A/D Discharge: Lessons Learned

On my evening blog-meander, I wandered over to No Looking Backwards (always a good read) where our literary leader du jour suggested a trip over to Xavier to look at a "Lessons Learned" relating to concealed carry. It seems a gentlemen was out bow-hunting, stretched, and had an AD/ND in an inexpensive imitation of a Smart Carry (formerly "Thunderbelt") holster.

Ed. Note - Seems Tamara covered this as well....12:14 9/21

I strongly recommend reading Xavier's lessons learned. It simply *hurts less* to learn from other peoples errors, rather than repeating them.

My own "comments at a distance"?

I'm moderately pain-phobic, so I've never been especially entranced by the Thunderbelt/SmartCarry design (or the older belly-band strategy) - it's quite bad enough to be shot in the thigh or in the ass because of mechanical or human failure, and risking the family jewels is not acceptable. Thus, I dislike any holster that crosses the front of the body with the muzzle - mechanical safeties fail, people screw up, and freakish events occur...followed by a resounding bang and varying amounts of screaming.

Holster selection includes more than "if things go right" or "if things proceed in a logical and predictable fashion", or, for that matter, aesthetic considerations. Holster selection, done properly, includes considering what "what if the fit hits the shan"? What if, despite your best efforts, a manual safety fails or your trigger somehow catches on something as you insert the pistol into the holster? Where is that bullet going to go?

Along the same lines, many years ago, when I was somewhat younger and dumber, I purchased a used shoulder holster at a gun show for a 1911 - it looked good, it was a good fit for both the gun and my person, and all was well with the world. It had a nice retention strap, even. One lovely morning not long after, I had an especially lovely ham and cheese omelette in Auburn...

I stretched, begin to arise, and erupting from beneath my left arm and clanging to the ground was a bouncing baby stainless 1911 with pachy grips, to my horror and surprise. Quickly shifting to warp speed, I scooped up the metallic object upon the ground, and scarpered off someplace a bit more private to re-assemble. That was the last piece of used gun-leather I've purchased.

No harm, no foul, but lesson clearly learned. A few dollars more for new gun-leather always, always, is a better choice than "big surprise".

What I take from the post-event report is two-fold...

1) Muzzle sweep counts - even in a holster.

2) Quality counts - cash is cheaper than pain.

3) Unintended consequences can't all be planned for, but it's worth trying.

Your take?