Fearsome sound of a pump action shotgun being racked.

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On this same page, and more:

"This nasty event seemed to have touched it off here a year ago, broad daylight...

As a police officer approached the home of the Petit family in Cheshire, Conn., on the morning of July 23, 2007, two men ran from the scene as flames poured out of the house. They were quickly apprehended. When officers then returned to the house they found Dr. William A. Petit Jr., 50; who had been severely beaten, and the bodies of his wife, Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48; and their daughters, Hayley, 17, and Michaela, 11. The police said that the victims were were tied up in separate rooms, and that Ms. Hawke-Petit and one of the daughters were sexually assaulted before the house was set on fire.

The shock the killings caused in the bucolic community was amplified by the prominence of the victims: Dr. Petit is a well-known endocrinologist and his wife had been active in fundraising for local causes. And word that the two suspects arrested at the scene were both convicted felons out on parole led to new questions being raised about the state's methods of tracking parolees".
 
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Racking up!

I have been at both ends of a scattergun being charged into battery. Each and every time it has drawn MY attention. Does it cause uneasiness, does it produce fear, does it stop action, each door way to chaos is different.

As a advertising tool to project passive force it is a good one. If it dissuades your enemy from an attack it is a great one. If it does nothing you have lost nothing.
Those who use the noise issue as a tactical disadvantage need to rethink. If you are in motion, calling the calvary, directing your family you are already giving evidence of your location. IT IS AN ANONCEMENT OF I AM HERE AND DON'T COME TO THIS AREA. These are all forms of passive defensive force and are to your advantage if it refocuses a predator to move in a different direction.

If in fact these passive forms of defense including "racking" do not work and this predator continues his course toward you, then you have picked the right weapon for the job.

As Glenn put so well, I am not suggesting that charging your scattergun is a separate part of the force continuum, it simply is the method of getting you scattergun into battery, if that works as a deterrent, so much the better.

Good Luck & Be safe
 
Yes, I have known it to work. I've seen it myself as a LEO, and I've taken a number of reports where the homeowner said the BG ran off when they realized the homeowner had a gun.
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Alright then, I'll file it under "Useful if the Situation Presents Itself"

And under the second mental category of "True Internet Myths I Never Thought I'd Believe":D
 
Racking of a lever action rifle is pretty nice as well, but I'm not going to be too picky as to which I pick up first between pistols, rifles, and shotguns--whatever I can grab first will do the job.
 
Springmom wrote,"The fact is, most of us....the VAST majority of us....will live our lives without ever being touched by violent crime personally. My own experience 2 years ago when my son was attacked, puts me out of the statistical bell curve on this (not to mention him of course ) We *feel* like it's more, because we watch the news and it seems an ever present threat. Certainly does down here".
+1 to that. I too am out of the curve. When I lived in NYC I was robbed at gunpoint 3 times. This happened when I was much younger 18-19. Twice at a gas station I worked at while in college and once at a bodega in Manhattan while I was a customer. Funny how the gun ban in NYC did not have any effect on bad guys getting guns. I wanted to buy a gun when I turned 21 and the permit requirements just to purchase one were ridiculous. I now live in Florida.:D
 
Back on topic: I do believe there may be something to the racking theory under some circumstances against some criminals, but I certainly wouldn't rely on it.

BA
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We're kicking this topic around as if there was one answer.

No way of knowing how Bubba is going to react to racking a shotgun anymore than we can tell how Saab1911 is going to react to Bubba.

The mere fact that one would even breach the subject of getting out of bed at 2AM and reaching for his tape recorder------(I'm sorry, I had to quit laughing, but now I'm back). Let me get a grip here.

Maybe if I'm Bubba and his friends, I run away, or maybe I start throwing lead your way, now that you've been kind enough to divulge your position.

But it's not just Bubba the burglar anymore. The home invasion scenario is much different, and tends to be more of a "dynamic entry", with crimminals having learned from the Police how to surprise people and take charge quickly while the family is still up and together.

The sophistication and planning displayed by the crimminals seems to be equal to (or better) than the sophistication of the victims (security wise) and to their wealth and social status--- which attracts the crimminals in the first place.

That's not to say there aren't bumbling amateurs, but I don't think they're any less dangerous.



Ah, Jeez---tape recorder with racking shotgun.:D:):rolleyes::cool:
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Terrorists notwithstanding...

I live in the United States, Southern (People's Democratic Socialist Republic of) California to be exact. In the U. S., there are two basic groups of criminals; those who are more or less rational and those who are - by dint of narcotics use, mental defect or some combination thereof - NOT rational.

The rational ones typically do not wish to engage any resistance. They certainly do not want to engage armed resistance. The irrational ones are typically more hazardous than dangerous, but certainly not harmless.

A demonstration of armed resistance - that sound of a shotgun being racked - will normally dissuade the rational sorts. However, the irrational ones are so intent on their goal (for example, their next narcotics 'fix') they will not be deterred. In desparation, death is preferable to doing without. Various forms of mental instability are just as bad.

One never knows who one will encounter. That sound the back yard may be some silly kid trying to steal something of minor value - or just retrieving a ball kicked over the fence - or a pathological serial killer. Relying on a 'threatening sound' is in my estimation, rather ill advised.

In fact, the U. S. does have the equivilent of terrorists these days. Home invasion robberies are becoming more common all the time. They are still rather rare, and limited to higher value targets, but they are growing in number and venue. Calling the police - if possible - will result in the police being on scene as quickly as they can. However, police are limited in number and ability to move from place to place. Seven to ten minutes is a very long time when dealing with armed assailants who want to rape and or kill one's wife, daughter, dog and one's self. In my (not so humble) opinion, they only defense is awareness and the ability to immediately dispense deadly force at need.
 
