Rule Number 2: Be Prepared

Stop Touching It!

I have a rule: Leave it in the holster.

When I get dressed and put my daily carry gun in it's holster it stays there, all day. It usually does not come out until I am standing in the very same place I was standing when I put it on. With the exception of the range, it always stays holstered. This video is and example why. Multiple violations of the 4 Rules.

Warning: This off duty officer is about to shoot himself accidentally in the stomach.


--Stop touching it!

Gun Content on Pinterest

I saw these images about the Four Rules on Pinterest.com and it's always good to remind people of them. So happy Friday and keep your bugger hook off the bag switch.

--Have a great weekend!

Justin Beiber is an Asshat

Gun-Wielding Justin Bieber

How many Four Rule violations do you want to stack up in damn photo.

For Christ sake, will someone slap some sense into this kid.

This is not the first gun pic or video of the idiot mishandling firearms.

Between his car and gun assholery he is headed for a tragic accident.

Oh, by the way, the man whose belly he is pointing the at is his girlfriends father.

--Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, over.

Lining them up!

After posting about introducing people to shooting I was contacted by two more friends that would like to go to the range. A couple in their 40s.

They also wanted to know how to buy a hand gun. That is easy in Virginia. They were under the impression there was training requirements and that they had to get a license. None of that is required in VA. But they do want some training. Some from me to make them safe and familiar and then a formal class later. Even concealed carry permits.

Glock 19

They have read a lot about choices on the Internet and are leaning to a Glock 9mm. They want a tool. "doesn't have to be pretty".  They want simple, reliable and high capacity. I have a couple Glocks I let them handle. Love learned to love Trijicon Night Sights.

Before our Rang trip in a couple weeks they have to memorize these:


The Four Rules

1) Treat all guns as if they are always loaded
2) Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy
3) Keep your finger OFF the trigger until your sights are on the target
4) Be sure of your target and what’s beyond it

The Two Disciplines

1) Muzzle Discipline:  Watch where you are pointing that damn thing!
2) Trigger Discipline: Keep your booger hook off


--I need some range time this week. Need it bad...

Light A Candle To Stop Violence

January 8th is Light A Candle To Stop Violence Day. 

Weer'd Proposed it. I love the idea.

"So the Brady Bunch are planning Candle-light vigils on January 8th to “Stop Gun Violence”. Now many have pointed out what a stupid and pointless gesture that is, also many are noting the dwindling numbers of people willing to come out in the cold with a candle for the sake of their lost cause."

 

My 1911 Daily Carr

We who are actually are doing something real to stop the violence are lighting a candle, spreading the word and teaching people to be safe AND empowered.

The Four Rules:

• TREAT ALL GUNS AS IF THEY ARE ALWAYS LOADED.
• NEVER POINT A GUN AT ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.
• KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET.
• BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND WHAT'S BEYOND IT AND AROUND IT.

The Two Disciplines:

• MUZZLE:  Watch where you are pointing that thing!
• TRIGGER: Keep your bugger hook of the bang switch!

--Keep spreading this word!

Stephanie Hayden Has It

Stephanie Hayden in "Bikers vs Nazis"

What does she have?

Trigger Discipline.

They never talk about the classic four rules. They never harp on safety. They exhibit good practices though. They always warn the audience not to try their shit at home. Much of the time there is no need. I am NOT going to restore a flame thrower!!

I will restore my fathers old Fulton 20 gauge.

She always has good trigger and muzzle discipline. They always wear ear and eye protection when they step over to the single lane next door.

They have even used remote trigger pulls at time.

--If the viewing population learns any lesson from about safety from the show. Let it be one about Stephanies lovely finger...

Kids and Shooting

These kids are my niece and nephew at the range. They are enjoying an afternoon of shooting .22LR rifles.

I harp all the time about getting kids to the range early and often. They need to know the 4 Rules in their bones.

We teach out kids how to swim and how to be safe around swimming pools!

I challenge you to find a kid that you love and teach tem about gun safety. Then take them to the range! You will be amazed at how much fun you will have!

--And then they can be heroes when the Zombies come...

Everyone has to have Rules

I have posted about my Rules before. Here are some in order of importance:

• Don't Panic.
• Be prepared.
• Keep an escape route open.
• Don't lie to yourself.
• Keep your overhead low.
• Don't procrastinate.
• Be decisive. Even if it means you'll be wrong sometimes.
• Keep secrets.
• Never cut what can be untied.
• Be organized.
• Say what you mean and mean what you say.
• Make long and short term goals.
• Consider the worst case scenario now and then and prepare for it.
• Give people a second chance, but not a third.
• Keep it simple.
• Act as though it were impossible to fail.

--What Rules do you have?

The Four Rule, The Two Disciplines, Plus...

I have been talking firearms safety with a lot of people lately. People have asked me to train their kids, wives, husbands and democrats. I think I will even be offering a safety course at my church. I will be covering the 4 Rules plus a lot more. I add my 2 Disciplines, Range Rules and Kid Rules.

Listed here for your reference:
 

Be a good shooting ambassador

The Four Rules:

• Treat every gun as if it is loaded.
• Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
• Don't point your gun at something you don't want destroyed.
• Know your target and what's behind and around it.

The Two Disciplines:

• Trigger Discipline. "Keep your booger hook off the bang switch!"
• Muzzle Discipline. "Watch where you're pointing that thing!"

The Range Rules:

• Casing and uncasing firearms safely
• Keeping breaches open
• Muzzles always pointing down range
• Target Placement
• How to avoid shooting the walls, floor and ceiling
• Casing ejection awarness
• Range Specific Rules

The Rules for Kids:

• If you see a real gun, don't touch it
• Leave the area immediatly
• Call me, right away

--There are a lot more rules that I have not listed here. Like "Call your mother, she misses you.".

The Rules: A partial list

I have over the years compiled a series of Rules that I try to use to live my life. Some are funny, some were hard to learn, some were a joy to realize and some even involve guns.

This is the random list in Alpha order:

Act as though it were impossible to fail.
Admit your mistakes.
Always carry a Swiss army knife.
Always have a plan B.
Always remember the four rules of firearms 
Always respond right away when someone writes to you.
Always take an outstretched hand.
Always Vote.
Always wear seat belts.
Be a good listener.
Be a leader.
Be decisive. Even if it means you'll be wrong sometimes.
Be loyal.
Be modest.
Be organized.
Be polite.
Be positive and enthusiastic.
Be prepared.
Be quick to praise, slow to criticize.
Be romantic.
Be there for your friends and family in time of need.
Call your Mother, she misses you.
Consider the worst case scenario now and then and prepare for it.
Don't badmouth people behind their backs.
Don't be afraid to tell someone you love them.
Don't buy cheap tools.
Don't carry a grudge.
Don't discuss salaries with your coworkers.
Don't envy.
Don't fear death, only dying.
Don't gamble. (except friendly poker)
Don't interrupt.
Don't leave the toilet seat up, even at home.
Don't lie to yourself.
Don't make sarcastic remarks.
Don't nag.
Don't Panic.
Don't procrastinate.
Don't put up with racism from anyone.
Don't smoke.
Don't try to top other peoples stories.
Don't wish for yourself when throwing a coin into a fountian.
Drink skim milk.
Every day listen to some music you like.
Every day look for a small way you can improve your marriage.
Every now and then, dance the razors edge.
Every season, spend some time in a forest.
Every so often push your luck.
Give people a second chance, but not a third.
Honor other peoples beliefs.
Honor Police Officers and Firemen.
Honor Teachers.
Honor the elderly.
Honor tradition, yours and others.
Honor your parents.
Keep a journal, a life worth living is worth recording.
Keep an escape route open.
Keep it simple.
Keep secrets.
Keep several irons in the fire.
Keep your overhead low.
Know how to drive a motorcycle.
Know how to drive a stick shift.
Know how to throw a baseball.
Know how to type.
Laugh often.
Learn about other peoples beliefs.
Learn the general history of mankind.
Learn to grill, make stew, chili and breakfast.
Learn to handle all kinds of firearms safely.
Learn to listen.
Learn to live beneath your means.
Learn to maintain your own car.
Learn to make something beautiful with your hands.
Learn to play a musical instrument.
Learn to speak at least one foreign language.
Make long and short term goals.
Marry only for Love.
Measure people by the jokes they find funny.
Measure twice, cut once.
Moderation in all things, except Love and Justice.
Never buy another house without a fireplace.
Never cheat.
Never cut what can be untied.
Never forget your anniversary.
Never loan a lot money to a friend, you may lose both.
Never trust a politician.
Opertunity sometimes knocks very softy.
Own a good dictionary.
Own a good shotgun, handgun and rifle.
Own a great sofa, stereo and TV system.
Own a large library.
Pay your bills on time.
Read every day.
Read the Bill of Rights.
Read to children.
Relax.
Remember peoples names.
Return borrowed vehicles with the gas tank full.
Return everything you borrow, promptly.
Say "please" a lot.
Say "thank you" a lot.
Say what you mean and mean what you say.
Slow dance.
Stay in good physical shape.
Study the martial arts and their phylosophies.
Suprise loved ones with unexpected gifts.
Treat people the way you want to be treated.
Watch the sunrise now and then.
What is honored in your heart will be cultivated there.
When someone hugs you, let them be the first to let go.
Write at least one novel.

--Let me know if you have Rules you live by.

Pools

There is gun content in this post! Sheesh, be patient...

Pools are dangerous:

• There were more than 3300 unintentional drownings in the United States, an average of 9 per day.(CDC 2006)
  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
  

• For children 1-4 years old who died, 26% died from drowning (CDC 2006). Fatal drowning remains the second-leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years (CDC 2005) 
  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• It is estimated that for each drowning death, there are 1 to 4 non-fatal submersions serious enough to result in hospitalization. Children who still require CPR at the time of arrival to the emergency department have a poor prognosis, with at least half of survivors suffering significant brain damage.
  American Academy of Pediatrics  

• 19% of drowning deaths involving children occur in public pools with certified Lifeguards present.
  Drowning Prevention Foundation

• Children under five and adolescents between the ages of 15-24 have the highest drowning rates.
  U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

• An estimated 5,000 children age 14 and under are hospitalized due to unintentional drowning-related incidents each year; 15 percent die in the hospital and as many as 20 percent suffer severe, permanent neurological disability. National Safety Council

• Of all preschoolers who drown, 70 percent are in the care of one or both parents at the time of the drowning and 75 percent are missing from sight for five minutes or less.
  Orange County, CA, Fire Authority
• Stats from: www.poolcenter.com

How are children protected? 

We teach them to swim. We take time to make sure they know the Rules of Safe Pool Use. We test them to make sure they can swim safely.

This is exactly the attitude we should have with firearms/shooting!

I teach them to shoot. I take time to make sure they know the Rules of Safe Firearms Use. I test them to make sure they can shoot safely.

--Because I Love Them.

Sharing Rules

Booger Hook

I had an old friend over for dinner last weekend and was having a bit of show and tell. This guy has about ten firearms. All rifles and shotguns for hunting. I have been hunting with this guy on multiple occasions.

While checking out my new guns I had to remind him to keep his finger off the triggers.  I was shocked to discover he had NEVER heard of the Four Rules. Listed here for your reference:

• Treat every gun as if it is loaded.
• Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
• Don't point your gun at something you don't want destroyed.
• Know your target and what's behind and around it.

I think, if you don't know these rules, you should not be able to advance a grade in school.  Every grade!

--Time to make a 4 Rules poster up and post it in my shop.

New Definations and Old

I have been thinking about the definitions surrounding the "Readiness Conditions". It is mostly an effort to get the list straight in my mind as I talk to my kids about it.

Here is what I believe to be the classic list: 

• Condition 0: Round in the chamber, hammer cocked, safety off.
• Condition 1: Round in the chamber, hammer cocked, safety on.
• Condition 2: Round in the chamber, hammer down.
• Condition 3: Chamber empty, full magazine, hammer down.
• Condition 4: Chamber empty, magazine removed, slide back and locked. 

They were created specifically for 1911 type architectures. Half of my handguns don't fit in these. My Glocks, XD9, Kel-Tec PC-AT and Beretta 96D basically cannot have a SA hammer cocked. None of the revolvers fit the bill either.

I am leaning to new definations:

• Readiness 1: Will fire if trigger is pulled.
• Readiness 2: Will fire if manual safety is switched.
• Readiness 3: Will fire after a round is chambered.
• Readiness 4: Will fire after a round is chambered and safety is switched.
• Readiness 5: Will not fire, no ammunition, action closed.
• Readiness 6: Will not fire, no ammunition, action open.

