Saturday 4 October 2014

Hazards of Firearms Instruction:

All Outdoors recently posted "The First Rule Of Firearms instruction - Don't Shoot your Students."

- Well, yes - that's fine as far as it goes - but maybe you need to add - "Don't let the student shoot you - or anyone else". - And also "Don't shoot yourself either."

I doubt there is anyone around who hasn't already seen this clip of the unfortunate officer having a very public 'accidental discharge'. - I used the word "unfortunate" to describe him because he unfortunately was poorly trained and trying to do a critical function that he had not been properly mentally conditioned for.


He ignored the basic Safety Rules:

 TREAT EVERY FIREARM AS IF IT IS LOADED

NEVER POINT A GUN AT ANYTHING YOU DO NOT INTEND TO DESTROY

KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO SHOOT

If you stick to all those rules all the time - any 'accidental' breech of one of them will not result in an "accident" - as the other rules will have prevented it.

I say 'accidental' because it isn't - what it truly is, - is 'negligent'.

For sure - "accidents happen" - but they always have a series of causal factors that happen one after the other. - A chain of events that leads to the incident.

Such as:  A 'safety' device that is de-activated, a rule broken, a danger not seen, something critical not checked, an unfortunate timing, and so on. - Result - Disaster.

I once saw here in New Zealand a retiring long service expert Police Armed Offender Squad Officer (SWAT) - interviewed on camera for TV - on his last day of duty - open the rear door of a patrol car - grasp a rifle by the muzzle - and pull it out of the car towards himself !

That truly might have been his last day.

- And never rely on a 'safety' on a gun - faith in such switches have caused so many accidental shootings.

Marty K.



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