Zombie Scenario: Garage Door
Let’s face it. Nobody knows where or when the attack will come. All we know is that one day we will all have to face off against the undead. The best way to prepare is to consider as many scenarios as possible. This month’s scenario is a bit more complicated: Garage Door.
Just are just getting home from a long shift at work. Tired, and ready to relax, you pull your car into the garage and hit the button to close the garage door. In the rear view mirror, you can see that the door appears to not be going all the way down, but not going back up either. Growling and groaning noises become louder and louder. As you hop out of the car you see an arm, still moving, of one of the undead that has been caught in the track of the garage door, causing it to remain in an half closed position. A few more hands and arms, and even a head of the undead begins to appear through the opening.
What do you do next?
“Zombie Scenario” is meant as a learning and discussion exercise used as a tool for getting your mind thinking about the outbreak. It should prove helpful to think about a specific scenario and have others review your potential plan. If you have a scenario you would like to see discussed, contact us.
Stay safe. Stay informed. Stay alive.
Comments (87)
3ID on 06 Aug 2010 at 11:33 am #
if i was in my truck i would not have my gun i would use that to defend my self as i climb on to of my truck to get to the release cable for the garage door so it could fall free after that i would grab an ax or a shovel to clear the door of any infected and after the door closed i would head in to my house to get my rifle and other kit.
Angryvikingman on 06 Aug 2010 at 12:17 pm #
Well, I’d pull out my carry weapon, shoot which ever ones I knew I could kill, and hope the door held the rest down long enough for me to go get my kukri and hatchet. I do have a square ended shovel in the garage that would probably work pretty well to take off limbs or heads. After that I would grab my rifle and do what I could to eliminate the undead surrounding my house. Hopefully there wouldn’t be too many as I now live out in the country, although there is a subdivision pretty close.
Splint Chesthair on 06 Aug 2010 at 12:23 pm #
I think 3ID has it about right. I have axes, mauls, picks and all sorts of pry bars hanging on the wall of my garage. I also always back into the garage because I’m too sleepy to back out in the morning. So as soon as I got out, the release cord is right there, I’d pull that and jump over to grab an axe and/or prybar then try and push the zombie free of obstructing the door. I wouldn’t want to swing for fear of knocking the door of the tracks or something.
I’d head into the house but I’d be wary because who knows what’s in the house. What if the family has turned? What if they ran out of the house in a hurry leaving the doors open? The house could be crawling. So I’d bring the axe and make my way for the basement and the suppllies and check the TV and radio and start trying to contact family, If I couldn’t get ahold of anyone, then I suit up, gear up and head to our pre-determined meeting place.
FreddeX on 06 Aug 2010 at 1:24 pm #
Well since i live in Sweden i will most likely not have acces to the really good stuff (like firearms) but i will probably keep some kind of weapon or tool in my car like a knife/tire iron/or something.
But i do not plan on staying and fighting, i would quickly grab whatever i may need from my car and then make a dash for the nearest exit and once i get there i would try seal the door somehow to prevent the zeds from pursuing.
Then i would warn whatever survivors i meet about the danger (but i would probably just tell them that there is a riot doing on or maybe that some crazies are in the garage since, let’s face it, no one would belive me or you if we told them that zombies are rampaging down in the garage).
Afterwards i would try to relax and come up with the next course of action, but i would most likely try to contact my family and friends and warn them of the danger.
Alex on 06 Aug 2010 at 1:32 pm #
This is a good scenario to think about – and the best plan is one you came up with days before and prepared for!
Ideally you’d have a swing-free cutting tool on hang – like a small chainsaw or hedge trimmers. They even have battery powered ones for complete ease.
Although if you can rig up a door with a no-holes external cover, like the roll-down doors in malls – that might keep the limbs of the undead from getting in the more-easily jammed garage door.
Flame throwers mounted on the roof of the garage?
High-pressure fire hose?
McLuvin on 06 Aug 2010 at 3:38 pm #
Dispatch the zombies blocking the door with carry gun or tool from the garage. Secure door and proceed inside. Check house and secure all doors and windows. Try to alert friends and family. Start loading mags and filling containers with water.
Randommosaic on 06 Aug 2010 at 7:26 pm #
This is by far my favorite zombie survival site I have come across so far, I really love these scenarios.
I’ll do this hypothetically since I have a car port and not a garage.
I would quickly confirm that garage was clear and pull the manual door release and then arm myself with what I would likely find in a garage, preferrably an axe or machette. I would approach carefully and attack any appendages that may be an immeadiate threat and then free the obstruction from the rail.
After securing the door I assume the worst and maintain my weapon, open the door to the main house and call in and wait just outside the doorway. if my house was overrun this would likely bring them to me and offer me the advantage of them having to come at me one at a time through the door way. After dealing with any approaching threats, I would make my way into the house, scanning and clearing each room on my way to my room/gunsafe.
If my wife or other family members were home I would instruct them to secure all doors and to avoid the windows. (If I was alone, I would secure them myself while making calls, locating everyone)Then the weapons would be distributed only to family members or friends with prior gun experience and knowledge of gun safety, an idiot with a gun is just another threat I’d rather not deal with. My immeadiate plan for this situation has always been lay low. Let the initiall insanity blow over, avoid the chaos of thousands fleeing the area and congesting the highway.
Once armed and geared up, we would go about screwing heavy sheets of plywood over the window bays from the inside, all tools and supplies for this are already on hand for hurricane season. A team of at least two would be needed for this. Any others would be instucted to stopper the bath tub and start the water running. This is on top of the bottled water we normaly have on hand should be good for a week. all canned good and dry foods will be consolidated. Frozen and refridgerated foods should be used first.
We have a generator, but fuel will need to be conserved so as soon as the powers out, it’s out untill we absolutely need to use the generator. On top of the limited nature of fuel, there is the noise to consider. The idea is to cease to exist. no lights no noise, no shooting if at all possible. I don’t want to ring the dinner bell.
