Gun Safety & The Importance Of Locking Up Your Guns & Ammo

[Gary]

Here is one example of someone that seems pretty able to protect himself, and at the same time, make life for his family, his neighbors, pretty safe from ND's

 I never want to have some student of mine, walk up to me, with a tearful story about them having an ND.   

When safety equipment, is more dangerous , or as dangerous, as the threat, one has to look at the safety equipment, and ask, how could an ND happen, how could a grandchild get ahold of this, how................... could something go wrong, and do whatever it takes to secure that equipment, so the unthinkable never happens.

[David Hineline]

I grew up with bring back rifles from WW2 above my headboard with ammunition in a drawer by the guns.  As a kid I had access to electric stoves, gas cutting torches, hot water, knives, guns, I had motorized equipment, cars, trucks, tractors, all kinds of grain elevators and equipment to put hay up/in the barn.  There was chemicals all around for dispatching rodents the list goes on and on. Somehow I survived and was taught proper use of these evil things without them being locked up, hidden away in no touch zones.  We did play inside of shelled grain bins, but had no idea that you could be sucked under like quick sand and killed.  Yes that is now a lesson that should be taught to kids.  All guns loaded all the time, and handle them as if they are loaded at all the time is the way I roll.

[DenmanShooter]

[sjwsti]

Here is one example of someone that seems pretty able to protect himself, and at the same time, make life for his family, his neighbors, pretty safe from ND's

Nice range drill and a good place to start if you have decided to carry un chambered. But this is the absolute best case scenario. You have time, distance and both hands to manipulate the gun.

Now show me how quickly you can chamber your weapon one handed because the other one is occupied or injured. Think you will look as good as that guy while being hit or pushed? How about from the ground? All of these situations need to be considered and planned for ahead of time.

You said that you arent interested in working these drills with me. I bet there are still some openings in the 6/27-29 SouthNarc  ECQC (Extreme Close Quarter Concepts) class.

You like videos, here`s one that looks more realistic.

[OnTheFly]

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than 1.7 million children live in homes with loaded and unlocked guns.

On average, 500 kids are shot by themselves, or other children, every year, in this country.

Read more: http://www.momlogic.com/2009/09/gun_accidents_kill_500_kids_each_year.php#ixzz2zsIACSjs

Another way to state that is .029% of the households with unlocked and loaded firearms have deaths from firearms.  Or, that is less than half of one one hundredth of one percent.  Not to sound callus, but that's pretty damn low.  Should it be closer to zero, of course.  But this is the kind of thing that lawmakers use when they start pounding the desk while pushing their legislation.  People who aren't familiar with the subject, and/or can't do simple math, are swayed into thinking we need that new piece of legislation that tries to legislate common sense into law. 

Should people be more responsible with guns, I think they should.  Does a gun safe and/or unloaded guns work for everyone's situation? Absolutely not!

Fly

[RN4Guns]

I have to disagree with the reference of momlogic.com. Sounds like the statistics that Shannon Watts of MDA likes to use. I think this is a great video to illustrate the realness of the situation of an empty chamber.

[ILoveCats]

I grew up with bring back rifles from WW2 above my headboard with ammunition in a drawer by the guns.  As a kid I had access to electric stoves, gas cutting torches, hot water, knives, guns, I had motorized equipment, cars, trucks, tractors, all kinds of grain elevators and equipment to put hay up/in the barn.  There was chemicals all around for dispatching rodents the list goes on and on. Somehow I survived and was taught proper use of these evil things without them being locked up, hidden away in no touch zones.  ... ...  All guns loaded all the time, and handle them as if they are loaded at all the time is the way I roll.

Amen to this. Same upbringing for me. I don't think I'd ever heard of or seen a "gun safe" until well into adulthood and - until this thread - not sure I had never considered that there were people out there who bought them to keep other family members away from a gun. I'd always just assumed the universal application was to keep burglars away from the guns.

