JR24
Member
Here's the thing to realize: We talk a lot about how important keeping one's finger off the trigger is. And that's good. That really is important, and following that rule would have avoided about 99% of the AD/ND incidents that occur.
But. Guns are inanimate objects (as we constantly point out to the gun-control crowd). They don't generally have sensors or decision-making circuitry integrated. A trigger doesn't know what is pressing on it. The trigger only "knows" whether force is being applied - and it only "cares" about whether that force is oriented roughly-rearward, and of enough strength and travel/time to release the sear.
Things can and do get into holsters. Heck, parts of holsters can and do get into trigger guards. If you think the only thing you have to do to keep a gun from firing is "keep your bugger hook off the bang switch," you are wrong. At a minimum, you have to keep everything off the bang switch. Keys, draw strings, the edge of a holster or belt buckle - everything. This is NBD most of the time, but a little bit of confusion, distraction, close/cramped conditions, darkness, etc... can make it easy to foul up.
Recognizing this, one could adopt one of several strategies:
Everyone has to figure out their own strategy, but recognize that forgoing the first 3 implicitly chooses the 4th. I personally choose the first two, opting to carry safety-equipped guns strong-side. Others choose differently.
- Don't rely solely on keeping-everything-off-bang-switch to prevent AD/ND's; and/or
- Identify the times when non-finger intrusions are most likely, and don't let the muzzle cover anything important during those times; and/or
- Get a trigger that is so long and heavy that it diminishes the chances that something might be applying force (or resisting force you are applying) without you knowing; or
- Accept the risk and count on your future self being perfectly vigilant
Honestly, all that is avoided by having a good holster with a clip, as most all AIWB holsters are clips.
The holster off the body, clip it on and leave it be. It's not difficult to do and is completely safe from foreign objects in the holster mattering.
Apart from that, any time I am handling a loaded firearm I am darned sure taking maximum caution, it's a loaded gun in contact distance of my own body. How people lose vigilance in that basic fact is, simply, beyond me.