Doe anyone use a Clearing Barrel

[mjbskwim]

I had a cup of hot black tea coming up to my face when I read this... I was fortunately able to get it settled on the desk before the laughter hit full force.
Thanks Medic.

We keep our home defense pieces loaded and with one in the chamber.
We also go through our practice sessions in which my wife and kids click the button, eject a live round and chamber a new one, just for the SOUND. It seems to be a near universally recognized sound that tells a potential bad guy that there is serious business about to be undertaken in defense of home and family.

The round in the chamber is there for a purpose, I understand that. It also seems to me that there is a percentage of situations that could be ended with the nice clean chambering of a round before there is any face to face discussion.

I teach my family that if self-defense seems like it will require a shot to be fired, do not jack that first loaded round for the "sound effect".

I am open to other opinions and experiences.

Hmmm clearing a weapon when you may need it the most. I don't understand.
Plus now you are trying to make the kids "Hollywood it up" before protecting themselves.Seems pretty unsafe to me.
Maybe if you are leaving the guns "Israeli carry" and racking the slide with an empty chamber?

And why would anyone unload a weapon,their EDC, before entering their house? What good does it do empty?
(looking back to the other thread where the guy was robbed while in his garage).
Don't you have the gun to protect yourself at all times?

And as for the clearing barrel,if you think you need it then you probably do.

 

[teflon6string]

If you know anyone who likes to weld, get someone to put a 10" base on a 2' length of 8" steel pipe (so it looks like a big*ss .357 brass). Fill it 2/3 with sand, and there's your "barrel."

Personally, I like to double-check and simply know what's loaded and what's not.

 

[PMB]

Hmmm clearing a weapon when you may need it the most. I don't understand.
Plus now you are trying to make the kids "Hollywood it up" before protecting themselves.Seems pretty unsafe to me.
Maybe if you are leaving the guns "Israeli carry" and racking the slide with an empty chamber?

How is cycling a live round "clearing a weapon"?
I stated that it would ONLY be done when the situation may be diffused by the sound... when the situation may be diffused by the sound.

Making my kids do something? Teaching them to cycle rounds through a pump action shotgun is making them "Hollywood it up"?



There are SO MANY posts in here that seem intent on trying to belittle the OP or a previous post.

There is nothing difficult to understand about ejecting a live round and chambering another when the sound by itself may defuse a situation.
Is it appropriate every time? Of course not.
When there are 5 more 00 Buck rounds after the 1st one is cycled through? It CAN and sometimes DOES make sense to try to chase someone/something away with the sound.
That first round is still available for the 6th shot if needed.

Again, it would ONLY be done when there is plenty of time, plenty of space, and the family member holding the shotgun makes the conscious decision that it is the best course of action.

Seriously, nothing tricky, no rocket science.

I recommend a course in personal defense to anyone who is having difficulty understanding how and why this could, sometimes, be the best course of action. That's where I learned it for the second time. The first time was in the service.

It made sense to me, and that's why I have taught my children that it is a possibility.

 

[tacticalgunner]

I too don't think that racking the round I'd hollywooding it up. The universal sound of a pump action shoty will stop people in their tracks. Been there, done that, saved me from having to write an incident report! Not having to take the shot and de-escalating the situation is a heck of a lot better thank justifying your shot.
Everyone seems to be trigger happy around here I feel, and let me tell you, when you actually ever have to drop someone, it's not a happy feeling if your normal, IMO

 

[Rotty]

My intent with starting this thread was to inquire if Anyone else uses a "Clearing Barrel". If so did they purchase it or make it. The ones in my past seemed to be of the home made version. Since the opportunity for me myself to leave a loaded weapon readily available 24/7 is both unpractical and unsafe I am finding the "Clearing Barrel" a viable option. My wife has zero firearms training nor the strength in her hands to operate the weapons we own. I have shown her how to use the weapons but that doesn't change the fact she doesn't have the strength to perform the basic functions to safely use the weapon because of arthritis.

