Cocking the gun

[toblix]

If you're pointing a pistol at someone, and you want to indicate that you are about to fire, we all know that you proceed to cock the gun, increasing the tension of the situation.

However, does this mean that if someone is pointing an uncocked pistol at me, I have a very good chance of lunging at him/her and wrestling it out of the person's hands? Is it hard to see if a gun is cocked or not for a gun layman?

[MrHoatzin]

If you're pointing a pistol at someone, and you want to indicate that you are about to fire, we all know that you proceed to cock the gun, increasing the tension of the situation.

However, does this mean that if someone is pointing an uncocked pistol at me, I have a very good chance of lunging at him/her and wrestling it out of the person's hands? Is it hard to see if a gun is cocked or not for a gun layman?

If your finger is strong enough, you don't have to cock the gun. It cocks and fires with the single squeeze. I don't know if this is how all revolvers do it. If it is a semiautomatic gun and the clip has just been replaced, you have to cock the gun the first time before you can fire, and then after that with every shot it cocks itself...

I, uh, have never fired a gun. If this is all true, I have somehow internalized this knowledge without caring to.

[n0wak]

[elmuerte]

is that Hugh Laurie?

[Scrobbs]

Indeed

[Psych]

If your finger is strong enough, you don't have to cock the gun. It cocks and fires with the single squeeze. I don't know if this is how all revolvers do it.

Indeed that is not how all revolvers do it, There are single and double action revolvers. With one you have to pull back the hammer yourself, with the other the trigger pulls the hammer back when squeezed. Although which is which I have no idea.

[toblix]

You guys are fucking amazing.

[Action Shakespeare]

That would mean so much if you didn't have that signature...

[Digitalfox]

You have two types of guns, Single action and Double action. Single action means you need to cock the hammer back to fire the gun. The pull of the trigger releases the hammer which fires the gun, the gas expands as the bullet leave the barrel and thus cycles the slide ejecting the spent shell, chambering the next round and cocking the hamer for you. A double action does two things, it cocks the gun and releases the hammer, which then repeats the same process above.

When inserting a new magazine, it is necissary for one to "rack" the slide back manualy thus chamering a round. Some guns, like the Barreta 9mm carried by the us armed forces have whats called a "safety and decocking lever" which, places the gun on safe by disabiling the trigger and rolling the fireing pin safely out of the way and decocks the gun. The barreta 9mm is a double action gun though so once it is taken off safe it is not required to cock the gun.

Most modern guns are double action, most revolvers are also double action though there are a few single action.

Now, as far a a laymen being able to tell if a gun is cocked or not, it would be hard to tell, even for someone trained in weapons, since you would, presumable staring down the barrel of the gun, the given angle makes it next to impossible to tell the position of the hammer. Your best bet would be, when the person starts to cock the gun to rush them as their markmenship will be at it weakest.

Also, when the magazine is empty on most modern pistols, the slide locks to the rear thus alowing the inserting of a fresh magazine, and then a simple release of the slide instead of a full racking to begin fireing again. But the way guns look, if your staring down the barrel, its hard to tell if the slide is forward or locked to the rear.

[Action Shakespeare]

Unfortunately, these posts didn't make it in time and toblix was shot as he tried to make a move...

BAD END

[SignorSuperdouche]

Now, as far a a laymen being able to tell if a gun is cocked or not, it would be hard to tell, even for someone trained in weapons, since you would, presumable staring down the barrel of the gun, the given angle makes it next to impossible to tell the position of the hammer.

This is why the pro's only cock the gun after you have the full attention of the person you're pointing it at. Clearly you know nothing about how to operate guns, noob

Welcome to the forums

[Nevsky]

This forum is awesome sometimes.

[UncleSpaggles]

If you are down with the quickness facing off against a cocked gun you just need to get your finger between the hammer and the firing pin to render the weapon useless - I think I saw this in a Lethal Weapon movie, but they are based on true stories so...

Scratch that, the above method only works during suicide attempts.

[toblix]

Can't you just plug the hole with your finger? Based on the physics involved I predict the gun would backfire and kill the assailant. After all, the bullet would have to go somewhere, and your finger is blocking one of the exits.

[UncleSpaggles]

Can't you just plug the hole with your finger? Based on the physics involved I predict the gun would backfire and kill the assailant. After all, the bullet would have to go somewhere, and your finger is blocking one of the exits.

This wouldn't kill the assailant but simply blacken their face.

[ThunderPeel2001]

This wouldn't kill the assailant but simply blacken their face.

Lol! This thread is amazing.

I have to wonder, where do you go once you've cocked your gun? You've raised the tension as high as it can go. How do you say, "look, I've proven I'm serious by cocking the gun, but now I'm really serious". What can you do? Wave it threateningly? Say things like "I'm beginning to pull on the trigger now! Really!".

Also, seeing as cocking the gun is utterly pointless ("Aha! Now I don't have to pull the trigger quite as hard when I want to kill you!") doesn't it really indicate that the person is really bluffing? If they we're really going to kill you, they'd just pull the trigger, instead they're trying to prove that they want to kill you, thereby simultaneous proving that they actually want you alive.

