A reflection and a reminder - Unsafe act

Seen a lot of what you guys are talking about, including being shot at - and I'm not exactly innocent when it comes to a quick 'identifying' peek through the scope - and I imagine there ain't too many who haven't done that. And that despite me carrying little Nikon's around my neck - I already got the gun in my hands, a quick up and look - it's an entirely natural thing to do.

I've also seen a mate pick up an empty gun and put a shot through the chimney pot down the road - we become casual with something we do all the time - I was out chainsawing with bare feet yesterday - would never have done that years ago. I'll do that again because I got away with it last time.

I've known three people shoot themselves, one through the chest with a .303, he survived too - all of them did, and they were never quite so casual with a gun after that.

I've seen some pretty bad behaviour down the range too, nothing evil - more just dumb arsed carelessness and have wondered what these people are thinking - it's obviously how they act all the time with guns - bit scary.

For years now I've reckoned 'gun owners' need to to spend time every year down the NZDA range (or equivalent) doing supervised 'safety training' - or similar. I'm sharing the bush with these people and I want them to be less casual than I am with a gun.

Or they need a bad fright like I got when I was younger - nearly pulled the trigger on a bloke .................... and it still haunts me.

I deliberately got binos that had a higher magnification than my scope to avoid this issue. It won't work for the long distance folks but it does for me. It was this consideration that made the choice about the 8x or 10x binos

Identify your target beyond all doubt because you never miss (right?) and I'll be missed.

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Me too.
And it makes me shudder when people are adamant they would never mistake a person for an animal.
I have issues with one Pistol NZ range rule.
At the end of your even, the RO states show clear. Once they have inspected the firearm you release the slide and drop the hammer on an empty chamber. And then box or holster your firearm.
I was alway taught an open action is safe (slam fires excepted) and feel very uncomfortable stowing a firearm with a closed action.

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I guess the rules cater for those whose box or holster won’t accommodate a pistol with the slide locked back?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

I have issues with one Pistol NZ range rule.
At the end of your event, the RO states show clear. Once they have inspected the firearm you release the slide and drop the hammer on an empty chamber. And then box or holster your firearm.
I was always taught an open action is safe (slam fires excepted) and feel very uncomfortable stowing a firearm with a closed action.

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Without knowing the intricacies, or the history, of this rule, I’ll attempt to put my interpretation on it.
‘Unload and Show Clear’, means exactly that.
The magazine is removed or cylinder emptied of all rounds, the slide (in the case of a semi’) is retracted to show that the breech is empty/clear, the slide/cylinder is closed and the hammer dropped onto an empty chamber.
The pistol is then holstered or boxed. It is now known to be safe.
BTW, if it is being suggested that an open action is safe, how does one holster or box a revolver with the cylinder swing out?

AT NO TIME can that pistol now have ANY cartridge (including “snap-cap/s) inserted into the cylinder, or magazine loaded into the pistol, until the R.O. instructs ‘LOAD’. When that happens, the pistol may not be pointed anywhere other than "down range", ergo. it is safe to do so.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 7mmwsm

Me too.
And it makes me shudder when people are adamant they would never mistake a person for an animal.
I have issues with one Pistol NZ range rule.
At the end of your even, the RO states show clear. Once they have inspected the firearm you release the slide and drop the hammer on an empty chamber. And then box or holster your firearm.
I was alway taught an open action is safe (slam fires excepted) and feel very uncomfortable stowing a firearm with a closed action.

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Being open to the possibility that one is human and can mistake a person for a deer is the start of being a safe hunter.