As a advertising tool to project passive force it is a good one. If it dissuades your enemy from an attack it is a great one. If it does nothing you have lost nothing.
Those who use the noise issue as a tactical disadvantage need to rethink. If you are in motion, calling the calvary, directing your family you are already giving evidence of your location. IT IS AN ANONCEMENT OF I AM HERE AND DON'T COME TO THIS AREA. These are all forms of passive defensive force and are to your advantage if it refocuses a predator to move in a different direction.
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Good summary. Unless you are trying to be stealthy it doesn't cost you anything. Lots of potential for upside, little or no for downside.

BTW, Wildebees---BSAP, Bulawayo, 1976-1978.
 
In the U. S., there are two basic groups of criminals; those who are more or less rational and those who are - by dint of narcotics use, mental defect or some combination thereof - NOT rational.
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Good for you for being the first to point that out.

Here we're into 3 pages of posts discussing dangerous threats as though they're all rational people who will react to certain stimuli in a rational manner.:cool:
 
Got the "Make My Day Law" here in Colorado. Somebody is in your house and you fear harm, you know what to do. If I rack a scattergun, I better be ready to pull the trigger. Threats dont work. I have no problem making sure some scumbag has broken into his last house.
 
This thread began on the premise of a Straw Man fallacy - that is, you grossly mischaracterize an argument that few if any ever make, and then in defeating that mischaracterized and weakened argument, you claim victory after never having dealt with the issue at all.

Thus, I'm surprised it lasted beyond the first post.

Law enforcement officers realize the value - IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES - of racking the shotgun, in the same way as any LEO has used the 'shaking' sound (rock in a can sound) in some varieties of pepper spray. I've never heard a single human being ever utter the idea that simply racking a shotgun will cause immediate and universal compliance. Someone said that racking a shotgun won't ensure compliance if your home is targeted by a squad of - what? - mafia hitmen? Well, no kidding! Is there a point to this?
 
workinwifdakids said:
This thread began on the premise of a Straw Man fallacy - that is, you grossly mischaracterize an argument that few if any ever make, and then in defeating that mischaracterized and weakened argument, you claim victory after never having dealt with the issue at all.

Thus, I'm surprised it lasted beyond the first post.

Law enforcement officers realize the value - IN CERTAIN CIRCUMSTANCES - of racking the shotgun, in the same way as any LEO has used the 'shaking' sound (rock in a can sound) in some varieties of pepper spray. I've never heard a single human being ever utter the idea that simply racking a shotgun will cause immediate and universal compliance. Someone said that racking a shotgun won't ensure compliance if your home is targeted by a squad of - what? - mafia hitmen? Well, no kidding! Is there a point to this?
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If it doesn't work most of the time, then the mechanism is useless to me for
home defense.

I'd rather have a high powered rifle which will be more effective at stopping
the bad guy.
 
If you don't have one in the chamber then rack the slide and if that doesn't work then do it again after you have pulled the trigger. :D What do you mean you didn't have one in the chamber to start with. :eek:

For me the thought of staring down the barrel of a 12 ga double barrel shotgun is much more fearsome than any other gun I can think of. :)
 
If it doesn't work most of the time, then the mechanism is useless to me for home defense.
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Jae,

It only works reliably if you do it one handed like at the end of Terminator 2.
You also have to have one of those guns they use in the movies when they have a really long foot chase type scene in a warehouse or something and the guy racks the gun about 6 times and never shoots but nothing ever comes out.

Anyway, the issue is a moot point for me since my gun makes a slamming bolt sound being that it's an 1187. I'll have to stick to scaring the BG with a 1900fps poly-tipped deer slug through the chest. I've advised my neighbor to reinforce the walls on my side of his house. :D:rolleyes:
 
My father, a WWII vet taught me to never give the other guy any warnings. If you have a weapon don't show it. If it comes to your life or his life just get it done.

Our bedroom is our safe room, I'd lock the door and load my 12 gauge pump as quickly as I could, chamber a round quietly and call the police on our cell phone.
 
geologist said:
My father, a WWII vet taught me to never give the other guy any warnings. If you have a weapon don't show it. If it comes to your life or his life just get it done.

Our bedroom is our safe room, I'd lock the door and load my 12 gauge pump as quickly as I could, chamber a round quietly and call the police on our cell phone.
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I thought there was no crime in Canada. At least that's what the fat
anti-gun nut tells me. I'll never forgive that dude for insulting Charleston
Heston.
 
Michael Moore is a lying POS.

I thought there was no crime in Canada. At least that's what the fat
anti-gun nut tells me. I'll never forgive that dude for insulting Charleston
Heston.
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Canada has higher violence and property crime rates than the US. Not many people realize this. It's a function of our hug-a thug court system, our lack of CCW and the generally low number of urban households with guns and residents with the will and skills to resist.

Burglers are much more willing to enter a home in Canada with the residents present than the US. Guess why?

BTW, I lived in Toronto for 10 years and EVERYONE I knew locked their doors.
 
geologist said:
Canada has higher violence and property crime rates than the US. Not many people realize this. It's a function of our hug-a thug court system, our lack of CCW and the generally low number of urban households with guns and residents with the will and skills to resist.

Burglers are much more willing to enter a home in Canada with the residents present than the US. Guess why?

BTW, I lived in Toronto for 10 years and EVERYONE I knew locked their doors.
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No, you don't say. Michael Moore is dishonest? :eek:

I didn't know that about Canada, and all this time I thought there was
something in American water that made us so extraordinarily violent.

;)
 
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