BigG
July 31, 2003, 12:25 PM
I often have thought this but it's nice to see Mr. Cooper mentioning it. [July, 2003 issue].
This preoccupation with safety in gunhandling has assumed truly ridiculous proportions. I have been associated with personal firearms, both in and out of the service, for all my life, and so-called negligent discharges have never been any sort of a problem. (There is no such thing as an "accidental discharge." If a weapon is fired inadvertently, somebody has violated at least one of the four basic rules - and usually more than one.) Safety is an illusion, since life itself is not safe. We avoid hurting ourselves, or each other, insofar as this is practicable, but when we redouble our efforts after having lost sight of our goal, we become ridiculous. I have worked with thousands of fighting men, all of whom were armed with deadly weapons, and I never saw a reason to place safety above efficiency. In the first place, it cannot be done. And in the second place, it should not be attempted. :D
This preoccupation with safety in gunhandling has assumed truly ridiculous proportions. I have been associated with personal firearms, both in and out of the service, for all my life, and so-called negligent discharges have never been any sort of a problem. (There is no such thing as an "accidental discharge." If a weapon is fired inadvertently, somebody has violated at least one of the four basic rules - and usually more than one.) Safety is an illusion, since life itself is not safe. We avoid hurting ourselves, or each other, insofar as this is practicable, but when we redouble our efforts after having lost sight of our goal, we become ridiculous. I have worked with thousands of fighting men, all of whom were armed with deadly weapons, and I never saw a reason to place safety above efficiency. In the first place, it cannot be done. And in the second place, it should not be attempted. :D