Technological taffy: when technology and common sense collide—who wins?

In March, I had a student show up at a Defensive Handgun school with a brand new, out-of-the-box, Glock Model 22. During the first range session, the pistol fired about two rounds and then started into a series of stop-pages that never allowed more than three rounds to be fired in a row.

With the gun at the fiddle table and subsequent disassembly by one of my staff, who is a Glock-qualified armorer, my first suspicions were confirmed. The brand new gun had been given a "tune-up" by the gun store salesperson before the pistol had ever had the first round fired though it. Our FNG (foolish new gunman/woman) had been told, "This is just the stuff you need put on this pistol to make it a fightin' pistol and ready to go."

To the tune of $400, our friend had his almost assured-to-work Glock transformed into a polymer hammer. The Lesson - don't fix what isn't broke.

Your new Glock doesn't need an extended magazine release, extended slide lock, "faster" recoil spring, or an insert-thingy to fill the hole at the back of the grip, which is covered, by the way, with a black rubber-grip condom thing. Most other handguns don't need this "stuff" either. For fun? Maybe. For real? You be the judge.

Guns and Lumens

Who would like to turn a flashlight on in the middle of a fight?

Better yet, who might have to turn on a flashlight in the middle of the fight?

We might.

How about a need to confirm the status of the potential threat's hands or identify precisely what it is we were planning to shoot at? Is it a threat, or Aunt Agnes home after a late-night bender?

Current flashlight technology is good, and practicing several techniques of flashlight/handgun application is even better. Got a gun mounted light? Practice techniques independent of the gun-mounted light, just in case the gun or the light - or both - puke and you need to transition to a new gun or new light. A fight probably won't be what you think it will be and besides, if you knew there was going to be a fight you should have transported yourself away from that area anyway.

My friend Dave Spaulding recently attended an international firearm's instructor conference. Dave offered to help teach a block of instruction on flash-lights and the low-light firing of handguns in these particular environments. It seems Dave was slightly taken to task by some of the younger warriors present, as his techniques were declared "old fashioned."

Dave himself was declared sort of out of touch with current technology by the young folks.

Everyone knows (including Dave) that current technology has spawned a new generation of flashlights that can, arguably, be used as weapons to blind your opponents into oblivion. As things often do, they progressed to the point where Dave was challenged by some of the young folks, and they selected to use the "flashlight weapon" to prove their point. Dave was to respond to the threat, if he could -- there being no chance, of course -- since the young warriors were armed with powerful, blinding, zillion mega-beam flashlights.

In the ensuing melee, our high-tech, flashlight-armed, youngster-cop got shot in the crotch by a recently "blinded" Simunitions-armed Dave. Immediately the young warrior declared it was a "lucky" shot. So be it. Dave is an old guy who practices marksmanship, so apparently the light bothered him enough he shot slightly low -- as luck would have it. Good flashlights are a good idea. Practicing marksmanship is a good idea too.

Note: With flashlights, one is none and two is one. If you really need a light, have two. This could apply to handguns as well.

Holes, Hiders and Death

Troubled by the "awesome recoil" of the 9mm, .40 or .45 ACP, some consider -- and even purchase -- pistols with recoil-reducing "holes, vents and slots" chopped into the barrel and slides of their defensive handguns.

With interest, I note the advertising photos with the pistol being fired as streaks of flames stream from the apertures cut into the slides and barrels. I guess the flaming things are to illuminate the front sight in low-light conditions. Wonder what is does for your night vision?

Ever been in a fight? Ever been on the ground in a fight? Ever wonder how much fun it would be to shoot a vented flame-throwing handgun next to the trunk of your body or near your face, during, say, a weapon-retention struggle over your handgun?

Maybe that's why everyone wears those cool Terminator-like wrap around glasses. Got any sunscreen? Maybe a pistol with one hole in the front is actually enough, thereby directing the projectile and the flaming death-thing toward the threat -- rather than in directions it was never intended to go.

About now an antagonist might say, "Clint is a nice guy, but old fashioned." For the record, I'm not opposed to technology solving a problem that actually exists. I could use an ambidextrous safety because I am left handed. I could use a larger, high visibility front sight because my eyes are 60 years old. I could use a beavertail mounted on an older series 70 Colt or Browning Hi-Power to eliminate hammer bite every time I fire the pistol. Or I could shoot a Glock.