Another interesting thing I've learned recently is that when you do mag changes, you should never train to chamber the round with the slide release. I found this interesting because I had a guy that I met because he wanted to buy a Kel Tec PF9 that I had put on armslist and when he was fooling around with the gun he decided that he didn't want it because the slide release was too hard to push to drop the slide. He argued that because you may not always have your second hand free, you should never depend on being able to drop the slide by pulling back on it. Well our training captain was showing us the drills they do and was showing us training videos and they were telling us how any firearms trainer worth their salt will never tell you to use the slide release because using your thumb to press that release is a fine motor function that you will loose in an intense adrenaline situation. They then humored the argument of not having your second hand free and were able to show us multiple ways that were very easy to drop the slide. I found all that interesting since it almost contradicts what most CWP permit instructors and self defense instructors teach.
Oh he most definitely was. I had been taught to rack the slide as well, but I wasn't taught that it was THE way to do it. I had always considered other options. I had also never been shown the other methods for racking the slide with one hand. My only issue with that line of thought is, if you're assuming your support arm is injured enough that you can't give the slide a slight tug to chamber a round, then how exactly are you able to get a spare mag which is probably on your support hand side out of its holster and over to the gun?
All the officers at our SO are taught to practice putting yourself in different "stages" or "codes" as you go throughout your day, and I think this applies to anyone who is carrying a weapon as well (and possibly even if you aren't). "Code White" is what you are in when you are completely relaxed, maybe at home watching tv or whatever. Officers are taught that any time they put anything on that would identify them as a police officer, they need to automatically go to "Code Yellow". This is a slightly more heightened sense of awareness where you are more observant to what is going on around you. Let's say you get a call and you're on your way to that call...you need to go to "Code Orange". This is a degree of self awareness slightly above Code Yellow where you are observant of everything going on around you and completely ready for the unexpected. Once you have been engaged, either with a gun, knife, or whatever else, then that is "Code Red"...the adrenaline phase. Now, what appears to have happened to this guy is what they call a "Code Black". Code Black is the "tactical shutdown" phase. When you go from a completely relaxed frame of mind then your brain is suddenly overloaded with adrenaline and all this new information as to what is going on around you, it cannot handle the sudden shock of information and it just shuts down. People react differently in Code Black. Most people simply go into shock and cannot move or speak. This guy apparently was able to move, however he was in such a state of panic that he didn't know what he was doing. This is why I think that anytime you are out in public, should always be in a Code Yellow at least.
I don't think anyone here has said it can't be done. I must ask though, did you do this on the range or did you do it in an actual life or death situation? I'm guessing at a range. Cause when stress is involved, those numbers don't mean a damn thing.
Again, no one here said it can't be done, and no one here has said anything against practicing it at the range. What we are arguing is that when your life is on the line, why not stack ALL the cards in your favor. Training at something doesn't give you a guarantee that you'll be able to execute it perfectly in the real life situation. Give you better odds...yes. But I'd rather eliminate those odds altogether by just going ahead and putting one in the chamber.
