Thread: Opening bolt before handling rifle.

How many out there open bolts before handling firearms?
I recently purchased a used rifle from a Hunting and Fishing store and the store assistant handed me the rifle without opening the bolt. Sure we all know itll be empty, but isnt it just good practice and safe to open and check the chamber? Look at all the youtube videos where shooters check and recheck the firearms while doing review and shooting videos.

So do you actually do it?

Common courtesy. I always check. Always always always. I trust only a very few people on planet earth, and even they must make mistakes sometimes. If it's a habit, you won't get caught out.

If someone hands me one with the action closed, I'm not going to dance around and curse them, but it gets opened and checked immediately after being handed to me.

I prefer being handed a loaded rifle so I dont have to waste my time loading it and can get right to the shooting

we will hand over a loaded rifle telling receiver its loaded, at all other times bolt is opened/ action is broken


my all time favourite way of showing WHY you need to do this is as follows
you need a helper
with group of young fellas/new shooters watching you unload firearm COMPLETELY showing them you have done so then lean it against something behind you,turn and face group and keep talking to them
your helper loads a round into chamber and puts gun back in same place
you turn around pick up gun stating"I just unloaded this so I KNOW its safe" then start moving it around
as kids get nervous and start to speak
point in safe direction and let it rip



let me tell you undies will be soiled
and lesson will NEVER be forgotton
treat every firearm as loaded.

Empty chambers kill


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

It is when the gun is pointed toward a person that It can kill that person!

Yep open chamber always. My dad told me to always approach people / huts etc with the bolt in your hand, makes it clear rifle is safe.

I was taught to always pass a weapon with an open breach, the army teaches you to show the receiver the open breach before you hand it over. if the action is open there can't be any "accidents"

I like to see the action open and the chamber clear before receiving a firearm for inspection.

During Basic training we were taught not to accept a firearm from anyone until they had demonstrated it was in a safe condition to do so.

This entailed opening the action and showing the receiving person that the chamber was in fact empty before passing it over.

My old man had taught me this simple safety rule when I was a young fella ....guess he learned it during his stint in the Army.

Cheers
Pete

Definitely. Heard a couple of stories from gun-store owners who have revived a firearm to sell/trade only to find it had a round in it.

I employ same army principle also.once ive unloaded or am out of ammo,do a visual of chamber and mag will say loudly" weapon empty" ,before pointing it well down the range and dryfire. (semi auto 12g)
if Im using my rifles once round is in thechamber my signal to all Is "weapon is hot -about to fire."
If weapon is finished with -empty chamber- mag off and placed in my pocket or my ammo container.
thank christ i shoot with a sensible bunch and we all are kept informed of weapon states etc.we usually have a policy of only one person firing per time as well to keep it all simple.
yes ive made couple of blues with my.22s years ago but still aint forgot the bloody rude shock i got!
Shootin the kitchen lightbulb out(miscounted rounds in mag ,cocked on supposedly empty chamber to test scope clarity against imaginary possum)). whilst her indoors was cooking was not bloody conducive to good marital relationships ,let alone the rumpty side of it.
i was classed lower than dogs,cats and the toilet can for week at least.
serves me bloody right!!!!!!!

Absolutely.

About 1963 for a couple of years I worked for Tisdall's Sports (PNth) after school.

Someone came in and slipped a Ramset blank into a .22 and left it cocked, and of course at some stage later a customer pulled the trigger. Fortunately it was still in the (public access) rack but it left a burn scald up the green wall paint from the muzzle. It could have easily been a live round, And it could have easily been pointed at someone.
And it could happen at any time nowadays too. Sports shops need to remember this.

Yup. Open the breach every time you are passed or pick up a firearm.

Originally Posted by 2gnscib

......... Sure we all know itll be empty, but isnt it just good practice and safe to open and check the chamber?.......

That's the issue. We don't know it's empty until demonstrated that it is so. Some shop staff need to be more careful about this.

Im often intrigued by staff members in some stores who hand a potential customer a weapon then wander away whilst the "customer "'shags about with it.
i witnessed one recently where a bloke was handed a lovely mannlicher schaunoer rifle and in the midst of shagging about slamming the bolt shut etcetc in a orgy of pubescent excitement somehow managed to jam it. he had the bloody audacity to ask if they had a hammer to "get this POS open".I nearly bloody wept at the whole sorry episode .
incidentally a older bloke escorted said irate customer out of the store shortly after.I sincerely hope the old bloke took the younger aside and had a few well chosen words!