Basic 16: Safety Rules

Gun safety isn't anything new.  I recently saw a cartoon from a 1935 newspaper that addressed the issue. 

 

The three major NRA rules are:

1)    Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction

2)    Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.

3)    Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use

And the zeroth order rule: All guns are always loaded until you personally check them.

These rules were codified by Col. Jeff Cooper in the 1970's.  When my wife and I used to teach, she taught the rules in reverse order.

3)  Keep your gun unloaded until you need it.

But if it's already loaded,

2)  Always keep your finger off the trigger until it's time to shoot.

But if your finger is on the trigger, what ultimately saves us is,

1)     Always keep your gun pointed in a safe direction.

The Zeroth order rule is the basis for a safe and functioning gun society.  All guns are always loaded until you check them.  Watch professionals in a gun store.  The clerk checks the gun before handing it to the customer.  The customer rechecks it.  He or she handles it according to rules 1 through 3.  They finish and open the action before handing it back.  The clerk rechecks it before returning it to the case.  In the course of 2 to 3 minutes, with the gun never leaving anyone's sight, it is checked 4, maybe 5, times.

There is no mystery, no special secret to handling a gun safely.  These rules have been taught and codified for a half century.

 

Maybe the best of all bad outcomes

These rules will prevent the cartoon outcome and worse.