Substitutions for one of the rules

I met Greg for dinner on Monday since he's heading out to Iraq for a year. Something we talked about suddenly popped into my head. We were discussing the whole accident vs. negligence thing and of course the 4 Rules were brought up. We as gunnies push them hard because you have to break two of them at a time to have bad juju happen. Then Greg brought up another thing that made me go hmmm.. Sometimes, you have to break the rules. And while I'd love to yell at every photograph with some dimbo...

posted @ 3/10/2010 2:19:14 PM | Feedback (9)

I accidentally the whole thing

Or alternately titled "Let's start an impassioned argument early this week". One of the things I find myself getting caught up in is the gunny tendency to come down harder on my own kind than probably is required. All of us seem to jump at the chance to cluck our tongues at other gunnies who have misfortunate events happen to them, generally in the realm of negligent discharges. So far, the only thing I've seen that would qualify as a true accidental discharge from most of the...

posted @ 3/8/2010 9:17:17 AM | Feedback (13)

You want to see reasoned discourse?

THIS is reasoned discourse Hi Readers — Here’s another question that arrived in th email. It began, ”Can we talk about gunplay for a few minutes?” Happily, by “gunplay” they writer didn’t mean, “What’s the upside of random shootings?” But rather, “Is it okay for kids to play around, pretending to shoot each other?” While it drives me crazy when one of my sons puts his hand up to his brother’s temple and pantomimes “Pow!”, I totally love it when they get out their Nerf guns and run...

posted @ 2/20/2010 12:44:40 PM | Feedback (2)

Not a Gun Free Zone

Rather a Free Gun Zone Dayton police are looking for an officer-issued rifle missing that might have fallen off the roof of an officer’s car Sunday, Feb. 14, police said. … “The officer recalled placing it on the roof of his cruiser as he inspected and prepared his cruiser/equipment for his tour of duty,” Hess said. “We are looking into whether he drove off with it still on the roof or if it was taken from atop the roof.” An interesting thought – It was a patrol rifle, but when it...

posted @ 2/16/2010 9:46:38 AM | Feedback (7)

An amazing story from a gunshot survivor

Carteach has the full story, and it is a must read I was shot point blank in the chest Friday the 13th of July 2007, the bullet entered near the front edge of my left armpit about 4 in. to the left of my left nipple and about 2 in above it. The bullet traveled through my left lung destroying about 30% of it then the bullet nicked my aorta and heart sack it then ricocheted of of the inside front of my ribcage. It then tore through my diaphragm leaving a 3 in by 2 in hole in my diaphragm....

posted @ 2/11/2010 9:58:22 AM | Feedback (0)

Not accidental, either

Howard Nemerov points to this interesting statistic Since 1984 there have been over 122,000,000 firearms purchased by civilians, and yet somehow the accidental firearms death rate has plummeted 71.4%. How can that be? The Brady Campaign and their ilk constantly tell us that more firearms means more accidental deaths. They fight at every turn to prevent programs like Eddie Eagle from being taught in schools. Which makes sense in a way. People like Dennis Henigan and Paul Hemlke can't really...

posted @ 10/29/2009 1:37:29 PM | Feedback (13)

Balance

Something you don't normally find in news articles, but this Middletown Journal article happens to have just that. When it comes to gun safety and kids, there is serious disagreement — some people advocate letting children become comfortable with firearms, while others say to keep them far away. “It’s about education and parents instructing kids properly,” said Hamilton police Detective Dan Stevenson. “Take the mystique away from them.” In his view, exposing children to firearms and...

posted @ 8/4/2009 7:36:18 AM | Feedback (5)

Ask and ye shall receive

But if you ask the wrong question, you're going to get the wrong answer. In yet another ridiculous move by the anti-self-defense camp, a national “ASK” day was established about ten years ago. Its purpose was to remind parents to be proactive about protecting their children from firearm accidents simply by asking their friends and neighbors about the use of guns in their respective homes. Its intent was to remind parents to inquire of friends and neighbors that their children...

posted @ 7/9/2009 8:03:30 AM | Feedback (15)

The 4 rules are immutable

Being a gun supply company owner doesn't invalidate rule #2 State police say 53-year-old George Numrich was cleaning a rocket-propelled grenade training launcher when it discharged, firing a 7.62-caliber bullet. Sgt. Edward McKenna says the bullet hit Numrich in his left leg. I consider my leg something I do not wish to see destroyed.

posted @ 7/1/2009 1:57:47 PM | Feedback (7)

Smart fail!

