How has the General Attitude Toward Muzzle Direction Changed over the Years?

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Sorry, I opened a can of worms and left the room. Muzzle direction is one that I truly agree with. That should be safety police'd at any time. I am more put off by the other "safety" rules such as not being able to handle a firearm except at the firing line or while going to/from the line. When doing something like mounting a scope or tightening a loose screw this rule can be a bit obnoxious, especially at ranges that don't have full size shooting benches/tables. Another one that you see a lot is the no holster practice mentality. That is great. With CCW permit holders increasing in number more ranges are restricting practice with the holster.

At any rate, neither of these items refers to muzzle direction. So sorry for the thread derailment.
 
There hasn't been any change. The rule has always been "don't point a gun at anything you don't want to shoot."

There have also always been numbnuts and ying-yangs who violate that rule. The percentages of good and bad handlers has probably been fairly constant.
 
sorry if

Sorry if this is OT but what about the many who mount a flashlight on the muzzle of their pistol.

They will at some time point/aim it at something they want to I.D. and not shoot = if that is "modern" safety PLEASE count me out.
 
Well I personally keep my stuff pointed downrange/up, and that is how I teach everyone I take out to the range. The only time I 'sweep' anyone is when my rifle/shotgun is in its case. And, most people I shoot with/see at the range tend to be pretty good about it also.

The place I never see people really care about it (annoys the hell outta me) is at any gun store. Employees will take out a rifle/pistol someone is looking at, look down the aim themselves, then pass it to the customer who then points it randomly at an aisle/shelf to see the sights themselves. Granted, most employees do ensure the chamber is clear first, but I still think its a terrible habit to get into.
 
At 40 I don't know if I qualify as an older shooter, but muzzle safety was the first lesson I learned as a kid. To this day I bristle if I get covered by a weapon in a store or in any context where I'm supposed to assume the weapon is safe.
 
Muzzle direction is one that I truly agree with.

And that's the unsafe behavior the op was referencing.

I am more put off by the other "safety" rules such as not being able to handle a firearm except at the firing line or while going to/from the line. When doing something like mounting a scope or tightening a loose screw this rule can be a bit obnoxious, especially at ranges that don't have full size shooting benches/tables.

You might be "put off" by this rule of safety but any range I've ever shot at, be it public or private, handling your firearm while others are downrange or "going to/from the line" is grounds for immediate reprisal and/or eviction from the range-and rightly so. This is the slippery slope people embark on when they conjure up esoteric reasonings arguing that you can be "too safe"; I guess it then depends on how safe or unsafe each individual believes a given action is-and that's a recipe for a tragic shooting event.

I've never heard of an "obnoxious" safety rule. Reasonable people can debate the merits of a rule or its lack of common sense and modify or change it accordingly but being "too safe" should never be deemed a stigma. I only wish that everyone I share a range or shooting facility with would be "too safe". It's an obsession I can LIVE with.
 
I only wish that everyone I share a range or shooting facility with would be "too safe". It's an obsession I can LIVE with.

I agree with the above 100% - I guess where I differ is I do not get all freaked out and in a tizzy at a gun shop. For some reason I just accept the fact that people who have never shot a gun before, or even handled one may be handling them for the first time.

And, I can see where an employee may be a little relaxed on safe handling rules when they have to deal with 100's of customers a day. The last time I was at cabelas to buy primers I literally had to take a number like I was buying cold cuts. There were about 12 people handling guns at the counter. That is a GOOD thing. We want them to do so.

There IS no safe direction in a situation like this, and all you do by showing off and making a big deal about being "swept" buy the woman looking to buy her husband a gift is make yourself look like a know-it-all DB.... IMO...
 
I have to totally agree with SwampWolf! Cease fire has evidently been ordered, or nobody would be down range setting or changing targets, right? So, at our club, when cease fire is called, EVERYONE is to leave the firing line, no fooling with scopes, tightening screws, no one! If you need to do any of the preceding things, you take your firearm with you when you leave the firing line, and don't come back to it until "commence firing" is called again. If one can't follow those rules during shooting times, you take your firearms to your vehicle and leave. One other thing I like about our club: There signs by each shooting stall that reads, "Only one round in firearm at a time!" No 10 - 30 rd mags fully loaded in firearm at the bench, no semi shooting at the benches. There is another section of the range for those who need to clear their throats properly, but not here.:fire:
 
If I had a dime for everytime I have been swept I would be a rich man. Some people it gets to, others it doesnt. I practice it and try to lead by example. I always try to keep a cool head and broach the subject with tact. I think some people on here are too quick to take umbridge at any slight and I think that is due to over sensitivity of the current economic condition.
 
'countersweeping' for gunstore staff

This just occurred to me and I'll share it here as it is topical and might be useful to gun store staff.

A counterguy could reduce the likelyhood of being swept by customers by not standing directly in front of them. Instead, while handing over a HG, sidestep to the customer's 'strong side'.

Here's how: While standing in front of the customer, hand the cleared handgun half-way over the counter. Note which hand the customer uses to reach for the handgun - that hand is likely his strong hand. As you release the HG into the customer's grasp, sidestep to the customer's strong side. Since most controls are on the left side, when the customer manipulates the HG they will tend to sweep to their left.... Meanwhile, you are safely standing immediately to their right.

Likewise, for customers walking up to the gun counter, it might be a good strategy to sidle up to the far right end. This way, customers to their left are less likely to sweep them.

Here is another application of this principle, at the range:

Since most folk are right handed they will are more likely to sweep to their left. It is good strategy, from a statistical point of view, to pick a lane as far to the right as possible. The furthest to the right, the safer you likely will be.

Of course, none of this substitutes for maintaining overall situational awareness.

ymmv
 
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