[masraum]

Originally Posted by red-beard

12 ga Shotgun using OO buck the pattern is smaller than most people think. At 5 yards, typical pattern is about 2.5-3 inches (60-75mm). This requires more than pointing in the "general direction".

Also, Movies and TV are the source of those racking moves and sounds. Let us not forget, we often see in the movies someone thumb back the hammer on a single action auto. That would mean it is NOT loaded.

Finally, I saw on a TV program someone rack the slide then load a magazine. And then have an accidental discharge...

My favorite are the cop movies where the cops are chasing the perp, fire a couple of rounds, then the perp heads into a warehouse or apartment building or something. At that point, it's almost guaranteed that the cops will stop at the door, talk about their plan for when they enter the building, and then, just before they enter the building, they rack the slide. I guess they want a fresh round in the chamber instead of the one that's 60 seconds old from the last time they fired the gun.