Smart guns cannot be used by anyone but the actual owner. Unless you're not the owner and you pull the trigger. Then all bets are off.

posted @ 5/28/2009 10:51:37 AM | Feedback (0)

A request for facts

A reader (who wishes to remain anonymous) emailed me today with the following request Hi Robb, I have a friend who’s currently in the conversation phase with her husband about gun ownership. She’s pretty level headed, but one of her biggest hang ups is that she thinks having a gun in the house will make the household less safe on net, not more safe. She’s highly educated (JD, MS), intelligent, and isn’t afraid of evil mind control rays that might be emitted by a gun, but isn’t really...

posted @ 4/22/2009 8:24:07 PM | Feedback (28)

Nothing to fear

A gun safety class meets a fear of guns The class was different than I thought it would be. I thought it would be pretty textbook - this is a gun, these are the parts, this is how you use it, blah blah blah. But I felt like the class was taught by the zen master of gun safety. He was all about being calm around the weapon - about finding an inner peace and balance. Yeah, I know that feeling ;)

posted @ 3/31/2009 8:14:26 AM | Feedback (2)

The dangers of hunting

Turns out, it's less dangerous than every other freaking sport known to man!!!! Including archery, but that's because the whole "Hey, watch me shoot this apple off my son's head" is so cliché.

posted @ 3/24/2009 2:06:56 PM | Feedback (6)

Even if it is illegal to own a firearm

You have to obey the 4 rules The career criminal shot himself with a glock handgun at close range in a house at St Munchin's Street, St Mary's Park. He had been inspecting the gun and removed the loaded magazine from it while handling it. However, he failed to realise a bullet was still in the chamber before he discharged the weapon while it was pointed at his head. Aren't guns illegal in Ireland? Didn't this guy know the law forbid him from having it??? And for Pete's sake, a 'bullet in...

posted @ 3/24/2009 2:03:36 PM | Feedback (6)

As he should

Joshua Beasley killed his wife. Today he was booked for manslaughter According to the affidavit, "She (Alaina) pointed her hand at the defendant and pretended to have a gun. The defendant said he raised the shotgun to his shoulder and pulled the trigger...He said he forgot the gun was loaded." Joshua made many mistakes which sadly turned fatal. He failed to check to ensure his weapon was unloaded before 'sweeping' the house. He failed to avoid pointing the muzzle at something he didn't want to...

posted @ 2/6/2009 3:29:47 PM | Feedback (6)

If you really need to break the 4 rules

Better make DAMN sure the pistol you're using isn't loaded At the end of the play, Kellerman’s character takes a fatal gunshot to the head. Just after 5 p.m., Kellerman got on his knees and his co-star, William Bordy, 78, pulled the trigger on a .32-caliber revolver. To everyone’s shock the gun was anything but a prop, instead later found to be fully loaded. Yeesh. I mean, I understand that in plays, sometimes there will be guns involved and therein lies a catch-22. If the firearm is...

posted @ 1/21/2009 8:44:14 AM | Feedback (5)

First time for everything

Yesterday, as I was getting ready to go somewhere, something happened to me for the very first time and I thought I'd share. This story reminded me of it The toilet at Centerville’s Carl’s Jr. restaurant never knew what hit it, but police say it was a slug from a 26-year-old Salt Lake City man’s .40-caliber handgun. As the man hitched up his pants, the pistol fell from the holster, hit the tile floor and fired — shattering the toilet and sending porcelain into the man’s arm. See, I had placed...

posted @ 1/15/2009 9:35:08 AM | Feedback (9)

It's not just rules that don't apply to them

But apparently common sense doesn't fly with "Only Ones" FDLE: Marshal's Shooting Of Suspect Accidental, Justified Ok, riddle me this - How can an accident be "justified"? Justification is required for intentional events, not "Oops! Sorry!" The FDLE has released an 83-page report about the shooting of David Christopher Sills, who had been sought on felony drug warrants when he was shot Oct. 16. Sills, 26, was later arrested at St. Joseph's Hospital on felony cocaine trafficking warrants. 83...

posted @ 11/19/2008 1:17:03 PM | Feedback (6)

