Firearm Safety Stories

[usmcveteran]

Share your stories where following proper safety rules has prevented an accident or injury or a story of when they weren't followed and something did or almost happened.


I will go first.

One weekend I was home on leave from the Marines and I met up with a buddy of mine. We were hanging out in his place looking at his firearms and what not. So he passes this one firearm too me and I am observing the safety rules and asked him if he minded if I dry fired it and he said he didn't. I was unfamiliar with this firearm and he went ahead and took the safety off and handed it too me. He told me it was unloaded as he just took it to the range the previous day.

Once I had it in my possession I pointed it in a safe direction (downward angle at the bottom of his fridge) and my finger went on the trigger. Something just felt off and I did what I should of done anyways and racked the bolt to check the chamber and out popped a live round! My friend started apologizing immediately in disbelief that it was loaded.

So even though I trusted him completely I am glad I checked for myself and that alone taught me to never take chances and always check for yourself.

[Cgrutt]

I had one of those moments with my son when he was only 4 or 5 y/o. I've always had the philosophy and policy don't ever touch guns if you want to see them just ask daddy. Well one day he asks. We go down and pull out a pistol from the safe which I was certain was unloaded. Before showing him I elaborated on gun safety and told him that before you ever handle a gun you make sure it is unloaded. Racked the slide and to my surprise out popped a live 40 S&W. My heart almost stopped right then and there and will never assume a gun is unloaded again...

[usmcveteran]

I'll share another one......

I was stationed at Camp Lejuene in Jacksonville, NC and my girlfriend at the time and I went to the local shooting range to shoot my AR. This was an outdoor range where you pay to shoot and range safety officer calls cease fire every so often for people to place / take down / or fix targets down range.

Anyways so my girlfriend and I were shooting and this other Marine showed up who had brought his mother to teach her how to shoot. Well the Marine gave his mom some instruction while she was shooting and she couldn't hear him well so she turned and with it turned the rifle which was loaded and now pointing at my girlfriends head. The Marine quickly pointed the rifle down range and yelled at his Mom for what could have happened and luckily did not!

What I took away from that after thought was a new rule. If your going to be talking or doing anything other then shooting you should holster or put the firearm down especially for new people. That way you don't get caught not thinking about the firearm in your hands and potentially shoot someone on accident.