I broke the 1st rule of firearm safety today

[netsecurity]

Easy, point it at the floor, pull the slide back with your left hand, push the slide lock with right thumb.

I've never been able to reliably lock the slide back with my right thumb, perhaps because my thumbs are double jointed, but I'm going to practice until I find a way. Keeping the muzzle in a safe direction at all times is the most important rule of gun safety, so I'm glad this topic was brought up, and we can all learn from this mistake.

 

[Glock19]

ME and a friend went to go buy a gun. The seller got in the car with us and handed my friend the gun, saying it was unloaded. My friend dropped the mag and stopped for a sec, racked the slide back and got hit with the ejected 9mm round.

WAS NOT A HAPPY CAMPER! Very glad my friend practices safety like no other! Lots could of happened otherwise.

 

[justcallmedoc]

We're humans, not robots. No matter how much training/practicing you do, for anything, ANYTHING, there's no guarantee that you will always perform flawlessly.

Not saying it's an excuse to not follow the rules, but as Alexander Pope once said, "To err is human, to forgive is divine."

I doubt Alexander Pope would have had that philosophy with a gun in his hand or he might have instead said, "To err is human, to forgive is devine, even though I'm forgiven, I'm doing 15 to 99"..

And that's the rest of the story!!

 

[looney2ns]

Sounds like part of the solution is to stay out of cars when showing others guns. Too confined a space to safely do the proper safe manuevers.

 

[Gabriel]

I thought the first rule of firearm safety is that you don't talk about firearm safety.

 

[justcallmedoc]

I thought the first rule of firearm safety is that you don't talk about firearm safety.

Well, that makes sense!!............................................................NOT

 

[bwframe]

...the first rule of firearm safety is that you don't talk about firearm safety errors.

FIFY

Well, that makes sense!!............................................................NOT

That was my point earlier in the thread. I feel that some things are better left not "shared." Maybe if we don't advertise all of our brain farts, others won't feel that it's normal, hence OK?

Do you wonder how many reading this thread now feel better about errors as opposed to concentrating on fixing them?

 

[VERT]

I think the point is that the OP made a mistake and realized the mistake. Because of this experience he is now conscious of the fact that he needs to be more careful. One bad experience will stick with him longer then 10 training classes.

It is the people that refuse to admit they are wrong, don't realize they are wrong or don't care that really concern me.

 

[bwframe]

I think the point is that the OP made a mistake and realized the mistake. Because of this experience he is now conscious of the fact that he needs to be more careful. One bad experience will stick with him longer then 10 training classes.

I totally disagree, my friend. The OP did not realize the muzzle discipline problem. It was only made clear by the one he was pointing the gun at. He would not have made it through ONE training class with this behavior.

 

[U.S. Patriot]

There is a conservative lady that I follow on facebook. Her and a friend have a show called Politachicks. The last show was on women packing. She pulls out a glock with the muzzle pointing at the lady to her left. She then says "I promise it's unloaded". I'm thinking WTF. Treat every gun as it's loaded, and never take anyones word that a wepaon is safe.

 

[CJK]

Everytime, every single time, you handle a gun you should anticipate it discharging. The gun's only got one job.

The Four Rules light is always on--at the gun show, in the car selling your gun, in the parking lot of the range, at the range, waving guns around Broad Ripple, in the classroom, every frickin' where.

And now . . . we are going to watch THE video.

"But, Kirk, we've seen the video."

Oh, no, apparently not. You're going to watch it over and over and over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Y7LIJm5gI

That Clint is so smart.

Oh, and so is Kirk.

Props to the OP for sharing his "mistake", we all need a wake up call every now and then to keep us honest.

 

[VERT]

I totally disagree, my friend. The OP did not realize the muzzle discipline problem. It was only made clear by the one he was pointing the gun at. He would not have made it through ONE training class with this behavior.

You are absolutely correct. No disagreement with anything you just said. But I bet that once the instructor disciplined/explained/chastised or maybe even removed him from the range or course....the lesson learned would sink in hard and fast.

 

[joekoug]

FIFY


That was my point earlier in the thread. I feel that some things are better left not "shared." Maybe if we don't advertise all of our brain farts, others won't feel that it's normal, hence OK?

Do you wonder how many reading this thread now feel better about errors as opposed to concentrating on fixing them?