Our attic is not structurally sound enough to hold more than one or two people but in a pinch we could make our way to the roof from there, so that area would be cleared and ready should we need to abandon the first level. Bug out bags should be inventoried and ready to go. Sorry for the book.
McLuvin on 06 Aug 2010 at 9:56 pm #
Man, I think everyone bailed on ZAC. We are getting new topics with no posts for
days. This is a new thread today and no one has posted since me seven hours
ago. I know the wait for new threads gets a little long sometimes but is our
attention span this short?
Angryvikingman on 07 Aug 2010 at 10:47 am #
Its still summer. People are still out doing stuff, when school is back in and it starts getting cold, then people will post more often.
Semper Cogitant on 07 Aug 2010 at 11:27 am #
Hmm. I’d exit the car and draw my gun, dispatch the one with the visible head then carefully try to clear the door of obstacles to close it.
I don’t have yard tools in the garage, they’re in the shed out back, perhaps I should change that. I do have some golf clubs, some lumber and a side handle baton, a cavalry saber and a sawzall easily accessible so I think I could manage.
The problem with my garage door is that it would rebound and go up unless a zombie somehow reached through and up at one edge to grab the actual track, kind of an awkward thing to do. Likely I’d be screwed since I’d have to get out of the car to get to the controller or to the door to get it to go down, and it’d probably be wide open at the time. If I was lucky enough that it somehow stayed down with only a small gap I’d probably be in decent shape though.
It’s be very important to try to clear the garage door and get it lowered and secured. I would be thinking of the possibility of a siege situation at that point, stuck in the house surrounded by zombies. In the garage I have a lot of water, meat, other food, tools, breaker box, water heater, and most importantly the gun safe with my long guns. Loosing the garage would be really bad if I was stuck in the house.
With the garage secured the trick would be to get though the house and upstairs. In a zombie siege it would be hard to keep the Z’s out of the downstairs for very long after the back yard fence failed. I’d secure the stairs, and have to make an opening in the floor of one of the kids rooms to access the garage.
I think I’ll put a fire axe in the garage near the door, that’d be a help in this scenario as well as in many others. Also have to think about how to improve the garage door.
And of course I really should have been paying more attention on the drive home and seen what was going on. Probably listening to a rerun of some political radio program and getting all upset, forgetting my situational awareness.
HMPlatinum on 08 Aug 2010 at 9:46 pm #
Going with what I have on me, in my ride (not much, I ride a bike and the handy wrench under the seat is useless), and in my garage…..
I’ll do a brainpan cleansing of any heads I see under the door. The tools are in the garden box, just outside the garage, so I’ll be forced to either a) beat the offending arm in two with a blunt weapon (baseball bat) and close the door or b) cleanse all shufflers at my garage, retrieve axe, remove arm, close garage. I suppose a few rounds of .45acp could make the arm bisecting a little easier, so I’d probably go that route….a few rounds to shatter the bone and a carry knife to finish the amputation…to secure the door as fast as possible, then secure the house.
Docwade on 09 Aug 2010 at 12:06 pm #
That’s a lot of cleansing. Do you prefer Mr. Clean or the scrubbing bubbles.
Docwade on 09 Aug 2010 at 12:08 pm #
Where did the 45 come from? If it’s your carry gun, why do you ride a bicycle? If it’s in the house, did you just call time out so you could run into a status unknown home to retrieve your firearm before securing the garage door?
Kyrah Abattoir on 09 Aug 2010 at 12:13 pm #
-Either unplug the motor, or disengage it (and jam something in the mechanism), so the garage door won’t go back up.
-Find somsething to push/hit the zombies out of the way, those garden forks that are used to turn over the ground strikes me as a decent tool.
Then attempt to close the door but there are a few things to consider:
Most modern garage doors are flimsy and won’t hold much against a horde of zombies, they are best used as visual cover really as zombies will probably overlook it as a possible entrance point to the house.
If your garage door is of the old heavy wood and metal types, severing the counterweight cable (if accessible) should ensure the door will fall down with crushing strength on anything in it’s way, it might not sever what is stuck under it but it certainly won’t let it move.
If everything else fail, get your stuffs out of the car, turn off the light and barricade the door leading to the garage, chance is that with you away from the room they will lose interest in trying to enter the garage.
HMPlatinum on 09 Aug 2010 at 6:56 pm #
@docwade: .45acp .230grain JHP beats Mr. Clean for brainpan cleansing. Doesn’t really help for wall cleansing, however.
Bike = motorcycle, primary daily driver.
ParaOrd .45acp hi-cap (29 rounds, 2 mags, 1 in the pipe)
If, as stated above, there is only a “few”, I should be able to secure the garage door in a rapid fashion before dealing with the house.
Did I leave anything out?
-ma-kay-la- on 09 Aug 2010 at 10:57 pm #
@ angryvikingman and mcluvin i just recently found this site, i find it interesting and i post when i can, which is every few days but thats cus when i post no one responds so i go read a different topic, well that and my mom thinks im crazy for believing zombies could happen so she takes my phone (which is my only source of internet) and then she wont give it back for days, but thats not the only reason, i try to keep updated but sometimes after reading an article i have nothing to say, ever think thats the reason why not as many people post?
Angryvikingman on 09 Aug 2010 at 11:57 pm #
Well, this whole “Zombie” thing is a theoretical exercise. Most of us really see it as a metaphor, because if you’re prepared for zombies, then you’re prepared for damn near anything. Sadly you’re not the only person whos parents went off the deep end when they found out about this. Gladly, I am an adult and I can seperate fantasy from reality. Oddly enough some adults see this as a cult or some other crazy crap. They’re really over thinking it. Its just plain old fun to speculate what things might be like and hilarious to troll some of the retards/mall ninjas that show up from time to time and blab about how the .50 AE Desert Eagle is the bestest gun ever and they’re awesome with their flea market katana! The information articles are researched, and not ridiculous flights of fancy. Tell your mom to read some of the actual articles and she’ll realize that we’re not all a bunch of retards.
