How 4-rules conditioned are you?

[CNYCacher]

You can probably file this under personal quirk, but I noticed while cleaning my Ithaca 37 the other day that I can't bring myself to look down the muzzle end of the detatched barrel. Let me clarify: The barrel is OFF the gun. It's an 18.5" metal tube with breech threads on one end and a front sight on the other end, and I can't bring myself to inspect the bore by looking from the muzzle end. I suppose it's probably a good thing, but still I was surprised to discover this about myself.
Another thing I noticed since I got into shooting is I now have trigger discipline when using power tools. I can be seen carrying my cordless drill around with index finger extended along the motor housing, and safety on (forward/reverse switch set to middle ).
Third thing:
Was looking at handguns for the first time not too long ago, it was a 10-shot .22LR revolver. Clerk opened the cylinder, verified it was empty, handed it to me with the cylinder opened. I verified myself that it was empty, and then started looking at it. Clerk was explaining the various features and mentioned how nice the trigger is in SA mode. "You can try out the trigger." he says. I asked him if it that meant it was okay to dry-fire. He said "Yeah, as long as it's empty, you can practice dry-firing this anytime. Go ahead". At that point I opened the cylinder again and checked again that it was empty. Dry-firing at the floor in the store proved to be very difficult even after the double-check. I was almost sweating.

Does everyone experience this?

 

[Duncan223]

always better to be safe, than sorry

 

[Pilgrim]

Nothing wrong with being extra careful.

The gun shop I worked in for a few years had a few bullet holes in the walls from customers and even the owner who weren't careful enough.

Pilgrim

 

[made2cut]

Yep, I do those same things. You can't be too careful with something that can end your life in an instant. Even though I try to be triple safe I still do dumb stuff. The other day I was leaving the range after shooting my Beretta Cougar "G" and I holstered the weapon without decocking it. I realized it when I got to the car but doing stupid stuff like that makes you feel pretty human and reminds you to quadruple check things. :banghead:

 

[Fawkes]

Know 'em... Live 'em.
Testing will be conducted daily.

 

[doncol]

Nothing wrong with being extra careful.

The gun shop I worked in for a few years had a few bullet holes in the walls from customers and even the owner who weren't careful enough.

Pilgrim

My wife's birthday was a couple of weeks ago. She has been wanting a smaller carry gun and had been dropping some not so subtle hints to remind me of that fact. Specifically, she had been wanting a little KelTec p32 or p3at. There is a small gun store not too far from where I live so I went in to see what they had one in stock.

Unfortunately there were none in the display case but he went into the back and brought one out for me. There was not magazine in the weapon, but he did not check the chamber before he handed me the pistol. As soon as he handed me the pistol I pulled the slide back to check the chamber and a round clunked off of the glass counter. The dimwit handed me a loaded weapon.

Being the forgiving person that I want to someday become, I was going to try an overlook that small infraction, but instead of saying anything he just shrugged his shoulders in an "oh well" sort of way. I just laid the pistol down and walked away.

 

[psyopspec]

I'm ok with looking down the bore of a cleared and disassembled gun for inspection purposes. However, I have caught myself "indexing" my finger on the handle of my coffee mug before.

 

[Fawkes]

Hahahaha Guilty.

 

[Declaration Day]

This might sound silly, but I don't like having toy guns pointed at me, even if they look nothing like a real one. Yes, this includes squirt guns. I've been known to step out of the way and even scold a kid for pointing one at me!

 

[crofrog]

Dry-firing at the floor in the store proved to be very difficult even after the double-check. I was almost sweating.

Does everyone experience this?

I dry fire regulary. However I can't pull the trigger until I've checked about 3 times.

 

[tellner]

When I pick up a blue plastic training gun I instinctively try to drop the magazine and rack the slide.

This could turn into a High Road equivalent of the Dozens. "You're so 4-rules you can't use a hair dryer"...

 

[davera]

A little common sense

I think you can apply a little common sense in enforcing the rules and the original post seems a bit over anxious. Certainly, when handling an unfamiliar gun someone just handed you requires strict discipline but what about cleaning and handling your own guns? Once cleared, cleaning a gun implies some relaxing of muzzle discipline, dry firing implies a little relaxation of "where you point it discipline".
Having said that, my practice when casually handling my guns (OK I'm fondling them ... ) is to verify they are cleared and the magazine is empty, using the finger in the chamber and fiddle the magazine follower technique. At that point I'm comfortable inspecting the bore from the muzzle and dry firing at the TV or spots on the wall. Just handling it involves working the action repeatedly and that is a repetitive visual cue that the gun is cleared.

