Prologue:
If you break any two of the Four Rules you can give somebody a bad case of Dead without intending to do it. Read them right now if you don't know them, then read this post.
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During Schutzenfest 2009, we had 3 new shooters and ZERO violations of Rule 2. No muzzle sweeping action. This may seem like a small thing to those who wander around gun stores pointing "unloaded" guns at everything and everyone without thinking about it, but to the Range Officer it is kind of a huge deal.
The thing is, a loaded gun is dangerous. Having it pointed in your general direction is a Very Bad Thing. Also, every Range Officer (and Range Master) should know somewhere deep down in his blood and bones that EVERY weapon on his range is loaded (Rule #1). When someone who knows what time it is sees the muzzle of a gun pointed at him, the feeling is hard to describe. Have you ever seen a movie featuring a fighter jet where the pilot has 3 different klaxons sounding and 2 lights flashing at him because the plane has detected a radar lock, missile launch, and incoming bogies? Yeah, it's about like that inside your head when a newbie sweeps you with the muzzle of a gun. Red flags and warning bells doesn't begin to describe the level of alarm raised on the inside of the person with a high degree of awareness who has a known-loaded gun pointed at him. Adrenal gland output: ON RIGHT [deleted] NOW!
And on the outside, the only evidence may be a flushed skin tone and some words of reproof, perhaps combined with some form of ducking out of the way and/or repositioning the gun-holder or gun to comply with Rule #2.
Anyhow, I had zero problems with this. There were a couple of occasions where my shooters turned a little bit to address me, and they started to move their guns away from "straight downrange". Each time, without saying anything, I shied away a little with my head and shoulders, and with one of my hands, I made a palm-out "pushing away from me" motion at the gun. The shooters invariably pointed the gun downrange and more often than not apologized.
Whew! Thank God.
At the San Antonio air show, my son in law (US Army sergeant) and I were two of the very few who just naturally avoided muzzles of helicopter guns being swung by kids.
ReplyDeleteI'm constantly appalled at gun shows by the number of people who don't think twice about pointing a weapon they are looking at toward the vendor or the crowd.
When I teach a newbie to shoot, they are reciting those rules to me well before they touch a gun. Great post.
Oh, don't worry, those aren't loaded!
ReplyDelete*ahem*
Once I was inside a radome (the M&M under the bottom of an EP-3E) working on the back of an antenna. Someone turned the system on and the antenna went to its home position (north, relative to the aircraft). I had to scoot to get out of the way of the antenna as it rotated, to avoid burning out the motor. Then I had to keep reminding myself that the men upstairs knew I was down there, and the interlocks were set, and the system wouldn't turn me into Microwave'd Dave Al Fresco . . . but it was more than a little scary waiting for them to shut down again so I could kick bricks!