Firearm as emergency signal device???

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Mike Armstrong
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Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by Mike Armstrong »

I was taught in survival school that one of the standard emergency signals was three shots repeated in regular groups and that any person hearing that was obliged to respond and render aid if possible.

One of the (many) reasons I always carry when out in the boonies is to be able to "communicate" distress (my own or another's) that way. Many of the odd corners of CA where I hike, hunt, and prospect (actually "scrounge for interesting stuff left behind over time" would be a fairer description of what I do) just don't have cell service, and I can't afford either the weight or cost of a satphone.

Is this means of signalling now obsolete, or is there likely to be a response if I use it in an emergency. I understand that if there is an informal shooting range near, it's likely to be ignored (who wants to rescue a beer can?) but would it work out in the REAL boonies?

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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by Blaine »

Mike, this ended up in Classified, so I did a report so some Mod would move it to where it would get fair shrift..
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by AmBraCol »

Thanks, Blaine.
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by piller »

I was taught when young that 3 shots with a couple of minutes then 3 more shots was a signal that someone needed help immediately. I think I read it in a Kjellgaard book when I was about 6 or 7. Might have been Big Red. Anyway, I asked my Dad and his hunting buddies. They all said that it was what they knew to do in an emergency.
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by jeepnik »

Heard about the three shot thing, never heard it in use. Honestly, these days a sat phone is the best idea. If you don't want to own one you can rent them for a reasonable price then you pay for air time. If you need to use it the air time fees are insignificant.
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by piller »

The Sat phones of today are rather light and small compared to even 10 years ago. The rental fees run about $30 per week.

It might be worth the cost.
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Hawkeye2
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by Hawkeye2 »

That's what I learned when I was in grade school in the 50's. Today the most likely response to 3 shots would be for everyone to hide in a dark corner and wet themselves.
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by gamekeeper »

It didn't work for me when I was into bow hunting... :?
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by JerryB »

Now that's a good one Gamekeeper !!!!!
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by vancelw »

BlaineG wrote: Fri Jun 15, 2018 12:24 pm Mike, this ended up in Classified, so I did a report so some Mod would move it to where it would get fair shrift..
Snitches get stiches and wind up in ditches. .. :lol:
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by TomF »

gamekeeper wrote: Fri Jun 15, 2018 3:07 pm It didn't work for me when I was into bow hunting... :?
That right there is funny.

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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by Blaine »

vancelw wrote: Fri Jun 15, 2018 4:35 pm
BlaineG wrote: Fri Jun 15, 2018 12:24 pm Mike, this ended up in Classified, so I did a report so some Mod would move it to where it would get fair shrift..
Snitches get stiches and wind up in ditches. .. :lol:
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by vancelw »

BlaineG wrote: Fri Jun 15, 2018 6:50 pm
vancelw wrote: Fri Jun 15, 2018 4:35 pm
BlaineG wrote: Fri Jun 15, 2018 12:24 pm Mike, this ended up in Classified, so I did a report so some Mod would move it to where it would get fair shrift..
Snitches get stiches and wind up in ditches. .. :lol:
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Stuff like THAT is why you're not allowed within 1000 feet of schools and daycares.. :roll:
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by J Miller »

I hear the same thing eons ago. However having spent my days out in the hilly deserts and mountainous areas of AZ I could rarely tell exactly where shots were coming from. The echos would confuse the sound direction pretty bad.
So I doubt that it would work very well.

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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by Blaine »

I read once about a last ditch, life or death thing. Shoot the insulater off a power pole. Someone will be by shortly. :o :o It'll cost ya.
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by Hawkeye2 »

"I read once about a last ditch, life or death thing. Shoot the insulator off a power pole. Someone will be by shortly."

Not with the phone company or the power company we have. :D

:idea: How about just following the power lines (if you can walk) :?: :lol:
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by mickbr »

My hunting buddies used the 3 shots once for a couple of our guys who had gotten lost coming back into camp at night. Luckily they were only a mile or two off course. They answered with a 3 shot string and we waited. They found the vehicle trail walking towards the noise and made it back to camp. Not sure how effective gun noise is from along way out though. I think if you hear emergency shots its a good idea to mark your position and get a bearing or mark a couple of trees right away.
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by jeepnik »

Hawkeye2 wrote: Fri Jun 15, 2018 9:29 pm "I read once about a last ditch, life or death thing. Shoot the insulator off a power pole. Someone will be by shortly."

Not with the phone company or the power company we have. :D

:idea: How about just following the power lines (if you can walk) :?: :lol:
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by walks with gun »

Firing three shots in the air as a signal for the old lady to get her butt out of Walmart is NOT a good idea though.
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by Mike Armstrong »

Thanks, guys (I guess....). Sorry for the mis-placement of my question.

