For all you people who put your life in the hands of some sort of equipment… when was the last time you really checked it to ensure it was in working order? I mean, if you’re trusting your life to it, shouldn’t it be solid and ready to go?

For instance, if you carry a gun for personal defense well… maybe you check the gun out, certainly that’d be the first thing to concern yourself with. But what about your other equipment? How about your holster? Is it still sturdy? any screws or snaps still holding firm and solid? Is your flashlight still with a strong beam? do you have spare batteries on hand? Knife blade sharp? Everything free of lint and dust? Oiled up? Ready to go?

It’s important to check this stuff from time to time.

What spurred this for me was the other day when I was helping with a Basic Pistol 1 class I was letting students shoot my S&W 442 snub revolver. One student worked the cylinder latch and I noticed it didn’t act right but class was moving along so I just put it down and didn’t bother with it. When I got home and took the gun out, the latch wasn’t there! The little screw that held the latch in had fallen out. Nothing was lost, easily recovered, easily fixed. But still… somehow the screw worked loose.

Check your gear. All of your gear. Make sure it’s in working order.