-ma-kay-la- on 10 Aug 2010 at 12:40 am #
If i were to do that i dont think i would ever see my phone again cus i already tried something around that, i asked her a whole bunch of questions about what she would do if something like that happened and she freaked out on me and started asking me why i put such deep thought in what i was saying, i said idk, all teenagers have interests and mine happened to be zombies but then she started going on about what she did when she was a teenager and how she was only interested in her pets (my mom didnt get out much) and then i said something like our pets dont interest me cus there fat and ugly and she got all pissed and said that she needed to take me to therapy or to a doctor to see whats wrong with me, that wasnt the best approach, but its too late now and shes not gonna listen to what anyone has to say, btw, whats ur opinion on the .45acp? im not a gun expert but im not stupid
Docwade on 10 Aug 2010 at 12:43 am #
I have to laugh when I hear someone say their daily carry gun is a full size with two mags plus 1 in the pipe. I’ve owned a p14. For those that don’t know…it’s freaking huge. The mags are huge and hauling over half a box of 45acp every day will make you wanna downsize fast. And really, who uploads for that +1? I don’t even do it for idpa. Now, maaaaybe if you are a motorcycle cop and that’s your uniform load out.
I’m still waiting for someone to say their carry gun is a glock 26 but their spare mag is a 33 rounder.
Docwade on 10 Aug 2010 at 12:44 am #
“is that a spare mag or are you just happy to see me?”
Angryvikingman on 10 Aug 2010 at 1:23 am #
I carry a PK380 with a +1 in the pipe. When I wear jeans I have a 2 mag carrier that I wear on my belt. When I wear my BDUs, which is almost everyday, I carry the mags in my cargo pocket, and they ride in the door while I’m in my car. A 50 rnd box of ammo rides in my center console. If I did have a glock, then there would be a 33 rounder in the door. I just can’t get past that whole aesthetics vs. functionality thing with the glocks. If they made a version with a hammer, then maybe I’d buy one. Call me old fashioned, but I like single/double, not DAO. I love walthers, but couldn’t bring myself to buy the P99 because of the DAO. Even the Quick Action models didn’t appeal to me.
wheelgunner on 10 Aug 2010 at 1:25 am #
I honestly am not sure what to do here. I have never had a garage. I suppose i’d grab my saber, bug out bag, n my ak outta the truck, and either clean up or cut-and-run depending on how many zeds are out there. And it really is hard to post some times when all the good points have been made before you longed in.
Seriously Doc, we’re on a zombie shootin-the-bull site, n ur willing to argue over a man wanting a spare one in the chamber? Not complaining, just pointing out an amusing fact.
@-ma-kay-la-welcome to the crew. The .45 acp is a great cartridge if you want to shoot a soft target, and put it down when you do. And by soft, I mean largly unprotected flesh. For shooting at a baricade, or something hiding behind an obstacle, the whomping near half inch of surface you’re making contact with the target with means that it will not penitrate it very far. Also, the recoil, while not inhibitive, does make follow up shots take longer, meaning it takes you more time to pull your gun back down to what you want to shoot and squeze the trigger again, than with a lighter cartridge like the 9mm. The advantage is you risk eliminating your threat with fewer cartridges, at the cost of being able to fire fewer of them in a given period of time.
wheelgunner on 10 Aug 2010 at 1:27 am #
I like a 7-8 inch barreled top break in .45 colt, n I pack 35 spare cartridges in a case on my belt. It ain’t bad at all.
McLuvin on 10 Aug 2010 at 2:35 am #
Wheelgunner, the topping-off subject is a valid one. Some guns won’t function
well with a full magazine pushing up on a closed slide. I never top off just in
case it were to cause an issue. I also suggest shooting some stuff with your .45.
It might just surprise you what kind of penetration you get from that slow, fat
bullet.
The 7-8″ top break revolver in 45Colt would be a terrible choice for zombies.
The capacity is low. The reloads would be slow. The ammo would be hard to
come by and needlessly heavy for the power level. Docwade also has a valid
point about your P14. Most people who carry a gun for any amount of time end
up with a small comfortable gun that is easy to conceal. I had a P14 and carried
it while camping for a summer. It was overly heavy and uncomfortable. While
I’m bashing you, can you please start typing out the word AND. Your incessant
use of N drives me crazy. It is lazy and annoying.
Semper Cogitant on 10 Aug 2010 at 11:38 am #
Carry Gun – Kimber compact .45, I do upload the extra round, and I carry an extra mag in a pocket designed for the purpose. Only 15 rounds total, but it’s very comfortable, and I figure if I find myself in a situation where 15 rounds is not enough then really 33 wouldn’t be either, at that point I’d be wishing for my AR, though getting home and getting it out of the safe in combat might be tricky…
3-15 INF on 10 Aug 2010 at 3:33 pm #
For my two cents, I carry a folding entrenching tool in the Jeep for the unlikely bog-out. It’s sharp and would be what i would reach for to chop whatever was blocking the door. Between that, and the carry gun I keep in the glove box (.38 special J-frame 5-shot with a couple of speed strips loaded with +P hollow points), I figure i could get into the house and better arm myself with a couple of my favorite gunsafe queens ;)
wheelgunner on 10 Aug 2010 at 7:28 pm #
Sorry about my typing McLuvin. I have been bitched at for years about typing everything out all the way, and habitually cutting words into their shortest understandable length ingrains itself.
I carry my top break with me any time I plan to be outside or plan on shooting something. I camp and carry it with me all day in the backwoods, plus my camp knife. And yes, I am only too aware of the capacity issues inherent in the pistol. I carry it because it is accurate and comfortable enough for me to carry it all day without noticing it’s there, unless I have need of it. I have never had any trouble with any of my autos, nor with any auto I have ever used, functioning with spair in the chamber. I merely pointed it out in the first place because I found the arguement amusing. I didn’t mean to offend or troll.
