The Tactical Edge – July

Firearm Safety And The OOPS Factor

Oh my gosh, it’s mid July already. We are all sweltering in the heat and hoping September comes quickly before we melt. It’s been so hot here that I really worry about leaving ammunition in the car for more than an hour for fear of a fireworks show. The one at the fairgrounds was awesome but the one in my car won’t be. I’ve been thinking that when we go out shooting I should probably take a second cooler along just for the ammo. Oh well, it’s almost over. Another two months and we’ll be in the 80s again. A few years ago, September meant the first possible snow. Now it means a possible chance to be in the 70s. Dreams are still free, right? Anyway, back to the blog. This month we need to talk about gun safety and the dangers of being unsafe.

The Oxford English dictionary definition of OOPS says the word is used to show recognition of a mistake or minor accident, often as part of an apology. It’s a quaint, sometimes funny term that you hear frequently in conversation. It’s used to express surprise or distress or to say in a mild way that you are sorry about having done something wrong. We’ve all used that at one time or another I’m sure. But, it is never ever good to hear it used on the firing line while you’re handling a loaded gun. On the firing line, it’s neither cute, nor funny, but downright scary. It can make even the seasoned instructor turn ghostly white. I know this because I’ve witnessed it myself. I’ve seen veteran instructors, decked out in their military fatigues and decorated in curious scary tattoos go absolutely pale at the sound of the word, especially when they hear a gunshot at the same time. An oops on the firing line can get somebody killed or severely injured. That being said, immediately remove the word oops from your vocabulary if you are a shooter and then take the steps necessary to eliminate its need. I would like to reacquaint everybody with the rules of gun safety. I think the best way to do this is through the insight of Jeff Cooper. 

Jeff Cooper's Rules Of Gun Safety

RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED 

There are no exceptions. Do not pretend that this is true. Some people and organizations take this rule and weaken it; e.g. "Treat all guns as if they were loaded." Unfortunately, the "as if" compromises the directness of the statement by implying that they are unloaded, but we will treat them as though they are loaded. No good! Safety rules must be worded forcefully so that they are never treated lightly or reduced to partial compliance. 

All guns are always loaded - period! 

This must be your mind-set. If someone hands you a firearm and says, "Don't worry, it's not loaded," you do not dare believe him. You need not be impolite, but check it yourself. Remember, there are no accidents, only negligent acts. Check it. Do not let yourself fall prey to a situation where you might feel compelled to squeal, "I didn't know it was loaded!"

RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY 

Conspicuously and continuously violated, especially with pistols, Rule II applies whether you are involved in range practice, daily carry, or examination. If the weapon is assembled and in someone's hands, it is capable of being discharged. A firearm holstered properly, lying on a table, or placed in a scabbard is of no danger to anyone. Only when handled is there a need for concern. This rule applies to fighting as well as to daily handling. If you are not willing to take a human life, do not cover a person with the muzzle. This rule also applies to your own person. Do not allow the muzzle to cover your extremities, e.g. using both hands to reholster the pistol. This practice is unsound, both procedurally and tactically. You may need a free hand for something important. Proper holster design should provide for one-handed holstering, so avoid holsters which collapse after withdrawing the pistol. (Note: It is dangerous to push the muzzle against the inside edge of the holster nearest the body to "open" it since this results in your pointing the pistol at your midsection.) Dry-practice in the home is a worthwhile habit and it will result in more deeply programmed reflexes. Most of the reflexes involved in the Modern Technique do not require that a shot be fired. Particular procedures for dry-firing in the home will be covered later. Let it suffice for now that you do not dry-fire using a "target" that you wish not to see destroyed. (Recall RULE I as well.)

Rule III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET 

Rule III is violated most anytime the uneducated person handles a firearm. Whether on TV, in the theaters, or at the range, people seem fascinated with having their finger on the trigger. Never stand or walk around with your finger on the trigger. It is unprofessional, dangerous, and, perhaps most damaging to the psyche, it is klutzy looking. Never fire a shot unless the sights are superimposed on the target and you have made a conscious decision to fire. Firing an unaligned pistol in a fight gains nothing. If you believe that the defensive pistol is only an intimidation tool - not something to be used - carry blanks, or better yet, reevaluate having one around. If you are going to launch a projectile, it had best be directed purposely. Danger abounds if you allow your finger to dawdle inside the trigger guard. As soon as the sights leave the target, the trigger-finger leaves the trigger and straightens alongside the frame. Since the hand normally prefers to work as a unit - as in grasping - separating the function of the trigger-finger from the rest of the hand takes effort. The five-finger grasp is a deeply programmed reflex. Under sufficient stress, and with the finger already placed on the trigger, an unexpected movement, misstep or surprise could result in a negligent discharge. Speed cannot be gained from such a premature placement of the trigger-finger. Bringing the sights to bear on the target, whether from the holster or the Guard Position, takes more time than that required for moving the trigger finger an inch or so to the trigger.

RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET 

Know what it is, what is in line with it, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything you have not positively identified. Be aware of your surroundings, whether on the range or in a fight. Do not assume anything. Know what you are doing. 

SUMMARY:

Make these rules a part of your character. Never compromise them. Improper gun handling results from ignorance and improper role modeling, such as handling your gun like your favorite actor does. Education can cure this. You can make a difference by following these gun handling rules and insisting that those around you do the same. Set the example. Who knows what tragedies you, or someone you influence, may prevent?

I’ve read this before and I think it pretty well covers every aspect of safe gun handling in blunt and understandable terms. Jeff was a military man and didn’t waste much time on useless talk. He was also one of the best firearms instructors of our time. Gunsight, his Arizona shooting school taught some of the most prestigious shooters known today. We can all benefit by his wisdom.

All of us that have spent any amount of time in the shooting world have seen the acts and heard the stories of what can happen or in some cases did happen because of the oops factor. If you talk to the people involved, they like to tell you it was an oops, a mistake, they didn’t mean it, it just happened. What they are actually telling you is that they never learned or took seriously the four rules of gun safety. But we as the teachers and the instructors and the leaders can’t let them be satisfied with that answer. It is our job to teach what is absolutely a must for every shooter, safety first.

One of the things I feel really strongly about after going over the rules with new shooters is the fact that they must be able to handle their firearm. New shooters like the wow factor of having a big gun and a big caliber, but frequently they don’t have the physical strength or dexterity to handle such a firearm. I see people coming to the firing line and when it’s time to load and make ready, they don’t have the ability to pull the slide back and they fumble around trying to load their gun. This can get really dangerous for the shooters standing around them. They’ll struggle trying to retract the slide and their attention is so focused on the slide that they don’t see they are pointing their gun at the people next to them. We’ve seen other people come out with firearms that they’ve never used before and they know nothing about. All they know is the bullets go in here and come out there and hopefully they figured out which is which. Those people are really scary. They don’t even know enough to know that they need help in the form of some classroom work with an instructor or a knowledgeable shooter. Yes, I am definitely picking on these people because it’s me or my friends who could get shot by them.

There are so many things that can happen with a firearm even with a good shooter and a quality firearm. One of our instructors was handling a brand-new gun on our outdoor range. Luckily it was one of our instructors because when he racked the slide to load the firearm, it fired, not once but repeatedly. There was evidently a factory problem with the seer and it allowed the weapon to accidentally fire several times in succession. The instructor tried this same maneuver several more times and in each instance he had the same results. The gun was disassembled to be returned to the factory. Had this been a new shooter, who knows what could’ve happened. A lot of people I’m seeing lately are having their guns modified so that they have a lighter trigger pull in a more accurate shooting firearm. There is nothing wrong with that provided that the shooter has the skill to handle the new settings on their firearm. If you’re not a skilled shooter, having a very light trigger pull can very easily mean an accidental discharge. We had one recently on our range. We were doing movement and shooting drills. One person was carrying a revolver with an extremely light trigger and they had it cocked. As they went to move, their finger accidentally brushed against the trigger and the firearm discharged. The student and the instructor were standing less than a foot apart and the round went into the dirt between their feet. That was almost too close to a disabling injury. Both the student and the instructor were in shock when it happened. If you have a modified firearm, it is even more critical that your attention is focused on safety and awareness.

Another thing that I see a lot of is people coming out with a gun that was handed down to them or sold to them by a friend or whatever. You can tell when a gun is in bad shape and has been neglected. Who knows if they are mechanically safe to operate. Firearms like that are potentially unsafe until they’ve been cleaned and thoroughly inspected before any attempt at loading and firing. I’m proud of my guns. They are cleaned and mechanically inspected after each use. I wouldn’t have it any other way. My life could depend on them. Besides that, I pay a lot of money for my guns. Most shooters I know feel the same way. It behooves us to pass this knowledge on to all new shooters and even seasoned shooters around us. In such a serious business, it is up to the knowledgeable to spread that knowledge for the benefit of all of us. I hate funerals and don’t much care for hospitals, so I’d rather be a good trainer than a sad visitor. Don’t you agree? I could go on and on with examples of things that go wrong but strict adherence to the safety rules can prevent 98% of them. Just be safe.

Well that wraps up another month’s issue of the blog. We hope you’re reading it, enjoying it, and most of all, benefiting from it. If you have comments, please send them to us. We love to get email. In the meantime, keep your gun clean and your powder dry and take someone to a shooting range or training class with you. You owe it to them to improve their skills and enjoy our sport.