Your Pro Citizen Newsletter 72: Practical firearms safety (yawn...)

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Oh my gosh, how many times do we need to hear it…

Yes, we should be training year round. Yes, there should be little to no surge in outdoor training compared to other seasons. No, this is not reality. The truth is much of the community prefers warm weather for outdoor activities; it is just the way it is. With summer bearing down on us we wanted to review a few firearms training safety best practices and the practical aspects of the standard “firearms safety rules”. We have all heard four of the five rules ad-nauseum during our lives, but 100 percent of the time any unintended firearm injury in the community is related to one of these 5 rules. So while some will scoff at the reinforcement of these as “amateurish” the real armed professionals understand the poor handling of firearms results in a loss of combat power… or even a loved one.

Absolute disclaimer: the information in this newsletter is for entertainment purposes only, the author(s) and the Professional Citizen Project accept zero responsibility or liability for use of this information. Any injury or death due to the use or misuse of this information falls solely on the individual reader.

The Five Firearms Safety Rules

The Five Firearm Safety Rules (traditionally there are 4, but we use 5 in The Project)

Rule Zero. Ego has consequences; the adult male has an uncanny ability to convince themselves they know what they are doing even when in unfamiliar territory. Be familiar with the mechanical features of the firearm you are about to handle. If you are unfamiliar with a specific firearm, you have no business carrying, clearing, manipulating, or handling it. Many negligent discharges have resulted from ego and not asking for help. There is no shame in admitting you are inexperienced with or do not know the components and functions of a particular firearm. Leave it alone and have someone who knows the mechanics of that model teach you.

Rule 1. Control your muzzle (Muzzle Awareness) Avoid pointing your gun at anything you do not intend to shoot. In the event of a negligent discharge, no injury can occur if the muzzle is oriented in a safe direction. Know exactly where your muzzle is pointing (Muzzle Awareness) and always be in control of it. Ensure the path between gun and target (gun target line) is clear. To reiterate the disclaimer yet again, the authors accept no liability for the content of this newsletter. There will be times when your muzzle crosses a teammate, there is no way around it. It should not occur during administrative activities or live fire flat range training, this is not what we are talking about. During maneuver there will be times when your muzzle crosses or covers a friendly, there is no way around it. The key is to have the awareness and maturity to understand when and why it is acceptable and when it is not. I can’t count the number of times I have been muzzled on a flat range by some jackass; these are the times when this is not appropriate. There are moments in time when a friendly loaded firearm will be briefly oriented at other friendlies. It must be as brief as possible, must be unavoidable in the context of the situation, and tactically appropriate. This caveat is this is not free reign to consider yourself a super operator because you point loaded weapons at teammates.

Rule 2. Treat All Guns as if they are loaded. Whenever you handle a firearm, or hand it to someone, always engage the mechanical safety, remove the source of ammo (magazine), open the action, and visually check the chamber. Never assume a gun is unloaded when handed to you — check for yourself even if you just watched someone else clear it. There are lots of examples at gun store counters of “unloaded” firearms going off after the sales clerk handed the gun to a potential customer.

There are times during training when you will intentionally point and shoot at a teammate with blank ammo or other training aids. This is not what we are talking about; I’ve seen “nuh - uh” pushback on this rule because of this, let’s apply some above room temp IQ common sense and understand when we talk about treating guns as if they were loaded. It is simply understanding the status and context of any weapon you have in your hands.

Rule 3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you have made the decision to shoot. Never touch the trigger on a firearm until you intend to shoot and keep your fingers away from the trigger while loading or unloading. Do not solely rely upon the safety on the gun. Never pull the trigger on any firearm with the safety on the “safe” position unless doing maintenance / performing a function check on a cleared gun.

Rule 4. Always Be Sure of Your Target and What’s Beyond It. You must positively identify the target and know what is in front of and what is beyond it. We do this to ensuring bullets (aka rounds) will not injure any friendly between, beyond, or near your intended target. This is especially important tactically; knowing where friendlies are in relation to the target or target area is critical. The risk of fratricide goes up exponentially as teams send assault elements across an objective or if you are involved in a concealed carry defensive shoot in a crowded area.

