What If You Did Encounter A Perp?

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This is the dumbest thing i've ever heard.My daughter sleeps on the other side of the house as us and she is only 2 years old.I WILL NOT allow some lowlife to break into my house without doing something about it!
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Just quoting this because you highlighted the suggestion of getting training, then proceeded to say this. I second the suggestion of getting training, its probably one of the smartest things one could do.
 
Unless you believe the perp is 25+ yards away from you, you really shouldn't cock the hammer on your DA revolver. SA releases so easily, a bump into a desk or chair may cause you to unintentionally discharge.

There may be instances when you really need to cock the hammer though, I am sure you'll know when that time comes.
 
I use a 1911 "cocked and locked" and a Surefire flashlight. I have done house searches having heard an unexplainable noise dozens of times. Did it last night in fact.

There is no perfect way to do a single person house clearing. You simply can not cover all the angles at the same time by yourself.

However, if I called the police instead, I'd be labeled the guy who cried wolf. Never found anything, just the house expanding and contracting from heat and cold I guess.

As to what would I do if I actually encountered someone in my house? It depends on an infinite number of variables. I'd try to get him to leave and call the police with a description. I would only use deadly force as a last option.
 
I over exaggerated a simple question in my original post,but what I simply want to know is,if I see a BG in my house,do I cock the hammer or not before I point it at him and say "don't move"????
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Never, ever say "Don't move". It gives the BG the first opportunity to shoot you, if he/she is armed.
 
ninjatoth said:
This is the dumbest thing i've ever heard.My daughter sleeps on the other side of the house as us and she is only 2 years old.I WILL NOT allow some lowlife to break into my house without doing something about it!
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First of all, if you actually read the response, I made the statement early on that having a child on the other side of the house was the only reason I would clear my house. While an unfortunate position to be in, that doesn't make clearing your house any less dangerous. If anything, it makes it more so, as in that situation you're going to be anxious to get to the child and rush your way through something that can't safely be done quickly. Wandering through your house with a gun and no idea what you're doing is an excellent way to get yourself killed. How much good is that going to do your child?

Now, this-
VHinch said:
Turn off the NYPD Blue reruns, put down the remote, and back slowly away
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was very tongue in cheek and directed downright comical tone of the whole question. You were suggesting that you would cock your revolver and actually say "Don't move", and all that after referring to the guy as a "Perp." You couldn't make that have more a mall ninja tone if you tried.

This suggestion however-
VHinch said:
please consider investing in some quality training from a reputable instructor
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Was very serious. Your experience level is pretty clear, and all anyone is doing is suggesting that if you're going to be in the position of having to do something dangerous and stupid, at least get some training and give yourself a chance of living through it.
 
Was very serious. Your experience level is pretty clear
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I am not sure whose experience level you are refering to,but if it is me,I would like to know where you would get that idea,other than a simple post on a revolver specific question asking people how they would handle their revolver in a dangerous encounter:confused:
 
Sam,

Your question gave you away. No one who has had professional training would have had to ask it. All the major schools teach to not cock a DA revolver.

It's okay to be a novice. We all were. Just recognize it and change it by getting some training.
 
I think you answered yourself. These two questions, particularly the bolded italicized sections, indicate minimal training/experience with the type of situation we're discussing.

ninjatoth said:
Let's say you hear a noise in the middle of the night somewhere in your house,so you get your revolver and go investigate,and you encounter a guy trying to steal your television,what then?Do you cock your gun or not?Do you cock the hammer back being prepared for making the first shot count if you do indeed feel the need to fire,or do you leave it uncocked,preparing to emty your gun without the first shot being lighter and throwing off your timing or also being cautious to not accidentally shoot him if he does indeed surrender?
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ninjatoth said:
if I see a BG in my house,do I cock the hammer or not before I point it at him and say "don't move"????
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There is nothing wrong with needing training and experience. We all started there. All anyone is suggesting is that based on your situation i.e., having no choice but to get across your house to get to a child, is that you get some training and do it more safely. One of the first things you'll do in such a training session is a Simunitions run, and it's quite eye opening.

House clearing is not easy, and it is not safe, especially when done alone. Quite frankly, it's difficult and extremely dangerous even when done in a 2 man team who is well trained to do it.
 
Well, if he's inside of MY house he's about to have a really bad day. Somebody once called in about some shots in my neighborhood. A number of local police officers just happen to know where I live. The comment was actually made, over the police radio net, that I wouldn't be calling the police to do anything except to help pick up the dead bodies. I know that they didn't say that in a bad way. The officers just "have confidence" in my shooting abilities and prior military history. It's sort of like having a combat veteran Navy SEAL living next door. There are certain things you can "automatically expect to happen" if trouble approaches his residence.
 
