Note from a student:

I generally apply your advice and clean my carry gun on a regular basis, usually once a week.

As I was doing so Saturday, I began to contemplate when the last time my spouse’s pistol had been given such attention. She doesn’t carry very often so her gun sits holstered in the safe most of the time, so regular cleaning isn’t at the top of my list of priorities.

I retrieved it, then, with the aid of a Safe Direction ballistic pad, unloaded it and gave it a thorough cleaning.

While I was at it, I figured I’d void her carry magazines and check them for function (and pocket lint) as well. However, this casual project was about to leave me in shock.

While I was removing the rounds a Snap Cap [inert training round] made an appearance from the magazine I ejected out of the pistol!

I seriously doubt it was my wife’s doing, and I take full responsibility. But all I can think about is her gun going “click” when it should have been going “bang” during a violent encounter.

The offending Snap Cap [red] mixed in with two magazine’s worth of carry rounds


Lessons:

Our friend experienced what is termed: An emotional bookmark.

The emotional bookmark is when an event creates a new neuro-pathway in the brain, thus leaving it “unforgettable.” As providence would have it, his lesson was learned only through minor embarrassment rather than catastrophe (which we’re all thankful for!)

However, his personal error was intercepted through his own willingness to commit to good habits and regimented procedures. In other words, he didn’t make a mistake and then go on with life pretending mistakes (and Murphy’s Law) don’t exist. Instead, his checking equipment for function and performed maintenance on a regular basis, a problem was caught that he didn’t know existed.

All serious operators should be engaging in regular maintenance whether they have fired their guns, or not. I’ve seen far too many examples over the years of “I was completely surprised when I saw that [insert “x”]” to do things any other way.  In fact, last month while cleaning my own unfired secondary carry pistol, I noticed that the rear sight was drifted fully to one side. Somehow the Allen screw holding it in place had loosened and allowed it to move.

Had I needed to deploy it for immediate self-defense, it would have been useless at any distance over 4 feet, while also leaving bystanders in jeopardy .

There are no guarantees when the fight is on – anything can (and does) happen. But, there are things we have (at least some) control over, the condition of our weapons being at the top of the list. Dirty guns and dummy rounds in magazines are not going to help us win the fight – and clean guns, as well as properly charged magazines, only occur with regular maintenance and inspections.

I believe it may have been Sun Tzu who once said: Life sucks already, let’s not make it any worse.