Firearms are deadly weapons. Everyone is capable of destroying whatever it is pointed at…intentionally or unintentionally. The following list of rules should be observed when handling ANY firearm for your safety and anyone within range of the firearm.
Don’t become a statistic!
1.) Treat all firearms as if they are loaded.
2.) Never point the firearm at anything you do not wish to destroy.
3.) Do not rely on the guns safety to keep it from firing.
These three rules if followed without deviation will lessen to a great degree the chances of you being involved with an accidental discharge or a negligent discharge.
The differences between the two are insignificant in my eyes, as either produces a very bad outcome. I witnessed an Accidental discharge at a training site that involved a windbreaker waist tie string and the re holstering of the shooters firearm. The string from the windbreaker waistband tie somehow got through the trigger guard of the firearm as the shooter was re holstering.
When the shooter pushed the firearm down into the holster, the string pulled the trigger back and the firearm discharged. This event was deemed “Accidental Discharge” by the range master. I didn’t see it that way, which is, one, why I am not a range master and two, why there is even a category of “Accidental Discharge”
The way I see it, the shooter was negligent in his attention to detail. The dangling string posed all sorts of hazards, not only during re holstering but also on the draw. I witnessed this shooter fight the string numerous times before the “accidental discharge” occurred.
There are many other rules that can be added to the list above, but any others follow the first three. If the Golden Rules are followed “Accidental” and “Negligent” discharges will not happen.
Firearm etiquette is addressed in another article and has many “rules” that also apply to safety. All ranges post and have their own list of rules, Follow the Golden Rules first and then the range rules.
Shoot Safe!
My reply to The Golden Rules of Gun Safety,
I hear and read so many time’s of people (experts who know it all), calling people “stupid” or “the idiot didn’t keep his or her bugger hook off the bang switch”. I, myself never say such things because when Mr. Murphy come’s knocking he come’s pounding! So when it happens to the people who do call name’s I hope they remember. So,as far as ND vs AD I read an article about a man with a 1911 (I forgot what series) ,it was a series 70 or 80,the one with no firing pin block. He was at a firing range and dropped his pistol to which he of course didn’t try to catch and when it hit the ground it fired. So when people say a gun cannot fire unless the trigger is pulled is incorrect. I don’t know if this was a race (competition pistol) with no internal safety or if something mechanically catastrophic malfunctioned. Lesson learned.A gun is a mechanical device that can malfunction so never take for granted the safeties. I believe ,especially a carry gun, should be field stripped ,wiped down,function checked , new lube at least twice a month by my opinion. I have read a police officer took his DUTY pistol to the firing range and it wouldn’t fire so he took it to a gunsmith,it had been in his holster so long the gunsmith found gum wrapper’s, debris and all kind of icky stuff worked it’s way down between the hammer and face of firing pin and wouldn’t let the hammer drop. Really? A police officer who never function checks a DUTY pistol? I field strip mine when I have nothing to do or at least two to three times a month . If I do buy a jacket with draw strings the first thing I do when I get home is cut the strings OFF ! Some instructor’s say not to look at your gun while re-holstering, um ,sorry ,I guess I break the rule’s I do. By my opinion in a defensive situation if I ever have to use my firearm the shooting is over so I probably won’t be in a rush to re-holster or de-cock (i’m a DA/SA hammer fire guy) and like de-cocker’s. I see so many people speed re holstering their pistol with striker fired pistol’s like it is a race. What’s the hurry? One of these days something is going to get hung up in the trigger and it doesn’t take much on some striker fire’s. At least with Double Action I can ride my thumb on the hammer and slowly re holster.
Also I would like to say Thank You for the sample of Lucas Extreme Duty Gun Oil.
I very much appreciate it. Nice little box just like a little bird egg in a little nest…
Can you tell me if I look for you on Facebook what is your official Facebook Page I
should look for?