Comments on: The shooting of Alex Pretti

By: F

Thu, 29 Jan 2026 18:06:35 +0000

Richard Aubrey: Our class was told the same things, especially that bit about not going someplace where you think you need a gun to be safe. A CCW is not a permit to go looking for an opportunity to use it. Thanks for including that.

By: Sennacherib

Sennacherib — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:53:51 +0000

The inability to accept consequences for your own actions is the key.

By: Richard Aubrey

Richard Aubrey — Thu, 29 Jan 2026 04:33:24 +0000

F.
We were told, for example, never to make eye contact with anybody else while pumping gas [or any other public activity] because that might be the one in a thousand who wants to fight. Then you have to shoot him.
If you think you need a gun to be safe someplace, the smart thing is not to go there. Duh.
The number of examples of things to avoid, sort of normal things, which we were told were risky in terms of carrying a gun was pretty long.

By: F

Wed, 28 Jan 2026 22:00:34 +0000

My concealed carry permit expired several years ago and I no longer feel the need to carry. But when I originally got my permit, and when I renewed it five years later, I had to sit through a half-day class on things you should know when carrying a deadly weapon, including “don’t go looking for trouble,” and “if you can avoid using deadly force, do so for the sake of your family and your heirs.” As in, you’re gonna get sued. Big time.

A CCW does not give you permission to go looking for an excuse to use it. Like running across the street and getting between ICE officers and the person they are trying to apprehend. Yes, the Second Amendment acknowledges your right to “keep and bear arms.” Self-preservation (and state law) tells you to be smart about using your firearm.

I used to carry a Walther PPK or a Sig 229 when I was carrying. Neither has a safety, but both have a “decocking” lever that allows you to load a cartridge into the chamber, then “decock” the hammer so the amount of finger pressure needed to fire the pistol is increased significantly. Shooting it becomes more of a conscious effort and muscle memory would tell you something is happening. The Sig Pretti was carrying does not have this feature, so he was carrying a loaded pistol without a safety.

The stop-action video makes it appear very likely Pretti’s pistol was removed from the holster in the small of his back, then the law enforcement officer who removed it turned and stepped away from the physical altercation between his colleagues and Pretti. Just as he was taking that step, and with Pretti’s pistol pointed at the ground, it went off. I don’t know if we will ever know if the officer put his finger on the trigger, but I could believe that is the cause.

In any case, the pistol appears to have discharged. If you look closely at the frame where the officer has swung his arm down alongside his leg (at the 3 second mark), you can see the blur of the action moving and I think the shell casing beginning to eject.

The officers struggling with Pretti could well believe they were under fire and took that as their cue to return fire. Combat veterans will tell you if you can’t see the shooter’s eyes, you’re not the target and Pretti’s eyes were not on the officers. That’s not a perfect rule of thumb, but it’s pretty good. It’s also hard to remember when bullets are flying and your instinct is to get down.

The bottom line is I want to wait for the results of a proper inquest, but I have my own impression of what happened as readers can probably infer.

By: Richard Aubrey

Richard Aubrey — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 12:23:22 +0000

Chases. Thanks again. At my age and with my build, I often wear baggy outfits so maybe the duty-size would be manageable.
But just for grins when you have time, look up the knife laws in your state.
Even something designed to be hung on a wall could get you into trouble. Possibly even if it’s in the trunk.
My father’s commissioning sword. Did that mean he was Distinguished Grad of his OCS class? Can’t be handing out swords to every new second lieutenant. Not even in the trunk, according to some interpretations.
But a pistol with what amounts to a hair trigger…..

By: Chases Eagles

Chases Eagles — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 04:21:17 +0000

The US military and comparable civ variants of the Sig also have a thumb lever type external safety. It is a very versatile and modular design. More of a duty weapon sized piece than concealable.

By: Art Deco

Art Deco — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 04:08:01 +0000

The term Glock leg means someone shot their own leg while re-holstering.
==
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQBhUzEsO-Y

By: Richard Aubrey

Richard Aubrey — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 03:52:42 +0000

Chases.
Thanks. That’s it. I’m getting a 1911 army type, maybe chambered for 9mm.

I’ve had some major hours of scientific dirty fighting and I usually carry something which is legal and may have practical applications. But…maybe a pistol….

By: Chases Eagles

Chases Eagles — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:17:36 +0000

Both Glock and the Sig in question have a trigger safety. The term Glock leg means someone shot their own leg while re-holstering.

By: Mike Plaiss

Mike Plaiss — Wed, 28 Jan 2026 00:07:18 +0000

Steve and Cornflour, let me introduce you to a guy I think you’re both going to like. I just learned of him recently. If you’ve seen the movie Oppenheimer, he is the real life character played by the actor Casey Affleck. His name is Boris Pash. I could go on about him, but this article sums him up very nicely. I’ll quote the opening paragraph to whet your appetite, but please, read the whole thing.

U.S. Colonel Boris Pash (1900 – 1995) was a typical 20th-century American ‘badass’ – he hated the communists’ guts, took German cities almost single handedly in WWII and captured the Nazis’ nuclear energy resources. And he was Russian.

https://www.rbth.com/history/332284-russian-daredevil-boris-pash/amp