Postby Mynock » Fri Jul 12, 2013 7:18 pm
The four rules I follow, in order of importance:
1. Barrel in a safe direction. No matter what happens as long as the business end isn't pointed at something important the worst will be avoided.
2. Finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot. This is the one I see violated most often. Keep said booger picker outside the trigger guard, resting
against the frame to the weapon, unless you're actively shooting the weapon.
3. Before you put it down and immediately upon picking it up, clear the weapon. Pull the mag, run the bolt, pump the slide, etc, do whatever it is you
have to do with that particular make/model to ensure there isn't a shell under the hammer. If you don't know how to do this with a particular weapon, for
example if you're browsing at a gun show, ASK. No one will give you shit about being safe.
4. RTFM (Read The Fucking Manual). Know how to clean and inspect the weapon and check it for defects. Catastrophic malfunctions are rare but almost always involve defective parts that should have been replaced long before they failed or maintenance that wasn't done properly.
Firearm "accidents" have a lot in common with plane crashes. They're rarely if ever the result of a single error, it's chain of mistakes that when lined up just right result in tragedy. Billy Bob has a bad habit of keeping his finger on the trigger when he's walking around at the range. This in itself is not terribly dangerous, but then one day Billy Bob done forgot to empty his mag and got careless swinging his rifle around, and at the same time tripped, resulting in a UD that blew a way the kid standing next to him. Don't be Billy Bob.
"Know thyself, know thy enemy. A thousand battles, a thousand victories."
--Sun Tzu