Gun Safety Rules

[ClayDowling]

Originally Posted by Ketsuban

given two people who've never held a firearm before, if one of them has received the safety lecture and comprehends the Rules enough to make a valid attempt at being safe even if he can't necessarily recite them from memory doesn't he stand an improved chance of not shooting his own balls off versus the other guy?

Gun safety is as much about muscle memory as knowledge. You have to build the habit of handling weapons safely.

Some weapons are also easier to handle safely than others. People are a lot less likely to make a bad mistake with a long weapon than a handgun, for instance, because it's a lot easier to turn a handgun and point it in a bad direction. Although the only time my grandfather (a police officer and one of the best and safest shooters I have known) was shot was with his own .22 rifle while crossing a fence. The doctor was not sympathetic and used the cotton swab he cleaned the wound with much like a ram-rod.