These readiness levels apply to all types of firearms, including all handgun variations, rifles, carbines and shotguns.

--The 4 Rules still apply at every level.

Firearms Rules for Kids

I have kids. I love them more than anything in the universe.

• If I didn't love them I'd never let them see a real gun.
• If I didn't love them I'd demonize guns.
• If I didn't love them I'd keep them from being safety trained.
• If I didn't love them I'd make sure they never touched a REAL one.

But I do Love them. So I demystified guns.  I let them handle all kinds of guns. Showed them how to tell a real one from a toy. I taught them the differences in the various types. I taught them lots of rules. More than the classic 4 Rules.

• If you see a gun, STOP! Don’t touch it.
• Leave the area.
• Tell an adult.
• If you see a gun and don’t know whether it’s a real gun or just a toy, treat it like it’s a real gun.
• Tell me. Even if it's days later.

Adapted and expanded from the NRA’s Eddie Eagle materials. Children should be taught rules as soon as they are old enough to talk. Rules should be added as soon as the child understands and can repeat the earlier rules.

--If you hate your kids support gun control.

Thinking about a new collection

When I was a kid I had 2 Crosman BB guns.

One was a rifle and the other was a handgun. I really enjoyed the guns for many years when I was a kid. They were great for shooting pop cans. BBs cost next to nothing and you could buy 1000 of them in a milk carton style cardboard container at the local Hardware store.

It is good to learn the 4 Rules early.

Anyway this weekend I was antique shopping with my wife looking for a manual meat grinder. I saw the exact BB gun I had as a kid. I didn't buy it because it was not functional. But suddenly I started seeing classic BB guns everywhere.

They were priced from $5 to $150 depending on condition and vintage!

--I may have just found a new hobby...

Boomstick Fu

Here is a 49 minute presentation on gun safety and selection that was presented at DEFCON 15:



--Even computer nerds need to be safe.

Kids and the 4 Rules

Randomly I will demand that one of my offspring recite the 4 Rules. They always comply, even my daughter:

1) Treat every gun as if it is loaded.

2) Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.

3) Don't point your gun at something you don't want destroyed.

4) Know your target and what's behind and around it.

I don't mind if they role their eyes a bit as they recite them with a bored voice as if it is the multiplication tables. The 4 Rules are etched in there.

Once my son and I were headed to the range with T-Bolt. T-Bolt demanded to hear "The Rules" and my son recited:

1) To crush your enemies.

2) To see them driven before you.

3) And to hear the lamentation of de women...

--That's my boy...

Is this a Violation of the 4 Rules?

I know what he must be thinking:

1) Treat every gun as if it's loaded.

2) Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.

3) Never point it at anything you don't want to destroy.

4) Be sure of your target, as well as, what is behind and around it.

5) D'OH!!??

--Sometimes, adhering to the 4 Rules is not enough.

My $.02: Training

I have been reading a ton about training lately.

There is a lot of training to be had out there. I have had a few courses myself. Courses like Hunter Safety, Basic Handgun, Concealed Carry, I even had rifle training as a teen. I recommend that everyone take a couple classes, spend some time with an instructor on the range, really learn a good foundation for safety and good shooting habits.

Classes should be followed by practice. Just do it. Weekly if possible. That is the training we all need. Practice, practice, practice…

Here is what I don’t recommend:

Beware any course that pretends that they will train you “Tactical Assault” techniques. Trust me. You cannot learn how to clear a house with your fancy AR-15 like a SWAT team in one day.

You are not that pretty.

It takes hundreds of dedicated hours to train effectively for that kind of wet work. A kind you will probably never need. Done right, a carbine class could be fun and safe, but it’s not training. Real training. Just fun entertainment. Maybe not even that if it is not safely done.

Here is what I do recommend (practical):

• Basic Handling of Firearms for Beginners – Intro to the 4 rules, Bullets go in here, come out here.
• Hand gun live range work, form, and fundamentals – Tips you can use as you practice on your own
• Hunter safety – Special situational safety like how to climb a fence or tree stand
• Rifle Training - range work – sighting in a scope, benching, various stances and methods

--Train to be safe. Admit that some kinds of “Training” is just entertainment. Make sure even that is safe.