Posted on 08/14/2011 10:37:32 PM PDT by West Texas Chuck
Even when they are out of ammo.
You learned a good lesson cheap. Firearms are like motorcycles, they can punish the slightest error all out of proportion to the mistake.
My method is to drop the magazine, inspect the chamber, drop the slide, drop the hammer, and then (after making sure it is empty) reinsert the magazine.
Yeah...I remember that. Still not quite as bizarre as the incident that killed Brandon Lee. In that case, production was running behind, and due to a shortage of blanks, somebody at the studio made a ‘blank’ by taking a live cartridge, emptying the powder charge and replacing the bullet back in the case. During one take, the primer pushed the projectile into the barrel of the revolver they were using. During a subsequent take, when actual, purpose loaded blanks were used, the propellant pushed the bullet out of the barrel and shot Lee in the abdomen.
I had this happen to me once at an indoor range with a 1911 .45. Similar circumstances: I had lost count of rounds expended, the slide locked open, and instead of dropping the magazine first (as I now do religiously) with the weapon still pointed downrange, I instead released the slide and pulled the trigger - BOOM!! - scared the crap out of me, and rightly so.
I also prefer your formulation when training others: "All guns are loaded", as opposed to: treat all guns as though they were loaded. I find it simpler and easier to incorporate into every action when handling firearms.
Rule Two: Never let your muzzle cover anything you're not willing to destroy.
Rule Two saved you.
BTW, don't rely on counting rounds. Check the chamber visually. Rack the slide a few times. Check the chamber visually again. The ammo fairies are very wily.
I agree, every gun is loaded always.
Replace the slide spring on both those weapons and inspect ALL magazines for burrs and dents.
Mainsprings cheap in your part of the world:
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