Around the Water Cooler: "Safe"

The Tactical Wire ^ | April 26 : 2012 | Rich Grassi

[50cal Smokepole]

A likely apocryphal story winds through the community changing in detail though not in punch line. In one telling, the situation occurs in the Germany of 1945 when Soviets and the US were allies and it had to do with a Tokarev. In another, a Russian defector was lecturing at the Commanding General War and Staff College, Ft Leavenworth. Finally, it was another Soviet absconder, this one at Ft. Benning, lecturing in small arms.

In every story, an American officer called the Russian out about a firearm or a method of gun handling. "That's not safe," the officer says.

"Is gun," the Russian teacher says. "Is not safe."

Well, Dick Tracy. Someone finally gets the deal. Let's put this in understandable terms. If you make a method of transportation that moves human cargo at high rates of speed and put them in a venue where like high speed transportation is working, there will be collisions. Many will get hurt. Some will die.

"Is car. Is not safe."

As long as there are surfaces harder than human bodies, you can load 'em with airbags and play all kinds of stupid games. Still not safe.

This comes to mind as NBC recently aired their stupid report on Remington. The numbers of firearms induced accidents are few, miniscule in terms of statistics. Those that happen are nearly 100% induced by a gun owner or well-meaning friend who tries to "clean that trigger up."

"Is gun. Is not safe."

Then we have shooter induced accidents. These are usually "unintentional shooters."

"Uh, it was empty!" Yeah. At one time in the past it was empty. It was apparently loaded this time, Scooter.

We have the husband and wife team taking a "gun safety" class. They were so wrapped up in the "don't play with guns in the classroom " part, the husband contrived to fire a round of .45 ammo through his hand and into his wife's leg.

What was that about muzzle discipline?

A 52 year old couple were "in the woods" "hunting hogs" - or something. All we really know is, the man shot at a hog, went in pursuit of said hog when he saw some movement and shot at it. It was his girlfriend. Aside from how he's supposed to explain to her why he thought she looked like a hog, we have Rule 4 - Be sure of your target. She got one bullet through both legs.

My Russian accent's getting tired, but the point is that the gun is actually safer than the human who wields it. It does one thing, does it well. Cars too. They can't control how fast you drive or if you operate them while drunk, distracted or dim-witted.

As we approach our 50,000th subscriber to The Tactical Wire, let's make sure we're not victims of our own trap. Know the Rules. Follow them closely.

Don't be "that guy."

[50cal Smokepole]

And then there was a guy who said, "Hold muh beer..."

[2001convSVT]

“Is gun. Is not safe.”

I love it!

[OKSooner]

Gee... just right at the time that I'm trying to make my tagline just a bit more generic in regards to a situation I was placed in over someone's arrogance and defiance at the shooting range...

...after explicit, unequivocal warning, and agreement on his part, in front of his entire immediate family the night before.

Turns out that the coach of a certain football team I follow is right: "You can talk to 'em and talk to 'em and talk to 'em 'til you're blue in the face, but if they're determined to mess up, they're gonna find a way to do it."

Equal parts of our risk management are to follow the rules ourselves, and to damn well never ever take any uh, person with you to any sort of shooting venue, ever, who is a "known safety risk". Being a nice guy can have deadly, or (fortuitously in my case) potentially deadly consequences.

Let them just say that their sinful BIL wouldn't take them shooting instead, and sleep well knowing that everyone's better off that way.

If someone you know is determined to go get himself shot, or maybe get someone else shot by running off downrange at the worst possible instant in time when you have your back turned, you don't want it happening in a situation where you're the responsible party.

[SJSAMPLE]

Ditto.

Years ago, when Remington was being sued about “defects” in the 700-series rifle, NBC had a show with one of the “victims”. The guy blew off half of his foot.

So, he’s explaining what happened, and he proceeds to point the gun directly at his foot. I’ve never pointed a gun at ANY of my body parts, not even in demonstration.

[2001convSVT]

You hit the nail on the head. The self-obvious is obvious for a reason.

A prime example why the county needs to reassess who has the right to vote.

[theBuckwheat]

“This comes to mind as NBC recently aired their stupid report on Remington. ...”

Its a liberal institution. Its not safe.

[wildbill]

Gee, there was an article by a Seattle pundit named Woodson(?) today which had almost the same story—except the Russian was replaced by a Texas Ranger.

Can’t these leftists get their apochryful lies straight?

[FreeAtlanta]

If you are looking down a barrel, you are not doing it right...

Most famous Al Gore Vietnam photo...

[marktwain]

“Gee, there was an article by a Seattle pundit named Woodson(?) today which had almost the same story—except the Russian was replaced by a Texas Ranger.

Can’t these leftists get their apochryful lies straight?”

The pundit’s name is Workman, the story was not apocryphal, it was not a lie, and the writer is very conservative.

Other than that, you remembered everything correctly. ;-)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2876712/posts

At least, that is my take on your observations.

[wildbill]

The part I read sounded like part of another anti-gun screed.

Those usually come from the left, but you sound like you know his views and vouch for his conservative stance, so I’ll defer to you on that.