So if somebody cocks their gun at you, Toblix, (and providing it isn't a semi-automatic), I'd suggest just taking a big sigh of relief and doing your best to make friends with them before they change their mind.

[toblix]

Hopefully the situation of someone cocking their gun in my face will remain strictly in the realm of the imagination. In real life I would most likely be so flustered I'd forget this thread completely and instead go for the old "the safety is on" trick and attempt to disarm him/her as he/she tilts the pistol to check.

Which begs the question: Does a gunman have to visually inspect the safety switch of a gun in order to determine whether the safety mechanism is engaged?

[DanJW]

Lol! This thread is amazing.

I have to wonder, where do you go once you've cocked your gun? You've raised the tension as high as it can go. How do you say, "look, I've proven I'm serious by cocking the gun, but now I'm really serious". What can you do? Wave it threateningly? Say things like "I'm beginning to pull on the trigger now! Really!".

What? Do you know nothing about proper hold-up procedure? The next step is clearly to shoot a bullet into the ground near their feet, or possibly at some inanimate object near their head if you're really badass.

As for the other thing - a few less pounds of pressure needed on the trigger will mean a fraction of a second less to fire and greater accuracy. A big thing is made of having a hair trigger - if only because it is easy to fire before you actually mean to (see The Wire!)

Which begs the question: Does a gunman have to visually inspect the safety switch of a gun in order to determine whether the safety mechanism is engaged?

Good firearm safety requires that you do visually check when you first pick up the weapon. But if you are familiar with a sidearm then you could probably check by touch.

[UncleSpaggles]

What? Do you know nothing about proper hold-up procedure? The next step is clearly to shoot a bullet into the ground near their feet, or possibly at some inanimate object near their head if you're really badass.

Then you say "I'm going to count to 3" and if at "2" they are still holding out you pull their daughter into the frame and place the gun at her head praying she's doesn't possess the 'power of three'.

Good firearm safety requires that you do visually check when you first pick up the weapon. But if you are familiar with a sidearm then you could probably check by touch.

Is the safety on the right hand side of the weapon relying you to remove you finger from the trigger in order to feel if its on or cross your left hand over leaving you open to attack? Or do you just use your left hand to check? Do they make left handed guns?

[DanJW]

Always keep a surprise daughter hostage for this purpose.

Is the safety on the right hand side of the weapon relying you to remove you finger from the trigger in order to feel if its on or cross your left hand over leaving you open to attack? Or do you just use your left hand to check? Do they make left handed guns?

Ooh we're all full of good questions.

All the firearms I have used had the safety on the left, near the cocking mechanism*, but those were all rifles and machine guns. I don't see why handguns would be different though.

*hours of fun pretending to swear: You forgot the cocking mechanism!

[UncleSpaggles]

As there seems to be some sort of knowledge in this thread I was wondering what the correct procedure is for pistol whipping somebody - are you hitting then with the barrel of the gun or the handle?

[Psych]

Is the safety on the right hand side of the weapon relying you to remove you finger from the trigger in order to feel if its on or cross your left hand over leaving you open to attack? Or do you just use your left hand to check? Do they make left handed guns?

Some types of guns do have left handed varieties. The chief difference from the right handed version being that they eject shells to the left instead of the right. I have no idea if their safety faces the 'normal' way or not.

As there seems to be some sort of knowledge in this thread I was wondering what the correct procedure is for pistol whipping somebody - are you hitting then with the barrel of the gun or the handle?

You gotta use the handle, trying to hit someone with the barrel is only going to knock the gun outta your have. And it's probably not good for the barrel either.

[UncleSpaggles]

You gotta use the handle, trying to hit someone with the barrel is only going to knock the gun outta your have. And it's probably not good for the barrel either.

Thats the way I thought it was done, however the handle of a gun is pretty small and I was concerned that you'd mess up your fingers performing the action (as they are wrapped around it) leaving you unable to then fire the weapon further through the level/desert/playground...

[Scrobbs]

I just thought you use the bottom edge of the pistol grip that sticks out of your hand - is why it causes so much damage.

[Digitalfox]

As for the visualy checking the safety, It depends on the gun. Some, like the baretta mentioned earlier have the safety on the back of the slide and its simply a black lever that is pushed up. Alot of guns dont even have safetys. A sig for exsample has the safety built into the trigger, that is, the gun wont fire unless the trigger is pulled. Some guns have the safety built into the grip, Its a bar that is compressed by the users hand when he grips the gun.

The thing to remember is, does the person holding the gun know how to use it? Not can he figure out how to pull a trigger, but does he really know how to use a gun effectivly? I have been to the range and seen people miss the target 3 yards infront of them, hell, I've been one of them. A big question is, is this person looking down the sights of the gun does he have proper grip and finger placement? Or is he holding the gun at his side, holding it sideways like a ganster or waving it about like a mad man?