When I am home the weapons are loaded. When I am not working I carry concealed. But when I am working my weapons are put away and securely stored which means they are unloaded and locked away. Since I do load/unload at home brings up the concern of ND's. better safe than sorry in my book.

 

[James 61]

Snap caps are pretty fool proof though. You can aim and "click" those at a pillow. They are a different color for easy ID and they CAN'T be used in a loaded weapon! You MUST unload your weapon to use them.

Unfortantly your statement is not true. Part of my range routine is to randomly load snap caps into my magazines (preferably I have a friend load my mags as it is more likely to be truely random) to practice immediate action drills. It is the best method I have found since it accurately recreates a failure to fire. So yes they can be used in a loaded weapon and just as much caution must be used when using snap caps to prevent a ND. A better method for at home practice is an airsoft replica of your gun since it cannot be loaded in any way with live ammo.

 

[Nick Burkhardt]

Would a 5 gallon bucket of sand be sufficient to stop a 12 gauge 00 buckshot if you cleared a weapon the the barrel pointing down at it? Just the standard Remington 2¾" shell, not the high velocity or 3" shells. How about #8 target loads?

 

[speeddemon94]

Would a 5 gallon bucket of sand be sufficient to stop a 12 gauge 00 buckshot if you cleared a weapon the the barrel pointing down at it? Just the standard Remington 2¾" shell, not the high velocity or 3" shells. How about #8 target loads?

I think it would be sufficient, but the blow back would be vicious and you would likely be covered in sand. I found this picture though and this is much smaller than a 5 gallon bucket. Just have to know what it's built out of.

 

[mjbskwim]

How is cycling a live round "clearing a weapon"?
I stated that it would ONLY be done when the situation may be diffused by the sound... when the situation may be diffused by the sound.

Making my kids do something? Teaching them to cycle rounds through a pump action shotgun is making them "Hollywood it up"?

There are SO MANY posts in here that seem intent on trying to belittle the OP or a previous post.

First I was not trying to belittle anyone. Second,maybe it was the wrong term,but when you are racking the slide,you are ,in fact, removing a live round from the chamber and inserting another.For a second the gun is out of battery. And you are ASSuming that you or your children are capable of doing this under stress.

I feel this isn't safe..I don't want to play "Hollywood" ,(hate to have to 'splane this)by making that sound,like you here them do it in the movies. (most trained officers would never have their weapon on them without a round in the chamber or 'rack the slide for sound effects'.Come on not many know what "Israeli carry" is).
Sounds like you got your idea watching movies. Only place I have ever seen such a thing.

Teaching them to cycle a round through the gun is fine
Teaching them that when they may need the gun ready is irresponsible.
What if something slips? The round doesn't chamber correctly?
Now I have seen this quite often,personally and to other people.
And not in stressful situations.

And you don't know if the guy will hear it anyway.

Last thing the guy hears in my house is the trigger falling on the primer.

:drink:

 

[PMB]

Part of my range routine is to randomly load snap caps into my magazines (preferably I have a friend load my mags as it is more likely to be truely random) to practice immediate action drills. It is the best method I have found since it accurately recreates a failure to fire. So yes they can be used in a loaded weapon and just as much caution must be used when using snap caps to prevent a ND. A better method for at home practice is an airsoft replica of your gun since it cannot be loaded in any way with live ammo.

This is one of the things that I do after a few magazines with a new shooter. I let them know that we're going to be looking for smooth trigger pull on each of their shots... They are usually quite surprised by the flinches- they don't even realize they are doing it. It's the BEST method that I have found. The worst is not saying anything at all about the flinching, and the second worst is stopping them after each shot.
Let two magazines go through, then load a few snap caps.
Maybe the snap caps that the previous post is referring to are commercial, and somehow different than the homemade ones? I haven't ever bought one... I just make them. Drill two holes in the case and paint them bright red. The primer is a cored eraser held in place with a dab of hot glue. Seat a bullet and you're good to go.

mjbSkwim, I should have relaxed a bit before I responded...
I was taught in the military that there are certain situations that can be defused by that racking. My weapons are "in the ready" with 1 in the chamber and 5 in the magazine.