 

[ZeSpectre]

I'm pretty well trained myself, sometimes to the annoyance of a friend of mine who tells me that I have more "rituals" than anyone else he knows. (By ritual he means dropping the mag, checking the chamber, spinning a wheel gun or swinging the cyllender out, to check for myself ).

I know it probably seems a little excessive to him but I've never had an AD or ND and actively work towards never having one.

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

Haha, I've caught myself indexing my finger on power tools as well. Never point an 18v DeWalt at anything you're not willing to screw . I don't have a problem with muzzles of dissassembled guns though, especially while cleaning to inspect the barrel.

 

[Outlaw Man]

I guess it's a good problem to have.


I have also noticed it on power drills.

 

[tellner]

Never point an 18v DeWalt at anything you're not willing to screw

Must... Stay... On... High... Road... Agony... At... Shatnerian... Levels...

 

[JohnRov]

Pretty much any time I'm holding something with a pistol grip, my finger is along the frame. I probably look pretty silly holding my drill but no more ADs (accidental drillings).

 

[tinygnat219]

Pretty conditioned, I'd have to say. I always check my guns at the range to ensure they are not loaded when I am leaving, and when I am cleaning them I always assume that they are loaded and check them again. If I have any doubt, I check them again.
TJ

 

[Nil]

I think I'm pretty good. Even though I'm relatively new to firearms, I'm the type of guy when I get into something, I get into it all the way. Hell, I spent months researching guns before I purchased my first one. Now with that being said, I hate being seen as that clueless begineer bumbling along in search of a clue. So I make sure to pay careful attention to all the safety rules.

One bad story on my part though: Last week when I was purchasing a pistol, I brought up a variety of different kinds up to see which one was the most natural pointing one for me. I did this a few times with one model and the gun shop employee said something to me, so I turned, listend, nodded and then while turning my head back brought the gun back up. Turns out a woman in the shop moved directly into where I was pointing before while I had my head turned and I ended up training the pistol on her. Soon as I realized this (maybe a half second later), I brought the gun down and apologized profusely. So yeah, I guess I did violate the "know your target" rule for that brief time.

 

[skers69]

I always check to see if a gun is loaded. No matter is someone just checked it or not. I guess that is the one rule I really get goofy on.

 

[mp510]

I naturally index a firearm when I am handling it, and I also find it necesary to check the chamber several times before dry firing. Usually the first dryfire is the worst, the additional snaps aren't so bad.

 

[kd7nqb]

I will admit I came into this backwards, I started indexing my finger on power tools and things like that mostly to prove to my buddies that I was infact the gun guy in the group. But now do it instinctivly. As for dry firing, personally I am ok with it but I shoot exclusivly other peoples guns right now so I always ask them first since some people dont like their guns being dry fired. I DONT LOOK DOWN BARRELLS BACKWARDS., I will side peep through a chamber but not "up" it.

 

[imprezagm4]

I'm pretty darn good, especially being a gun owner less than 6 months. All guns show empty chamber anytime we aren't shooting. Triple check for empty chamber after finished shooting. I don't feel quite right dry firing in my house even with magazine removed, open empty chamber and pointed in a safe directiton.

 

[Orthonym]

Oh, CNY ,

This has to do with Rule 1, or maybe Rule Zero, i.e. what is a gun?

IMHO, a gun is a tube which is open at one end, and more or less closed at the other end. (please don't obfuscate with Davis gun stories from WWI)

If you can see all the way through it from end to end, and it's obviously empty, it's not a gun, but a piece of pipe.

Not to say you aren't being prudent by being cautious around gun-like objects.

 

[Atticus]

Very much so now...there's something about hearing a BOOM!!! when you're expecting a click, and putting a 230gn Gold dot through your own hand that makes you that way. A missing digit makes for a good safety talking point. I tend to index my finger on my power drills to, and I'm much more aware of muzzle control.
Poor muzzle control at gun shows and gun shops make sme particularly uncomfortable (and angry) these days. I took my 10 year old daughter with me today to look at .22 pistols. The clerk at the (un-named) gun store, removed the gun from the case and pointed it straight at my daughter's head with his finger on the trigger. I grabbed her by the coat and jerked her hehind me. He looked a little embarrassed and proceeded to check the chamber. Yeah...I'm pretty much a safety Nazi these days.