TexasCHLforum.com

http://www.windsorstar.com/travel/Armed ... story.html

In 2008 there were about 8,000 armed US airline pilots. Now there are somewhat less than 13,800 armed pilots.

They attend a training class in Artesia, NM before being allowed to carry in the cockpit. But they want to carry anywhere
in the aircraft to improve safety.

IIRC the ND in the cockpit was caused when a pilot attempted to put his Sig .40 back into its holster before making his
landing approach. Please update if I got this wrong.

SIA

As best I remember the ND's have all been when the FFDO went to replace the weapon in the holster and lock it. The holster is a DeSantis 31L and the hole for the lock is in the trigger guard. If the FFDO does not seat the weapon far enough down in the holster before putting the lock on, then the lock shank will actually be in front of the trigger instead of behind it. Then, if the weapon is pushed down in the holster the lock shank activates the trigger and BANG, you have an ND. VERY poor design IMO.

Here is a photo of the holster

IIRC it was caused by the idiotic locking system where the loaded gun was placed into a holster where a lock was placed through the trigger guard and holster. The pilot then pressed the gun on into the holster to ensure it was in place and that was when the ND happened.

Edit Keith beat me to it.

They put a lock on the gun while it is in the holster? That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard of.

...hope it don't give anyone ideas!!!

Stupid

surprise_i'm_armed wrote:http://www.windsorstar.com/travel/Armed ... story.html

In 2008 there were about 8,000 armed US airline pilots. Now there are somewhat less than 13,800 armed pilots.

They attend a training class in Artesia, NM before being allowed to carry in the cockpit. But they want to carry anywhere
in the aircraft to improve safety.

IIRC the ND in the cockpit was caused when a pilot attempted to put his Sig .40 back into its holster before making his
landing approach. Please update if I got this wrong.

SIA

The armed pilots don't carry Sigs. They are issued H&K USP's in .40 S&W caliber.

C-dub wrote:They put a lock on the gun while it is in the holster? That has got to be one of the dumbest things I have ever heard of.

Locked until they enter the flight deck, then has to be reholsterd and locked before they leave the flight deck.

Keith B wrote:As best I remember the ND's have all been when the FFDO went to replace the weapon in the holster and lock it. The holster is a DeSantis 31L and the hole for the lock is in the trigger guard. If the FFDO does not seat the weapon far enough down in the holster before putting the lock on, then the lock shank will actually be in front of the trigger instead of behind it. Then, if the weapon is pushed down in the holster the lock shank activates the trigger and BANG, you have an ND. VERY poor design IMO.

Not only a poor design, but also the result of a government designed answer to a non-existent problem. It's what happens when a committe of goverment functionaries who've never handled a weapon in their lives gathers together to dictate to the proles A) what they can and can't do, and B) how it must be done when they can.

Excaliber said : The armed pilots don't carry Sigs. They are issued H&K USP's in .40 S&W caliber.

Thank you sir for the correction. Since many feds carry Sigs, and the airline pilots are fed-vetted, I assumed it was a Sig.
At least I got the .40 caliber correct. :-)

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************
KeithB - It's much appreciated that you supplied the photos above.
That holster/lock design is certainly an ND waiting to happen!

SIA

surprise_i'm_armed wrote:Excaliber said : The armed pilots don't carry Sigs. They are issued H&K USP's in .40 S&W caliber.

Thank you sir for the correction. Since many feds carry Sigs, and the airline pilots are fed-vetted, I assumed it was a Sig.
At least I got the .40 caliber correct. :-)

*******************************************************************************************************************************************************
KeithB - It's much appreciated that you supplied the photos above.
That holster/lock design is certainly an ND waiting to happen!

SIA

I wouldn't have known what they carried either if I hadn't gone to the range with a shooting buddy who was also an FFDO.

The HK's are reliable and durable, but not exactly tack drivers with their heavy trigger pull.