An avoidable tragedgy

A teenage boy shoots himself with a blank-loaded pistol The gun somehow fired at about 6:20 p.m. Saturday as Tucker removed it from the locked cabinet in preparation for a show an hour later, Van Fleet said. The shot hit Tucker in the head, and despite being rushed to the hospital, he was dead before 10 p.m. When I was in combat training in the Marines, we had an instructor put a cleaning rod in an M16 loaded with blanks. He pulled the trigger and lodged the rod into the trunk of a tree. That...

posted @ 11/17/2008 10:52:44 AM | Feedback (10)

A warning on warning shots

John Gutmacher explains Got an email today, and I thought I'd better give you a quick warning about warning shots -- just in case you haven't already read my book, and don't know. A warning shot is always the "use of deadly force" in Florida, and therefore unless you can lawfully use deadly force at the time the warning shot is fired -- you could be arrested and charged with a felony (normally aggravated assault) that carries a twenty (20) year mandatory minimum sentence vs. the three (3) year...

posted @ 11/10/2008 3:07:28 PM | Feedback (9)

When you follow the 4 rules

Tragedy can be avoided. Glad everyone was ok, especially Uncle! This is also why I'm not a big fan of more than 1 safety that requires 'thought' to engage / disengage.

posted @ 11/10/2008 9:55:37 AM | Feedback (0)

Tragedies and perspective

As most of you know, this past weekend an 8 year old boy shot himself in the head with an Uzi at a machine gun shoot. This was a tragic accident that, like most accidents, could have been avoided, however humans don't always make the best judgements and thus life can be cruel. The boy was supervised and had an instructor behind him. Unfortunately this was not enough to keep the muzzle from jumping upwards. It's easy to look back now and say that the instructor should have held on or done this...

posted @ 10/28/2008 9:24:21 AM | Feedback (2)

Another hunting accident

Teen killed when his dad's gun goes off during Daggett deer hunt A Weber County family is grieving after a hunting accident claimed a 15-year-old on Sunday near Dutch John in Daggett County. Always sad news to hear of fatal accidents. This is the reason that I stress firearm safety at all times. Surprisingly, the local authorities say the exact same thing. "Muzzle control issues coupled with accidental discharges are responsible for many accidents," said Mike Fowlks, chief of law enforcement...

posted @ 10/22/2008 7:37:58 AM | Feedback (2)

Sad - Accidental discharge + negligent handling = fatality

Hunter killed when rifle discharges A Leesburg man trying to pull a loaded gun from his truck was killed when it went off and hit him in the chest. Authorities say 73-year-old Johnny G. Hurst was pronounced dead at the scene Sunday inside the Osceola National Forest. Hurst's wife and two sons were with him when the accident occurred. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reports that it appears the muzzleloader was already loaded when Hurst grabbed the barrel of the gun to pull...

posted @ 10/21/2008 1:13:53 PM | Feedback (2)

Not guilty? You're still responsible

Parents of boy who shot himself plead not guilty The parents of a 2-year-old boy who died after accidentally shooting himself with a gun he found at home pleaded not guilty to charges related to the death. Jason Matteau, 27, and Rebecca Matteau, 24, of Jewett City, were arraigned Tuesday in Norwich Superior Court on charges of negligent storage of a firearm and risk of injury to a minor. If convicted of both felonies, they face up to 15 years in prison. Stupid people. Very stupid people....

posted @ 10/14/2008 6:18:52 PM | Feedback (1)

Gun shows - The 4 rules still apply

Fond du Lac police investigate gun show shooting Fond du Lac police Lt. Aaron Goldstein says a man looking at the handgun Sunday morning didn't know how to check whether it was loaded. He says the man pulled the trigger and the gun went off. The bullet hit another man who was part of the same group in the foot. Goldstein says both the shooter and vendor could face charges. He says police will make a recommendation to the county prosecutor when the investigation ends. The vendor is totally...

posted @ 10/13/2008 2:26:08 PM | Feedback (4)

In poor taste

I'm not thrilled about this The Cheerleaders at Nacogdoches High School have sparked gun violence protesting after their skit last month, in which they fake kill cheerleaders dressed as the opposing team. Executions are not something lighthearted and trivial. It's one thing to use a euphemism such as "Kill the other team", it's quite another to actually act it out, especially in something as gruesome as a shot to the back of the head. I'd have been equally disdainful had the cheerleaders...

posted @ 10/8/2008 12:34:02 PM | Feedback (5)

