I think I have heard about a gazillion times that all criminals know the sound of a pump action racking back and forth, and it terrorizes all criminals.
I sort of tend to doubt that. If you are the average gang member who lives in a large city like Los Angeles, you have probably never gone hunting in your life, and probably don't know the shotgun racking sound. It's not that distinctive. And cops in Los Angeles, only take the shotgun out on felony stops. Most people haven't heard it that much. My family would go dove hunting every year down near the Mexican border with our Ithaca Model 37's, and so I grew up hearing that sound. I know for a fact, that my next door neighbor, Eddie, who became a hard core gang member, never went shooting or hunting, and didn't have any experience with guns, except for the guns his gang would loan to him.
My personal belief is NOT that the shotgun racking sound scares criminals. My view is THE PRESENCE OF A GUN SCARES CRIMINALS.
I have spent my entire life (except for the Army) in lousy neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and I am a tiny, skinny little man who looks weak. I carry a .25 auto.
Criminals constantly look at me like a lion looks at a steak. I worked my way through college, mainly as a waiter in West Hollywood, so that meant lots of time on bus stops in Hollywood (for those of you who don't know Hollywood, it is a LOUSY, DANGEROUS neighborhood at night. I would get off work at the restaurant past midnight and have to wait for my transfer in some terrible scary spot. I bought a nickel plated Raven .25 off a junkie in my building for $40. I can't tell you how many times that Raven got me out of a jam. I flashed it and suddenly the creeps and thugs had something else they really had to do. I believe that criminals always want to make the cheap and easy score. They see a gun, suddenly, they have lost interest.
Do you agree with this? That criminals are basically cowards and flee the presence of a gun?
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I disagree with any statement that says the sound of a racking shotgun is a deterrent to criminals.
Pointing it at someones center of mass is an altogether different concept. But note - many habitual criminals have had guns pointed at them numerous times during their lives by LEO's and others.
They *may* not be that impressed by yet another person pointing a gun at them. If its a really dumb criminal he will not be able to understand the difference of a civilian and a LEO pointing the gun. IMO the civilian is much more likely to shoot.
I'm sure racking a shell into the chamber has worked in the past to scare off a criminal at least one time, as there is some truth to every myth, even if its just a grain. In my mind, I always wondered why you would have to rack the thing in the scumbag's presence in the first place, shouldn't a live shell already be in the chamber before they would be in range of hearing it? Let alone in range of me shooting their dumb a$s. It seems that the only place this myth would be plausible is if you were in your own home, cause I don't normally go about my daily activities with an 870 slung over my back, and even then, if I leagally could and didn't care that I'd look like a d-bag mall ninja, I'd prob have a shell in the chamber. If someone's kicking in my door, I'm gonna have a round in ready to go before they make it to the bedroom. I doubt the schmuck would hear it, assuming I didn't have it already loaded and next to the bed before I hit the sack, from the front or back doors. Secondly, hell yeah all crooks are cowards. If they weren't, they'd be dead criminals cause they stuck around too long after fargin with the wrong person. Its much more benificial to be a coward, run away, and live to steal, rape, whatever, another day.
While I agree that a deranged person or someone who "hates life" may not be deterred by the sound of a shotgun being racked,the average burglar may be.A sneak thief is only able to ply his trade if he is alone in the house or the occupants are unaware of his presence.
The sound of a shotgun being racked would be basically the same as the homeowner shouting "hey you",or I'm calling the cops"but with a bit more authority.They now know that the homeowner is there and is armed.
It serves the same purpose that flashing your .25 did to the street thugs,if they were deranged and hated life would your mousegun (no insult intended,I also have one) have the same effect?
You say in your own question that criminals want to make a cheap and easy score and "lose interest" at the sight of a gun,wouldn't the sound of one work the same way?Anyone who has seen movies on TV knows what a shotgun being racked sounds like,and if they don't too bad for them.(at least at my house)
* That all depends on each Individual Criminal and what he wants that he thinks you might have.* The racking of a pump shotgun does not, and will not work 100% of the time depending on who you are confronting with it.* Generally a Cat Burglar is the only one that doesn't want anyone in the house ever when they enter, or even a Dog around the house.* But I believe that's the only exception.* I sure would not count on the sound of a shotgun racking to discourage all Criminals.* More so if there is more than one of them in the house, or apartment at the same time.*
I would agree to a point.
Given that most criminals are not very bright and their only one true source of anything is from what they see or hear, I would find it very hard to believe that they or anyone in the US have NEVER seen a movie or tv show where a shotgun was racked.
I knew what a shotgun racking sounded like before I was old enough to own a shotgun and growing up my family had rifles and pistols, but no shotguns.
Most crimes are crime of opportunities - if you give a criminal an opportunity, they will commit the crime. It's not common for a criminal to push a situation they think may be other than easy. BUT that's not to say you won't meet one that's psycho or have a deathwish.
While I can empathize with your situation, I have to warn you that flashing your weapon may not always work and unless you really can or are willing to shoot, you may someday/night come face to face with a someone or group who thinks you are bluffing or worse - a group of thugs who are armed and think they can take you. Besides, have you actually gone to a range and fired the pistol tomake sure it actually works and more importantly you can actually hit a man size target?
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RE:
The Pump Shotgun Racking Sound and "Are Criminals Basically Cowards"?
I think I have heard about a gazillion times that all criminals know the sound of a pump action racking back and forth, and it terrorizes all criminals.
I sort of tend to doubt that. If you are the average gang member who lives in a large city like Los Angeles, you have probably never gone...
So this is one of those times where in my opinion the answer is "it doesn't matter."
Here's why I think that. Are there criminals who would be intimidated by the sound of shotgun being pumped while they are breaking into a house? Heck lets match that up with a deep angry voice screaming that they are going to "blow that ##$&%((^&^ away!!"
Sure. How many? Who knows. It isn't as if you are going to get a credible comment from criminals if you ask them.
However, are there criminals who AREN'T going to be intimidated by that? Again, Sure. In fact, you read about situations like that all the time.
Are there criminals who would be intimidated by something that looked like a shotgun and sounded like a shotgun? Again, Sure. But at that point - why wouldn't you just have a shotgun?
So, just out of curiousity - why on earth are you mimicking Newell? I mean this particular question has been legitimately bandied about several times since I've been on this site probably a dozen times, so the question isn't inherently bad to ask about. But really, what's the point of the obvious tone?
Thinkingblade
Shotgun Pump Sound
Pump Shotgun Sound
A friend of mine actually "froze" a burglar by racking his 12 gauge, but he was also behind the guy at the time. He also firmly believes that you never pull a gun if you're not willing to use it. The guy in his house had his hands full, and when he turned around, my friend had the shotgun pointed at his chest, and made it clear that _any_ sudden move was going to be followed by the gun going off.
This did happen to be a "special situation"--my friend was in his bedroom at one end of the house, and walked down the only hall to the living room, where the burglar was, so there was no way a second bad guy could have been behind him.