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Old January 28, 2013, 11:46 AM   #26
Panfisher
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It may sound odd but if I am handing someone a firearm and I clear it right in front of them, and as soon as they get it they clear it, it makes me feel good, I then know "hey that's somebody I could go hunting or shooting with".
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Old January 28, 2013, 12:42 PM   #27
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If you are handing someone your gun, your slide show be racked back to show proper respect it is unloaded. This is how they do it at gun stores and so should you.

When I look at a gun at my LGS, I remove the magazine and inspect the gun, then reinsert the magazine and put my finger in the chamber to insure somehow no round got in "magicially".
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Old January 28, 2013, 01:03 PM   #28
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Had a local gun shop, handed me two different shotguns without checking the chamber. The second was different enough that I couldn't figure out how to open the action. I just shook my head, gently put the weapon down, thanked the salesperson, and left. Never to darken their door again. It went out of business a couple of months ago.
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Old January 28, 2013, 10:30 PM   #29
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Just today I stopped in the LPS to pick up something i got off gunbroker. Woman comes in with some sort of small semi auto wanting to pawn it. The clerk asked her before he even touched it if it was loaded and she told him no, her husband emptied it last week. Clerk picked it up and promptly racked a live round out of the chamber.
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Old January 28, 2013, 11:04 PM   #30
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Not long after i started shooting I had a buddy hand me his EDC and tell me it was empty. I felt kind of awkward double checking him., so I didn't immediately check. After I handled it for a sec he said he thought there might be one in the chamber. There was. I haven't worried about being awkward since.
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Old January 28, 2013, 11:13 PM   #31
Brian Pfleuger
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Major Dave (retired)
"Treat EVERY gun as though it IS loaded...until you check it, YOURSELF".

There is no "until".


All guns are always loaded.

There are plenty of stories (one being a Navy SEAL just recently) that "checked for themselves", decided it wasn't loaded and blew their brains out.

No qualifiers. No exceptions.

ALL guns are always loaded. <-Period
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Old January 28, 2013, 11:27 PM   #32
Willie Sutton
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"When I saw the man across the counter clear the gun, it gave me confidence that he knew how to handle it safely. When he saw me do it, it gave him confidence that I could also be trusted. It's kind-of like a secret handshake."



Excellent, and so true. Well said.

Willie

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Old January 29, 2013, 08:02 AM   #33
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One of the times that sticks in my head;

My son's friend was over at the house. He loves Call of Duty and had wanted to see a real M1 Garand and M1 Carbine.

So I open up the safe pull out a Garand and checked to make sure it was clear.

I hand the rifle to my son's friend and first thing he does is put his finger on the trigger and start pointing that rifle at every living thing in the house. So i tell him be careful where you point that and always keep your finger off the trigger.

So Sam hands the Garand to my son, he checks to make sure it is clear and points the rifle in a safe direction with his finger off the trigger.

I pull out an M1 Carbine, check it and hand it to Sam. Same thing happens, finger on the trigger and pointing the rifle at every living thing in the house.

The kids were about 14 years old at the time. My sons have been shooting since they were 9 years old.

Sam's mother is very anti-gun so poor Sam never has learned to properly handle a firearm. If she wasn't so against it I would have taken him out to the range and trained him properly.
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Old January 29, 2013, 08:18 AM   #34
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Gun show.
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Old January 29, 2013, 08:47 AM   #35
zincwarrior
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I clear every weapon I am handed or hand someone locked open or cylinder out.
Yes, alternatively if I am handing a weapon to someone (other than the firing line) I will clear it in front of them and show them the empty chamber before handing over, even if I know its empty. Better safe than sorry.
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Old January 29, 2013, 12:08 PM   #36
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I think I should share an absolutely terrifying experience that took place about seven years ago with my much older next door neighbor (we moved years ago BTW).

We were standing out in his driveway with my then seven year old son discussing various things and he decides he wants to show me the new gun he had bought. It is a S&W revolver with some Crimson Trace grips. Before handing it to me he is showing me the various things he likes about it and then says; "look at your sons chest".

I look and there is a red dot on there. He moves it around a little and tells me it is well zeroed. I remain calm but move in front of my son slowly.

He then hands it to me, I roll it open and all the chambers are all full.

I actually broke out into a cold sweat. For me that is actually pretty significant as I am not startled easily.

One of the reasons it was so terrifying is that I knew another man (an NRA certified instructor, range safety officer, collegiate level rifle team coach) who had accidentally shot and killed a 10 year old boy at a range in the building I used to work in. He had done this while showing a teacher a handgun.

I knew my neighbor was not nearly as careful.

I never talked with my neighbor much after that.

If you follow the rules 99.9999% of the time everything will be ok. The odds drop hard and fast when you don't.
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Last edited by Alabama Shooter; January 29, 2013 at 12:15 PM.
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Old January 29, 2013, 12:45 PM   #37
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I don't care who has cleared the weapon, or that they have shown me an empty chamber... I clear it regardless.
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Old January 29, 2013, 01:00 PM   #38
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Quote:
I don't care who has cleared the weapon, or that they have shown me an empty chamber... I clear it regardless.
You my boy blue!