Let's play the Blame Someone Else for My Mistake Game

It's easy. I'll show you a story that involves violating several of the 4 rules A police weapons specialist who shot himself in the hand is suing the PSNI. Peter Woods, 50, was dismantling a gun at a police facility in February last year when the accident happened. It is understood that he removed the magazine from a pistol, but a bullet in the chamber fired into his hand. He recovered from his injury. Lawyers for Mr Woods claimed in the High Court that proper safety procedures were not in...

posted @ 10/6/2008 10:33:04 AM | Feedback (6)

Please, think of the puppies before you shoot

Tank tops and shooting do not mix. Ever. Guess what happens when stubborn girl wearing tank top/sports bra combo focuses on upper body form and locks her left arm while shooting? A. Her hits are better. B. Tank top/sports bra combo makes perfect basket for hot brass. C. There is laughter on video.* D. All of the above. Drop by to see the video.

posted @ 7/21/2008 5:58:21 PM | Feedback (0)

Insert long string of unintelligible swear words here

I can't tell you how pissed this article makes me If your child came across a gun, what do you think they would do with it? Tell an adult? Pick it up? Pull the trigger? We wanted to try something. With a Northside ISD police officer’s help, we put a group of children in a room with a real, unloaded gun to see what they would do when they thought no one was watching. We want to emphasize: News 4 and a police officer took every precaution to make sure these children were never in danger. No,...

posted @ 7/18/2008 6:34:23 PM | Feedback (0)

This is not helping my migraine

Liberty points to this un-f***ing-believable story An off-duty Los Angeles police officer who was paralyzed after his young son accidentally shot him in 2006 filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the manufacturer of the gun involved in the accident. Enrique Chavez of Anaheim was shot in the back by his 3-year-old son after the boy grabbed his father's Glock 21 — a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol — from the back seat of his pickup truck. The lawsuit, filed in Superior Court, alleges that Glock...

posted @ 7/10/2008 3:12:45 PM | Feedback (0)

Updating my position on safeties

You know, the more I think about it, I can understand some of the pushback against my position on external safeties and the more I think about it, the more I can see their point. If your firearm has an external safety on it, you should practice, practice, practice with it, integrating the motion of disabling the safety with the natural motion of prepping the weapon for firing. At no time should you disengage the safety and consider that a done deal. Here's the thing. I won't buy a particular...

posted @ 7/7/2008 5:37:05 PM | Feedback (0)

One coin, two sides

Xavier responds to my piece on safeties My argument is that we fight as we train. If a person goes to the range and loads and shoots their pistol without ever disengaing the safety........Because they never engaged the safety, the liklihood is fair to high they will forget to disengage the safety in a crunch. However, if a person loads their pistol, chambers a round, engages the safety, and then holsters the weapon prior to drawing and shooting.......Every time they fire the weapon, then...

posted @ 7/5/2008 4:43:16 PM | Feedback (0)

One safety too many

I'm a Glock guy. I like the fact that I pull the trigger, Glock goes boom. I've become so accustomed to being safe by not putting my finger in the trigger guard that I only engage the safeties on firearms that are not for self defense. In a stressful situation, the last thing I need to do is add yet another step to the equation. Murdoc has a video that highlights why I'm like this The gun didn't go off because the safety was on That's the kind of thing that scares me. When you go into...

posted @ 7/2/2008 5:53:25 PM | Feedback (0)

Here, shoot me again

Here's some Grade-A Stupidity. You could have easily used a mannequin or something else to illustrate that point. To use a live person is the epitome of dumb. As firearms enthusiasts we should always strive to promote a good image. Shit like this doesn't help. The sad thing about this video is that it does illustrate, quite stupidly in my opinion, a few myths of guns that have been propagated by Hollywood and the entertainment industry. First, being shot with most any firearm isn't going to...

posted @ 6/11/2008 9:22:09 AM | Feedback (3)

Teach your children well

Fighting for Liberty takes his son to the range. Important lessons are learned!

posted @ 5/12/2008 8:51:47 PM | Feedback (0)

Holstering your weapon

This is a tragic story PORTLAND, Maine - A nine-year veteran of the Portland Police Department died of injuries after his handgun discharged in what police described yesterday as a tragic accident. Sergeant Robert Johnsey was apparently preparing his duty weapon for his next shift when it accidentally discharged late Monday at his home in Westbrook, wounding him in the leg, investigators concluded. Johnsey died a short time later at Maine Medical Center in Portland. Portland's police chief,...