Range Safety

Ah yes, the public range. One of my favorite things to (justifiably) complain about. we have all had our series of nightmares or bad experiences on public ranges. When we use the term public it includes the paid membership “private” ranges as well, essentially anywhere you will be exposed to another shooter or range safety officer that is not in your group or family. This also includes the shooting classes we all enjoy attending.

Safety Officers and Range Employees. This is not said to disparage all gun range workers, but you will come across some dumb range personnel enforcing some dumb range rules. There is no other way to put it. You may be limited in your range options where you live, so you may have to use an undesirable shooting facility. But NEVER go to a range that is dangerous or has sketchy staff or shooters; it is not worth the risk. Look up. You can get a feel for the type of shooters at a range by looking at the ceiling (of an indoor) or overhead shelter at an outdoor facility. If there are bullet holes you definitely don’t want to be around other shooters that go to that range. There is a local indoor range near me that has hundreds (no exaggeration) of bullet holes in the ceiling above the shooting stations. Indoor ranges should be low on your list to begin with, but this one is a prime example of the “never go to” list. Keep in mind the most dangerous thing on a range are the other shooters.

Protective Equipment. Eye Protection (eye pro) and ear protection (ear pro). These may be referred to on the range as “eyes and ears”. Always use high quality eye and hearing protection when shooting. Even with a reliable, safe firearm using quality ammo a mishap can still occur. Pieces of your firearm or ammo casing will fly in all directions during a catastrophic gun failure. Your dollar store sunglasses are not eye protection, spend some bucks and get proper eyepro. Protecting your vision against these fragments is an easy thing to do; always use ballistically rated eye pro. Protect your ears as well. Hearing loss is cumulative, every loud noise you are exposed to gets you closer to losing a portion of your hearing. Use high quality flange earplugs at a minimum, do not use cheap disposable foam earplugs as your only source of protection. If you must shoot at an indoor range, I recommend doubling up and wearing earplugs as well as earmuffs. Get to a sink and wash your hands after shooting. At a minimum use commercially available lead wipes after a range session to remove the toxic residue. Lead is present on your firearm and ammo when you shoot, you don’t want to accidentally ingest any amount of it. If you have kiddos they are especially susceptible to lead ingestion, it si not unmanly to be diligent about washing your hands after a range session.

Be Aware. Situational Awareness applies even more so on a public range. Pay attention to the types of people on the line and the ones that arrive after you. Assess their demeanor and how they handle firearms. If you sense anything out of the ordinary pack your stuff and leave. If you must go downrange (outdoor range) to check or change targets leave one person back at the table or bench to watch your firearms. Always try to be the last shooter on the line to leave and go downrange and be the first one back. If all your party must go downrange at the same time, ensure you do not leave loaded mags by your guns that other shooters could quickly access and use. Being shot and killed with your own long gun is the ultimate insult to injury. Be a little bit paranoid when on a public range and don’t let yourself get distracted. Don’t ever go to a remote public land range without several friends, the potential to get rolled up and have your guns stolen or become a local news story is always a possibility at isolated ranges.

Summary. The tactical application for these rules is where we want your head to be. It is about preserving combat power and fratricide prevention; not memorization of a set of rules posted at every range. I have witnessed experienced men, combat arms types with combat experience do some truly stupid things with firearms. Ego is always the number one issue with inexperience coming in a close second. And of course any substance (alcohol or otherwise) should never be comingled with firearms and ammo. Firearms are tools - professional tools. If anyone you know ever uses the statement “I got me a new toy I need to take to the range” I would dig deep and consider removing them from your serious side friend group. Indicators of intentionality with firearms abound, assess and evaluate those around you. The hobby side (and even the profession) of firearms is enjoyable…but should never be considered anything less than absolutely lethal.

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