# Gun safety question



## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

My husband is careless. Whenever he handles a gun his finger automatically goes to the trigger, no matter how many times I fuss at him. He is _usually _careful about where he points it, but it makes me VERY nervous to see his trigger finger. He has taken a handgun safety class, and also personalized instruction on the AR-15 from a certified instructor. He has gone to the range with me a few times, but doesn't really want to practice all that much. I want him to be able to handle guns safely - but it makes me really nervous to see how he handles them. He picked up my loaded handgun today (no bullet in chamber) and put his finger right on the trigger. I squawked at him and he asked, "Well is it loaded?" "Of course it's loaded! And that doesn't matter - you have to treat _every_ gun as if it is loaded!"

So what is your advice? I don't want him to ever touch a gun again, but that's not going to teach him anything. Maybe I should just get a gun out when he is watching TV. Unload it, and let him practice firing with snap caps, just to get him more used to handling it. Good idea? Or are some people just never safe with firearms? The idea of going out shooting with him in a remote area (we have a great outdoor, desert shooting range) scares me to death. I don't trust him. How do I get from here to there (to where he handles a gun safely every time?)


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## Denton (Sep 18, 2012)

He needs to practice gun handling. Practice will give him muscle memory. Then, his finger will automatically do the right thing.

I'm going to fix the title. It now says _gin_ safety. I came to the thread because I am an expert on that particular topic! :21:


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## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

Crazy glue his finger along side the trigger. Yes, some people are not safe with firearms. My nephew is one, I'd never let him handle a a firearm in a million years.


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## Camel923 (Aug 13, 2014)

How about putting something sharp around the trigger or hooking it to an electric current? Unrelated, I was on a baseball team where one guy stepped back behind him instead of towards the mound when batting. The coach made him take batting practice with all of the team bats on the ground behind him. When he stepped back he went down hard. He quit the habit after about 3 pitches. Shock collar? May help get your windows done too. Wish I had a better idea.


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## GTGallop (Nov 11, 2012)

Don't worry. He'll learn. Guys are slow. Sometimes they have to blow off a testicle before it clicks. He'll get it. Be patient.


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## Ripon (Dec 22, 2012)

Depending on his training and history I can understand and even have had the flaw. It can be overcome. Keep up the fuss.


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## Jakthesoldier (Feb 1, 2015)

Stop nagging. Instead, every time he does is scream, as loud as you can, "get yer damn booger hook off the bang switch!" 

Works for the military... Sometimes.


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## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

It usually takes and unintended (or sympathy) shot to make folks with habit's like this look for ways to correct the problem. Until such time as the consequence of such poor handling habits are realized, it will be hard to convince Him to modify the behavior of His Finger. Many Old Double Action Revolver users have the hardest time with the Finger as a Final Safety, years of training taking up initial slack as the weapon clears runs contrary to finger off the trigger until firing. Until He decides He want's to change, Ya'll got your work cut out for you. JMHO.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

He was even in the military - went through basic training! Didn't see combat or ever have to use a gun after basic, but I guess some things just don't stick. It's not like riding a bike, apparently. OK, I'll keep him practicing, but I sure don't want the "unintended shot" to be in my back!


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## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Print this and give it to him every so often and EVERY TIME before you go shoot;
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED

RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY

RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET

RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

Nobody shoots at my range without a glance at the Safety Rules. Nobody.

View attachment 13064


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## Hemi45 (May 5, 2014)

Does he have total "buy in" with what sounds like *your* hobby? I ask that because it's fairly normal to not excell or even be proficient in things of little interest to oneself. I think we can all agree it's not hard to keep a finger indexed straight outside the trigger guard. I'm just a guy reading forum posts on a Saturday night but that's what I suspect. Best of luck and good on you for being so safety conscious!


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## MI.oldguy (Apr 18, 2013)

I feel sorry for you about that situation.I hope your husband will fess up and start doing the right thing with his trigger finger.to some people,it is instinctive to do that,wrap your hand around the grip and slide the finger across the trigger.its very hard not to do that.I had that difficulty until I got my ccw & cpl's and started drawing from that holster 50-100 times with snap caps until it was INGRAINED in ME not to put the finger on that TRIGGER! maybe you need to make him pull that weapon out of his carry holster while filming him without putting that finger on that trigger 25-100 times in a row,if he cant do this every time,show him the film so he knows and can see exactly what he is doing wrong on the film.from there if he cant,wrap some duct tape around that finger so he cannot intentionally draw and actuate the trigger.sometimes things like this may help.it hppens to the best of us.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

Hemi45 said:


> Does he have total "buy in" with what sounds like *your* hobby? I ask that because it's fairly normal to not excell or even be proficient in things of little interest to oneself. I think we can all agree it's not hard to keep a finger indexed straight outside the trigger guard. I'm just a guy reading forum posts on a Saturday night but that's what I suspect. Best of luck and good on you for being so safety conscious!