posted @ 5/7/2008 12:23:30 PM | Feedback (1)

Wrong tool for the job

Personally, I have no compunctions about punishing people who do stupid things with firearms. In this case, a charge of manslaughter is perfectly acceptable SEDALIA, MO. (AP) -- Officials are trying to decide whether to file charges against a Missouri man who fatally shot his wife while trying to install a satellite TV system in their home. Thirty-four-year-old Patsy Long of Deep Water was pronounced dead Saturday evening after being shot in the chest with a .22-caliber handgun. Her husband,...

posted @ 3/25/2008 8:43:47 PM | Feedback (3)

Still think trusting the police to ensure your safety is a good idea?

Because they get a lot of training, right? FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A Cass County Sheriff's deputy who accidentally fired his handgun in a courthouse restroom has been suspended for eight days without pay. Authorities said Dean Wawers, 57, also will receive a written reprimand in personnel file. No one was hurt when the gun belonging Wawers discharged during lunch hour on Jan. 10. Fargo police said an investigation determined that his weapon was discharged accidentally. Authorities said he had...

posted @ 2/22/2008 9:13:32 AM | Feedback (6)

Brimming with pride

If I was smiling any wider, I'd give the Cheshire Cat the creeps. I had pulled out the .22 rifle to examine it. It's a cheap Armscor M1600 that I got many years ago. Surprisingly accurate for an inexpensive rifle, and I got it in my head that I should paint it in some sort of girlie colors and give it to my daughters. The Hello Kitty thing has been done to death, so I'm thinking Care Bears or My Little Pony. Of course, I have a plethora of themes to choose from off of Noggin. Wow Wow Wubbzy...

posted @ 2/7/2008 7:47:49 PM | Feedback (10)

Dissection of a Negligent Discharge

JR has a wonderful conversation with a man who shot himself in the legs during an ND. As gunnies we're more inclined to call everything an ND rather than an AD and this case actually has some merit to the whole "negligent" angle. One thing to pull from this is whatever you carry, practice with. A gun you're not that familiar with can be a very dangerous thing.

posted @ 12/13/2007 8:12:11 AM | Feedback (0)

One in the pipe

This article from Front Sight, Press hits home with me, especially since I've argued this point ad nauseam with other gunnies He confessed that he carries his concealed pistol (S&W M&P) with an empty chamber! He went on to say that he never chambers a round in his holstered handgun, because he has children, and it’s ‘just not safe to carry a loaded pistol near them.’ ‘Besides,’ he continued, ‘all I have to do is rack the slide. Then, I can shoot. Right?’ I asked him bluntly, ‘Who...

posted @ 9/20/2007 11:31:08 AM | Feedback (11)

Warning shots - As stupid as it gets

When you violate rule #4, bad things happen When the man, identified as Mr. Albrecht, didn't stop, the homeowner who was armed with a handgun "shot one time at the top of the door," the report said. "He was trying to shoot over his head to scare him away," but Mr. Albrecht "is rather tall," said Sgt. Larry Lewis, a homicide supervisor, estimating the musician's height to be 6-foot-5. Mr. Albrecht was shot once time in the head and died at the scene. Let's go over rule #4, shall we? Be sure of...

posted @ 9/4/2007 9:21:44 AM | Feedback (8)

It may sound cold hearted

But reality generally is. A few days ago, I talked about how a tragedy involving a young child shooting another could have been prevented by simply teaching the child not to play with guns. Syd, of the Front Sight Press, has another similar story. It's sad that people rely on mechanical safeties or gun locks to protect their children. Sometimes, those things don't work, either through mechanical failure or forgetfulness. How hard is it to talk to your children to remind them not to play with...

posted @ 8/8/2007 4:51:16 PM | Feedback (1)

Here's a tip on how to prevent these kinds of accidents

From Capital Journal Online Published Sunday, August 05, 2007 A teenage boy was shot in the leg Saturday night after he and friends found a gun in the 1600 block of S.W. Clay, Topeka police said. The children told police they were playing with the gun when it discharged, hitting a 14-year-old or 15-year-old boy. You know the best way to stop this kind of thing from happening? It's not by restricting guns to law abiding citizens or making guns illegal (something that would do nothing to limit...

posted @ 8/5/2007 9:28:52 AM | Feedback (1)

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