Gun questions from a non-shooter

[Penta]

OK. So, like my introduction post on the new member forum noted, I'm blind. This means that, for very good reasons, nobody in their right mind seems likely to ever let me even practice with a handgun on a firing range - and let's not even ask about ownership, I live in New Jersey. What this all adds up to, is that the only time I was ever around a live firearm that I could handle was one time, when I was 11, at a Boy Scout camping thing where they let me shoot a .22 rifle. (I don't recall being very good at it either, so obviously I don't have Daredevil-like super powers.)

Plus I'm in NJ, so...yeah. I daresay that cops would be the only time I've even seen guns in my daily existence.

At the same time though, I'm a writer-type, as I've mentioned, and in my fiction I try to at least do the research (to the extent possible), and sometimes even show my work; even if the research results might on occasion give way to the realities of trying to get words from brain to keyboard, I do the research. So, with guns being off-limits to me IRL...I hope nobody minds terribly if I ask sometimes basic questions here, in lieu of doing something stupid to figure out the answers.

Quick character sketch, covering what I've decided before I even put fingers to keyboard: Character is a 23-year-old NYPD patrol officer in his first days out of the academy. Basically at random, I chose his on-duty pistol (off the listing on the nypd website) as a Glock 19, his off-duty pistol (off the same listing) as a Glock 26. Did some research on the weapons before making that choice, and I guess my mind leaned toward light weight as a good thing for something you're carrying all day, but without having ever handled a pistol of any type in real life, I'd really have to say the choice was random.

With that said, my questions; Mods, if some seem to bump up against security issues or something, I'd appreciate learning that fact:

1. This one I suppose anyone can answer: In an apartment or similar, how are you supposed to store handguns? (And the inevitable follow up, how do most police officers actually store weapons?) I really don't know the first thing experience-wise, so I don't know - are they stored loaded? (I know enough about guns through reading that I presume not...) Unloaded but the ammunition's nearby? Unloaded and the ammunition's somewhere else entirely? What do you normally store a pistol in, anyway (besides a holster)?

2. Probably more NYPD specific: Does a patrol officer keep their service weapon at their command and then have a separate weapon on them while off-duty? (How common is it to have separate weapons like that, anyway?) If so, where are the weapons of officers not on tour stored, a specific armory within the facility or just in their locker?

3. I'm given to understand that, with few exceptions, an NYPD officer is required to be armed even while off-duty. Given that: How the heck do you carry, since I assume open carry is illegal in most places (plus it scares the civilians)? Just where *can* a holster go? (I've seen hip holsters as used by uniformed officers, I've seen shoulder holsters used by plainclothes officers...How many other ways can a weapon be safely carried, anyway?)

4. Related to 3, but 3 was getting long: Are off-duty weapons carried loaded or unloaded, generally speaking?

5. ...I just noticed. Does the Glock have any sort of safety whatsoever? If not, how the heck does it not have hordes of accidental discharges and the like?

6. Kind of obvious, but I'm not trusting TV to tell me: Where does a hip holster go on the belt and how exactly do you draw a weapon?

OK, I think that's my limit of "painfully obvious questions from the clueless guy". Thanks for reading this far.

[Penta]

On second thought, 3 days later...Scratch question 5. A gun enthusiast I don't normally talk to about guns took me behind the virtual woodshed and beat me with basics firearms safety until I figured out how the Glock setup isn't a recipe for disaster. I leave up question 5, though, for lack of a strikethrough feature...And to humble myself.

The other questions, though, nobody I know's been able to answer.:(

[Joeyd6]

1) Someplace secure so nobody else can get to it but you. That varies by person. I store mine in a safe, loaded.

2) You keep your gun in your work locker you take it with you. Your choice.

3) There are plenty of holster on the market you can use. From ankle, hip to shoulder and some others. Look at any decent holster company web site for where they go.

4) Always loaded.

5) All NYPD guns have no safety, but they have a magazine/trigger disconnect.

6) On your strong side wher eit feels comfortable, some like it forward, some back.

[Penta]

1) Someplace secure so nobody else can get to it but you. That varies by person. I store mine in a safe, loaded.

2) You keep your gun in your work locker you take it with you. Your choice.

3) There are plenty of holster on the market you can use. From ankle, hip to shoulder and some others. Look at any decent holster company web site for where they go.

4) Always loaded.

5) All NYPD guns have no safety, but they have a magazine/trigger disconnect.

6) On your strong side wher eit feels comfortable, some like it forward, some back.

Thanks for the answers Joey! That said, 6 also asked about the mechanics of drawing the gun. (I'm almost wishing there were a video of a gun being drawn from a hip holster like that.) If it's drawn from the strong side with the barrel pointing downward or forward, you (it seems to me) have to swing your arm back a good bit, and yet you hear all the time about guns being drawn in narrow corridors and the like.

I'm going wrong somewhere, but where?

[MikeG]

5) All NYPD guns have no safety, but they have a magazine/trigger disconnect.

I did not know that! The Glock rep said NYPD had the option of Glocks which I didn't think were available with magazine disconnect. Is there a special NYPD variant with magazine disconnect or do they not use Glocks anymore?

