Firearm handling etiquette question

[don]

When I show anyone a firearm, I first inspect it to assure that it is not loaded, then I expect them to do likewise.

 

[kd7nqb]

I agree with the ideas that you should always check for yourself. I also hesitate before I handle somebodys gun that is either super expensive or super old. I just know that it would be my luck that I would rack the slide and break a spring on some guys 1911 that his father brought back from the war.

 

[coloradokevin]

If someone hands me a firearm, I figure they already know that I am going to be handling it.

I ALWAYS check any weapon I handle. It is just a good safe practice. In my 20+ years of shooting, I've yet to see damage to a gun that has occured as a result of checking the chamber. The residue from your finger's "oils" are a minimal impact on the gun. If your friend maintains his weapons, I feel that it will never be an issue (personally, I'll occasionally pull my guns out and apply a light coat of oil to them when they are sitting for a long period of time... and I always wipe them down after they are handled).

Checking a gun is pretty much standard operating procedure... We do it at work, I do it in stores, and I do it when a friend hands me a gun. It isn't an insult. I feel more insulted when someone handles my guns and doesn't know how to safely handle them!

Some people are a bit too sensitive I guess. I say, you can't be too safe.

To draw a parallel with other safety issues, the same thing goes for prisoner searches in LE... If one of my shift partners handcuffed and searched a prisoner, I'll often search them again before they ride in my car. It isn't an insult to the other officer, it is just a safety issue.


Having said that, I'm not inclined to go grab the bore light to look for loose debris in my friend's barrel, but checking the chamber is always good practice.

 

[sacp81170a]

The physical (finger) check is necessary anytime you can't clearly see the breach or chamber, as with some bolt actions, especially if you don't have a safe direction to point the muzzle while you check visually. I'd rather wipe and re-oil the chamber of a weapon someone has checked than be swept with a muzzle. I've had people comment about the finger check, but if they've just handed me a weapon I can't check any other way I'll point that fact out. The safety of others is more important than the minor inconvenience of having to wipe down a chamber.

 

[jakemccoy]

don wrote,

When I show anyone a firearm, I first inspect it to assure that it is not loaded, then I expect them to do likewise.

I agree.

 

[Clipper]

I don't have people in my house, so the guns in my home are a non-issue, but I have handed my carry piece to a few trusted friends & relatives who expressed interest in seeing it (mostly because they're curious about the PF-9 itself). They know I carry. They know it's loaded. and believe me, they know how to safely handle it, or I wouldn't let them touch it, because I'm not messing around unloading it for someone I know will handle it properly. I do tell them it's hot, but unless I'm unsure of their gunhandling (in which case I do clear it), I don't worry about it.

 

[bigbadbowtie]

I do as Eng23ine said.... I will hand them a safe weapon but I fully expect them to double check.

 

[akolleth]

Don't remember where exactly I heard this from but I liked it...

If Jesus himself descended from upon high, handed me a rifle, and told me it was unloaded... I would still check it myself.

 

[orygunmike]

Safe Direction

The NRA's first rule of safe gun handling:

Always point the gun in a safe direction.

Before I handle any gun, I always determine the safe direction. If I am at someone else's residence and I am not sure of the safe direction, I ask before handling any firearms.

 

[scythefwd]

Many bolts you can remove the bolt by squeezing the trigger while pulling the bolt back (and well after it is opened enough to avoid any contact of the firingpin to primer or anything else. That will allow you to look down the bore from the rear of the chamber. Is there a bolt gun where you cant see the breach from the side? My .22lr's even have enough room to see. Not trying to be smart here, but can anyone post a pic/give an example of one you cant see the breach?

To check to see if a ML is clear, remove the primer, flint piece, or cap and gently run the ramrod gently down the barrel. You should be able to tell if there is a round in the chamber then. Some rods that came with the firearm have a mark for where the barrel could come to on the rod when it is empty, if it doesn't make it to that point, loaded. My rods (and all the ones in my family) have a sharpie or groove mark we put in at the loaded point and the empty point. Its easy, two lines its "pregnant" or loaded, one line it isn't.

