on qualification day. Most rifle and pistol training in the military is frankly quite awful and coursory. I just went through M9 qualification for the USAF. 4 hour class. That is not nearly enough, and there are some serious deficiencies in the quality and depth of the curiculum and instructors. Thankfully, my co-worker, also a shooting enthusiast and CCW, was sitting beside the guy in class (front row... ) who was using a grip that would have resulted in his left thumb being, at best, dislocated and cut, if not amputated.

Note that we were taught to have the pistol loaded, chambered and de-cocked, safety off. Requires a fairly long double-action trigger pull, very different from a 1911.

For the record, my personal off-duty carry gun is a 1911, carried C&L.

Also for the record, one-handed shooting is a universally recognised method. It should be taught and practised as a secondary method by all defensive carriers. It is used in several competition formats (including the Olympics, derived from military skills/methods) and taught in any competent self-defense shooting course. I generally shoot from a Weaver stance and can do so either left or right handed. I also practice single handed (though not sideways, as such) and in a variety of postions, standing, crouched, kneeling and prone.