Also, as I stated at the beginning of my article, my AK-47 is always in my car, thus the most assuredly relevent zombie assault weapon for this given situation. I usually carry my 9mm in my bugout bag as well, so my backup is a Taurus PT99 whenever it’s with me. And there is always at least a spare clip in there with it. Plus my saber for when I get bored wherever I happen to be at the time, so I can at least take a few with before the infection sarts to take over and I cap myself.
HMPlatinum on 10 Aug 2010 at 7:45 pm #
Gun Rights Model in Blackhawk Serpa holster. Hip carry. I work in an air-conditioned office and generally have an overshirt. I ride a motorcycle. I also generally have a leather vest or jacket.
Extra mag left side. Don’t want to be forced to use ANY of the rounds in the pistol to start with…really don’t want to have to use the extras. Would hate to need them, and not have them. I’ve also been known to take the long way home from work and burn a mag for quick practice. That’d suck if I only brought one.
I +1, always. Taking the time to cock the hammer (SA) may be fatal, much less taking the time to work the slide (plus the noise factor), but I keep the hammer down 90% of the time. Are the rules a factor for +1 in idpa? I know the rules (or lack thereof) regarding real life are a factor in +1.
And I’m rather large. 6’2″ and 230 lbs. I can pack the extra 6.5 lbs without whining.
Happy now, Doc? Did I leave something out? Did you want to psycoanalyze why I have a shiny gun instead of a matte black? Or debate what kind of “bike” I chose to ride based on my astrological sign or testosterone level? Discuss lasers? Breast reduction surgery? Just let me know….thanks, bye.
And Wheelgunner, Doc and McLuvin are correct. The P14′s are large. Over 8″ tip of barrel to backside of beavertail and almost 6″ tall. The good news? Full size helps with recoil and target recovery for that second shot.
wheelgunner on 10 Aug 2010 at 7:55 pm #
@ HM-Ok. Never seen one. Mine carry just has some heft to it, and was throwing the comparision out there. That reminds me, I have some sub-spacer things that fit over the top of the cylinder and let me use .45 acp’s. Anyway, hope this drops it.
McLuvin on 11 Aug 2010 at 12:26 am #
@HMP
Topping off or +1 has nothing to do with cocking the hammer or working the slide. It refers to either loading a full magazine and racking one into the chamber or loading a full magazine, racking one into the chamber, and then refilling the one round in the magazine. In the case of the P14 it would be either 14+1 or 13+1.
What you are referring to is the carry conditions. Condition 1 on the P14 would be round in the chamber, hammer cocked, and safety on. Condition 2 would be round in chamber, hammer down. Condition 3 would be mag in gun and chamber empty.
@Wheelgunner
You state that the autos you own and the ones that you have shot never had a problem with +1. Going by your use of the word clip and the general lack of knowledge you display about your favorite revolver, I am guessing your firsthand experience level is quite low. I would also caution you in carrying all that firepower in your car at all times. You will either make some thief very happy or some cop very mad.
wheelgunner on 11 Aug 2010 at 12:38 am #
General lack of knowledge? Do tell. And I beg your indulgence with my Backwoods Southern English. I guess it’s true what they say about our I.Q. droppin’ just by openin’ our mouths to speak. Please, inform me about all that I do not know about the gun that I shoot, I beg of you. Dead thief and uncaring cop around here.
McLuvin on 11 Aug 2010 at 1:46 am #
“That reminds me, I have some sub-spacer things that fit over the top of the cylinder and let me use .45acp’s”
Anyone who uses “sub-spacer things” should know what they are called. You didn’t mention what kind of top-break revolver you have. I took this to mean you don’t know, as most people use the model of their gun when referring to it. The use of clips in place of magazines usually signifies a lack of general firearm knowledge.
wheelgunner on 11 Aug 2010 at 2:00 am #
Oh. Well that’s easily cleared up. I was given the pieces by a friend and have only been concerned by the fact that they work. The pistol is a Uberti 1875 Schofield repoduction. I just didn’t see any need to clarify past the function of the gun. I usually just refer to it as The Top Break, easiest way to tell my friends which pistol I am refering to. Clips is the vernacular here, so I tend to use it when speaking of magazines.
McLuvin on 11 Aug 2010 at 10:34 am #
Gotcha, and for future reference the “sub-spacer things” are called moon clips. You may want to stock up on them since .45ACP will be much easier to find than .45 Colt when the zombies come.
wheelgunner on 11 Aug 2010 at 10:48 am #
Hell, McLuvin, .45 acp is usually easier to find now, and I have three guns that run .45 colt. That gets annoying in a hurry. Thanks for the heads up, I just forgot what they were called, I know what moon clips are.
HMPlatinum on 11 Aug 2010 at 6:11 pm #
@McLuvin: I am aware of what +1 means. Perhaps I wasn’t clear enough…I quote myself, “I +1, always. Taking the time to cock the hammer (SA) may be fatal, much less taking the time to work the slide (plus the noise factor), but I keep the hammer down 90% of the time.”
I’ll reword. I keep a round in the chamber always. My pistol is a single action, meaning I have to pull the trigger back and cock it to fire that round…potentially, this could be a fatal delay, but not nearly as much as working the slide to chamber a round from the magazine (plus the added noise factor of working a slide versus the click of the hammer being cocked). Even though I keep a round ready in the chamber, I keep the hammer in the uncocked position 90% of the time.
Better?
McLuvin on 11 Aug 2010 at 9:00 pm #
Does your gun have a decocker or are you thumbing the hammer down everytime? If you are talking about your Para you are more likely to have a negligent discharge while lowering the hammer than by accidentally pushing the thumb safety off, squeezing the grip safety, and pulling the trigger. The 1911 is designed to be carried condition one, it is perfectly safe in that condition as long as you follow basic safety rules.
rikuyomi on 11 Aug 2010 at 11:20 pm #
i would climb on the car to pull the release cable and chop off their limbs that r inside the garage with some tool(we have alot hanging up)
or i would ziptie their lims 2gether 4 laughs
wheelgunner on 11 Aug 2010 at 11:37 pm #
The length of time it takes to cock or chamber a round is one of the reasons I prefer my wheelguns. Or, perhaps, I have just grown acustomed to easy draw-cock-fire sequences.
