Firearm Safety Is Never A Joke

I was at the range the other day. As I prepared to shoot I carefully brought out the three handguns I was going to shoot. Two autos and one revolver. I’m not much of a revolver person but I feel I need to be more competent with one so I’ve included it in my training for a while now. As I took each weapon out of its case I thought about the tragedy that happened with an actor shooting and killing an assistant director and injuring the director. I know that morning no one thought they would be facing a life or death event that day. I don’t want this to be a political article but in some ways it must be addressed. I’m not anti-Alec Baldwin. I don’t agree with his politics and he seems like a typical arrogant left leaning celebrity. But I really don’t know the guy. What I do know is that he is anti-gun. He’s ranted about it before. But he is so anti that the numerous times he’s had training with firearms he’s blown it off. He broke the gun handling safety rules because of an antagonistic view of guns. Had he been serious he would not have broken every rule. After hearing other actors who have talked about the armorers they have worked with before, it seems the armorer on this movie was less than adequate. I don’t have any clue what it’s like to work on a movie set. I can only imagine. But I am a gun instructor. I know what it’s like to try to teach people who don’t really care about what you’re teaching or are very unfamiliar with what you’re teaching. There have been numerous times I’ve frustrated students because I would ask about the safety rules over and over throughout their training. I had one guy say to me, “We know the rules already!” I saw him several years later and he understood why I kept repeating and have the students repeat the 4 safety rules. These rules are: 1. All guns are always loaded. 2. Never let the muzzle cover (point at) anything you don’t want to destroy. 3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. 4. Be sure of your target and beyond the target. All of these rules support each other and give us several layers of ensured safety. Using the “safety” on a gun is always a risky thing. When I was an instructor in the military I tested this theory. We were in between classes with our range M-16’s waiting for another class to start. I went through each gun and loaded each with one round. We put each gun on safe and then proceeded to walk down the firing line pulling each trigger. Of the 10 weapons we had, 3 shot the only round it was loaded with. We took those guns out of service and replaced them. Now these guns were well used, but always clean and maintained. Do not trust a mechanical safety. Be like “Hoot” in the movie Blackhawk Down. When an officer questions why he has his weapon off of “safe” he puts his finger up and bends it like he’s pressing a trigger and says, “This, is my safety Sir!” Being safe with a firearm should be something that is taught from a young age. I have several kids who are now all adults. But each of them, the boys and the girls, learned gun safety at the age of 8. Some of them are still into guns as an adult, some are not. But all of them have a knowledge of safety that they will never forget. I still test them to this day. “There’s a gun on the bed. Show me how you handle it and clear it.” Often they roll their eyes at me, but they always comply and show me proper gun handling safety. As prevalent as guns are, I believe gun safety should be taught to all. Many people I have known, including my own Mom, are afraid of guns. Once they learn that a gun is a tool that can be dangerous if not used correctly, like a power tool, they are less afraid and more confident. I know most people won’t become gun people like I have been, and I don’t expect that. But everyone should have a basic knowledge of how to handle, clear (ensure the weapon is not loaded), and secure a gun. As a child it could save your life, as an adult it can save others lives. As I see those opposed to guns constantly break the safety rules I’m convinced that often they are the problem, not those who own guns and handle them a lot. Be safe no matter what your feelings for firearms are. Get safety training and practice this training with a hot glue gun if that’s what you’ve got. I’ve noticed that when I pick up anything that is designed like a gun, I find myself performing the safety rules that were pounded into my brain as a kid, and that I have tried to teach others for many years. Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn