# Rewarded by Safety First, ALWAYS! firearms handling today.



## Salt-N-Pepper (Aug 18, 2014)

A co-worker of mine was showing me his "desk gun" (our workplace has a "carry them if you've got them" policy), a gun he keeps in a safe bolted to the bottom of his desk (similar to the one I have bolted to the bottom of my desk.

He popped the magazine and cleared the chamber (I wasn't really watching, to be honest) and handed it to me while pointing it in an entirely safe direction saying "It's unloaded."

I did what I always do when handed a gun, I stick a finger into the mag well to make sure it's empty then I place my finger well away from the trigger guard and rack the slide to make SURE it's clear. 

Sure enough, a .45 ACP round went flying across his office. His jaw hit the floor and he said "bu... bu... but I CLEARED that gun." I've never seen him look so embarrassed, he's a guy who's always talking up weapons safety.

You just never know, ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS check to make sure a gun is unloaded when somebody hands it to you. Load it yourself. Always. 

I've told this story before, but a few years ago I was shooting a Glock 17 at the range, when I was done, I shot out the mag, popped it out, racked the slide and checked the chamber. I was the only person who was handling the gun, and I KNOW I cleared it. I got home to clean the gun, and as is my habit I checked to see the mag well was empty, racked the slide and out popped a round of 9mm FMJ. You could have knocked me over with a feather, to this day I am 100 percent sure I cleared that gun... but you know, obviously I didn't because nobody else touched that gun but me. I remember wrong.

ANYWAY, you know the drill. Just thought I would share that it happened to an experienced sportsman today, and safe gun handling showed yet again why it is critical for the safety of all.


----------



## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

Glad you double checked that.


----------



## Maine-Marine (Mar 7, 2014)

When I was in the Corps - I put a empty magazine into my pouch to hold it while I did something else... Somehow there was a round in the pouch that ended up in the magazine...


----------



## paraquack (Mar 1, 2013)

People make really dumb mistrakes. Just look at Obama!


----------



## Moonshinedave (Mar 28, 2013)

Good story can never be too safe.


----------



## budgetprepp-n (Apr 7, 2013)

That is a good post and solid advice.


----------



## csi-tech (Apr 13, 2013)

There was a recent instance of one of my coworkers blowing his window out. I like negligent discharge over accidental.


----------



## Slippy (Nov 14, 2013)

Thanks for the reminder Salty. Safety is Job 1

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


----------



## bigwheel (Sep 22, 2014)

My brother in law served in Viet Nam. When he turned in his gun to the armory they always shucked it and clicked it toward the ceiling. His went off twice. First once cost him a stripe and the 2nd one was an Article 15 or whatever the military vernacular for one notch below a court martial. He is a dummy. The Wardens step brother. No blood kin. Hes was a truck driver last we heard.


----------



## Carp614 (Jan 21, 2013)

I was shooting my Taurus M92 clone at the farm when I had an experience like this that was fortunately only embarrassing. I had a misfire, dropped the mag and started to hand the gun to my brother in law. He said he thought there was a round in the chamber. I said "naw" and THANK GOD pointed it in a safe direction and pulled the trigger. I almost threw up when the weapon discharged. Had to sit down for minute. Always, always, always treat em like they are loaded. You will never regret it.


----------



## Kauboy (May 12, 2014)

I've started to make it a habit that I won't hand a semi-auto over to anyone with the slide closed. I drop the mag, rack the slide, lock it in place, and then look at the other person through the ejector port down through the mag well, and stick my pinky into the chamber. The gun is then handed over in exactly that condition. I give instruction to them to check it again, and to ALWAYS point it in a safe direction with finger away from the trigger. I don't care who it is. If they get offended because I remind them of the obvious, that's their fault. I don't assume anything.


----------



## ReignMan (Nov 13, 2015)

As the old (and wise) adage goes: Treat all guns like they're loaded.


----------



## sideKahr (Oct 15, 2014)

One question that should never be asked: "Is it loaded?" The last person to ask it of me got a lecture they won't forget.


----------



## Montana Rancher (Mar 4, 2013)

Salt-N-Pepper said:


> A co-worker of mine was showing me his "desk gun" (our workplace has a "carry them if you've got them" policy), a gun he keeps in a safe bolted to the bottom of his desk (similar to the one I have bolted to the bottom of my desk.
> 
> He popped the magazine and cleared the chamber (I wasn't really watching, to be honest) and handed it to me while pointing it in an entirely safe direction saying "It's unloaded."
> 
> ...


I work NICS background checks at a major retailer, and it is our habit of both checking the gun before we give it to the customer and after we get it back, so far that has kept us from putting a loaded gun into our gun case. But being brutally honest why wouldn't it?
I am glad your rule #1 applied, "treat every gun as if it were loaded"
Probably saved a life and a least a hole in the floor.


----------

