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 Hunting Safety 
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 Post subject: Hunting Safety
PostPosted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 1:02 pm 
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So yesterday I go grouse hunting. My current bird gun is a 16 ga. side x side. It's major flaw is that it does not automatically go on safe when I open the barrels. However, I don't know if that contributed to what happened.

Because I'm continually changing hands with gun as I'm bustin' brush (grouse live in the ugliest places) I'm always checking the safety. Periodically I will point the gun in a safe direction and, with the safety on, pull on the triggers to see if the safety is still working. I do this because I had one gun where the safety would not work if set in a particular position, but would fire both barrels. I don't have that gun anymore.

Yesterday I "felt" the safety and "pushed" it back and pulled the front trigger. BANG! I almost dropped the gun! I looked the down and the safety was off.

So the tip of the day is always visually check your safety. Especially if your in the habit of changing hands as you push brush or whatever. Don't assume that you can feel it if it's on safety.


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 1:06 pm 
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Thanks for sharing.

Glad nobody got hurt; good job keeping the muzzle down.


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 8:19 pm 
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A better lesson might involve keeping your finger off of the trigger, and not "testing" the safety when you're not prepared for the gun to fire.

Sorry to be harsh, but the Four Rules are there for a reason.

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PostPosted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 8:40 pm 
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In a way I think safeties on firearms are a bad thing (with a few possible exceptions). I think the tend to give the user a false sense of security.

As I remember from the DNR Safety class "A safety is a device that can fail."

Since it can fail, I don't trust it, so If I have to use a safety I would rather unload the firearm instead, or atleast remove the shell from the chamber, or break the action on a break action firearm.

Why would you need to use a safety (with the exception of a 1911 or similar firearm)?

I think the best safety we have is keeping the finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.


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PostPosted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 9:10 pm 
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grayskys wrote:
In a way I think safeties on firearms are a bad thing (with a few possible exceptions). I think the tend to give the user a false sense of security.
I think the best safety we have is keeping the finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire.


Amen. My safety is the finger off the trigger and pointed in a safe direction. Granted when I am bird hunting I am OCD about pushing the safety in the 'safe' direction.

lumbering.buffalo what happened that made you think the safety was on when it wasn't? It sounds like you had just checked it?


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:12 am 
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The only safety on that firearm is the nut behind the buttplate.... :wink: :wink: :wink:

And if that nut can't keep the booger hook off the boom boom switch.... :o :o :o

Unhappy things will happen. :oops: :oops: :oops:

That mechanical thing called a safety, is just that. A mechanical devise. If it isn't working, either get it fixed, or destroy the gun. I got a 16 ga that became a wall hanger becuase we can't get parts to fix it, and the safety is mussed up.

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 8:54 am 
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Andrew Rothman wrote:
A better lesson might involve keeping your finger off of the trigger, and not "testing" the safety when you're not prepared for the gun to fire.

Sorry to be harsh, but the Four Rules are there for a reason.


I understand what you're saying. Two things. First, when you are hunting you need to rely on your safety. When pushing brush, sitting in a tree stand or in a duck blind it's too easy to have the trigger pressed by a branch, twig or dog paw. You should be assured that your safety works. It's why I'm not a Glock fan. The Glock safety isn't.

Second, I learned two valuable lessons about checking the safety. One, check visually and often. Second, test often with an EMPTY gun.

I'm sorry Andrew, but I will continue to check and test. The only way to test is to pull on the triggers. While I'm emabarrassed and sad that I wasn't more vigilant I would have been even more so had I not tested and had a branch pull the trigger and shot richochet(?) into a dog, one of my friends or me.

I also fell twice that day. The second time I had to throw the gun away from me so as to not fall on it. I'm glad that my safety worked that time.

I open to other suggestions.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 9:09 am 
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lumbering.buffalo wrote:
I also fell twice that day. The second time I had to throw the gun away from me so as to not fall on it. I'm glad that my safety worked that time.

I open to other suggestions.


And what about the other hunters in your party?

What would you do if that were your son or daughter standing 10 feet in front of where you just threw that gun?

I won't let my daughter go down range with me and after Sunday, I get really edgy about who I am on the range with. Partly why I shoot a white background target now. My holes are really easy to see even at 200 and 300 yards with a 60X scope.

Guy showed up with his buddy to zero the deer rifles. His buddy goes down to set-up targets. He sits down at bench, chambers a round, take a good sight picture and pulls the hammer back. Cousin and I make a racket to get his attention and let him know his buddy is in front of the target he was getting ready to shoot.