[Creeker]

I know you are blind, but this website... among others... might help answer some of your myriad of questions: Buckeye Firearms Association | Defending Your Firearm Rights

[Samuel]

1. This one I suppose anyone can answer: In an apartment or similar, how are you supposed to store handguns? No "supposed to" unless you have say little kids/juveniles around. (And the inevitable follow up, how do most police officers actually store weapons?) Depends on the officer - lots of different ways, many the same. I really don't know the first thing experience-wise, so I don't know - are they stored loaded? Again, depends on the individual. (I know enough about guns through reading that I presume not...) Unloaded but the ammunition's nearby? Depends. Unloaded and the ammunition's somewhere else entirely? Depends. What do you normally store a pistol in, anyway (besides a holster)? Different types of safes. Different hiding places. Plain view/easy access locations. Etc. YMMV.

2. Probably more NYPD specific: Does a patrol officer keep their service weapon at their command and then have a separate weapon on them while off-duty? (How common is it to have separate weapons like that, anyway?) Depends on the individual. Some only carry the service weapon at all times, some carry a different one off-duty, some don't carry OD. If so, where are the weapons of officers not on tour stored, a specific armory within the facility or just in their locker? Depends on the individual and department. I have heard that some reserves, e.g., have to check in/out their equipment.

3. I'm given to understand that, with few exceptions, an NYPD officer is required to be armed even while off-duty. Given that: How the heck do you carry, since I assume open carry is illegal in most places (plus it scares the civilians)? Just where *can* a holster go? (I've seen hip holsters as used by uniformed officers, I've seen shoulder holsters used by plainclothes officers...How many other ways can a weapon be safely carried, anyway?) Do a search of any police supply website or holster manufacturer website.

4. Related to 3, but 3 was getting long: Are off-duty weapons carried loaded or unloaded, generally speaking? What do you think?

5. ...I just noticed. Does the Glock have any sort of safety whatsoever? If not, how the heck does it not have hordes of accidental discharges and the like? You keep your booger finger away from the trigger when you're not ready to shoot.

6. Kind of obvious, but I'm not trusting TV to tell me: Where does a hip holster go on the belt and how exactly do you draw a weapon? Umm on your HIP? Is that a trick question? I prefer using crayons and I usually, but not always, have the muzzle pointing toward the right hand side of my paper.

OK, I think that's my limit of "painfully obvious questions from the clueless guy". Thanks for reading this far.

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[Creeker]

Re: Firearm storage location & loaded versus unloaded

This will depend on how PC your Agency attempts to project itself to be.

My idiot nephew was formerly with the NYPD before he decided that was too much work and transferred to the NYFD, where he is pretty much a "house mouse" on Staten Island. He claimed many times that the NYPD did what they could to keep them from carrying off duty.

But as I said, he is a lazy idiot and always looks to slide through life on somebody else's effort... plus his mom is terrified of guns based on news media reports, and he still lives at home @ 30 ... so take that with a grain of salt.

He gets the Hero worship for wearing the uniform, and gets to spend most of his days in the weight room, which is what he was always after to start with.

Personally, an unloaded firearm... to me ... is as useless as a screwdriver with no screws. What the media doesn't get is that a firearm is a tool and has no mind of its own.

[retdetsgt]

Anyone else notice that a blind guy writes better, uses better grammar and punctuation than 75% of the people who come here asking questions????

[Creeker]

I did ... which is why I am giving him the time out of my day...

[Penta]

Anyone else notice that a blind guy writes better, uses better grammar and punctuation than 75% of the people who come here asking questions????

I am actually blind, yes. Not totally, but enough to make no difference. (My closeup vision (within 1-2 feet), in my good eye, is pretty close to 20/20, ironically. But my distance vision rapidly hits 20/200 or worse, hence why I claim myself as blind.)

But, thank you anyway, RDS.
---

Re my questions: I did warn they were painfully obvious.

I think the one I could do with restating is 6. Obviously, you put a belt holster on the belt. I wasn't trying to jerk anyone's chain. The question I had was one of, literally, the physical mechanics of the act of drawing a pistol from a hip holster: Does it go on your dominant hand's leg? (I've been told it does. Okay. That's why I'm confused about the mechanics; the arm seems to go out a fair distance, very awkwardly, when I try to imagine pulling a pistol from a holster on the hip. (If I could draw an illustration of this (heck, if I could draw better than stick figures) it'd probably make more sense.) Certainly, it would make drawing a pistol in a cramped space very difficult if the mechanics are as I envision them; and I thought that use in a cramped space was one of the primary advantages of the pistol over the rifle...?)

[newbie123]

I am actually blind, yes. Not totally, but enough to make no difference. (My closeup vision (within 1-2 feet), in my good eye, is pretty close to 20/20, ironically. But my distance vision rapidly hits 20/200 or worse, hence why I claim myself as blind.

My vision was 20/800 uncorrected before I got eye surgery. Im now seeing 20/30 uncorrected and my eyes should heal to 20/20 in another month or so

[Trip]

Anyone else notice that a blind guy writes better, uses better grammar and punctuation than 75% of the people who come here asking questions????

Maybe even 90%. Plus Penta is an intellectual. He could probably build space sh** for ya.

[Penta]

I don't exactly remember my grade in HS physics, but I recall that I'd make a poor rocket scientist.:P

[Trip]

I don't exactly remember my grade in HS physics, but I recall that I'd make a poor rocket scientist.:P

Would you stop being so modest, muh dear, you don't have me fooled