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tACTICAL
Firearms Safety Rule #3
(What Rule #3 looks like during a patrol officer's normal shift)
We know Rule #3 to be some form of “Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until sights are on target.” At it's root, the aim of Rule #3 is to Protect the Trigger. We protect the trigger so that the trigger does not move until we are ready to shoot. With a utility belt full of items designed to hurt people, your weapon is the deadly force option. The trigger must be protected. Lives depend on it.
For the person who carries a gun on their body as part of a daily routine, let's divide the daily job of “Protecting the Trigger” into three parts: When the gun is in our hand, when the gun is in its holster, and when we are transitioning between the two (either holstering or drawing). There is a fourth position officers may find themselves in during a typical day on-duty, and I address that at the end of this article.
In the hand:
When the gun is in our hand, we must be very intentional about our keeping our trigger finger straight. It is a mental burden, and if you are not consciously thinking about it, then you are doing it wrong. When you are searching for bad guys, you are thinking about your “straight trigger finger”. When you are running and pumping your arms with your weapon in hand, you are thinking about your “straight trigger finger”. While climbing stairs, you are thinking about your “straight trigger finger”. When you are tripping and falling down those same stairs, you are thinking about your “straight trigger finger”. When we are not on target, we have a “straight trigger finger” always.
Officers sometimes let their trigger finger come inside the trigger guard when they are loading or unloading the pistol. When officers attempt a qualification course that calls for a reload to be done under time from slide lock, they need to be aware of their straight trigger finger. Again, the trigger finger must be kept straight and off the trigger unless on target and the decision to shoot has been made.
In the holster:
When the gun is properly and fully secured in a quality holster, the holster assumes the burden of protecting the trigger. This means to select a holster that protects the trigger. Selecting the right holster and using it properly is on us...not on the equipment. Not on the manufacturer.
The holster must protect the trigger. It must be sturdy enough that nothing can snag the trigger through the material, and it must fit the gun so that as long as no foreign objects are in the holster already, nothing can work its way around the trigger after the weapon is holstered.
If you find a $5 holster in a bargain bin that can fit multiple size weapons, please know that your life is worth more to your family than $5. A universal one-size-fits all holster is a one-size-fits none holster. The holster is not just a place to stick the gun; it's where you stick the gun to keep it from going off. The holster is there to keep the gun from killing you.
Transitions:
Holstering and drawing are transitions that can cause problems. Transitioning the gun between the hand and the holster is the most important thing in the world in the moment you are doing it. As part of the draw-stroke, we assume a good grip of the pistol while it is in the holster. Part of that grip is maintaining a straight trigger-finger. If you are racing your draw-stroke against the timer, you still cannot put the finger inside the trigger guard until you are on target. Selecting a quality holster that protects the trigger and assists in the transition between the holster and the hand is part of this rule, and it's on you to adhere to it. Some training academies have banned the use of auto-lock trigger finger manipulation holsters because so many students were shooting themselves. I have included a video below that shows a faulty drawstroke using such a holster.
The action opposite of drawing is holstering, but the act of holstering is often not treated with the same emphasis. Again, holstering your weapon is the most important thing in the world in the moment you are doing it. Be intentional about it. Think about your “straight trigger finger.”
A properly functioning handgun will not fire if the trigger is not pulled. This is NOT the same as saying a properly functioning handgun will not fire if YOU do not pull the trigger. Please notice the difference. Items other than your finger can activate the trigger! It's not the fault of the gun when it happens; it's because the operator wasn't paying attention. Cords, strings, shirttails, handcuff keys, and other small items can activate the trigger.
It's on you to make sure the holster is clear of obstructions. Make sure there is no fabric trapped inside the holster. In the winter, we wear jackets and sweaters that have zippers and cords and other things that can fire a round off if the gun is forced into a space already occupied by those things. Some officers cut them off. Learn to sweep your jackets and sweaters away from your holster when returning the gun to it.
For the same reason that guns in pocket holsters must be kept in pockets that are otherwise empty, nothing lives in the holster except for the gun. It's not a place to stick a handcuff key. If you have to lock your weapon up at a jail, the holster is not where you store the key to your locker. Putting things in the holster other than your gun is asking for trouble. The inside of the holster has to be a safe environment to “Protect the Trigger.” Part of protecting the trigger is to guard the inside of the holster.
