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Dave Workman
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Dave Workman
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PostSat Jun 15, 2019 7:43 am 
Well, what you saw was a Ruger SR1911, their version of the M1911 pistol. Carried "cocked and locked" with a round in the chamber, safety on and hammer back. That's one way they're designed to be carried, same as all 1911 pistols. The 1911 platform actually has a couple of safeties. The thumb safety, and the grip safety. Unless the grip safety is depressed and the thumb safety is disengaged, the pistol will not go 'BANG!'...unless there is a very serious malfunction or the dummy has deliberately disengaged one of the safeties, typically the grip safety. I carry a Colt Commander, either a lightweight or a Combat Commander. Nearly identical to the Ruger SR1911, except for the finish and those handsome stag grips! Cocked and locked.
Cocked and Locked
Cocked and Locked
You're a pistol instructor and never saw this before? Been a pistol instructor for more than 35 years myself. It would appear odd to NOT see someone carrying a 1911 that way, especially in bear or cougar country. *Even sat in on the Tacoma PD training some years ago when they transitioned to carrying Kimbers as a duty sidearm. Everybody carried cocked and locked. That was the idea. Incidentally...if you're carrying spray to fend off a cougar, good luck with that. Very few people are fast enough to engage in the kind of scenario you describe, and typically, mountain lions attack from behind or the side and they're on you before you have time to react. up.gif wink.gif up.gif

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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timberghost
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PostMon Jun 17, 2019 5:29 am 
What kind of a holster do you carry your CC in? I like the Gunfighter chest holster.

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Backpacker Joe
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Backpacker Joe
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PostMon Jun 17, 2019 5:43 pm 
I like Kramer horse hide holsters. Local too.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Randito
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Randito
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PostMon Jun 17, 2019 6:34 pm 
Dave Workman wrote:
Incidentally...if you're carrying spray to fend off a cougar, good luck with that. Very few people are fast enough to engage in the kind of scenario you describe, and typically, mountain lions attack from behind or the side and they're on you before you have time to react. up.gif wink.gif up.gif
Do you believe that a higher percentage of people will be able to effectively defend themselves from a cougar attack using a sidearm?

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Dave Workman
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Dave Workman
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PostTue Jun 18, 2019 12:20 pm 
RandyHiker wrote:
Do you believe that a higher percentage of people will be able to effectively defend themselves from a cougar attack using a sidearm?
Not necessarily. I've never thought that. Spray has a nasty habit of coming right back on you, depending on even the slightest breeze, and if you're in a life-or-death struggle, you don't need to be screwing up your own senses and reflexes. All that does is add seasoning to the cougar's next meal winksmile.gif The sidearm's single advantage is that the projectile only goes one direction, and even if you miss, that loud boom and muzzle flash is going to startle whatever is on the other end. I don't recommend complete dependence on a sidearm in this kind of a situation, or really any kind of situation. Your greatest defensive weapon is your brain. Be alert, pay attention to what's going on around you, practice with your defensive tool at every opportunity because it is a piece of emergency survival equipment. If you're alert, you should be fine. I've encountered all sorts of wild critters on the trail (had a lot of years to do that) and in all but a couple of cases, I knew they were in the neighborhood early enough in the process to not worry about an attack. Stay safe and enjoy the wilds.

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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Dave Workman
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Dave Workman
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PostTue Jun 18, 2019 12:22 pm 
Backpacker Joe wrote:
I like Kramer horse hide holsters. Local too.
I know Greg and he makes a good product. And he's honorable enough to have not tried to rip off my designs. Of course, I generally use my own rigs. <tsk)

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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Vertec
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PostTue Jun 18, 2019 4:29 pm 
RandyHiker wrote:
Dave Workman wrote:
Incidentally...if you're carrying spray to fend off a cougar, good luck with that. Very few people are fast enough to engage in the kind of scenario you describe, and typically, mountain lions attack from behind or the side and they're on you before you have time to react. up.gif wink.gif up.gif
Do you believe that a higher percentage of people will be able to effectively defend themselves from a cougar attack using a sidearm?
It depends. Consider that in the majority of recent attacks, victims were aware of the threat and had some amount of time before the attack commenced. What someone does with that time will have a significant affect on outcome. This material specifically addresses human threats, but the same concepts can be applied to other types:
Condition "Yellow" is not paranoia as some uninformed individuals like to parrot. And, condition white is not naive ignorance. It's a personal choice everyone has the right to make.