A cocked revolver may be an ND waiting to happen if you don't have training. A lot of human factors research has been done on gun handling under stress and a single action pull can easily occur.

Also, Mas has documented a police officer who got into trouble as he was trained to cock his gun and then shot a person by a twitch.

So the technical answer is that it is a bad idea. About clearing the house, it is difficult against an opponent by yourself. The suggestions to train and/or rearrange the house for security make a lot of sense.

Those are much more important than the issue of cocking the revolver.
 
Thanks

This thread has made me think. I now will never cock my revolver until I am sure I will fire. I know now I need to practice d/a more than s/a. I can only speak from my knowledge. My revolver with the hammer cocked is a dangerously light trigger pull. Once again thanks for making me think.
 
A cocked revolver may be an ND waiting to happen if you don't have training. A lot of human factors research has been done on gun handling under stress and a single action pull can easily occur.
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And that's one reason why I chose a DAO revolver for concealed carry. Here's a worthwhile article on the subject:

http://www.snubnose.info/docs/daovdasa.htm

Relevant excerpts:

...people who carry a revolver for self defense should practice almost exclusively for double action fire, as if the single action option wasn't even there. Why? Because there are almost no situations in which single action fire is appropriate in self defense. Most self defense situations unfold rapidly. There isn't time to thumb cock a revolver and take careful aim in the way one would do while target shooting. A cocked revolver is dangerous in the adrenaline dump of a lethal force encounter. The trigger is just too light. Its too easy to fire when you don't mean to. There was a well-publicized case in Miami several years back in which a police officer accidentally shot a suspect he was holding at gunpoint with a cocked revolver. The suspect was killed and the officer faced a lengthy court process which ultimately destroyed his career.

In a nervous situation, a cocked revolver is dangerous. When you're really nervous or scared, the heavy double action trigger pull is an asset rather than a liability. I can hear you say, Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire, and that's true, but we also know that people don't always do what they're supposed to do in the stress of a deadly encounter. The police officer in Miami is a good example. I'm sure he had heard the rules. A firm double action trigger can be a welcome piece of insurance against an accidental discharge. With a DAO revolver, manual cocking isn't possible, nor is it possible to be accused of negligently cocking the hammer in a civil action which could follow a self defense shooting.
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About clearing the house, it is difficult against an opponent by yourself. The suggestions to train and/or rearrange the house for security make a lot of sense. Those are much more important than the issue of cocking the revolver.
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Very true indeed.

No, I didn't know about not cocking the revolver before I took CCW training. And I had no idea how foolish it was to walk around the house with gun in hand to investigate a noise, though simple common sense should have made that very clear.

Yes, training is a good thing--maybe a lifesaver.
 
Your question gave you away. No one who has had professional training would have had to ask it. All the major schools teach to not cock a DA revolver.
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I am asking a question as for "what would you do?"Would you cock the hammer in an encounter or not?One person stated that the BG backed down after cocking the hammer,and that is a good answer.For me personally,no I would not cock it because of the adrenelin would probably cause me to accidentally discharge.My question isn't personal to me and the fact that people are questioning my experience for asking others what they would do is strange to me.
 
One person stated that the BG backed down after cocking the hammer,and that is a good answer.
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I don't think it is a good answer. The guy was lucky. Very lucky.

As was I, 41 years ago, when I cocked a revolver that I had aimed at someone who had gained entrance into my rented cabin at night in Colorado. Fortunately--very fortunately--things turned out OK.

Cocking a revolver is OK for hunting and target shooting, but not for personal defense.

My question isn't personal to me and the fact that people are questioning my experience for asking others what they would do is strange to me.
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Don't take it that way. This is a very serious subject. You can't afford to learn what you should have done if you were wrong.

The required eight hour training class I took last year for the CCW permit covered a lot of subjects. About four hours were devoted to legal issues.

The subject of cocking a revolver was addressed. I had never even considered the question and in a home invasion situation would probably have cocked the gun.

So was the issue of what to do when a perp is in the house (ans: let the perp come to you). I would most certainly have gone to find the guy.

Find out what training is available in your area and take it.

You won't regret it.
 
well,it's a good answer not because it's right,but because it is a different response than just no!But I can't personally take a CCW class,I can't even get in there,so that option is out.In my state if you have any mental condition,which I do,they refuse to let you take ccw,yet willy nilly hand me over the pistol permit.Kind of stupid and a whole nother issue alltogether.
 
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