No, there is not the "buy in" that I have. But he does want to go out shooting on occasion, and so he needs to be safe. I am motivated by feeling the need to be prepared to protect myself and/or my family with whatever means necessary, including deadly force. He doesn't believe anything bad will actually happen, and if it does, he does not intend to shoot anyone. As his instructor explained, however, at least you have a choice to make that decision if you have a firearm. Without a firearm, you have no choice at all.

I am also willing to put in the repetitions to practice drills and build muscle memory. He is not. That is "boring." In my mind, if you don't have some muscle memory in drawing from the holster, dropping/reloading the magazine, using the safety, clearing a jam, etc, it will be impossible to function in a crisis. The old "Neanderthal fingers" will take over as fine motor skill disappears. It's like that in medicine, too. You have to practice crisis situations so you know exactly what to do when the real one rolls in. And there is no room for Neanderthal fingers when you are starting an IV on a seizing patient. You have to control your own adrenaline and emotions to perform effectively. Practice is what makes the difference, and that may mean thousands of repetitions.


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## LunaticFringeInc (Nov 20, 2012)

Break him of that habit before disaster strikes and there is a tragedy that money cant fix! The life he takes may be someone other than his due to his unsafe gun handling practices.


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## rice paddy daddy (Jul 17, 2012)

RNprepper said:


> But he does want to go out shooting on occasion, and so he needs to be safe.


If you continue to correct him, he will perceive it as nagging. And his behavior will not improve, it may even get worse.
I would use positive reinforcement. If he can not handle a gun to YOUR level of safety, he will not be allowed to handle any gun at all. If he does well, let him shoot as a reward. But the first time he puts his finger inside the trigger guard at the range when not actually pointed at the target he will be made to sit behind the firing line at the range while you continue to shoot.
He will try to test you, stick to your principles.


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## Sasquatch (Dec 12, 2014)

This may sound a little juvenile but maybe get a wooden cutout of a gun with no trigger and no trigger guard so it's just solid. Leave it around the house and have him just pick it up for a few minutes every time he sees it. That way his finger HAS to go to the correct place and his muscle memory will take over after some repetition.


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## 6811 (Jan 2, 2013)

I have 0 experience with guns before joining the army. Same problem for me, I pick up a weapon, finger goes directly to the trigger ready to go. Muscle memory broke the bad habit. I practiced drawing and picking up a weapon over and over again with my finger away from the trigger. That did it for me. After hundreds of repetition, I was good.

Suggest that to him, give him an unloaded weapon and let him practice and you supervise it since you are the one that catches him doing it. I'm sure with enough repetition, he will get it too


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## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

RNprepper said:


> No, there is not the "buy in" that I have. But he does want to go out shooting on occasion, and so he needs to be safe. I am motivated by feeling the need to be prepared to protect myself and/or my family with whatever means necessary, including deadly force. He doesn't believe anything bad will actually happen, and if it does, he does not intend to shoot anyone. As his instructor explained, however, at least you have a choice to make that decision if you have a firearm. Without a firearm, you have no choice at all.
> 
> I am also willing to put in the repetitions to practice drills and build muscle memory. He is not. That is "boring." In my mind, if you don't have some muscle memory in drawing from the holster, dropping/reloading the magazine, using the safety, clearing a jam, etc, it will be impossible to function in a crisis. The old "Neanderthal fingers" will take over as fine motor skill disappears. It's like that in medicine, too. You have to practice crisis situations so you know exactly what to do when the real one rolls in. And there is no room for Neanderthal fingers when you are starting an IV on a seizing patient. You have to control your own adrenaline and emotions to perform effectively. Practice is what makes the difference, and that may mean thousands of repetitions.


Not many Pure "Neanderthal's" left. Once it becomes a Arrogance vs Ignorance situation, take Him out and try some one hand Weak-side shooting. If He continues to have the same problems the error in His ways needs to be Mocked. JMHO.


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## Prepadoodle (May 28, 2013)

Buy him a .22 with the same form factor as the one you usually use. Make him understand that he isn't to touch anything else until he corrects his safety issues.

He will eventually have a negligent discharge if he doesn't learn. At least try to make it as survivable as possible.

You can also laugh about how small his gun is and how cute he looks with the "baby gun." That might motivate him.


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## M118LR (Sep 19, 2015)

Or you could just let Him talk to folks that Understand and have been part of the differences in Fairy Tales and Reality! I mean one starts out "Once upon a time" and always ends well. The other starts out "THIS IS NO SH!T" and never ends well. But they call the Later SEA STORIES, and as it sounds like He has never needed to face these circumstances, like His shooting Habits, When the time comes for affirmative action! That's not the time for the LEARNING PROCESS TO BEGIN. JMHO.


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## Medic33 (Mar 29, 2015)

every time you see him do that just scream -in coming and hit the dirt.
or yell drop and knock out twenty buckethead.
or
no nookie till you stop that.