Out There, carrying the self-evident truth I am endowed by my Creator with unalienable rights of self-defended Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.
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Backpacker Joe
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PostFri Jun 21, 2019 6:29 am 
Vertec wrote:
Condition "Yellow" is not paranoia as some uninformed individuals like to parrot. And, condition white is not naive ignorance. It's a personal choice everyone has the right to make.
Vertec, both you and Dave are correct. You're brain is your best weapon. Being aware of your surroundings is key. When I approach my car in a parking garage I don't just open and sit down. I look in the car. I look around myself before I move to open the car. It doesn't matter whether you're in an urban or rural (although Urban probably requires more diligence.) environment. Awareness is key. If you LOOK as though you're "Out of town" you're a more likely victim. If you appear aware and in-touch with what's going on around you you're less likely to be a target. In a rural environment that awareness give you the best opportunity to see what's going on around you.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Dave Workman
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Dave Workman
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PostSat Jul 13, 2019 4:22 pm 
Hey BPJ: What are you packing these days? I am still plugging along with my .357 S&W, though a couple of months back I tested a Charter Arms 5-shot in .41 Magnum for a magazine article that was kind of interesting. It's got a stout recoil, but the darn thing was surprisingly accurate.

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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Backpacker Joe
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PostFri Jul 19, 2019 4:03 pm 
I’ve got a .44 mag smith. It’s Scandium and titanium. It’s very lite. Kind of scary to shoot because it’s so lite. I’m using some buffalo bore rounds that were made for that gun. High power low impact. They seem to work well. If not that I’ll carry a glock 43 9mm and use 147 grain super hard cast rounds.

"If destruction be our lot we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen we must live through all time or die by suicide." — Abraham Lincoln
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Dave Workman
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Dave Workman
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PostFri Aug 02, 2019 2:29 pm 
Sometime, I'd like to hear from people who have found themselves in need of a firearm on the trail.
Good for the trail
Good for the trail
Sept. 11A
Sept. 11A
Along a section of S. Cle Elum Ridge trail
Along a section of S. Cle Elum Ridge trail

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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xrp
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xrp
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PostSun Aug 04, 2019 6:03 pm 
Dave Workman wrote:
Sometime, I'd like to hear from people who have found themselves in need of a firearm on the trail.
A few years ago, I was trail running out and back on the PCT. I started at the PCT-Willamette Pass trailhead in Oregon and was running up to a bit north of Rosary Lakes and then coming back down. On my way back down, a dog off leash was hauling up the trail as I was going down. I saw it about 75-100 yards downhill from me. No owner was nearby the dog. I stopped quickly and pulled my P245. Thankfully, the dog stopped abruptly about 20-ish yards from me and ran back downhill ... to its humans.

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Dave Workman
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Dave Workman
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PostWed Aug 07, 2019 9:06 pm 
xrp wrote:
A few years ago, I was trail running out and back on the PCT. I started at the PCT-Willamette Pass trailhead in Oregon and was running up to a bit north of Rosary Lakes and then coming back down. On my way back down, a dog off leash was hauling up the trail as I was going down. I saw it about 75-100 yards downhill from me. No owner was nearby the dog. I stopped quickly and pulled my P245. Thankfully, the dog stopped abruptly about 20-ish yards from me and ran back downhill ... to its humans.
Not quite sure what's happening here. Was the dog barking and growling and aggressive, or just coming up the trail?

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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xrp
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xrp
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PostWed Aug 14, 2019 8:07 pm 
Dave Workman wrote:
Not quite sure what's happening here. Was the dog barking and growling and aggressive, or just coming up the trail?
I wasn't sure what was happening either. It was running up the trail barking. I've not been around dogs that much, so I couldn't translate his intention or accent. It wasn't walking/trotting up the trail. That's an easy difference to see.

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Dave Workman
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Dave Workman
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PostSun Aug 18, 2019 6:33 pm 
xrp wrote:
I wasn't sure what was happening either. It was running up the trail barking. I've not been around dogs that much, so I couldn't translate his intention or accent. It wasn't walking/trotting up the trail. That's an easy difference to see.
Yeah, that's always a toughie. I've only had one really nasty encounter with a guy on the trail who had a dog, and he turned out to be a real jerk. Opening day of high buck about 25 years ago, and he starts screaming at me demanding to see "my permit" to be hiking up the trail with a rifle. This went on for several minutes until by the oddest of coincidences, an old friend of mine showed up with some of her pals and while we were exchanging hugs and pleasantries, dipstick and his dog disappeared up the trail. I did encounter a few other people who reminded me not to shoot them. rolleyes.gif I don't know why people think that's supposed to be funny. It's not. At least after the third or fourth time. Other times I've met people on the trail with dogs and everybody got along just fine. Go figure. But allowing a dog to get far ahead isn't a hot idea IMHO. I dunno why people do that. It's not terribly courteous and it might not be safe for the dog, with hungry predators around. Ah, well.

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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