I believe in some ways we are.
One way we do this (IMO), is when we take perfectly good gun handling rules and take them “Too Far�!
I am sure some of you are already grumbling “Gun safety can never be taken too far�.
I disagree…and would like to present a few examples and contradictions being repeated over and over by many that have interests in firearms.
Before we begin this discussion let me state right up front: I am NOT lax concerning gun safety, but I do have a concern that when certain “rules� are taken out of context and repeated among ourselves, we create what appears to support the Anti’s position.
That position…BTW, is simply: Guns are ALWAYS dangerous, Guns cannot be made safe, and we shouldn’t trust anyone with a gun.
My concern lies primarily with “Rule One� and “Rule Two� of the four basic safety rules put forth by Jeff Cooper many years ago. The real meaning of these rules and their purpose has been completely lost in some circles, and now comes back to haunt us, I believe.
Let’s take a look at “Rule One� first. “All guns are always loaded�
The proper meaning of this rule IMO,: All guns are always loaded. ALWAYS!
_____________________________________________________________What this rule means is simply this: You treat every gun as if it's loaded, until you have checked it yourself, and verified what condition it is in. Assume every gun is loaded when you first come in contact with it. Whether it's yours or mine, or anyone else's, doesn't matter. It's loaded until you've checked it yourself. Don't rely on anyone's word; check it yourself.
Understand that when a gun is in your hand, you are responsible for it. If you do something stupid and hurt someone with it, you will be held responsible.
ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED! Every time you pick up your gun, even if it's only been a few minutes since you had it, check it again.
Now, what I believe is a poor example from a very popular site:
“All guns are always loaded� means you must always treat your firearm with the respect you would give a loaded weapon. When you follow this rule, even after you have just checked to see that your gun is unloaded, you still never do anything with it that you would not do with a loaded gun.
This is the cardinal rule, and all other safety rules follow naturally from it.
Some people apparently believe that merely checking to see if the gun is unloaded means you can then treat it like a toy…that you can point at your friends to pose for a picture, or at your training partners for disarming practice, or at a flimsy interior wall to check trigger function
That’s a foolish, foolish idea that kills a certain number of people each year.
The quote directly above is the type of thing that “dumbs down� the responsibility/capability of the gun handler to ensure the weapon is truly unloaded.
If a firearm is indeed unloaded (as verified by you) then it is in fact completely harmless.
If a person cannot do something as simple as checking a weapon to determine its status, then I submit that person is unfit to handle it. This is where I believe our focus should be.
Some problems I have with the rule above:
Well, let’s see now…….“All guns are always loaded� means you must always treat your firearm with the respect you would give a loaded weapon. When you follow this rule, even after you have just checked to see that your gun is unloaded, you still never do anything with it that you would not do with a loaded gun.
1. I would never attempt to clean a loaded gun, but I do regularly clean an unloaded one.
2. I don’t point my loaded gun at the middle of the bed and fire it, but do sometimes “dry fire� my unloaded pistol.
3. I don’t practice a “house clearing� or “pie-ing a room� or drawing from my holster, or malfunction clearances, etc…with a loaded gun, but I do it with my unloaded weapon.
This unnecessary restriction is put in place why? Because the supposition that a weapon can never really be declared “unloaded/safe�. This plays directly into the hands of the Anti’s.
There is no excuse for “horseplay� as concerns the use of a firearm. I believe in building and maintaining good habits and a mindset that promotes reasonable safety habits. I also believe an unloaded weapon can safely be used in many exercises that build certain desirable skills.Some people apparently believe that merely checking to see if the gun is unloaded means you can then treat it like a toy…that you can point at your friends to pose for a picture, or at your training partners for disarming practice, or at a flimsy interior wall to check trigger function
NO! What kills “a certain number of people each year� is a LOADED gun and an incompetent gun handler…period!That’s a foolish, foolish idea that kills a certain number of people each year.
Please give me your thoughts, and we’ll discuss them.
Rule # 2 may end up creeping into this discussion but it’s really a separate issue requiring another thread.
