Gun Safety and the 200th Hour

I was surfing the web and went to one of my favorite forums. There was a sad story and graphic pictures of someone who shot themselves. They had forgotten the rules and ended up shooting their own hand with a “checked” weapon. “How could someone be so stupid?” you are probably asking yourself. A friend of mine was a Border Patrolman. He is now a Customs agent. At the time of this incident he had been through the academy ( 6 months of training including weapons), and had been an agent for about 2 years. Agents must qualify with their service weapon every 3 months. So he was no stranger to his weapon. While cleaning his weapon, he had an accidental discharge that went through an outside wall and into the ground in his backyard. He was lucky. No one was hurt and there was little damage. He did, however, struggle with whether he should even report his mistake, which he did report. This was not a “rookie” mistake. This was an experienced gun handler who broke one or more of the 4 gun rules. Those are: RULE 1 ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED The only exception to this occurs when one has a weapon in his hands and he has personally unloaded it for checking. As soon as he puts it down, Rule 1 applies again. RULE 2 NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER (POINT AT) ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY You may not wish to destroy it, but you must be clear in your mind that you are quite ready to if you let that muzzle cover the target. To allow a firearm to point at another human being is a deadly threat, and should always be treated as such. RULE 3KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER (AND OUT OF THE GUARD) UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET This we call the Golden Rule because it's violation is responsible for about 80 percent of the firearms disasters we read about. RULE 4BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET You never shoot at anything until you have positively identified it. You never fire at a shadow, or a sound, or a suspected presence. You shoot only when you know absolutely what you are shooting at and what is beyond it. Many people, even experienced gun handlers, think that after rule 1 is accomplished, there are no more rules. This is of course BALONEY! In the above 2 incidents the other 3 rules were ignored and as a result, an accidental discharge. If you have a gun. If you ever think you will ever own or use a gun, these 4 rules should be tattooed on your brain. Do not violate these rules in any form. Remind others also. I do this constantly with my family. Not because I don't trust them, On the contrary, I absolutely do not want them hurt or for them to experience the heartbreak of an accident that they could have prevented. On the above story from a forum I read all of the comments. Most were right on the mark. This person pointed a weapon at his own hand and pulled the trigger. He broke the 1st rule, but he also broke 2 and 3 and probably even 4! The only time I point the barrel at myself or another person is when the gun is apart and the barrel is off the slide. Otherwise, all rules apply. I even hate the idea of carrying a weapon that has one in the chamber. Which, by the way, is stupid NOT to do if you carry for self defense in my opinion. If there is an external hammer it doesn't necessarily have to be pulled back with an auto that is double action. Good habits save lives. A strong lifetime habit of handling a weapon respectfully EVEN when unloaded can prevent injury and death when you brain isn't paying as much attention as it should. First, unload the firearm, then lock the action open and double-check that it's unloaded, using your eyes and then your fingertip to be sure. (That takes care of Rule One.) Be conscious of your muzzle direction at all times. Don't get sloppy or careless with the muzzle even though you think the gun is now unloaded. (Rule Two.) Close the action and deliberately point the muzzle at a consciously-chosen safe aimpoint. One reason people point guns in foolish directions is because they haven't consciously chosen a good direction, so choose a specific spot to aim the muzzle before you put your finger on the trigger. (Rule Three.) When you choose that spot, be certain it can really stop a bullet of the caliber your gun can fire. For instance, for a handgun you might choose to aim at a cement wall in the basement, or at the top of a thick stack of books, or at a purpose-made product such as a Safe Directions pad, or at the corner of the floor in a one-story building. (Rule Four.) Remember the 200th hour. This is about the time that someone spends training when they make their first mistake. In flying this can happen with pilots. I tend to agree. By the 200th hour your experience just starts to exceed your knowledge and you can become careless. That's when mistakes are made. Be aware of this and act accordingly. I believe the second “danger hour” is after 2 years. Know your limits and NEVER break the rules! Semper Paratus Check 6 Burn