Don't take yours or someone elses safety for granted. If you are not comfortable with that safety, then either unload and test, get it fixed or get a new gun. Even tossing a gun, Murphy will rear his ugly head and that gun will go off.

Don't set yourself up to have to explain that to the next of kin.

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 9:24 am 
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lumbering.buffalo wrote:
I also fell twice that day. The second time I had to throw the gun away from me so as to not fall on it. I'm glad that my safety worked that time.

I open to other suggestions.


Wow, this is going to feel like beat up on lumbering buffalo days... But it's for your own good, honest.

The hunter safety course has a pretty impressive video titled "The Last Shot" that demonstrates the possibilities with a dropped gun. They also go to some length on the propper two handed "suck it in" approach for when you feel like you're falling. Falling happens even when we're being careful and looking out. A thrown firearm is SCARY bad to me.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 9:37 am 
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Being a DNR instructor I have to agree. You never want to lose control of the firearm.

When you have to say "I'm glad that my safety worked" you have done something wrong.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 9:40 am 
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farmerj wrote:
Guy showed up with his buddy to zero the deer rifles. His buddy goes down to set-up targets. He sits down at bench, chambers a round, take a good sight picture and pulls the hammer back. Cousin and I make a racket to get his attention and let him know his buddy is in front of the target he was getting ready to shoot.


Yikes! No touchie the gun when people are down range!

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:10 am 
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farmerj wrote:
Guy showed up with his buddy to zero the deer rifles. His buddy goes down to set-up targets. He sits down at bench, chambers a round, take a good sight picture and pulls the hammer back. Cousin and I make a racket to get his attention and let him know his buddy is in front of the target he was getting ready to shoot.

Don't take yours or someone elses safety for granted.


This is the worst time of year to go shooting. The deer hunters (in general) are the worst with safety. They only pick up their rifles once a year, and they are all excited to go shooting again. Because they are excited they forget anything that looks like safety. This is the time of the year that I don't like to go to any range because the number of times that I get a firearm pointed at me is amazing.

I was thinking about going deer hunting this year. Mmm sasuage. But after being reminded that these people can't even keep control of their firearm on the range, I don't want to be out in the woods with them.

/me is now a DNR firearm safety instructor


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 Post subject: I'm glad you are perfect in your world
PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:18 am 
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For all of you who've decided that I'm some rotten, terrible person unsafe person who cannot be trusted with a firearm. I'm glad you are perfect.

I didn't plan on falling down. I didn't plan on having to make a split second decision whether to land on it or throw it to the side. Two years a go I didn't plan on stumbling ona snow hidden rock and have my shotgun go skittering across a frozen puddle (cracking the stock).

I am always looking to improve what I do. But Stuff Happens! At least in my world. Apparently not in yours.

I'm done on this subject.


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:27 am 
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someone1980 wrote:
/me is now a DNR firearm safety instructor


Kewl :)

We can always use more. :)


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 Post subject: Re: I'm glad you are perfect in your world
PostPosted: Mon Oct 16, 2006 10:30 am 
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lumbering.buffalo wrote:
For all of you who've decided that I'm some rotten, terrible person unsafe person who cannot be trusted with a firearm. I'm glad you are perfect.

I am always looking to improve what I do. But Stuff Happens! At least in my world. Apparently not in yours.

I'm done on this subject.


LB,

I tried to inject a little humor to soften the blow in my post (and obviously failed).

I can see having to make that horrible decision and the split second you have to decide if you can safely retain the gun or wether you're GOING to get shot if you don't let it go. None of us were there. none of us KNOW. The established training is: "Be careful, be thoughtful, suck it in and HOLD ON TO THE GUN". We all get comfortable, we all get involved, sometimes it's stories like yours that serve as a reminder to everyone else that they tooo could run into this. If it helps others to stop, think, and procede deliberately, I'd chalk that up as a goof thing.

I almost edited my original post to add the above. Oh well, Kharma is a real pain. By heaping it on you I've made my chances of a firearms fall more likely I bet. Time to step real carefully ;-)

It would be interesting to note that we have two stories being commented on in this thread ... The Deer hunter sight in where he almost shot his buddy and yours. One happens no matter how much we would like it not too ... we move on and are more careful in the future. The other (WTF?! Loading while your buddy is down range?!) Should NEVER happen.


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