On an interesting side note, I have to state in writing that having a round under the hammer unless you are expecting trouble isn’t usually a great idea. One slip, or snag, and either someones hurt, or your position is given away. Had a lever action hammer snag on my pants once, and it didn’t hit the half-cock position. It went off and nearly shot my Grandparents livingroom. Not quite the +1 discussion, but it’s as close as it comes in revolvers, and it could make a difference for somebody who wouldn’t know the difference otherwise.
Angryvikingman on 12 Aug 2010 at 1:03 am #
I don’t know about you guys, but I can draw my gun, cock the hammer and release the safety before my sights are aligned. Evidently you people don’t sit and practice your draw, but you ought to. I’ve been reading this back and forth mess. If your gun malfunctions with a +1, then its most likely a crap gun. Either that or you need to break it in more, your magazine feed lips are mis-shapen, or some other defect. The pressure difference in the spring of a full mag and a mag missing a round is negligable and shouldn’t affect the slide during recoil. My Walthers fire just fine every time with a +1. I don’t carry them any other way.
HMPlatinum on 12 Aug 2010 at 5:53 am #
^
What he said.
And, again, someone doesn’t read the whole post, just the part they want to correct me on.
I quote myself (again), “Even though I keep a round ready in the chamber, I keep the hammer in the uncocked position 90% of the time.”
But it’s probably closer to 98% in that I only cock the hammer when I feel the need. It is also a little less conspicuous than working the slide to chamber a round. As it sits in my BH Serpa, I can cock the hammer, and engage the safety without drawing. When the situation permits, I can draw, and let the hammer down.
I will concede that in doing so, I’ve increased my chance for accidental discharge, but I always….let me emphasize that so I’m not corrected later….ALWAYS do so in a safe manner with the weapon pointed in a safe direction.
McLuvin on 12 Aug 2010 at 11:00 am #
Wheelgunner, for a vintage replica like your schofield that is good advice to not keep a round under the hammer. Most guns made in the last 50 years(even single actions) have a transfer bar so the gun can’t fire unless the trigger is pulled. A full cylinder is perfectly safe for those guns.
HMP, I reiterate that there is no safe method to decock a 1911. The gun is not made for it and is inherently unsafe while doing so. If you don’t feel comfortable carrying condition one you should probably choose a different platform or at least go with condition three.
wheelgunner on 12 Aug 2010 at 11:17 am #
In the end, “To each his own” and “There is no acounting for taste.” I think that at this point we should all just agree to disagree.
Docwade on 12 Aug 2010 at 12:27 pm #
HMP,
I’m not sure if I want to “psycoanalyze” you since there should be an “H” in it. I’m not into psyco-analyzing anything.
McLuvin on 12 Aug 2010 at 1:51 pm #
wheelgunner, when we all agree to disagree this site sucks. By calling a couple people out we have had more activity in the last two days than in the previous two weeks. A little disagreement makes life interesting.
HMPlatinum on 12 Aug 2010 at 7:10 pm #
What he said, again…
Angryvikingman on 12 Aug 2010 at 1:03 am #
I don’t know about you guys, but I can draw my gun, cock the hammer and release the safety before my sights are aligned. Evidently you people don’t sit and practice your draw, but you ought to.
….
And….
What I said, again…
I will concede that in doing so, I’ve increased my chance for accidental discharge, but I always….let me emphasize that so I’m not corrected later….ALWAYS do so in a safe manner with the weapon pointed in a safe direction.
Concede. I agreed with you.
Sigh.
*drops full mag
*works slide with .45 pointed at ground, ejecting +1 round
*locks slide into place
*inspects empty, useless (except as a club) weapon…
Now, granted, when I load back up to go on my merry way, decocking is required. Agreed (again) that there is a chance I could spaz, fart, and have lightning strike 3m behind me causing me to drop the hammer on a live +1 round….which would then go harmlessly into the ground (not floor, not pavement, etc….DIRT).
But, you know what? If you try to dig up an argument based on spelling mistake, your other, decent points have just been marked invalid. Fail.
And I’m happy with the way I carry, with what I carry, and how I handle myself with my weapon in real life. Keep checking back. If I don’t kill my self when I slip on the hammer, I’ll let everyone here know. Hasn’t happened yet. But I’ll post if it does.
Back on topic…
In rereading my original post, I was dismayed at the amount of time I spent concerned with a trapped, otherwise immobilized shuffler. Yes, he was making the door stick, but the mobile ones are a greater issue. I should clear the mobiles, whack the doorstop, and secure the garage then house.
I guess I won’t get time to rethink this when I notice my garage door is stuck tomorrow, eh?
note to self….put axe IN the garage.
wheelgunner on 12 Aug 2010 at 8:02 pm #
Other note to self: Admit that Doc has a point, and inflate his ego.
@ viking-I think it’s safe to say we all pracitce at least enough to get a shot off in time to count, but I meant it is easier to do on a pistol designed for a quick hammer draw, and in my case, no safety to worry about on most of my pistols. It does cut out a time factor.
@ HM-probably not a bad idea. Might I also suggest a crowbar, in case it’ll help with the door, or something? I am not entirerly sure how these things work.
wheelgunner on 12 Aug 2010 at 8:12 pm #
That other note was ment for McLuvin…woops.
By the by, what’s your favorite carry?
Kyrah Abattoir on 12 Aug 2010 at 8:52 pm #
And are we done drifting off topic yet?
McLuvin on 12 Aug 2010 at 9:38 pm #
I don’t have a problem stroking Doc’s ego a little if I happen to agree with him.
I have seen plenty of guns that didn’t like +1. Mostly compact carry guns.
It is also nice when you unload the round from the chamber to be able to put it
in the mag instead of in your pocket. Just personal experiences and preferences.
