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GUN SAFETY



Stupid or Safe?
by Ray Hawk
 
I have been around guns all my life. Well, for most of it. It began when I was
eleven with a Daisy Red Ryder B-B gun. My training? A stern warning from my
grandfather that he would tear up my bottom end if I shot any of my siblings,
the dog, several property cats or any song birds. Sparrows or black birds were
fair game. I soon found out that window glass was off limits too! 

When I was fifteen, I bought a Mossberg .22 semi-automatic rifle. My training? My
grandfather and common sense added to my "no-no" list of targets. I also learned
from my uncle that a .22 bullet could travel as far as one mile. So, I tried to
watch where I shot, or where I pointed the muzzle of my rifle. When I was 16, some
younger friends of mine were playing with their .22 rifles. I learned an important
lesson from them. One thought his rifle was unloaded. He was re-enacting one of John
Wayne's tricks raising his rifle and shooting the bad guy. As he raised his rifle,
the unloaded gun went off. The bullet caught the other just above the eye, killing
him instantly. My lesson? Unloaded guns aren't unloaded!

This lesson came closer to home when a hunting teen and I got caught in a downpour.
We ran into a culvert to stay dry. With nothing to do, we decided to shoot at some
tin cans and bottles that had found a resting place outside our temporary concrete
umbrella. My friend emptied his rifle on several available targets. He recocked the
Remington semi-automatic and pulled the trigger. "Click!" He repeated the action. 
Again, "click." He recocked the gun the third time and turned the muzzle toward me
and said, "I'm gonna kill you Hawk." His finger was still inside the trigger guard.
I immediately pointed my rifle at him and seriously informed him that when he pulled
his trigger, I would pull mine. Both he and I knew my gun was loaded. I didn't know
whether his gun was or not. A stand off took place. He thought I was joking. I
convinced him I was not. Finally, he turned his gun away from me and casually pointed
it toward the cans and bottles and pulled the trigger with the comment, "Well, Hawk,
it isn't loaded." His rifle barked, a bottle shattered, and a surprise look expressed
his unbelief. He learned the lesson which his actions only fortified in me. Unloaded
guns kill. I hope, after 54 years that my friend still respects that lesson. I do. 

Having been around and owned guns for so many years, I thought I knew all about them
and was a safe and responsible gun owner. Then I decided to take a class to get my
concealed carry permit. Once acquired, I didn't want to be a 50 round a year shooter.
So I started shooting my handgun more. I was invited to join the International Defensive
Pistol Association (IDPA). I was also invited to become a teacher for our club's handgun
classes. I went through the NRA course to receive my certification. I soon discovered
that my knowledge and responsibilities as a rifle and handgun owner had been based more
on Hollywood than anything else. 

The number of times I have seen people pick up a rifle or handgun and pull the trigger
to see if it was loaded, is frightening. Yet, in spite of my experiences, before my NRA
training, I have been guilty of that same practice, especially with handguns. Just call
me lucky. In all those cases of stupidity, I never once had an accidental discharge;
however, I have seen others who were not as fortunate. 

IDPA has a rule that when one finishes his course of fire, he is told to unload and
prove to the safety officer that his firearm is empty before holstering. After removing
the magazine the shooter shows the officer that the chamber of his gun is empty. When
the slide is released from his grip, it automatically resets the trigger. The shooter
may point the gun toward the berm or backstop and pull the trigger before reholstering. 

One person went through the steps as ordered. His gun of choice was a Kimber. However,
when he pulled the trigger, it fired! How? I don't know. It should not have. The chamber
was empty. If so, where did the cartridge originate? The magazine had been removed. Perhaps
it just looked empty!! I might add that IDPA rules specify that if a person accidentally
discharges a pistol "closer to the firing line than two yards," he is disqualified from
the match (Official Rule Book, p.7, S1F., April 15, 2005). I usually ask the shooter to
aim toward the berm before pulling the trigger just prior to holstering. I have seen some
point their firearm at the ground near their feet and pull the trigger before the SO could
remind them of the safety rules. Again, I'm not talking about casual shooters. These folks
are seasoned IDPA members and should know better. Carelessness. Stupidity. 

It only takes one careless moment to change your life and ruin someone else's. The best
safety on any firearm is the handler's mind. It should be trained to know that the gun is
always loaded; never point a gun at something you are not prepared to destroy; always be
sure of your target and what is behind it; and keep your finger off the trigger until your
target has been acquired. So, in the words of the desk sergeant in the old TV series, Hill
Street Blues, "Ya'll be careful out there." 

Ray Hawk is a minister and a member of the NRA and IDPA. He lives in Jackson, TN and is a
member of the Tennessee Sports Foundation.