 

[CountGlockula]

Handle it as if it were your own.

 

[brekneb]

Thanks again.

 

[sacp81170a]

Is there a bolt gun where you cant see the breach from the side? My .22lr's even have enough room to see. Not trying to be smart here, but can anyone post a pic/give an example of one you cant see the breach?

There are several, especially long actions, where it's difficult to see the chamber from the side. It's not impossible, but it can be inconvenient and awkward, especially if you're in a situation where there's a crowd of folks around (I'm talking gun shows here) and you have difficulty finding a safe direction to point while checking. In that case, a quick check with the old pinky finger is by far the safest way to do it. I do it when I'm putting zip ties on guns being brought into the show. As a side note, I have no problem asking when someone hands me an unfamiliar weapon and I don't know how to break it down. Another point is that if you know something about collectible guns, you can pretty much tell which ones the owner is going to be real picky about you handling. If that's the case, I'll let the owner show me that it's clear and let him put the tie on himself. I always respect other people's property, especially their rare and expensive guns.

I have had people bring in old wall-hanger muzzle loaders that were loaded. One guy had a double barrel muzzle loader, so I put the rod in one barrel, OK. The rod stuck out of the other barrel about 3 extra inches, so we knew that one was loaded. In that case, he was bringing it in to see a collector we both knew, so I let him leave it with me and go talk to the collector. The collector came out, looked at it and bought it without it going in to the show. Apparently if there's enough history behind a piece, unloading lessens its historical value (it was a Civil War era gun).

 

[mtnmedic11]

I just point peoples guns at them and pull the trigger. I figure if they hand me a loaded weapon and I shoot them with it they will learn their lesson...I wonder why no one wants to shoot with me anymore?

Im kidding by the way...dont get crazy on me.

 

[bensdad]

I never accept a gun from someone elses hands if the action on the gun is closed. The slide should be locked back and any detachable magazine removed. The cylinder should be swung out/removed. The breach should be open. Whatever. Other details (press-check, bore light, etc.) are individual. Proper etiquette is to hand any gun over with the action open. Proper etiquette is to ask others to do the same.

 

[tntwatt]

I consider it respectful if I hand a cleared weapon to someone and they clear it again. Shows they care about both our safety.

 

[gym]

Here is how I was taught, first they clear the wepon and show it to you, then you take it pointed at the floor from them, and you re check it again, if it's an auto, it should of had the mag removed prior to your hands getting it, if he put it back in, ask that it be removed, pointed down ward again, rack the slide and check to make sure there are no rounds left inside, the revolver should also have been empty and handed to you with the cylinder open. Ask for a cleaning cloth, as you never want to put any weapon away without wiping off the corosive elements from your hand. The way I was taught was if you didn't re check the weapon after it was handed back to you, you recieved a slap to the side of your head, by a Marine. I have seen my old uncle Mike, slap a lot of heads, God rest his sole.

 

[scythefwd]

I just point peoples guns at them and pull the trigger. I figure if they hand me a loaded weapon and I shoot them with it they will learn their lesson...I wonder why no one wants to shoot with me anymore?

It's unfortunate that this does actually happen.

gym - I have had a couple of knots raised on the top of my head for that exact same thing, but it was by an army grunt. Wonder if that was how it was taught back in the day.

 

[tntwatt]

Got the back of my head slapped a few times as a kid. Not once in the service. Thank God for pro-gun parents!

 

[frogomatic]

I doubt I'm the only one like this, but if I was to invite you to handle my firearms, I would have cleared, checked, and double checked the gun before I ever hand it to you, then I would expect you to clear, check, and double check it yourself, to verify, and confirm that it is unloaded. I'd rather have have your dirty fingers in my chamber, than somebody's blood on my floor.

 

[3rd Generation American]

My first lesson in gun handeling was a gun is always loaded, check it to be sure it is not.
My second lesson was a gun is always loaded, check it to be sure it is not.

So if you hand me one I will check it.