Do you lock up your guns when you're sick?

Big Tuna · Post by **Big Tuna** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:47 pm

Do you lock up your guns when you're sick?

Someone posted this rule from the NRA website.
Never use alcohol or over-the-counter, prescription or other drugs before or while shooting.
Alcohol, as well as any other substance likely to impair normal mental or physical bodily functions, must not be used before or while handling or shooting guns.

I think it's reasonable to skip the IDPA match if you're loopy on Nyquil, but do people lock up the HD shotgun too?

stevie_d_64 · Post by **stevie_d_64** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 6:53 pm

No...That is when I am the most dangerous and cranky...

marksiwel · Post by **marksiwel** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:12 pm

I had my wisdom teeth out, I had my wife put all the ammo in the other room, and leave her revolver loaded up on her side of the bed.

I've spent the last couple of days cleaning the Pistols, triple checking that I dont have a Mag or Ammo in, on or near the Pistols.

So far so good.

But am I going to take away my way to protect myself when I'm at my most vulnerable.

5thGenTexan · Post by **5thGenTexan** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:16 pm

If I'm sick enough to take anything that would impair me, I'm sick enough to be in the hospital. I don't normally try new meds especially OTC, when I know what works why change plus i know how it effects me.

karl · Post by **karl** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:50 pm

If I need medicine that will incapacitate me mentally then I think it's smart to not carry, but how many prescription drugs disable you in such a way that you lose your ability to reason? Will they make you drowsy and lose reaction time? Yes, but not alter my mental state that I'll be dangerous to myself or others.

ScottDLS · Post by **ScottDLS** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:56 pm

I lock up my Taurus .357 at home when I'm healthy...in my quick release Gun Vault. Keeps the kiddies away from it. I haven't found any meds that impair my judgment so badly that I have to hide my guns from myself. I had 10mg hydrocodone once when I scratched my eyeball. It definitely affected my motor skills, but didn't turn me into a raving lunatic.

Oldgringo · Post by **Oldgringo** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 9:57 pm

joe817 · Post by **joe817** » Sat Feb 06, 2010 11:16 pm

Oldgringo wrote:No.

Well said. Same here.

UpTheIrons · Post by **UpTheIrons** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:34 am

I chose "No. But I don't leave home". If I'm sick enough to need strong meds, I'm in bed anyway. My usual OTC stuff is Sudafed, and that stuff is about as reactive in me as a glass of water. At least it helps my sinuses. Know your limitations and you know what you can do. According to those NRA rules, a person with allergies shouldn't to go to the range after taking a Claritin. That seems a bit extreme.

grumble · Post by **grumble** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:57 am

joe817 wrote:
Oldgringo wrote:No.
Well said. Same here.

and here as well.

drjoker · Post by **drjoker** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 2:16 am

Sick or not, you're morally the SAME person, BUT just do what YOUR doctor tells you to do after a thorough physical and psychological exam. I rescind my previous statements so please disregard other peoples' quotes of my statements. I have not examined you, so I am not YOUR doctor. ANY medical information from PhD doctors, Md doctors, or anyone else on the internet should be filtered through YOUR doctor before taking action on it.

sjfcontrol · Post by **sjfcontrol** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 11:55 am

drjoker wrote:As a medical professional I can tell you that cough and cold medications will not strip your moral character and make you shoot people willy nilly. I think the drugs and alcohol message from the NRA referenced by the OP is referring to illegal drugs and stupid drunk people. Granted that if you're dizzy on cold meds, you shouldn't attend your next shooting competition, but I'm sure that you still have the same morals that you had before took the medication.... As always, guns or not, you should stay away from illegal drugs and drunkeness. The good book says, "Be not drunk with wine," because it will lead to stupid behavior that you'll regret later. So, the moral of the story is not to hide your guns if you're sick, but to stop being high, drunk, and stupid. This moral has nothing to do with guns. Only an anti would try to confuse two different unrelated issues like this.

Ahem...

"Never use alcohol or over-the-counter, prescription or other drugs before or while shooting."

That would include high-blood pressure meds, cholesterol meds, nasal spray, aspirin, etc.

marksiwel · Post by **marksiwel** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:15 pm

Use common sense when shooting.
If you feel sick, maybe not the best time to go shooting, because it is a physical experience, so why wear yourself out? Also you are more likely to pick up bad shooting habits.
But like I've said, I had my teeth out luckly I've only had to take some hyrdocodone and even then, I was fine, now would I take a handfull and go to the range? Heck no. Do I think I would start shooting people and myself? Heck NO!

Now if I know I'm going to get wasted, I put the gun someplace I wont stumble across it.

I think you guys are picking this apart too much.

chabouk · Post by **chabouk** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:40 pm

I haven't met anyone who could explain how locking away your guns before taking a drug (whether OTC cold medicine, prescription medication, or ethanol) can make you actually forget where they are and how to get them. That pretty much shoots down (pun intended) the argument that it's safer to disarm.

I don't know anyone who, in response to a home invasion, would think "Oh no! I've had cold medicine and a hot toddy to clear up this cough, so I better not use a gun!"

I think I understand Big Tuna's point in posting this, but I think the message was lost on a lot of people.

boomerang · Post by **boomerang** » Sun Feb 07, 2010 12:52 pm

chabouk wrote:I think I understand Big Tuna's point in posting this, but I think the message was lost on a lot of people.

Especially those arguing opposite points in the two discussions.

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