Many police academies teach recruits to “reholster their weapon without looking.” It's a great skill to practice with a blue gun, red gun, or a gun you have cleared and know to be empty. My personal policy is that I look to make sure there are no obstructions before holstering the weapon. If the argument is why are you taking your eyes off the threat to holster your weapon, my response is, if there is still a threat, why are you holstering?
Placing your weapon in a Secure Area (not in the hand and not in the holster):
Generally, the gun should either be in the hand or in the holster. However, as police officers, we are not allowed to take our firearm everywhere we go in a typical day. Two examples come to mind: One is in the courthouse, and the other is in the jail.
In the courthouse, the procedure is simple enough. Typically, a Sheriff's deputy will open a locker, you will place your weapon in the locker. The deputy locks it up and hands you a card when you sign your gun in. When you leave court, the procedure is reversed. During this time, all firearms safety rules are followed, but there are no other special considerations. At jails with lockers, the procedure is much the same with one exception. In the jail, you will likely hold onto the key yourself. Do not put the key inside your holster. Find a pocket, but nothing goes in the holster except for the gun. The other circumstance that comes to mind is when a jail requires you to secure the gun in your own vehicle.
Generally, that means placing the gun in the trunk; however, the trunks and rear storage compartments of police vehicles are sometimes full of equipment. As we store our weapon around this equipment, we must remember to protect the trigger. At such a jail, I have seen an officer remove his Glock from its holster and cavalierly toss it into a crate full of flares, crime scene tape, and other assorted items. The the muzzle was pointed at the back of the prisoner in the backseat. When I addressed it, his response was that if he didn't pull the trigger, the gun would not go off. Wrong!
As I stated earlier:
A properly functioning handgun will not fire if the trigger is not pulled. This is NOT the same as saying a properly functioning handgun will not fire if YOU do not pull the trigger. Please notice the difference. Items other than your finger can activate the trigger!
So what do we do if we have to secure our weapon in our vehicle? In this scenario, the best option I can think of is having a second holster that fits your weapon. You can remove your weapon from the holster you are wearing and place it inside the second holster and secure it in the trunk. This is a good option also for an officer who forgets to get his gun out of his trunk when he leaves the jail and has a loaded Glock sliding freely around the back of the trunk. At least if it's in a holster, the trigger would be protected.
If you are assisting another officer, you may not have your patrol bag with you. If you don't have a second holster, look for a smooth surface in the area you are securing your weapon. Find an area that is free of any irregular shaped object that could snag the trigger and make sure you don't forget it when you walk back to the car. Some vehicles may have absolutely no clean, smooth areas to place a weapon. The best option here may be to unload the weapon before securing it in the trunk. As covered earlier, loading and unloading create opportunities for officers to have mishaps. When unloading the gun, think “straight trigger finger.” As you return to your vehicle to load your weapon back up, think “straight trigger finger.” When loading the weapon, keep it pointed in a safe direction. With your body camera in streaming mode, rotate the gun in, so that the camera can see your straight trigger finger before sending the slide forward. This way you can activate your camera and have proof that you followed all safety precautions should the gun fire itself upon loading.
Learn More
This is an article series of what each of the four rules of safe gun handling looks like for someone who carries a weapon on a daily basis.
I invite you to read the articles and consider what you have read. If this is a return trip to my page, and you want to go straight to my links, you can scroll to the bottom of the page, or click on the TACTICAL button below.
Video
"Tex" Grebner shoots himself when drawing
Mr. Grebner posted this video so that others could learn from his mistakes. Maintain a straight trigger finger when drawing the weapon.
Adult language used in video.
Officer shoots himself in elevator
Inattention...What's Important Now? Holstering your weapon is the most important thing in the world when you are doing it.
Chief shoots himself while holstering
At 0:50, you will see this officer point the gun at himself. Ten seconds later, you will see him jam the weapon into a holster that has something in it already. Jackets, sweaters, zippers, cords, lanyards, and other items can activate triggers.
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