People look at me like I’m crazy when I say to them know your Manual of Arms. This saying comes from a prescribed drill in handling a weapon with the military. What it means to us is that you should be very familiar with your firearm. Know every feature of the gun you are carrying for personal protection. One of the things I like to do on 1911’s or semi-autos that lock the slide when the safety is engaged (not all pistols lock the slide when the safety is engaged) is to load them with dummy rounds and put the safety on. Then I ask the student to pick up the gun unload it and make it safe. A person that knows the firearm and is proficient at manual of arms knows that before he or she can rack the slide they have to disengage the safety. I have had people pull and pull on the slide not knowing why they can’t move it. It’s funny but it really isn’t. How much time do you think that person wasted pulling on that slide and having it go nowhere. Do you think it might be important if you were trying to defend yourself, and you were scared out of your mind, not to waste that precious time. How long does it take a person with a machete to travel 21 feet? I think Dennis Tueller told us it was 1.5 seconds.