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From: CHAN93%SNYBUFVA.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Alvin M. Chan)
Newsgroups: rec.guns
Subject: situation vs mag safety
Message-ID: <35504@mimsy.umd.edu>
Date: 12 Jun 91 16:20:03 GMT
Sender: magnum@mimsy.umd.edu
Lines: 42
Approved: gun-control@cs.umd.edu

A couple of possible situations where a mag safety could be a bad hindrance
are in the military and police (assuming personnel are properly trained)
(my rule of thumb with autoloaders (rifle, shotgun, handgun etc) EVERY TIME
I pick one up: pop out mag, rack the slide or bolt back and peek in the
chamber.)

Military - tunnel rats - say you just emptied your mag taking out some
        of the enemy, you're probably pretty deaf from shooting in such
        a confining area.  You won't be able to hear anyone coming around
        corners, but they/he/she may hear you pop out your mag, and at
        that time move and/or spray around the corner.  Your only cues
        would be visual and instinct.  You'd need at least that one shot
        in the chamber to keep the enemy from trying to peep and/or shoot
        around the corner or pop up from a barricade.  If they have some
        sort of gunport to shoot through, you're in big trouble anyways.

        Using an assault rifle with taped together mags would provide
        a quick mag change, but you sacrifice speed of movt and bringing
        the weapon to bear on target in tight corridors.

Police - house clearing; serving warrants; chasing down suspects -
        same situation as above, just substitute 'enemy' with 'suspect' or
        'perpetrator'.

The above type of situations (especially tunnel rat, serving warrants) also
have the added danger of booby traps, civilians too stupid or hysterical to
get out of the way (especially in chasing down ppl).  These add more factors
to occupy an officer or soldier's mind, and could slow down mag changes.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I understand that one could practice quick mag changes with smooth movts,
but reality always has more variables.  Plus if you are running around,
and your adrenalin is rushing, practice sometimes goes right out the door
the first time one must utilize this practice. (grrrr awkward sentence)
Smooth mag changes also need the shooter to have the mag already in one
hand, right?, not right?  IMHO I don't want to sacrifice a firm two handed
shooting grip for a one handed grip, with mag in the other hand.  The problem
with this is having to grab a mag that is somewhere 'conveniently' placed
on my web gear.

enough of my diatribe!  time to spell check....

                                                - Alv