"All guns are always loaded" is classic Jeff Cooper 101. I also like M. Ayoob's philosophy that you don't "child-proof your guns" but rather you "gun-proof your children" by having guns and shooting and safety as a matter-of-fact part of their life. When they're raised that way, misusing or abusing a gun is a totally foreign and absurd concept. Of course there are young ages when it's simply too soon to expect them to learn these things, but by about Tiger Cub age of 6 or 7 most kids can start the learning, with BB guns.

Hanging in the gun rack in my boy's room is a Daisy Red Ryder, his Cub Scout Arrow Of Light, and a .22 single shot. If I went to him right now and said "don't ever aim that in an unsafe direction or shoot it without my supervision" he'd rightfully look at me puzzled like "Duh!".... Why the heck would anyone want to do that? Exactly! Why indeed!?

This is much like the thread on alcohol after shooting and my thinking here is the same. I say let's not go through life stigmatizing things. Let's inform people of the right way to do something (obey gun and alcohol laws, never drink in excess, teach kids proper gun respect / safety) then stigmatize the fools who do it wrong.

[Kodiak]

I take exception to this statement.  However, the rest of your post seems to contradict this one sentence.   

Fly

not sure why you think it contradicts the statement that an unchambered gun is an unloaded gun, but it wasn't meant to.  sjwsti did a better job of pointing out why you want your weapon to be ready when it's needed.  My last point was that having a round in the chamber isn't the problem, having it unsecured where children can get to it is.

[Chris C]

If you are not fully trained, with thousands of rounds fired, you have no business chambering a round 24/7, for some unseen green zombie.  Your greatest threat to your families safety, is more than likely,  YOU!   

Want to feel safe, and that is why you carry one in the chamber?  Purchase your gas at stations at 2PM, not 2am.  If you hang out in places, where you need a round chambered, 2 pound trigger pulls, and the like, you need to upgrade your environment, not your readiness level.

With this holier than thou attitude you're displaying in this thread and the alcohol/gun ranges thread you sure are coming off as a Liberal.  I sure am glad I've had the instructors I've had.  Sure are some loons out there...

[00BUCK]

With this holier than thou attitude you're displaying in this thread and the alcohol/gun ranges thread you sure are coming off as a Liberal.  I sure am glad I've had the instructors I've had.  Sure are some loons out there...

+1

[OnTheFly]

not sure why you think it contradicts the statement that an unchambered gun is an unloaded gun, but it wasn't meant to.  sjwsti did a better job of pointing out why you want your weapon to be ready when it's needed.  My last point was that having a round in the chamber isn't the problem, having it unsecured where children can get to it is.

I guess the way I look at it is that an unloaded weapon, verified by 1, 10 or 1,000 people is still a loaded firearm to me.  I try to make sure my attitude towards it and handling of it is the same regardless of whether I think it is loaded or unloaded. 

Maybe I'm just not understanding that one sentence.  Otherwise, I wholeheartedly agree with the gist of the rest of your comment.

Fly

[Kodiak]

I think we're on the same page fly. I agree whole heartily that you should treat every weapon as if it were loaded. I was more using the cliche as a way to relate an unchambered weapon as a weapon that is not ready to be deployed

[OnTheFly]

I think we're on the same page fly. I agree whole heartily that you should treat every weapon as if it were loaded. I was more using the cliche as a way to relate an unchambered weapon as a weapon that is not ready to be deployed

Ok...now I understand.

Fly

[DenmanShooter]

http://www.khastv.com/story/pecor-arrest-20140509

.....

School officials noted several incidents of the boy choking, kicking, and hitting other students. Other incidents include, choking and killing a cat, gory threats, threats of physical harm to students and animals. And, the boy threatened to kill family members.

.....

The warrants were filed Thursday in Adams County Court. Bond has been set at $250,000 for Amanda Pecor and Matthew Edwards.