Well, you could have used the Watchtowers for target practice. Otherwise, they go to waste.
hey as a shotgun owner I know that but when he asked his son to open his gun that could easily come across as threatening to a large proportion of the population. So don’t pretend it wasn’t, you even mention that they slowed down when they saw two armed people so you are aware that it was threatening.
Not saying you were in the wrong BTW, I can’t stand JW’s and have employed many tactics including opening the door in the nude to ensure they don’t come back 
How the Grinch stole D-Day.
In general practice, and in the narrative of the story, breaking the breach is a way of showing others that the gun is in a safe state, and that it is not going to be fired. A closed breach is much more intimidating, as you must assume it is loaded and may be intended to be used. It is possible that the JW’s didn’t get that, but most people with passing familiarity with firearms would generally see that as the opposite of a threatening gesture.
Not sure what someone completely unfamiliar with guns would think, any movement or action could be interpreted as hostile at that point.
I’m not a gun owner, but I know enough farmers to be familiar with the concept of “an open shotgun is a shotgun you can’t fire fast; also, it is easy to see whether said shotgun is loaded or not, and if not, it counts as a weapon only inasmuch as any blunt object does”.
Don’t see why anybody would find it threatening.
Def. What will happen if a uniformed man with a weapon in a much higher state of readiness decides to walk up to his car? I would guess running would be the best option.
Then what is the point of the story? I was gruff and rude to some evangelists and they drove off after giving me their mag? Hardly worth posting about really. Except of course for the repeated mention of guns, which clearly intimidated the visitors. The OP was aware of this, and did not seek to put them at ease, by default using his weapons to intimidate. Hilarious.
You’re from another planet. Obviously you won’t get the humor.
This. This unambiguous “I mean you no harm” gesture is one of the nice features of a break action. It is the first thing I would do and have done when hunting and approached by a land owner (already had permission, he was just checking on me) or a game warden. I would also break the action when crossing a fence, or taking a break.
Basically it is the exact opposite of racking a pump shotgun…and I almost wonder if that isn’t what the poster with the objection is thinking of?
The amusement in the story was in the JW’s assuming a threat that was not there. It was their own naivete towards firearms that caused them to be concerned, rather than the OP’s actions.
Offering to use the watchtower pamphlets for target practice is perfectly acceptable, paper targets aren’t free, and this way, he can actually get some use out of them, rather than just clogging up his trash.
In any case, any stories of people being rude to JW’s has some merit in being told…
I may be an Aussie with only 4 guns but i do know the difference.
From 2006-2009 the “Rabbit” was nothing more than a Mark V Golf with a chromed running rabbit badge on the hatch, VW was trying to resurrect another classic model name like they did with the Beetle
Mine’s a 2007, bought it used with 65,000 miles on it, still feels like it’s brand new, and even with a paltry 150 HP 170 TQ, it’s still amazingly fun to drive, handles like a dream