I agree that this is a pretty tough way to communicate and would consider renting a satphone if I were planning a long time back in the tallest of weeds. But most of my safaris are pretty spur-of-the-moment deals between other obligations, and finding and getting a rental would take some time I just don't usually have (it takes a long time to get anywhere I'd want to go from the LA/OC Slurb where I live, even if you leave at 4am which I usually do).

And I agree that locating the source of gunshots in the maze of barrancaswe call the Coast Ranges is tough. That's why I carry two boxes of shells if I am carrying a .22 auto. Fewer if it's a shotgun or .357, but as many as I feel comfortable with (which really means sort of UNcomfortable). But repeated series should be easier to locate. I just wondered if anyone would know what they were intended to convey.
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by Pisgah »

I have heard the 3-shot thing all my life, and I have always doubted its usefulness. It's just too darned hard to tell where shots are coming from in most circumstances, and often you might hear one shot or two, but not all three -- and even if you DO hear all three, who is going to automatically assume it's an emergency signal? On a typical doe day in my area, nimrods firing 3 or more shots -- and missing -- is all too common.

Besides, if you are going in to a wilderness area and are spending most of your prep time worrying about how you'll call help to get you out -- maybe you shouldn't be going...
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by jeepnik »

I carry several smoke flares. Nothing will get attention out where I roam faster that smoke. Set one off at ground level and about two minutes after the smoke rises above the plants you'll have more folks around than you know what to do with.

I also carry a flare gun. A flare gun fired at night will get peoples attention. Especially in our local forests where blinking at them can start a fire.
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by mikld »

The "three shot signal" has always been common knowledge among the fellers I hung around with and none would rent a satellite phone for a walk in the woods or a day hunting. When I'm out in the woods, shooting or just lookin', I usually have at least a 9mm in my pocket. In my area, So. Oregon, I would never fire a flare and would be very, very cautious with a smoke flare. We had a few devastating, large forest fires last season (we were under evacuation alerts a couple times and a few of the residents just outside of town were burned out).
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by GunnyMack »

Nowadays the libatards would call the police( which is a good thing) if they heard 3 shots in a row. But of course said libatard would give false info to the police dispatch, claiming a school shooting or Starbucks was under attack :D !
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by AJMD429 »

walks with gun wrote: Sat Jun 16, 2018 11:41 am Firing three shots in the air as a signal for the old lady to get her butt out of Walmart is NOT a good idea though.
That is hilarious......
Hawkeye2 wrote: Fri Jun 15, 2018 3:03 pm That's what I learned when I was in grade school in the 50's. Today the most likely response to 3 shots would be for everyone to hide in a dark corner and wet themselves.
....but THAT is so totally, totally true..... :|
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by hfcable »

we were doing a 9 day wilderness in 3 rafts [ as in....fly in , no roads out ....if plane doesn't rendesvouz with you, have a nice rest of your life ] on the mulchatna river and had trouble with a GPS. Luckily, a fellow from one of the few fly-in lodges out there came by needing jet boat engine help, which we had the tools to do.....he offered to fix/ regulate / adjust our GPS ... but we couldn't find it [ my friend who was still out hunting had told me it was in the tent in his bag.....couldnt find it because it was in the COOLER BAG, with the sausage....of course !!! ] anyway the fellow said if you find it, we are only less than a mile from the lodge.....fire 3 shots with 44 mag,,,,i will come right back....

we did it , 3 shots and 3 more........3 more and 3 more, a little bit later .......3 more and 3 more later.......as we floated past the next day, we saw them....he said he never heard anything and he was listening and expecting it.

not likely to be a life saver, unless you are so close to civilization [ a few hundred yards ] that it doesn't matter anyway
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by Malamute »

There are other options besides a sat phone. One is called SPOT, and there are one or two others. Some require some monthly fee, others I dont think do.

Just googled it, heres some reading material.

https://www.google.com/search?ei=hX4pW9 ... -UqyG05IpQ

Ive seen the various methods discussed on outdoors and offroad forums. Searching some of those discussions may be helpful. May be some results in the search I linked. At least one allows you to send a text message to someone and let them know if you re OK or changed plans or whatever. I never cared for such things in my younger days, but am starting to feel they have some value as I get more slow motion and feel less invincible.
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Re: Firearm as emergency signal device???

Post by Paladin »

I carry a SPOT, used them in Afghanistan the first time (we were short Blueforce Trackers) work great. I have heard about the three shots, but have never heard of it working even after being involved in SAR.
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