I have shot tens of thousands of rounds with dozens of pump shotguns. I have never yet had a failure as you described. Never.

Now before someone goes off and says but it CAN happen, just consider that it can happen with any gun. My HD weapons are all newer (but tested thoroughly) and in perfect working order. When I first buy or trade for a gun that may become an HD weapon, I completely disassemble it, learn the workings if it is new to me, clean, polish where desired, and reassemble. I KNOW my HD weapons, and I don't "Hollywood it up."

If an intruder is INSIDE our home, there is no racking of the weapon for a sound effect. That is a possible course of action before someone illegally enters my home. If they don't hear it, then there are 5 more rounds ready, and there is quite likely time to reach down, pick up that first round, and slide it home too.

Again, if you think it is for theatrics only, then you've had different teachers than I have. I was taught that if there is a possibility of defusing a situation without a gunshot, choose that route first.

 

[Flopsweat]

I have two boxes that are are the correct dimensions to accept a stack of phone books. They sit next to my reloading bench. With one box stacked on top of the other, I have enough books to stop the most powerful (or more correctly, best penetrating) round from any of my firearms. Cost was $0, unless you count the ammo used in The Great Phone Book Penetration Test of '09. Since this test involved kids, science, a police range and an over-the-top finale involving varmint rounds and water jugs, I count the ammo expense as entertainment. Awesome entertainment. Anyway, back to the subject, a gun can malfunction for any number of reasons and in any number of ways. There is a reason for the "always" in "Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction".

And to think, all of this would have been unnecessary if I had kept the damned dog.

 

[bellarum]

Unfortantly your statement is not true. Part of my range routine is to randomly load snap caps into my magazines (preferably I have a friend load my mags as it is more likely to be truely random) to practice immediate action drills. It is the best method I have found since it accurately recreates a failure to fire. So yes they can be used in a loaded weapon and just as much caution must be used when using snap caps to prevent a ND. A better method for at home practice is an airsoft replica of your gun since it cannot be loaded in any way with live ammo.

He was talking about dry fire practice in his house. If you and your friend load snap caps randomly in a mag full of live ammo to do drills in your house you should move in next door to the OP with the sand bucket. Do everyone a favor and do not use live ammo in your house to do drills. If you read my comment it was to use ONLY snap caps for dry fire because you MUST unload your weapon to use them. You cant get a live round in there with a snap cap in the way. Don't mix up your "range routine" with "dryfire in the house" someone might take your advice.

 

[James 61]

As I clearly pointed out it is part of my range routine. At no point did I say that I do drills in my house let alone with live ammo. As a matter of fact I very rarely dry fire my guns and on the rare occasions that I do there is no live ammo present in the room let alone in the gun. My point is that snap caps can be present in a loaded gun since the ammunition feeding device when filled with live ammo and/or snap caps and inserted into the gun is considered a loaded weapon. The point I am trying to make is that snap caps are not necessarily a garrantee against a ND.

 

[bellarum]

PMB That wasn't my quote fella. Not origionally posted by me!
Im outta here. Don't shoot your eye out, or your neighbors through the walls, don't miss the sand bucket and shoot your foot , don't click at steel plates in your house just to be safe (KNOW your weapon is clear), and if you do not have common sense; you are a danger to yourself and others regardless of what you do let alone with a firearm. James61 Good luck getting a ND from a snap cap. You need to sell ALL of your guns before someone gets hurt.

 

[speeddemon94]

Uh, no.

I am looking at 34 years of experience with firearms 18 of which was military related. Clearing barrel's, for any who would like to use on is a helluva idea.

Your attitude, as I have commented on a couple times in this post, sucks. You think you are so good that you could never have an accident. You may be the one who should consider selling their guns before someone gets hurt.

Accidents happen. Welcome to earth.

 

[PMB]

PMB That wasn't my quote fella. Not origionally posted by me!