I'm from the school of "every gun is loaded..no, every gun is loaded and that's how it should be treated"

Imagine graduating from that school? That'd be a winding class ring.
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Old January 29, 2013, 06:28 PM   #39
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I think I told this before in a different thread. I wasn't handed the weapon. But anyway, shooting squirrels in friends back yard with .22 springer air rifles. Buddy goes to set his rifle down, says its 'safe'. Well it wasn't. It was loaded and somehow he pushed the safety off (the safety is inside the trigger guard, why his hand was near it I don't know) and discharged it. Pellet struck wooden siding of the house, changed direction and passed between me and another guy at about head level. We were probably no more than two feet apart. You could feel the air move as it passed by.
Another example of carelessness and ignorance. Thankfully he only owns that one pellet rifle and no firearms.
BB, pellet or .50 BMG, I don't want to get hit with any of em.
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Old January 29, 2013, 06:34 PM   #40
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My son-in-law pulled a knock off Galil out of his safe to show me. I did what I always do.

Point the thing away from everyone.

Attempt to put it on safe.

Remove the magazine (it wasn't in).

Open the bolt and check the chamber.

And out popped a live round. That's why I always do those things.

I admired it for a while, handed it back to him and politely suggested that he should clear his weapons before he puts them away and when he takes them out.
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Old January 29, 2013, 08:24 PM   #41
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My step daughter likes to look at and handle her .22. She likes to practice her hold and aim, also some dry fire. When I take the gun out of the safe, I clear it, I hand it to her, she clears it. Anytime the gun is exchanged between us, we both clear it. And this with all the ammo locked up in the safe. Hope she gets it. Seems to. But I make her clear it any time she picks it up, even if she set it down a minute ago. Accidents happen, let's do all we can to prevent them and teach others to always be safe and check a guns chamber.
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Old January 29, 2013, 09:27 PM   #42
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Quote:
"Treat EVERY gun as though it IS loaded...until you check it, YOURSELF".
This statement bothers me. The statement insinuates that once you check it, then you can treat it differently. I was always taught (and firmly believe) that this is not the case. I treat every firearm as if there were a round in the chamber, even though I just stuck my finger in it and know that it is indeed empty. I would advise you all to do the same. Be safe.
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Old January 30, 2013, 10:33 AM   #43
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Quote:
Before handing it to me he is showing me the various things he likes about it and then says; "look at your sons chest".
I look and there is a red dot on there. He moves it around a little and tells me it is well zeroed. I remain calm but move in front of my son slowly.
He then hands it to me, I roll it open and all the chambers are all full.
Am I the only one here who would have emptied that thing then mangled it with whatever tool was nearest?
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Old January 30, 2013, 11:26 AM   #44
Woody55
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Quote:
Am I the only one here who would have emptied that thing then mangled it with whatever tool was nearest?
I can't answer for anyone else.

No. I wouldn't have emptied the thing then mangled it with whatever tool was nearest.
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Old January 30, 2013, 11:43 PM   #45
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Am I the only one here who would have emptied that thing then mangled it with whatever tool was nearest?
Not me, that would land you with destruction of property charges. That said, I would not of have just let the guy walk away without him hearing me scold him for pointing a loaded weapon at my child. He would know right then and there what he did wrong and that he needed to profusely apologize to my child.
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Old January 31, 2013, 01:41 AM   #46
JimmyR
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Felony Charges

Quote:
Am I the only one here who would have emptied that thing then mangled it with whatever tool was nearest?
In the great State of Indiana, that is a Felony.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Indiana Code 35-47-4-3b
A person who knowingly or intentionally points a firearm at another person commits a Class D felony. However, the offense is a Class A misdemeanor if the firearm was not loaded.
I probably would have, very quietly, and very angrily, advised the gentleman that what he had done was very stupid, very dangerous, and could easily land him in prison. On a good day.

On a bad day, I probably would have been the next case on the docket for assaulting the person. I never claimed to be perfect, and when you mess with my family, I don't always think straight.
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Old January 31, 2013, 04:03 AM   #47
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Quote:
I don't care who has cleared the weapon, or that they have shown me an empty chamber... I clear it regardless.
Yup. And I don't even care if I've cleared the weapon myself earlier. I still need to check it.
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Old January 31, 2013, 09:02 AM   #48
Brian Pfleuger
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dashunde
Am I the only one here who would have emptied that thing then mangled it with whatever tool was nearest?
No, but I would have emptied it and he'd have had quite the "conversation". I'd have probably thrown the ammo or something.

I'd have also told him in no uncertain terms that what he just did was in fact a violent felony and if he so much as opened his mouth in protest I would call the police and file charges.

It would have also told him that it would be my last voluntary interaction with him unless there was what I considered a heavy and heartfelt apology to both me and my son, including an explanation by him of exactly what he had done wrong so I knew he understood. .
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Old January 31, 2013, 06:37 PM   #49
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+1 ^^^^^ well said. That is the best way to deal with it. Although I'm not sure I could ever forgive/trust this person again.
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Old February 1, 2013, 05:59 PM   #50
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I was at a local gun store looking for a Kahr PM9 or PM40 to hold. I had read some good stuff online, but there is no substitute for hands on.

So.. The clerk says they don't have any in stock but she has her personal gun by the register. She goes and gets it. It is in a holster.

She comes back over to me where I am standing across the glass case from her. She points the gun and holster at me, pulls the PM9 out of the holster, puts the holster down, racks the slide to eject a round while still pointing the gun at me; as I move to the side she tracks me with the muzzle.

I just left.

I was scared.
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