Thread: Loaded Rifle

The old saying of 'treat all guns as if loaded' is a good one to pay heed to.
However there is another old saying...'there's a first time for everything'.

I've been shooting for 30 years and always worked the bolt and checked my rifles before putting them in the safe.

Had been out for a rabbit hunt four days ago and when packing up to leave I got distracted, as the dog had gone off chasing a hare and hadn't come back. Instead of clearing the single shot .22, I put it down on the rifle case and went off to find the dog.
Finally came back with the dog in tow but at very low light so I was in a rush to pack up. Put the .22 in its case and headed home.

Came today and I got the .22 out of the safe for another evening shoot.
Bugger me....opened the bolt and a bloody live round came out!

Never happened to me before and I hope never again (I've been beating myself up about it so much I didn't go for a rabbit shoot today). But yeah.... a good reminder to always treat a gun as loaded.

A good honest post and a wake up call to us all to check, check and tripple check.

You can never be too careful

Thanks for the reminder.

On the target range we have to check the barrel is clear, get in confirmed and insert a chamber flag.
It can be an annoying discipline, but ensures no-one leaves the mound with a loaded rifle.

Have you considered a chamber flag?

Originally Posted by Cyclops

Have you considered a chamber flag?

Never thought about it until you raised it now.
The thing is I'm feeling so bad about leaving a live round in the chamber, that I can see myself buying one now and get into the habit of using it.... a good habit to get into as I'm getting older.
Not that I'm blaming age for forgetting to check....but maybe as one gets older one can forget more? (what do older guys think...does this happen more as one gets older or not?).

Yeah it can happen even to the most diligent. I guess always point the barrel in a safe direction is another back up. I have been surprised by an extra round in a 22 tube mag that I didn't think was there. Lucky I usually work the action in a pump/lever action when I pick it up looking into the action to check.

now you do realise that you had to WALK home with rifle in case...because you arent allowed a bolt in a rifle in a vehicle anymore.....

Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Wouldn't of happened if you carried it with the action open.

True but it's an old Lithgow 1B with a pull out cocking bolt (the bolt does cock the trigger on closing, you have to physically pull back on the bolt to cock it). So I only pull back the bolt when ready to fire.

Originally Posted by Micky Duck

now you do realise that you had to WALK home with rifle in case...because you arent allowed a bolt in a rifle in a vehicle anymore.....

I was on a bicycle.

I know of someone who flipped over the mag cut-off on a Browning 5-shot when there was still four rounds in the mag.

It was dark and they forgot about those four rounds and worked the action to make sure there was nothing ‘up the spout’

Several weeks later got the gun out and then noticed the shells in the mag.

Mistakes can happen.

Safe direction, safe direction, never forget that bit.

Originally Posted by Hermitage

Never thought about it until you raised it now.
The thing is I'm feeling so bad about leaving a live round in the chamber, that I can see myself buying one now and get into the habit of using it.... a good habit to get into as I'm getting older.
Not that I'm blaming age for forgetting to check....but maybe as one gets older one can forget more? (what do older guys think...does this happen more as one gets older or not?).

the beast....fella on beat the chaser said once he hit 40 he lost some recall...can picture face but cant pick name.... I reckon the elderly moments are there alright, keeping active and mind working helps...the old use it or you will loose it.

22's are the worst for this. For one we tend to be more casual about them, less fearful of them perhaps? For two they are hard to check by sight in the dark and impossible to do a physical check with the little finger.
I think the chamber flag is an excellent idea.
Another suggestion is to count the rounds you take and count them when you come back and account for each shot.

Originally Posted by rugerman

Yeah it can happen even to the most diligent.

Originally Posted by Finnwolf

Mistakes can happen.

Safe direction, safe direction, never forget that bit.

Cheers....makes me feel like not such a stupid fool (just a fool...)

Well its easy to be holier-than-thou but I got caught a couple of years ago and I had a chamber flag in too. I was shooting on my own with my Rossi 357 LA. Worked the action to unload unfired rounds. Worked it a couple of times more and nothing came out, inserted chamber flag and headed home and locked it in the safe. I was running late you see and was on dinner duty with guests and had bit visually checked. The last round, a 38sp, had jammed. When I brought it out next to show a visiting fellow shooter I removed the flag and worked the action a couple of times to demonstrate it was clear before visual check and handing to him. Bugger me if the round didn't spit out on the 3rd stroke, and yes, I felt it load. Felt a right tit. At least the safe handling procedure caught it at the end but it left me in a fair sweat and taught me a lesson.

Originally Posted by Jhon

Felt a right tit. At least the safe handling procedure caught it at the end but it left me in a fair sweat and taught me a lesson.

Oh yes...can relate very much to how you felt.
And that's why we need these safe handling procedures in place. One mistake can be life-threatening.

Good wake up call for sure but honestly I've never transported my rifle with the bolt in it, call me anal but it's just something that doesn't happen.
Have to say though, glad you shared your experience to make us all think about safety that little bit more.