Happy Friday: Safety Tips

There are several things that are problems with the image to the right. I feel I must address them:

• Never take off your eye protection at the range while on the firing line!
• Muzzle should always point down range not at the guy in the next lane over.
• Yes, she shot the werewolf, but the bullet went clean through and into the hostages arm behind it. Resulting in blood exchange and making the hostage into a werewolf.
• Never use your silver bullets for target shooting.
• Last but not least, that shirt is a serious hot brass catcher.

--Good trigger discipline though...

Winchester SPX Fail

This is why the 4 Rules are so important:



--I hope he get a replacement quickly...

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!

Repeat This Often

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.

Range Safety

I like to think I am polite when I am at the range.

I mind my own business and normally don't speak to other people there unless spoken too.

Unless I see a safety issue.

In the case of safety issues I am never shy. I will ask people to be mindful of their muzzle and various other things.

I was recently at the range and it was hot. REAL hot. Tons of shooters and even a couple Uzi's rocking full auto. I turned from the line and noticed a woman there that did not have her eye protection on. She had some, but wasn't wearing them. I had gotten a hot casing burn that very day.

I simply said to her, "Range is hot. You forgot your glasses." gestured at them in case she could not here me through her ear plugs.

She looked at me like I had a shrunken head.

She didn't put on the glasses. No skin off my nose. It's her eyes. I did my duty.

Turns out she was a Range Officer.

I was a Range officer for several years at the NRA Range when I worked near there. During the training, the key thing they made clear was that RO's lead by example. ALWAYS.

--Just sayin...

The Kid Shoot

That's Kids Shooting, not shooting kids.

Nancy over at Excel at Nothing hosted a kid focus shooting event this weekend.

Her arcane powers were in full effect by creating the best weather for a cookout I have ever seen in my whole long life.

There were ten kids and ten adults. The kids were very well behaved. (and none were mine!)

The food was awesome. I am still full at this writing. The big winners, that will be made at the The Millers real soon, were the Seven Layer Jello, Bacon Wrapped Onions and the Pumpkin Crunch. I am so full!


We had some great BB and Pellet guns for the kids. Lots of very safe One-on-One instruction for the very well behaved kids.

My wife really enjoyed the clay pidgin targets too!

Nancy has a great yard with a swing set. Nice social time in the shade while the kids ate hot dogs and cup cakes. Andy even brought a moon bounce! The whole thing make me want to get a classic Red Rider for myself!

--And nobody got an eye shot out!

Kids and Guns Again

I read an news report this week regarding a child finding a loaded handgun on a playground.

The difference in this story if that this child had been taught how to react in this situation.

There was a time when swimming pools a main killer of children. How did we solve that? We taught our kids to swim. We taught them how to behave around pools, even if they encounter on unsupervised.

If you want our children to be safe. Teach them to be safe. Teach them to use firearms safely. Start early.

Demand that our schools teach them correctly. Stop teaching them fear.

My elementary school had a rifle range in the basement and we took safety and target shooting classes in phys ed! It made us ALL safer.

--We need more of these stories.

Family Fun

I believe that one of the reasons the tide has turned on attitudes toward guns is that shooters are including their kids in shooting sports.

Safety training, fun shoots, hunting and other shooting sports are all coming back.

It's like swimming. Pools are dangerous. They use to be a leading killer of children. What did we do? We taught our kids how to be safe around pools and taught them to swim. It turned out it's fun too.

I am the Great Uncle of the kids in this pic.

--I need to visit them soon!!

New Shooter Number 32

Jamie and the .357

I took my friend Jamie to the range today for her first time ever shooting handguns.

We sat  down for an hour in advance so I could answer her questions, give her a safety talk, memorize the Four Rules, and learn range procedures.

I took three guns for her to try.

• Glock 17 9mm
• S&W 539 9mm
• Ruger SP-101 .357

She did well with all three. She was always on the paper at 25 feet. The gun she liked the feel of the best and the one she actually shot the best was the .357 revolver.

She actually got 5 bulls eyes with the SP-101 shooting .38spl. She really liked the simplicity of the revolver. The loading and the function included. 

She doesn't flinch much at all.

Another guy was there with his girlfriend and he did not teach her proper thumb placement and she got a wicked bloody slide bite.

My friend Joe went along as well. His first time shooting in like 12 years! He wants to go way more often now!

--I love it when a plan comes together...

Firearm Insurance

I receive emails and junk mail from the NRA every few months regarding additional insurance for my firearms.

I already have an additional rider policy for my guns.

My sister had a fire that ended up destroying her husbands guns. He lost a Marlin 30-30 and a Mossberg 500 12ga. They encouraged me to do an insurance audit.

I was very surprised to discover that firearms were covered specifically to only $2500. I needed way more than that. I called my insurance provider and got a rider. While talking with them on the phone they also encouraged me to take photos of each gun and record the serial numbers and store it all in a safe deposit box. All good advice.

--Don't forget to keep a list of ammo and accessories. It adds up!

Injuries While Hunting with Firearms

I ran across some very interesting stats on on sports related injuries, by sport.
 You can see the whole report here.

--I cannot believe how dangerous Cheerleading is! I am not surprised how safe hunting is.

I Was Surprised!

The media makes our country sound so bad. We barely made the top 10 by actual count. We were not even close in the per capita numbers.

Provided by Emergency Preparedness

--Sometimes we need to be reminded how good we have it.

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...