What Is The Most Dangerous Time For New Shooters, Mindset Changes Over Years

[Hartkopf]

I have my opinions about how people change over time. Though fairly new to firearms, I've worked with dangerous equipment and race cars for years and I've seen near accidents and stupid behavior. One of my interests is to prevent accidents and find the cause of accidents to learn from others mistakes.

A new shooter can be so many different things. A twelve year old girl learning to hunt from dad, a 40 year old man learning self defense tactics off of the internet, a 26 year old mother learning firearm basics from the guys at work. A few go straight to professionals for training.

After being trained or learning on their own, right or wrong, over time people change. They get more comfortable, skills improve-or not, they get lazy-or not, they might get more training or enlightened along the way.

What do you believe to be the most dangerous time for a shooter to have an accident or do something careless? The first day? The first month? After a couple of years when comfort sets in? In the later years when the senses are not as sharp?

I have my opinions from years of experience in other fields but would like to hear from instructors, LEOs and old timers who have seen it all. (or quite a bit)

 

[HB]

From what I’ve witnessed, most younger Hunter Ed trained/scholastic trap shooters are extremely safety conscious.

Old men on the trap field or shooting pistols are terrifying. I think its a mix of complacency/mental decline and coming from a time where safety wasn’t taken as seriously.

The “cocky” know it alls are also bad regardless of age or training.

 

[Jim Watson]

I have been frightened more by ignorant novices waving guns around, but I think there is more damage done by gunowners with just enough experience to get complacent. Like the guy near here who loudly informed the USPSA RO that the USMC had taught him all he needed to know about gun handling. Moments before he mishandled his pistol and shot himself in the leg.

 

[Timeless]

Basically it is always when they do not follow the basic 4 rules...which is usually a result of too much comfort/laziness.

My personal belief would be a weapon that requires trigger pull to disassemble and not following the rules.

 

[SharpDog]

From what I’ve witnessed, most younger Hunter Ed trained/scholastic trap shooters are extremely safety conscious.

Old men on the trap field or shooting pistols are terrifying. I think its a mix of complacency/mental decline and coming from a time where safety wasn’t taken as seriously.

The “cocky” know it alls are also bad regardless of age or training.

Speaking as an old man ... I have always had a healthy respect for firearms ... likely due yo an NRA hunter safety course my dad took me to when I got my first shotgun around age 12. I was always extremely muzzle conscious and still am.

I would say the most dangerous time is before a person is trained.

 

[HB]

Speaking as an old man ... I have always had a healthy respect for firearms ... likely due yo an NRA hunter safety course my dad took me to when I got my first shotgun around age 12. I was always extremely muzzle conscious and still am.

I should clarify, its something about skeet fields specifically. I understand the o/u broken open is safe but there is no other range where it’s permitted to point action open guns at your foot or friends.

 

[Hartkopf]

I would say the most dangerous time is before a person is trained.

True. Somebody who doesn't know what they don't know can be extremely dangerous.

 

[Palladan44]

Complacency.
Judging from how many muzzles ive seen pointed at me inadvertently, people with years and years of BAD experience and BAD habits are one of the bigger problems among the LAWFUL gun owning crowd.

I had a hunter safety instructor (assistant) fire a muzzleloader cap when pointed at the wall above everyones head in the crowd. And he said "well i knew it wasnt loaded".

Picked up a .38 at a gun show that was sitting at a fellow exhibitors table, all 6 cylinders loaded. Oops.

And then the guy who shot the Salt block at 10 yds. with about 4 bystanders. Thinking the 450 Marlin would make the salt block go "poof". The slug bounced back at hit a boy, the boy was lucky.

A local gun range here was shut down permanently because a long time member was shooting at skeet clays with his 45 ACP. One of the bullets hit a restaurant patron a mile away. Range closed forever.

Was deer hunting and had a guy pointing his rifle at us, using his scope as binoculars, probably to see if the deer we were dragging was a buck??? (It was not)

Ive experienced lots of stupidity. All from what youd call "experienced" gun people (not sure about the deer hunter)

I myself have had a few instances over the years where knowing what was beyond my target wasnt as clear as it should have been. One really close call once squirrel hunting with a .22, opened up at a squirrel. Hikers walked up from direction i was shooting within minutes. My heart sank to my stomach.

The issue is that bad habits can be gotten away with for years upon years upon years. But the dice are rolled every time, and they start to not realize it.... Until the dice are rolled snake eyes.
Complacency and bad experience from individuals whove been "doing this for a long long time" are the most dangerous IMHO.

Ive been doing this a long time, and I continue to seek professional training, and learn a lot every time. Having professional training on your resume as a self defender/gun owner is a really smart idea in this day and age.

 

[GBExpat]

I think that the two most dangerous times are when the shooter is a neophyte and later when s/he is cycling thru natural periods of complacency.

I guess that roughly translates to before you are knowledgeable & comfortable with firearms and then when you become too knowledgeable & comfortable with firearms.

I don't know that I have ever experienced a safety-awareness issue with longguns, but periodically (rarely, thank goodness) I have scared myself a little bit with a handgun. That trend may reflect the multiple-times-daily handling of a handgun (carrying a handgun long ago became in integral part of the fabric of my life) rather than only periodically handling longguns.

 

[md7]

My opinion is this. The gun safety rules should be cemented, followed, and serve as the foundation upon which your gun ownership/handling exists.

Any shooter, regardless of shooting experience, that lacks this foundation is a liability.

 

[theotherwaldo]

I've always figured that the Gun Safety Bell Curve starts at Ignorance, goes through Conscientiousness and terminates at Complacency... .

 

[Hartkopf]

My unofficial tabulation (observers and scrutineers were kicked out) has complacent at any level of experience in the lead for having accidents.