To answer your question, I usually alternate between a Kahr PM9 and a custom
3″ model 60 in 9mm. They are small and comfortable to carry all day while
providing more than adequate firepower to handle most situations.
wheelgunner on 12 Aug 2010 at 9:53 pm #
Not bad. I’ve been considering a Bersa Thunderer .380. Heard some good things about them, and they feel nice. Opinion?
I once again may have missed something, but wouldn’t a thread on what to scavenge not be a bad idea? I’m kind of curious as to what everyone thinks good bartering equiptment is.
McLuvin on 12 Aug 2010 at 10:37 pm #
That would be a decent thread. What to scrounge, to use or trade.
wheelgunner on 12 Aug 2010 at 11:18 pm #
And most definitly what is worth packing around for when you need medicine or bullets or something important. This will become one of the cornerstones of survival in the event of anything major happening to civilization. Good idea to be prepared for it.
Ronin666 on 13 Aug 2010 at 12:15 am #
Wheelgunner, you may be interested to know that speedloaders made for d/a revolvers work just fine with the schofeilds making them just as fast to reload as a d/a. A couple of guys at my club use them instead of loading strips when coming to the line in Cowboy shooting.(not allowed to use them for timed reloads of course).
Back on topic: my garage door isn’t powered and I can just squeeze down the side of the car to get in and out on account of the work benches. The upside of that is those work benches are covered in nasty hitting tools, so I’d probably grab the longest of the tools present and climb on top of the car and crack some heads, if there weren’t too many (and if there was I would have seen them as I drove in, got out and opened the garage door) then run inside and start getting my gear together
wheelgunner on 13 Aug 2010 at 12:20 am #
@Ronin666-Thanks man. Have to get one for a .44 mag, maybe? Loose ammo is the only thing that slows those things down. How rough is that cowboy shooting? The nearest one is like 200 miles away from me.
Angryvikingman on 13 Aug 2010 at 12:24 am #
There’s a S.A.S.S. (Single Action Shooting Society)range about 20 minutes from my house, and I’ve been thinking about going out there and seeing what its all about. Supposedly its like an old west town.
wheelgunner on 13 Aug 2010 at 12:38 am #
Nice, viking. Be warned, cowboy guns get expensive in a hurry, and if you decide to shoot, hammerless shotguns require fewer steps to reload, but hammered ones break easier, and a good technique makes them actually run faster.
wheelgunner on 13 Aug 2010 at 1:46 am #
And viking, be sure and bring the drakar. They go crazy over stuff like that.
McLuvin on 13 Aug 2010 at 2:04 am #
S.A.S.S. shooting looks fun, but from what I’ve seen and read it has gone
the way of IPSC/USPSA. It has changed to be all about speed.
The targets have gotten much bigger and much closer. I prefer a game
with a little more accuracy and tactics involved. I understand that there
are some groups now that are trying to take it back to it’s roots with some
distance and smaller targets. This should make it easier for all ages and
skill levels to enjoy while still keeping it difficult for the top shooters. I believe
NCOWS is a major player in the drive for realism and accuracy. This reminds
me of the creation of IDPA. Many shooters had watched USPSA morph into a
sport that they didn’t even recognize so they started their own game to get
back to realism and basics. IDPA requires tactics and accuracy where USPSA
focuses mainly with speed with accuracy a distant second.
wheelgunner on 13 Aug 2010 at 2:20 am #
I subscibe to one of the magazines the S.A.S.S. uses, and the rifle targets are spitting distance. I think 25 yards. Lately, they have opened a new even covering 1911′s. Now that you mention it, they have a rule about not modifying stock guns in some matches to make it more period, so guess what they did? They complained to the gun manufacturers, who started to produce “off the shelf” models with custom tunings being added to them as part of the assembly. So, you get custom gun not much beyond looking like an original that is still considered legal by club rules.
wheelgunner on 13 Aug 2010 at 10:15 am #
Talking about not having anything in the garage with you, what would happen if you hooked your jumper cables to the garage door?
Semper Cogitant on 13 Aug 2010 at 10:10 pm #
Have to weigh in here. Carrying a gun in a way that requires you to chamber a round, or to manually cock the hammer, seems ridiculous to me. Certainly if you choose to carry a single action revolver then you’d be stuck with having to manually cock it, and with training and practice you could be fast at it.
For those that mention carrying an automatic that they would have to chamber a round and/or manually cock it, why would you do that? I carry a 1911 style .45 made by Kimber, a round in the chamber, with the hammer back and the safety engaged, releasing the slide safety is part of the action of drawing it. I also have a Taurus PT111 with an internal hammer that is effectively always double action, again disengaging the safety is part of drawing the weapon.
Are people here really carrying single action semiauto pistols with the hammer down on a loaded chamber? That is terribly unsafe. Most modern firearms are double action though, pulling the trigger cocks the hammer, or they have an internal hammer arrangement like the Glock or numerous others. In that case there is no reason at all to manually cock the weapon.
As an aside, I would like to say than while I wouldn’t carry one as my primary weapon, single action revolvers, and cowboy action shooting in general, are awesome. I would love to have an 1851 Colt Navy, or as a more modern weapon a Ruger Vaquero. if I had the money to burn.
Angryvikingman on 14 Aug 2010 at 12:27 am #
The reason I carry hammer down on my PK380 is that it has a physical hammer block as a safety. There is no way for the hammer to contact the firing pin with the safety engaged. It also has a lever safety. In my draw motion, as soon as my hand slides down the gun to grip it, my hand flips the safety lever. On the way to the first retention position I cock the hammer back. I then stick it straight out using both hands and fire the first round. I could just pull the trigger instead of cocking the hammer back, but that increases the length of the trigger pull, and since I don’t train to fire the pistol that way, it could likely throw my first shot off target and that could be the difference in me living through the confrontation or not. The way I carry is not dangerous for me or anyone else.
wheelgunner on 14 Aug 2010 at 1:13 am #
If any of yall want to feel a silk trigger pull in double action, check out a Taurus Judge. They don’t even need a single action made.
