Why I am annoyed at myself for that trigger incident

[mousme]

ACTS & PROVE, folks.

When you don't follow the rules of safe gun handling, this is what happens to you. (Pictures are gross for those of you made squeamish by stitches). That's if you don't accidentally kill yourself or someone else.

It's not a matter of "if" you negligently discharge a firearm, it's "when," if you handle guns at all in your lifetime. (Like sex, the only 100% foolproof "safe" way to do it is to not do it at all) THEREFORE, it is really, really, super important to control your muzzle direction at all times. NEVER EVER EVER POINT THE GUN AT YOURSELF.

Now, this seems self-evident, but you'd be surprised how easy it is to point a handgun at yourself without realizing it. Hold the gun in your right hand reach forward with your left hand to pick up your ammo, forget that your ammo box is on your right —bang! You've just pointed your gun at your arm. Better hope you've got your fingers out of the trigger guard and/or that your gun is unloaded, because if not you're likely going to end up with one more hole in you than Nature originally intended.

ACTS & PROVE

Assume the gun is loaded
Control the muzzle direction at all times
Trigger finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire
See that it's safe: PROVE the gun.

Point the gun in a safe direction
Remove the ammunition
Open the action
Verify that the feed path and chamber are empty
Examine the bore.

Comments

[fearsclave.livejournal.com]

CONSTANT VIGILANCE!!!

[taxlady.livejournal.com]

My mother taught me as a kid to always watch where the muzzle was pointing and never point it at myself or anyone else. That was with our cap guns. So far as I know, she has never handled a real gun.