The point of my post wasn't to say what I did was OK. I was very clear stating that it was a mistake. I simply wanted to point out that even a very experienced person can make a mistake. I now realize it was a huge mistake to post anything because there are some folks here who are God-like and have NEVER made a mistake in their lives. Furthermore they have never shared that mistake with others in the hopes that it can be educational for others.

I know there have been quite a few people who have PM'd me or posted something along the lines of, "Thanks for sharing this experience, it has made me a little more aware of my muzzle discipline."

I did not however read anything from anyone to the effect of, "Wow if someone else did it then that's completely normal."

My apologies for starting the thread.

 

[netsecurity]

I appreciated this post, and will get rid of a potentially bad habit because of it. I guess some people already know everything, but not me.

 

[rgrimm01]

I would right off like to apologize for the ensuing multi-quoteathon. I have been offline for a few days and am just picking up the thread...

"But, Kirk, we've seen the video."

Oh, no, apparently not. You're going to watch it over and over and over.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Y7LIJm5gI

Kirk, as a fairly new member, I watched this video for the first time attached to a thread that you had responded. My lady even watched from across the room and commented positively. As a reminder or for first exposure to us newer members, I would ask that you include this link in as many posts as posible(we learn by repetition right?).

" coonfinger " . I'm not sure what it means.

Watch how raccoons work an object to decide wether it is food. Having decided something is food, watch how they work the food in their "hands". Imagine someone doing that with a gun. coonfingering...

I now realize it was a huge mistake to post anything because...

My apologies for starting the thread.

I am thankful that you did post. I feel we learn through repetition and review is a good thing. In addition, at some point in our development, we should not have to touch the stove to know that it is hot and be able to learn through the missteps of others. Your post just might have saved a life or injury.

THE END

 

[Mike G]

Thanks for posting this. A reminder is a good thing when it comes to gun safety and the little things we sometimes overlook that can easily become a big thing.

 

[justcallmedoc]

I think I've read plenty of stories in my time and alot of you probably have too, about people being shot and killed by unloaded guns.. Guns are never unloaded would be a good thought for everyone to remember...

 

[jgreiner]

Man, I can't get over how freely people are able to post their mistakes here. You've got to know you're going to get a talking to. ... I'm guessing that you're feeling bad and just want to take your flogging. Here you go:
BAD GUN GUY.

Look, I don't like being covered by a muzzle, but I wouldn't have even blinked if this happened to me. I may have taken the gun by the muzzle and pushed it away from me as I took the gun from you, but that's it.

It's not that big of a deal.

If you don't like being covered by a muzzle, then AVOID all the gun shows. I lost count in 10 minutes how many times I had a gun pointed in my direction, from vendors, from buyers, from people with rifles in their arms or slung over their shoulders.

 

[jgreiner]

I met a guy from this board to sell a pistol today. We were sitting in his car in a parking lot and I was showing him the pistol. I pulled it out of my bag, and racked the slide to quintuple check that it was unloaded before handing it to him. The muzzle was pointed in his direction.

He said, "Hey don't point that thing at me!" To which I muttered, "Oh $#*%, sorry."

I have been shooting most of my life, I take other folks out to the range and teach them how to safely shoot. I couldn't believe I made that kind of a boneheaded mistake.

I know the gun was empty because I had broken it down not half an hour before and cleaned it. It was in my possession the whole time so I know someone else could not have loaded it. But it was still a huge mistake none the less.

Have any of you broken any of the rules of firearm safety lately? This just goes to show that the fundamentals need to be gone over again and again. AND AGAIN AND AGAIN. I'm still shaking my head, I have never done that before.

Joe

+1 for having the courage to post it so that others can learn from your mistake.

 

[justcallmedoc]

There is a conservative lady that I follow on facebook. Her and a friend have a show called Politachicks. The last show was on women packing. She pulls out a glock with the muzzle pointing at the lady to her left. She then says "I promise it's unloaded". I'm thinking WTF. Treat every gun as it's loaded, and never take anyones word that a wepaon is safe.

I know I would have come unglued, mentally, with my mouth to her or anyone for that matter.. Would have been the last time she did it to anyone.. To bad there's not an idiot test people have to take to be able to touch a gun.. Maybe some day..
Thing is, joekoug , who started this thread admitted he made a huge mistake, this lady's still pointing guns at people..