@ Semper-I have a ’51 Navy. They are great. Natural pointer, and they weigh nothing. My first time shooting it, I was cutting cane poles down from 15 yards. They make a .38 special smokeless conversion. The only problems I have found with mine is the reload time for a cap and ball pistol, and the old Colt style barrel wedge system makes them a pain to take apart to clean and repair.
wheelgunner on 14 Aug 2010 at 1:24 am #
@ Semper again-Do you like the hammer action on the Vaquero? I nearly killed a feller who was showing me his because they don’t have the half-cock safety position. I wonder how you reload it? Thats how Colt SAA’s work, and thats what the Ruger is designed around. I will admit, though, that their two stage hammers are enviously smooth.
HMPlatinum on 14 Aug 2010 at 2:11 pm #
Trigger block. Now we have two choices of mechanical safeties on 1911′s, and have had for a couple of decades. I take c2, and then I don’t have to transition from 1 to 2 or 3 every night before transitioning from carry weapon to nightstand weapon.
The only time I have to change the condition of my pistol is a) cleaning (drop the mag, eject the only round by working the slide without disengaging the slide safety with a live round in the chamber) or b) I find myself needing to be prepared, in which case I cock the pistol and engage the slide safety. The weapon is as safe in c1 as c2, therefore I do not have to concern myself with decocking until I am in a safe area and can do it safely, or c) SHTF situation. Drawing, cocking and firing, and the practice thereof, has been covered above.
And, no, I don’t often feel the need. Hammer hasn’t moved since the last scheduled cleaning.
Ronin666 on 16 Aug 2010 at 4:21 am #
I admit the target in Cowboy shooting are stupidly close, the pistol targets are 8yrds away, no need to aim , just point. And don’t they get shitty when you set up a scenario and tell them to shoot the 25m targets with pistols, suddenly the fast guys are loosing points for misses. MISSING at 25 yards! on an 18inch plate!
I shoot .357 Blackhawks, I also occasionally shoot them in Olympic ISSF centerfire match which is shot at turning targets at 25m (usually use a Colt Python for this match) but I can’t see the point in having a gun you can’t shoot accurately at a reasonable distance, I may not be the fastest guy there but I don’t miss anything.
Some of them even back slap each other when they don’t miss shooting 45/70′s from 50 yards .
It’s a lot of fun and it does teach you to reload and transition from one gun to the next smoothly and quickly but there is little accuracy really needed.
I also shoot .22 Field Rifle match which is 60 shots from 3 field positions (free standing, kneeling and prone at 50yrds.) and Lever Action match which is 60 shots at turning targets of different sizes (that get quicker) at 50 yards (no scopes allowed). Unfortunately our range is only 50 yards, I have to travel several hours to a longer range.
Mr Spontaneous on 18 Aug 2010 at 6:21 am #
I think the general decision at the beginning was probably the best one, I probably wouldn’t have access to a firearm but would have some sort of large blunt object and I would use that to clear the way to the garage door so I could remove the zombie arm and unblock my garage door, closing that I would then decapitate any zombies still in my garage before returning inside the house for a nice cup of tea, waiting for it all to blow over.
HMPlatinum on 26 Aug 2010 at 5:08 pm #
Decapitations with a blunt object?
*shivers
wheelgunner on 27 Aug 2010 at 12:13 pm #
I approve of the tea. It will be a sad, sad casualty of the zombie wars, and I fear that I shall miss it.
Vacren on 02 Sep 2010 at 3:02 pm #
Reading through a lot (not all) of the posts here, I’m realizing that many of you are not exactly serious about home defense.
Instinct would push flight upon anyone untrained in repelling combatants, so all this talk about exiting the vehicle to do this or that is a load of bs. Unless you know your family is safe inside, best option would be to exit the garage in the vehicle and meet up at the predetermined location, maiming and crushing anything that enters your path. Your bugout kit should always be within (at most) a short sprint.
If your family is known to be uninfected and in the house, you are then obligated by honor to defend them and get them to safety. My carry is a usp elite, I don’t usually go for +1, but in this case let’s pretend. Immediate action to be taken is to clear the door. Quietly is normally preferred, but my escape is in the mountains, not my home. Wife and daughter will be in the upstairs master bed, so after clearing the garage and locking the flimsy sheetmetal, I’m headed to clear the house.
Bathroom, utility closet, kitchen, dining, den, living rooms cleared and closed, I’ll not bother with the basement, it bolts from the living room.
Headed upstairs clearing three rooms to the left, closing as I go, then to the master bed, knock and wait for a reply. No reply and I’m back down to the garage, reply and I’ll wait for it to open and help with the prepacked kits. If the garage hasn’t been penetrated, I’ll go back to empty the gunsafe, but I have hunting gear at the cabin and assuming the house was clear, should still have enough rounds to make it out of town.
Once at the cabin, it’s difficult terrain to access, can’t drive there, it’s a basic wooded paradise. Clearcut approach in all directions for 50-75yds, glacial stream fed lake, and enough dry goods to keep us indefinitely.
This is all assuming the virus has found a way to sustain itself in subzero temperatures, I live in the Yukon Territory, Alaska, but I’m usually prepared for any kind of invasion.
Assuming you know
aaron on 27 Sep 2010 at 9:29 pm #
what i would is say “shit!!!!” get into my truck pop that baby into reverse and back right out of the garage (at full speed of crouse) :)
wheelgunner on 01 Oct 2010 at 11:18 pm #
By God, that man knows how to ignore his punctuations.
nate.. on 09 Oct 2010 at 3:29 pm #
i would do the same as “aaron”.
if i didnt do that i would just take the twelve gage out of my car and go rambo.
lol whats the point of living through a zombie apocolipse if you are not going to live life to the fullist???? ….
big bear29 on 15 Oct 2010 at 12:14 am #
I don’t have a garage just a simple dirt and gravel driveway thirty yards long and I always check what is around me before I get out of the car . If the zombies where coming up from behind I would just throw my old ’84 chevy caprice into reverse and run over the zombies , that old tank has been hit by other cars , driven into trees and telephone poles and even pushed a truck down the interstate at forty mph even though the guy locked up his breaks . I have no doubt that it could bust up a bunch of zombies and if any get stuck under the car they would be torn apart because that thing is low enough to count as a lowrider . After the zombies have been smashed up enough that they can no longer move I would get out with my two foot long , three and a half pound crescent wrench and cave their skulls in , no sense wasting ammo on a crippled enemy .
