In my videos, I try to come across as someone who loves guns, has a bit of experience with them, but is not an "expert" and is always willing to learn. I try to be funny, sarcastic, and self-deprecating in my videos as an alternative to the hundreds of "operator" posters who wear tight black T-shirts, Oakley shades, and show themselves ringing steel at 5 yards over and over.
I'm a fat, low income, genuine guy with a history in law enforcement and the military who enjoys firearms and has used them professionally, personally, and safely for over four decades. Hard for me to comprehend that people out there would try and attack me and my methods.
If you post on You Tube, the trolls will come.
That said, between :30 and 1:45 I could see why you got such comments.
I know you cleared them before handling them like that, but many who have a passing knowledge of firearm safety ( or none) do not. Your left hand
did go in front of the muzzles of the pistols you picked up; momentarily with each one. I recommend opening with a montage of you clearing each one, and explaining exactly what you are doing each time.
Your other peccadilloes;
2:10 -finger in trigger before on target with the G19.
3:22-you did it again with the P365.
4:29 - and again with the XdS.
5:51 -and again with tthe G29.
In your defense, yes I know they were all downrange when you did have the finger on the trigger, and yes, particularly in the military, they tend to be not as strict on that as LE and certainly not as strict as youth shooting sports. We had to teach the kids in Trap to put their safety on between shots. Two of my Trap guns don't even have safeties, and on the others the safety stays off the whole Trap season. It was a bit ironic when some of those kids shot leagues that we'd tell them to leave it
off while on the line.......
but I digress.
Otherwise, very informative video.
Not trolling here, we have similar backgrounds. But, like you said;
It is so ingrained in my DNA, that I fail to realize that others require more obvious evidence.
I understand this point of view. However, having taught 4-H Shooting Sports and been a Range NCO in the military, I have learned you have to speak to the lowest common denominator, and on You Tube, that is waaaaay down there.
I've seen videos in which they will clear the pistol on camera and I always think that it is a bit ridiculous and overkill. Of course it is clear. Who would handle a firearm that wasn't cleared??
Again I agree, but many people do every day. Most get lucky and nothing happens, but every time they do so they go against the law of averages, and some eventually lose, sometimes with tragic results.
I'm going to have to agree with Robert here:
Rule #1. Even if I'm handed a firearm I know to be clear, I still double check.
While that is second nature to many of us, showing clear to the camera costs nothing and gives the viewer the feeling that you are following the 4 rules to the letter.