Gun Safety Rules

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Crakkerjakk

Do you know of any stats on what percentage of shootings are under the influence of alcohol? I've been trying to find them and had no luck.

I can't find anything either, sorry. I guess I was just remembering several anecdotes of people doing stupid things with guns while drinking.

I didn't mean to make unfounded assumptions, but I'd frankly be surprised if a large percentage of accidental shootings related to negligent gun handling didn't also involve drugs or alcohol.

[Anders]

Originally Posted by HANS

This is a part of Guns skill. In fact, I write in Tactical Shooting that safe operation of the gun is part of Guns skill.

Cheers

HANS

I bow in the presence of a master. I think that's as close to Word of God as we're going to get.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by aesir23

I can't find anything either, sorry. I guess I was just remembering several anecdotes of people doing stupid things with guns while drinking.

I didn't mean to make unfounded assumptions, but I'd frankly be surprised if a large percentage of accidental shootings related to negligent gun handling didn't also involve drugs or alcohol.

No, I'm not challenging your statements. I've just been making the same assumption but unable to find actual statistics on it for some time, and it's been annoying me.

[sir_pudding]

Originally Posted by HANS

I would never require a perk for this. The gun safety rules are the most basic, most simple measures you adhere to when employing a dangerous tool like a firearm. Really, that's like "Don't touch the flame." I know very well that people still manage to hurt others and themselves in clear violation of the rules -- but people also manage to burn themselves, fall down the stairs, and do any number of other stupid things.

I think what Doug is saying that a perk will get you immunity to negligent discharges even if you roll a critical failure.

[PK]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I think what Doug is saying that a perk will get you immunity to negligent discharges even if you roll a critical failure.

I think that would be reasonable, as long as it's phrased to make it clear why it's worth the point. This needs justification to be given an extra cost, after all. Bundling in some minor, related benefits would help. Something like this might work:

SOP (Gun Safety Fanatic)

You never stop thinking about firearm accidents. You always know where your barrel is pointing, you never let the hammer slip, you're especially mindful not to snag your trigger on clothing, etc. In game, no firearm you're using will ever discharge accidentally, even on a critical failure. As you've specifically practiced how to quickly and safely lower a hammer and thumb a safety, you may do either as a free action, no roll required; see Conditions of Readiness (Tactical Shooting, p. 8) for more.

The last bit overlaps with Lightning Fingers, but it also follows logically from the first bit. That is, the consequence of dropping a hammer too quickly is an accidental discharge -- so if you're immune to that, your character should be able to drop the hammer as fast as he likes! (PS: This paragraph will make a lot more sense once y'all have read Tactical Shooting, sorry!)

[Anders]

Excellent. I'll just add that haranguing everybody else about gun safety can easily lead to an Odious Personal Habit.

[DouglasCole]

Originally Posted by sir_pudding

I think what Doug is saying that a perk will get you immunity to negligent discharges even if you roll a critical failure.

Yeah, it's gotta be worth the point, obviously. Pants Positive Safety gives you immunity to one kind of deliberate stupidity; a properly costed Perk should give you immunity to all kinds of negligent stupidity, of the "don't even bother rolling" kind.

[sir_pudding]

FWIW, I'd charge a point if a character wanted to be completely immune to accidently burning themselves or falling down stairs.

[Crakkerjakk]

Originally Posted by Asta Kask

Excellent. I'll just add that haranguing everybody else about gun safety can easily lead to an Odious Personal Habit.

Meh, if everyone else is being safe, yes.

Being anal retentive about safety around other people that are usually safe, with one or more people being lackadaisical is not going to annoy the serious shooters.

I took away one of my Marine's rounds for the duration of the war because he was wandering around with a round in the chamber when he wasn't supposed to be. No one thought I was out of line.

[fredtheobviouspseudonym]

I'm no expert (although I've almost been shot twice -- by negligence) but IMHO there are two groups that are especially dangerous with firearms.

1.) The rookies who don't know the rules;

2.) Some of the old hands, who think they're so experienced that the rules don't apply. Two relatives of mine were shot (not fatally, thankfully) by this latter group.

If you follow the rules of firearms' safety religiously you will NOT shoot anyone. If you don't you well might.

So, for GURPS, you can have some guy with about 8 points in Guns still make a mistake (see #2 above.)