This would become a new and popular sport for survivors , it would be a remake of ” pedestrian polo ” , assign points for different sized zombies and see who has the higher score . If any of you don’t understand what I’m getting at then watch the 1975 movie
“death race 2000″ . It will give you a pretty good idea of what I mean .
Aaron on 19 Oct 2010 at 7:27 am #
I believe I would put the door back up (so I won’t put any holes in it) and pull in as far as I could and then through down my kickstand and pull out my tanto tipped fixed blade knife and my GP100 .357 magnum dispatch the zombies there close the door reload a fresh speed loader into the chamber and make my way out of the garage and towards my house
note2self on 01 Nov 2010 at 2:10 pm #
Since todays garage doors won’t hold back any number of zombies anyway, you have to put it in reverse and dust as amny as you can. Never get out of the car in close quarters. NEVER!
Joe on 05 Nov 2010 at 4:30 pm #
I personally do not have a garage but lets say I did. There’s gotta be a door to the house. First thing is first, I just got out of my truck, shocked, I would shut the door or if one was close whack it with the door. Grab my personal 1foot long axe (perfect for chopping limps) and probably my crobar that is 3 feet long with sharp edges. Go into the house and look the door behind me. At that I probably safe for a few minutes at the least until they figure another way in. So I would be able to plan my attack from there, cause a distraction so that I could get back to my truck and back the hell out of there with my supplies and new plan.
Bo on 21 Jan 2011 at 9:35 pm #
remotely turn on the neighbor’s stereo system so the zombies are distracted and go for him instead, then start the car and bust through the garage door, making a quick getaway to Iowa or some other inconspicuous state.
Heretic_6633 on 11 Mar 2011 at 10:37 am #
This is a fun one.
First things first, secure the back door for the garage, then kill the zombie, be sure to leave your car running for a hasty escape if required, since the door is open carbon monoxide wont be an issue.
Enter your house and CLOSE THE DOOR secure any weapons you can find as well as food and water, anything you can fit into a suitcase or back pack.
Take a peek out the door into the garage, and continue to that car if you can, or you may have to hold up and foritfy your house, I recommend beds and furniture to block out the windows (dont be stupid use the boreds not the chairs) If you make it out the garage, and your car, truck, SUV, what ever is capable the name of the game is DEATH RACE run them F*%^ERS OVER!!! then head to a location relativly safe if you can to procure more Weapons and provisions.
Hopfully you can get a team of atleast 3 together, with a knife, and/or full auto/shotgun ( I know interesting people I call the AK-47 and the Big knife!) Then you have a few options…
A: You and your group head down the road looking for a settlement or outpost when people get thier s*!$ staight, but I wouldn’t recommend it, remember the movies, the outpost is screwed.
B: Head to the most isolated area you can think of and hope for the best.
C: Have your fun now, and try not to die.
D: fortify current local and hope for the best, wether or not you let in any remaining survivors is up to you.
GOOD LUCK!
amy on 04 Apr 2011 at 12:11 pm #
@Alex, way up there, as you should probably know, a zombie doesnt die from any form of injury, it dies from you destroying the brain. As they have no pain impulses, id would be rather silly you spraying them with a flame flower when its going to take way to long for you to kill the brain off, and there will be quite a few coming at you… a high pressure hose is een worse, it wont destroy the brain for a while, just saying, xD
Zaknafien on 16 Jun 2011 at 12:51 pm #
As there is a metal door that leads into my house from the garage, I would grab the garage door remote out of my car and head inside, locking the door behind me. I would head to the second floor and look out the window closest to the garage to survay the situation. After checking it out I would go into one of the bedrooms and grab a manual wind up alarm clock we keep for gests. I would set the alarm for 15 mins. I would then toss it onto the grass about 10 feet away from the garage. When the alarm goes off it should draw the shamblers away from the garage door at which time I would hit the door remote button.
Mrs. Jennifer on 11 Jul 2011 at 1:42 pm #
I would hop back in my car, and run over those FAGS!
Pejoze on 28 Jul 2011 at 10:49 am #
I would take the surfboard from the back of my garage. Then I would open the door and charge out using the surfboard to knock zombies out f the way.
Mike Hugh G. Rection on 11 Aug 2011 at 2:01 am #
DIE. because if i got my Tran’s Am in the garage,it would of been loud enough for a city of zeds to follow. plus there is no door to the garage
and the house is meters away. =[
So ill just sit and stay,
thats Hugh G. Rection’s way.
Braydon on 16 Oct 2011 at 1:40 am #
I would hop out of my car and pick up a splitting axe I have leaning up against my garage wall, then I would swing the splitting axe at their hands hopefully knocking their hands out of the way giving me enough time to close the door and secure the rest of the house. I guess if none of that worked I would hop right back in the car, wait for them to open the door, then when they do just drive straight into all of them.
bubdude on 07 Nov 2011 at 9:19 am #
oh nice one. well seeing as how it is a garage, there would be multipul blunt and/or sharp things to use. beating them back would do very little good if there are multiple ones so id say the best thing to do is grab a weapon and block all entrances to the main area of the house. this would give me enough time to pack light but efficiently and get ready to leave. i dont know about you guys but i dont have enough faith in my house to stick around for very long. the best escape route for me would most likely be from any floor about the main floor. i could make-shift a rope of some sort to go on to other buildings and stay off of the ground. this should work long enough to get to a less infested area where i can make a run for it and possibly find allies along the way.