Check Your Mag: Five Dummy Rounds We All Carry
Before we go loud, let’s get honest.
We like to think we’re squared away—tight groups, good gear, situational awareness. But even in a clean draw and a clear conscience, we might still be carrying things we haven’t examined. These aren’t hollowpoints or FMJs. They’re the dummy rounds: assumptions, bravado, and myths that sit in our mental mag pouch and rattle when things get real.
Let’s lay a few out on the bench.
1. “I’ll rise to the occasion.”
Dummy Round: The belief that when crisis hits, you’ll just know what to do and execute with precision and calm.
Reality: No one rises to the occasion. They fall to the level of their training—and often lower if stress hits hard enough.
Live Round: Practice under pressure. Train like the stress is real, because one day it might be.
2. “The DA will understand.”
Dummy Round: Assuming a righteous shoot speaks for itself.
Reality: Your carry method, your modifications, even your online posts may be used to paint a picture. And that picture might not flatter you.
Live Round: Keep your setup boring. Stock guns, safe carry positions, and a clean story. Don’t give a prosecutor a prop.
3. “More gear = more capability.”
Dummy Round: Thinking that optics, lights, triggers, and flared magwells equal competence.
Reality: Accessories don’t compensate for fundamentals. In fact, they often distract from them.
Live Round: Master your baseline before upgrading. Simplicity is its own form of speed.
4. “My gun is for defense, but I kinda hope I get to use it.”
Dummy Round: Quietly daydreaming about the justified shoot—being the good guy with a gun.
Reality: If your gun leaves the holster in earnest, you’re already in the worst moment of your life. Nobody wins in a gunfight. Some just survive.
Live Round: Carry with humility. The gun is a parachute, not a badge.
5. “I’m not a threat—I’m one of the good ones.”
Dummy Round: Assuming that being law-abiding, polite, or well-dressed insulates you from scrutiny.
Reality: Good intentions won’t stop a bad outcome from being investigated like a crime.
Live Round: Accountability isn’t a punishment. It’s the twin of responsibility.
Final Word:
We talk a lot in PDW about what gear makes sense, what training is worth it, what mindset matters. But clarity begins with self-audit. Don’t carry assumptions that can jam you up. Inspect the whole kit—external and internal.
Empty the dummy rounds. Load truth. Then carry on.