I have been shooting for some 35 years. I have yet to drop a gun while handling it and when I put a gun down I place it where it is unlikely to get knocked on the floor or ground. I know to never say never but with due diligence the odds of it happening are slim in my book.
Why do so many of you folks fret about dropping your guns anyway? Are you all that clumsy? How many of you have actually dropped a gun? If you have maybe you had better asses your gun handling practices. No more gunslinger gun twirling. Like someone else said most modern firearms are very unlikely to go off if dropped from hip height anyway. Keep your brain engaged and your finger off the trigger until the time is right and there likely wont be any problem.
Well, I tell ya Brett, and this is not to pick at ya. I've been a L.E. weapons instructor, and ex-SWAT Team leader, for about as long as you say you've been shootin, and I have dropped guns in fights, foot pursuits, arrests where someone didn't want to be arrested, and when I needed both hands because of a DIRE SITUATION developing suddenly and with out warning, where I needed both hands. So it can, and does happen. Now my circumstances were considerably different than just about everyone here, but it can happen, and has happened, and will happen.
I've seen weapons fall more than a story during a repell when the officer had a choice of falling himself, or losing the weapon. Was it ideal? No, but it was better than losing the officer. I can also tell you about a certain epuipment company dropping off some tactical holsters to a dept. and a good friend running across the parking lot, and getting shot in his leg by his holstered 1911. Seems this new state of the art holster they were trying to sell to a SWAT team had a propensity to not only knock the thumb safety off, but pull the trigger also. It was supponse to be a very safe holster for tacical and had a large retaining strap ACROSS THE GRIP SAFETY.
Sometimes it has absolutely nothing to do with gun handling practices. It just has to be done, when things get physical. You can't in my past profession shoot everyone that won't cooperate, nor in every private sector confrontation. I will match my skills, ability, training, and experience against just about anybody, but it can happen, and it doesn't necessarily mean incompetence.
The athletic moron in the bar, as I understand it stuck a charged Glock in his pants UNHOLSTERED. Being a Glock armor for about 20 years, I can tell you that was real stupid. If it had been a dropped glock you would have never heard anything about it. He could have thrown it out the car window going down the expressway and it would not have discharged. It has a "striker" not a hammer. The Glock is a very safe gun unless you pull the trigger. I won't condem someone whom has dropped a gun, but I don't recomend it if there is an alternative.
The real key to this topic is one, be careful, two, buy a quality firearm that will withstand a drop or even a throw, and not some Saturday night special just because it's little, and last but, certainly not least. NEVER SAY NEVER.