Sorry Bellarum. I must not have edited the "reply with quote" correctly. I fixed it.

Im outta here. Don't shoot your eye out, or your neighbors through the walls, don't miss the sand bucket and shoot your foot , don't click at steel plates in your house just to be safe (KNOW your weapon is clear), and if you do not have common sense; you are a danger to yourself and others regardless of what you do let alone with a firearm.

Kind of curious who this is aimed at. Did I say something that makes you think I am going to shoot my eye out, or through walls, or miss a sand bucket or my foot?
I don't think I indicated any of these things.

I am a danger to myself and others, even without a firearm?

Are you referring to my putting a few of my homemade snapcaps mixed in with live fire training?

James61 Good luck getting a ND from a snap cap. You need to sell ALL of your guns before someone gets hurt.

:huh: I'm under the impression that you're looking hard to find fault, instead of trying to helpful.

It's a damned shame when those of us who should be on the same team go out of the way to insult and belittle the people who are trying to "have each others' backs."

I suggest that if you see or read an error in someones education, that you share your knowledge with us so that we may all become better gun owners and safer citizens.
And I am being serious.

Be helpful.

 

[Rotty]

He was talking about dry fire practice in his house. If you and your friend load snap caps randomly in a mag full of live ammo to do drills in your house you should move in next door to the OP with the sand bucket. Do everyone a favor and do not use live ammo in your house to do drills. If you read my comment it was to use ONLY snap caps for dry fire because you MUST unload your weapon to use them. You cant get a live round in there with a snap cap in the way. Don't mix up your "range routine" with "dryfire in the house" someone might take your advice.

Sounds like someone got their panties in a wad while they were pounding sand.

 

[PMB]

Ok, I see what happened.

Bellarum... The technique of slipping a few random snapcaps into a magazine full of live rounds is a tried and true training technique used by every trainer that I have been associated with.

The purpose as described by another post is to get practice to REACT to a failure to fire. Instead of a shooter being confused and looking at his piece in confusion, the training is to get a shooter in the habit of manually cycling the "dead round" (snapcap) out, and continue firing.

I use the snapcaps when I am training my wife, children and myself- to hold steady through the trigger break. It's amazing how often otherwise good shots and careful people find themselves pulling the piece when a snapcap surprises them with a non-firing cartridge. I have used it with friends and acquaintances to illustrate the jerking motion. Without the snapcap, the shooter often thinks all of the motion is due to the firing and recoil of the gun.

Previous post- please correct me if I am wrong.

 

[oknow]

a clearing barrel is in no way needed for me I know without a doubt my gun is loaded if it's not it is a very expensive rock and there are plenty of free ones for the taking so no rocks here.

 

[CLT65]

I don't mean to take any sides in any arguments, just relate a story I read some years ago.

The older gentleman writing the story was home alone in the upstairs bedroom in the middle of the night. His wife was out of town visiting family so the car was not in the driveway. He wakes up in the middle of the night to noises downstairs. He quietly picks up the phone to call 911 but the line is dead (cut).

He's scared to death but remembers dad's old shotgun in the closet, and quietly creeps over to find it. He hasn't looked at it in years and has no ammo. For some reason he decides to check it anyhow, and forgetting about being quiet he racks the pump. He freezes in fear, thinking here he is with an empty gun and now the bad guy will come up and get him.

The house is completely silent for a few moments, then a loud crash, clatter, crash downstairs, then nothing. The story goes that when he finally goes down to see, all his valuables are piled in a bag abandoned on the floor next to a puddle, and the largest window in the front room is busted out where the crook took the closest and quickest hasty exit.

True story? Probably not, but it is a nice feel-good bedtime tale.

I once knew a gunsmith who had a 55 gallon drum buried in his floor with the top sticking out. It was half full of sand and had a opening in the top with a thick piece of rubber with a small hole in the middle. He would stick the barrel in the hole and test fire anything, even big hunting rifles, right in the middle of town. It was pretty quiet too. I always wondered about the legality of that.