Here's one for the masses! A sanitized (to protect the guilty) PM requesting clarification of an obscure point I made earlier in this thread. (See, we don't laugh - MUCH!
) FWIW - Peregrino
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Re: Brass
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ORIGINAL QUOTE THAT STARTED OUR GUY THINKING: Originally Posted by Peregrino
The same thing goes for the "catch the round" stunt, or - just as bad - the catch the empty magazine stunt. Both of them waste time/motion, encourage fumbling, and are potentially fatal in a tactical environment. That's stuff you do on an admin target range that'll get you killed in real life. (Check the FBI stats for stories about police officers found dead with expended brass in their pocket - something they learned to do during annual quals on the range. ]]]
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HIS QUESTION: How do they catch expended brass? I'm sorry if this shows my ignorance but I really have no idea. I assume that the fired brass ends up there because the officers put it there? Expended brass ends up in my shirt pocket while I'm at the range all the time. I use a Weaver style stance and I am right handed so when my left hand comes across to the right, it cocks my shirt pocket open and then the extractor sends the brass into the booth wall and it bounces into my shirt pocket. This averages about once in fifty rounds in a dress shirt.
Are these guys picking up brass during a firefight, or actually trying to catch brass as it is extracted? I apologize if this is a dumb question but I have never heard of this kind of stunt
******
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MY REPLY: I've never heard of it either. (And you quoted me!) I wish you had included the link to the thread. Your quote is out of context and I don't remember exactly what it was about. I think we were discussing stupid things people do on ranges that carry over into the real world. IIRC it had nothing to do with brass. Back when (most) police officers still used revolvers, they were in the habit of catching the expended rounds when they dumped the cylinder and dropping them in their pants pocket. The "catching the round" that I referred to is not the same thing. When clearing your weapon (a pistol) with a round in the chamber, (I think the context was immediate action drills with a failure to fire or a stovepipe) some (a lot of) people cup their hand over the ejection port to catch the round in the chamber just so they don't have to pick it up off the ground. Makes it easier to check for primer indent, you can stick it back in the magazine, you don't have to find it/pick it up, etc., etc. My point was - people tend to concentrate on meaningless minutia (especially when training on flat ranges) that becomes stupid, sloppy habits that will get them killed on the street. I hope this explains things to your satisfaction. If not - holler, I'll try again. P
P.S. If this answers the question consider putting the whole thing on the original thread in the open forum. I don't mind looking dumb if it'll help clarify the point to somebody else who might be as confused as you were. ]
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HIS RESPONSE: It was the "How do you do it thread"
http://www.professionalsoldiers.com...read.php?t=2567
Cops with old S&W's makes sense, you know, dumping expended brass into their hands, out of the cylinder and pocketing it. Reading your example of guys catching live rounds as they unchambered a semi, next to cops with empty brass in their pockets just confused my simple mind.
The point about sloppy habits and concentrating on minutia was apparent from context, but I absolutely had to ask because the image of some dipshit yanking the trigger in anticipation of trying to catch the brass, as it is extracted, just brings me to tears.
Additionally, there was the lingering fear that I was doing something horrible, dangerous and just plain wrong because brass ends up in one of my pockets occassionally while I shoot.
This must not be a good day for "understanding" what I read.
I will however laugh at my mental image of a "Kung fu" style range warrior test where the "Firearms Ninja/Priest" says: "When you can snatch the expended brass from the air you will be ready!"
If you want to post it for humor / ignorance feel free, it is sort of funny, but it is mostly me not paying correct attention to detail, and for that I apologize Sir.
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This guy deserves a
!! He was holding the weight of the world! Got to love that Rotweiller "wrinkled forehead" look they get when they just can't quite figure something out. And the subsequent look of relief when it becomes clear to them. As for ********** - A little fun at your expense may help somebody else so don't worry about it. There is such a thing as a dumb question - this doesn't quite qualify. Peregrino