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Volume 41, July/Aug 2006
Issue  Have
you got your guns ready? The next big match is almost here and it is
time to play! Sixguns, rifles, shotguns, side match guns, what do I
choose? Calibers, models, barrel lengths, and more, so many
decisions to make! Don’t forget the clothes and gun rigs. Should I
shoot cross-draw or straight-draw? Should the calibers of my sixgun
match the caliber of my rifle? Maybe I should see if I can buy that
new
Cimarron
1876 for side matches available this fall. What class should I shoot
– black powder cartridge, traditional, duelist, gunfighter,
classic cowboy, etc., etc.? There seems to be decision after
decision. This was starting to become very confusing!
I spent some time thinking about all of these items
and then realized that maybe I better check my guns and make sure
they are clean and ready to go with smooth actions, no burrs, and
full hammer impacts to ignite the primers. While doing this along
with some shooting in the months before and talking and observing
fellow shooters, I began to realize something else. We were becoming
complacent about the most important item of all. What is that you
say? Yep, you guessed it – SAFETY! We talk about it at the safety
meetings, we try to ensure it on the line, and think about it while
we are shooting. But what about when we get off the line? What about
when we are sitting around the camp fire talking with our buddies or
showing someone our new sixgun? I’ve got to tell you, I am
concerned. Being complacent when it comes to gun safety is not a
good idea. More and more I see people that should know better when
handling firearms. While they are looking at them or showing them
off, they have the muzzle of the firearm pass over a person. When
you do this, you are breaking one of the most important safety rules
of all – never point a gun at something you don’t want to see
destroyed! It should not matter if you just checked the chambers and
the person you handed the gun to did the same. Make sure that when
handling the firearm the barrel never, ever points toward another
person!
I know people who are around guns all of the time that
know gun safety and yet they continually forget about this
fundamental aspect because they checked the firearm to make sure it
was safe. How many times has a gun gone off that was supposedly
unloaded? Not only is letting the gun barrel point at another person
unsafe, it is also rude.
Lets play it safe - don’t get complacent when it
comes to gun safety. |
