# If someone asked you the "first rule of gun safety" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 23, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438 "2014-06-23T12:45:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/61 "2014-06-24T03:05:26Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > “Always double tap the head. It’s the only way to be sure.” “Anything worth shooting once is worth shooting twice. Bullets are cheap.” ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/62 "2014-06-24T03:07:00Z")
EVERY gun is loaded. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/63 "2014-06-24T03:44:08Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > “Anything worth shooting once is worth shooting twice. Bullets are cheap.” Well, if we’re going there… shoot till its down, keep shooting til is no longer dangerous, and if you aren’t going to cook/eat the meat, keep at it (reload as necessary) till it stops twitching. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/64 "2014-06-24T04:23:35Z")
> [@Count\_Blucher](#): > > Well, if we’re going there… shoot till its down, keep shooting til is no longer dangerous, and if you aren’t going to cook/eat the meat, keep at it (reload as necessary) till it stops twitching. See, now you’re just wasting time you could be spending shooting something else. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 10:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/65 "2014-06-24T10:49:16Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > EVERY gun is loaded. It is? Well if that’s true, why bother checking the chamber when you pick it up? After all, you already know it is loaded. :dubious: “Every gun is loaded” is a false statement. The gun is either loaded, or it is not loaded. None-the-less, you should treat a gun as if it were loaded, regardless of its actual condition. Furthermore, you should always check the chamber to determine the actual condition of the gun. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/66 "2014-06-24T11:13:02Z")
> [@Learjeff](#): > > lol > > Most guns have good ways to disassemble for cleaning, that makes them inoperative. It’s the disassembly part I was referring to. The instructions for my semi-auto pistols tell me to pull the trigger as part of the process of releasing the slide. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/67 "2014-06-24T12:00:12Z")
Back in the day, pulling the trigger (with the weapon at 60 degrees, natch) was part of the standard weapon-clearing procedure. I don’t think it’s recommended now. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/68 "2014-06-24T13:37:26Z")
No, you just look down the barrel while working the mechanism, and if you see daylight then the weapon’s clear. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/69 "2014-06-24T14:00:16Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > No, you just look down the barrel while working the mechanism, and if you see daylight then the weapon’s clear. The way I was taught (with an M-16) was cock, release, cock, look, release, open safety, pull trigger, cock, release, close safety. The last step was because you can’t put the safety on with the hammer down in an M-16. Now it’s just cock, release, cock, look, release. Feels kind of incomplete to me, but I suppose it’s safer. ---
**Author:** ![Enright3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/enright3/32/2897_2.png) [@Enright3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enright3)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/70 "2014-06-24T14:25:49Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > “Something else” here too: Don’t touch that thing, it’s more likely to hurt you than anyone else. No it’s not. ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/71 "2014-06-24T14:26:44Z")
> [@Malacandra](#): > > No, you just look down the barrel while working the mechanism, and if you see daylight then the weapon’s clear. Yep, gotta see daylight. You can use the nail on you pinky finger to reflect light up the bore. And then, I still treat it as loaded. It’s just what you do. NEVER point it at something you don’t want to shoot. Of course this can be a little impractical when you are cleaning it and need to look down the barrel. But still, when I’m cleaning a weapon, and I KNOW it’s not loaded, I still make sure the barrel is not pointed at anyone. It’s VERY bad form. You just don’t do that. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/72 "2014-06-24T14:28:05Z")
There isn’t one rule. Each rule acts as a layer of safety. Each one individually should prevent most catastrophic accidents. Only failure of all the layers of safety leads to bad results. I think of them as fail safes for the others. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/73 "2014-06-24T14:51:55Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > It is? Well if that’s true, why bother checking the chamber when you pick it up? After all, you already know it is loaded. :dubious: > > “Every gun is loaded” is a false statement. The gun is either loaded, or it is not loaded. None-the-less, you should treat a gun as if it were loaded, regardless of its actual condition. Furthermore, you should always check the chamber to determine the actual condition of the gun. I have to disagree. “Every gun is loaded” works best because you may not be familiar with how a particular firearm works, or you may simply make a mistake and _think_ the chamber is clear when it isn’t. Almost every anecdote of accidental discharge starts with a variant of “I was positive the gun wasn’t loaded.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/74 "2014-06-24T14:54:55Z")
> [@enipla](#): > > And then, I still treat it as loaded. It’s just what you do. NEVER point it at something you don’t want to shoot. Of course this can be a little impractical when you are cleaning it and need to look down the barrel. But still, when I’m cleaning a weapon, and I KNOW it’s not loaded, I still make sure the barrel is not pointed at anyone. It’s VERY bad form. You just don’t do that. What’s the protocol at gun ranges and such when someone is carelessly sweeping the muzzle over other people? With the amount of clueless idiots I imagine it’s a fairly common occurrence. Are they just booted out ASAP? ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/75 "2014-06-24T14:59:13Z")
I’m a range officer and they would get a quick dressing down. If they were not contrite or acted as if it were no big deal they’d be going home and have to appear before our board of directors. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Kobayashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4af34b/32.png) [@Mr.Kobayashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Kobayashi)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/76 "2014-06-24T15:12:45Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > I’m a range officer and they would get a quick dressing down. If they were not contrite or acted as if it were no big deal they’d be going home and have to appear before our board of directors. I reckon you’re pretty pig-sick of hearing variants of “What’s the problem, it’s not even loaded!” ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/77 "2014-06-24T15:21:49Z")
My actual first rule is to never touch a gun. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/78 "2014-06-24T15:25:27Z")
> [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > I reckon you’re pretty pig-sick of hearing variants of “What’s the problem, it’s not even loaded!” When I first started shooting, I was renting guns at a local shop/ indoor range. One time, I go in and there’s one other shooter down at the other end(25 stations, big range). As I was setting up, I noticed he was reloading his revolver and he was turned sideways with the gun pointed right at me. I waved to get his attention, pointed at his gun and then pointed downrange. He flipped me off. The shop employee was in there in seconds(cameras) and threw him out with no hesitation. He also comped me my whole range session plus an extra bag of ammo. And I never even asked. ---
**Author:** ![Lorene89095](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@Lorene89095](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorene89095)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/79 "2014-06-24T15:27:13Z")
One of the cousins shot an owl. His father was of the “If you shoot it,you’re gonna eat it” group… Yep,cousin had boiled owl for lunch… and supper… He was very careful about what he shot at from then on! No,the owl wasn’t after the chickens,that would have been different I was taught “The gun is loaded” even if I’d just unloaded it myself. Check three times. Guns are not toys. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/80 "2014-06-24T15:30:49Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > My actual first rule is to never touch a gun. In Soviet Union, gun touch you. That makes no sense. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438.md?page=5)