As a firearms instructor, I’m accustomed to seeing dangerous behavior at shooting ranges. But an increasing number of those violating safety rules are members of the carry community. Not good.
It’s clear that “muzzle discipline” is the rule most frequently violated. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen shooters rack the slide on an auto-pistol by turning the gun 90 degrees to one side or the other, instead of keeping the gun properly pointed downrange.
Keeping fingers off triggers is another rule I see broken time and again, often when the shooter reaches for the gun, and their index finger goes immediately into the trigger guard. The other time this happens is after firing, instead of returning to the “finger on the frame” position they leave their finger on the trigger. When combined with a lack of muzzle discipline, the results could be disastrous.
Ironically, experienced shooters are the worst offenders. The reason is simple: being familiar with guns for many years breeds a kind of comfort with them. New shooters, many in awe of firearms, are often more observant of the rules than “old hands” are.
Firearm safety is paramount. For the carry community, it is vital. Because beyond the obvious importance of preventing injury, or even death, any incident can and will be eagerly exploited by the anti-gun press. And that we cannot afford.
Stay safe. Always.
It’s clear that “muzzle discipline” is the rule most frequently violated. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve seen shooters rack the slide on an auto-pistol by turning the gun 90 degrees to one side or the other, instead of keeping the gun properly pointed downrange.
Keeping fingers off triggers is another rule I see broken time and again, often when the shooter reaches for the gun, and their index finger goes immediately into the trigger guard. The other time this happens is after firing, instead of returning to the “finger on the frame” position they leave their finger on the trigger. When combined with a lack of muzzle discipline, the results could be disastrous.
Ironically, experienced shooters are the worst offenders. The reason is simple: being familiar with guns for many years breeds a kind of comfort with them. New shooters, many in awe of firearms, are often more observant of the rules than “old hands” are.
Firearm safety is paramount. For the carry community, it is vital. Because beyond the obvious importance of preventing injury, or even death, any incident can and will be eagerly exploited by the anti-gun press. And that we cannot afford.
Stay safe. Always.