 

[md7]

I've always figured that the Gun Safety Bell Curve starts at Ignorance, goes through Conscientiousness and terminates at Complacency... .

Bumper sticker worthy.

 

[DukeConnor]

I am approaching this from a different angle.

I feel one of the most dangerous times is when learning to draw and shoot. People just love to put their finger in the trigger gaurd.

 

[Hartkopf]

I am approaching this from a different angle.

I feel one of the most dangerous times is when learning to draw and shoot. People just love to put their finger in the trigger gaurd.

More complacency. Or bad/no training.

 

[Old Dog]

The most dangerous time comes at varying intervals for most people. People who, for whatever reason conclude they don't need to learn anything more about guns, they know all they need to know.

It's when someone who's gotten into the firearms world comes to a point where he (or she) decides they know enough about firearms. Then they just stop making an effort to learn more, either about the guns themselves, or how to use them more effectively.

I see this a lot in law enforcement. And did in the military. Some guys are stuck in 1996 or whenever ("Back when I was in DESERT STORM...") and haven't learned a darn thing more about guns since they got through AIT or hunter education or their CCW class. Or a YouTube video they watched...

The true "gun person" is a life-long learner, and knows that there is always more useful information out there, more education and training to be had.

The day you decide that you're already there, that's when you become dangerous.

 

[theotherwaldo]

The day you decide that you're already there, that's when you become dangerous.

-True in any activity or occupation.

 

[Speedo66]

I worked in LE for 40 years for the state in NYC. Most of my brother and sister officers were not gun people, most had never touched a gun before the academy.

To be honest, I never felt safe around most of them in the locker room. People also did a lot of stupid things, including horsing around with loaded guns, pointing them at people jokingly. One officer in particular used to do it regularly, but had never done it to me.

After seeing him foolishly point one at someone in the same room as me, I told him that if he ever pointed his gun at me I was going to take it that he was going to shoot me, and I would shoot him first. He laughed and thought I was joking, then he saw on my face I wasn't. He never did point one at me, thankfully, because I think there was a good chance I actually would have shot him.

In our situation, I think it was complacency. People were so used to changing guns in and out of holsters several times on a daily basis, they kind of lost their initial fear and didn't give them enough respect for what they were capable of.

I'm still nervous in gun stores and at gun shows with people waiving guns around. I have told people not to point guns in my direction at both places, always get the same stupid "it's not loaded."

 

[.38 Special]

After watching countless shooters both new and old, experienced and beginner, thoroughly trained and completely ignorant, and also after having reviewed the various statistics, it appears to me that the most dangerous part of a gunman's career is driving to the range.

 

[Hrbie22]

IMO, anytime. For any shooter. New or old. Not trying to skirt the OP question. Just a fact. Doesn't matter who the shooter is, age, experience, training. When a gun is loaded it can be the most dangerous, or the safest situation. Just depends on that situation.

 

[Rubone]

I luckily survived my youth which involved firearms along with a host of other deadly vices and actually learned quite a bit along the way. Older friends, veterans, gun shops, all helped instill a sense of care and awareness. Mostly dumb luck and an angel on my shoulder.
When my wife wanted to get into shooting and get her CCW permit it was a no brainer, get trained by a professional, not me! ( I told her the same thing when she started riding motorcycles even though I had a 30 year head start on her). For her birthday shortly thereafter I gave her a "Defensive Handgun Course" as a gift. She insisted I attend with her so I did. And I learned a bit, too! Of course she out shot everyone in the course including me, so there is that.
My advice to new shooters...get a good trainer, one removed from friends and family. Learn right, this isn't a game.

 

[Corpral_Agarn]

the most dangerous, in my experience, has been the people who think they have it all down and start getting complacent.

They know how their gun works (loading/unloading, etc), they know the safety rules, "they know how to shoot", they've been a few times...

Worst trigger finger discipline and muzzle control because they feel like they can't make a mistake.

 

[Palladan44]

The safety triangle applies here I believe. Borrowing from another industry, but same principle.
(#of occurences)
3000 gun rules violated. To the ignorant people, these go un noticed. Lack of safety, lack of care, bad habits. [Doing stupid stuff and nothing bad happens]

300 near misses, you walk away from these with just the experience. (Some learn from them, others dont) These can wake up even ignorance, hopefully. [Doing stupid stuff, and something bad almost happens]

30 minor injuries, property damages or run ins with law. Thiswill cost you money or a visit to the hospital. Cost you a ticket, jail, gun privleges or worse.[Doing stupid stuff, and something gets broken or a minor injury] (Putting a hole through your neighbors house with a .22 falls in this category)

1 Major injury or fatality, a life(s) changes forever. Period.[Doing stupid stuff, and you cause yourself or someone else life altering bodily harm or death]

The more complacent, ignorant, or lack of care you have, the more rules you break, then the more likely you are to have a near miss. Keep that up, odds are you you will have one of the other 2 happen.
Must be safe all the time.

 

[J-Bar]

The danger never ends, never changes. The first time, the 10,000,000th time, samee, samee, alla samee.

Pick up a gun, it’s dangerous. For everyone.

Ignore the rules at your peril.

The question presumes some shooters are safer than others due to experience. ...”mindset changes “....

No.

 

[earlthegoat2]

I used to work at a firearms heavy pawnbroker. I took great care when handling firearms and expected it of everyone else in my store including the other employees.

Fast forward and that constant vigilance has waned a bit. If I’m not around other people I get lax. I know it. I once cocked the hammer on a loaded revolver without even thinking about it. I was about to “dry” fire it (at the floor) when something didn’t feel right and I remembered it was still hot. Sobering but I was proud of myself in a certain way because I had still followed the rules and wold have still been safe but highly embarrassed.