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## Real Old Man (Aug 17, 2015)

Denton said:


> He needs to practice gun handling. Practice will give him muscle memory. Then, his finger will automatically do the right thing.
> 
> I'm going to fix the title. It now says _gin_ safety. I came to the thread because I am an expert on that particular topic! :21:


DEnton is right only practice will force his finger to stay where it belongs. With an unloaded gun have him pick it up with trigger finger along the barrel then put it down . He needs to do this at least 500 times - say over the course of a week. That should cure him of his bad habit


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## Stick (Sep 29, 2014)

Practice weekly with your local USPSA club. That FOT behavior will stop right quick.


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## RNprepper (Apr 5, 2014)

I started last night. I gave him the unloaded gun and holster. (Since he was a huge TV cowboy fan as a boy he thought this was fun.) He got to practice drawing on the bad guy 20 times with good form (finger off trigger, and left hand gripped correctly with thumb away from slide). He seemed to like it and actually was doing much better after 20 draws which is when his arm gave out! So we'll do it again every evening and maybe make a contest out of it. Draw, grip, bang-bang. No finger on the trigger yet. Maybe snap caps in a few days.


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## 6811 (Jan 2, 2013)

RNprepper said:


> I started last night. I gave him the unloaded gun and holster. (Since he was a huge TV cowboy fan as a boy he thought this was fun.) He got to practice drawing on the bad guy 20 times with good form (finger off trigger, and left hand gripped correctly with thumb away from slide). He seemed to like it and actually was doing much better after 20 draws which is when his arm gave out! So we'll do it again every evening and maybe make a contest out of it. Draw, grip, bang-bang. No finger on the trigger yet. Maybe snap caps in a few days.


Awesome RN... Glad to hear he is learning and enjoying it at the same time.


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## Stick (Sep 29, 2014)

Reminded me of a story. At the shift change briefing I learned that a new guy had been admitted on a suicide watch while I was off over the weekend and he wouldn't talk to anyone. Shot himself, in a suicide attempt, in the foot. So I went in his room and plunked down in a chair. He was on his back in bed staring at the wall, his right foot all done up in bandages. Young guy, maybe 25, big dude. I started yarning on about what a drag it was working the graveyard shift, and how, sometimes, I was so amped up on coffee that when I got home after work I just couldn't sleep. Kids at school, wife at work, so I could watch TV. I liked the Western channel. And told him that I had this old saddle in the corner of the living room on a saddle stand and sometimes, when I was really into a movie, I'd drag that old saddle over to the middle of the room, put on my boots and hat and gun belt and .45, mount up and give old Hopalong and Roy Rogers and Gene Evans a hand. Part way through I could tell he was catching on that I was on to him. I says, You didn't try to kill yourself, did you? He finally spoke and allowed as how, no , he didn't really mean to kill himself. He was just so embarrassed that he'd been aiming at the bad guys on TV and forgot to make sure his gun was empty, kicked back on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table, shot himself in the foot. Just missed the TV. Discharged with orders to attend a Eddie Eagle lessons.


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## jimrose (Sep 15, 2015)

Some people need lots of practice. We practice once a week. And our 8 year old does great. The younger you teach someone gun safety the better. I was taught at a very young age. And I believe that is the best way. My wife and kids all shoot guns and they are doing a great job. So just set aside time and shoot often. We have a membership at our local range. It is cheaper by the year, then paying each time you want to use it. Practice practice practice.


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## 8301 (Nov 29, 2014)

I grew up with gun safety but... when I was about 19 teaching my younger brother how to shoot a 1911 I got careless thinking the weapon was empty and fired it up in the air between us scaring the hell out of both of us, we both knew how easily that could have hit him. That made me about 100 times more careful.

30+ years later we're talking about teaching his sons and he still vividly remembers my stupidity. I'm so careful now I don't keep a round in the chamber when I carry.


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## Farva (Aug 26, 2015)

Sounds like he doesn't care about it.
My wife doesn't care about it either. Tried for awhile. Doesn't work.

He doesn't need to shoot, or shoot with you. I didn't like it when I faced it, but that's the way it is, for me at least.

I guess that's ok, I don't want to go to Macys either. We have an understanding.

Sounds like you're doing good otherwise. Keep on Keeping on!


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## Prepared One (Nov 5, 2014)

GTGallop said:


> Sometimes they have to blow off a testicle before it clicks.


I really hate when that happens.

Practice will overcome the issue. If he can't get to the range then dry fire practice will work. You can do it while watching a little tv. Work with him and he will get it.


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## Prepp(g)er (Feb 18, 2014)

maybe have him practise with an air target pistol. not only will it improve his aim tremendously, but as they are single shot you have to go through the stages of loading, aiming, finger on the trigger, pulling the trigger, checking your sightline and lowering the weapon each time.


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## Prepp(g)er (Feb 18, 2014)

Prepp(g)er said:


> maybe have him practise with an air target pistol. not only will it improve his aim tremendously, but as they are single shot you have to go through the stages of loading, aiming, finger on the trigger, pulling the trigger, checking your sightline and lowering the weapon each time.


Also if u get hit by a pellet it might leave a mark, but nothing you cant walk off


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