How do you CCW folks practice?

[Adam Helmer]

Jack,

Thanks for your sage observations, as usual.

I teach the weak thumb blocking the hammer fall in my revolver classes as well as auto pistol classes. Letting the hammer down to half cock on a 1911 is similiar in many ways to letting the cocked hammer down on a single or double action revolver. The key is to get off the trigger as soon as the hammer releases and ease the hammer forward.

I get a laugh at the cowboy movies when some gunslinger cocks his revolver and points the gun at a person. When the gunman decides he will not shoot, they ALWAYS KEEP the muzzle on the target's midsection when they release the hammer and let it go forward!!! Common sense dictates that one points the muzzle AWAY from a person before letting the hammer down.

One final story: Back 20 years ago in a rural NH town a woman heard a suspicious noise after dark in her backyard. She was alone, so she grabbed her DA revolver and flashlight and headed for the backyard and she cocked the revolver as she exited the house. She found no intruder so she went back to her kitchen. She had had some firearms training from her husband and had fired her S&W at the range, but had NEVER let the hammer down on a loaded pistol. She could not open the cylinder with the Smith cocked. After some deliberation, she lowered the hammer by shooting her trash can! The nearby neighbors called the cops and the SWAT team responded because the woman had never let the hammer down on a loaded gun.

That lady was the first person to sign up the next month when my gun club offered a firearms instruction course.

Adam