# 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:** 15\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![AClockworkMelon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aclockworkmelon/32/10803_2.png) [@AClockworkMelon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AClockworkMelon)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/81 "2014-06-24T15:39:51Z")
Every gun is loaded. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/82 "2014-06-24T15:56:44Z")
The “Every gun is loaded” assumption might not work well when heading into battle, with an empty gun … 😉 > [@Crotalus](#): > > 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. Sure, but where’s the gun pointed when you do that? Not at your face, hopefully! In any case, I doubt your instructions tell you to dry-fire the weapon. (Sorry, 40 ago I was very familiar with US issue Colt 45 automatics, but since then I’ve never owned or cleaned a handgun and I don’t recall the details.) > [@Mr.Kobayashi](#): > > 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? It’s a pretty damn rare occurrence, in my (ancient) experience, and that includes NRA classes with a bunch of 9-year-olds. > [@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. Bingo. Is it rare, as per my experience? Ranges are set up to make it really easy to follow the rule. The targets are all downrange. Many weapons arrive in cases, and those that don’t are carried in using a fairly standard position. Weapons are placed on the range pointing downrange. It’s a lot harder when hunting, especially with dogs (and most especially with someone’s poorly trained dog). There’s just a lot more variability. Still, it didn’t take long watching my grandfather and uncles to pick up the healthy practices, or get any unhealthy ones I was doing corrected promptly and calmly. I only had to hear once the true story about my best friend’s father’s best friend leaning his shotgun against a fence as he climbed over it to never make that mistake. I confess I never understood how the gun could have gone off, but … well, the point is to assume it can at any time. My uncle Dick has always been a real safety nut, following every rule to the letter. Being on the beach and using axes and chainsaws etc we got a lot of chances to see it in action, and we all used to joke a little about it a bit behind his back. One day I noticed he had a few black dots just under the skin on his legs and I asked him what they were. He told me that he and my Uncle Bob had 410’s and were chasing a squirrel around a tree and Bob’s gun went off. Well, that explained his safety-consciousness! > [@enipla](#): > > 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. It should become such a habit, that it should actually take more effort to violate the rule than to follow it. It becomes instinctive, though you don’t rely on instinct to make it happen. When anyone breaks the rule, you notice it. ---
**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, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/83 "2014-06-24T16:07:20Z")
> [@Learjeff](#): > > The “Every gun is loaded” assumption might not work well when heading into battle, with an empty gun … 😉 > > Sure, but where’s the gun pointed when you do that? Not at your face, hopefully! In any case, I doubt your instructions tell you to dry-fire the weapon. (Sorry, 40 ago I was very familiar with US issue Colt 45 automatics, but since then I’ve never owned or cleaned a handgun and I don’t recall the details.) Glocks, for one. Remove magazine, clear chamber, point gun in safe direction, pull trigger, continue to disassemble. Hopefully, you have a back stop, ballistic bag/case or bucket of sand. We have the bucket. ---
**Author:** ![Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3be4f8/32.png) [@Obnoxious\_Hood\_Ornament](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Obnoxious_Hood_Ornament)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/84 "2014-06-24T18:32:11Z")
1. Learn to love the Mozambique Drill. ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/85 "2014-06-24T18:40:50Z")
To me, No. 2 is the obvious choice, as it is the premise that Nos. 1 & 3, the other two better choices, are based on. No. 4 is certainly good advice, but is not encompassing enough to be the most important rule of gun safety. Not that I didn’t enjoy No. 5. ---
**Author:** ![Bill\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/50afbb/32.png) [@Bill\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bill_Door)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/86 "2014-06-24T19:42:26Z")
> [@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. What about a .308 Schrödinger? Until you look and the wave form collapses it could be either. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/87 "2014-06-24T19:52:48Z")
My number 1 is to remember to take and pass the firearms safety course before you handle a firearm. ---
**Author:** ![Weedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/weedy/32/301_2.png) [@Weedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weedy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/88 "2014-06-24T22:51:12Z")
> [@Inna\_Minnit](#): > > If you treat it as if it’s loaded, even if you don’t know anything about a gun, some things should be obvious and flow out of assuming it is loaded. Don’t point it at anyone, don’t touch the trigger, call someone who knows about guns to make sure it is rendered safe. Sure, but it’s not going to go off by itself and it’s not like I’m trying to shoot someone. Both times I have touched a gun it was pulled out by a guy trying to impress me. I was still a teenager, and thought they were way cool. I assumed the guns were loaded but it didn’t occur to me that I needed to treat them in any kind of special way because, well, see above. Obviously, I would be much more careful now. ---
**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/89 "2014-06-24T23:03:27Z")
_Assume every gun is loaded and therefore you shouldn’t even touch it unless you’re fully prepared to kill/destroy or BE killed/destroyed_ (either by the over-reactive quick-draw vigilante over there or by the legal participants who will review your mistake in the aftermath). Okay, yeah, this is a combination of the first three – kind of putting them all at #1 I figure once you’re fully prepared for such horrible consequences, perhaps you’ll treat it with the caution it requires. –G! Mister Saturday night Special Got a barrel that’s blue and cold Ya ain’t goot for nothin’ ‘cept puttin’ a man six feet in a hole …–Ronny Van Zandt (Lynrd Skynrd) …Saturday Night Special …Nuthin’ Fancy ---
**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, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/90 "2014-06-24T23:17:35Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > 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.” What you’re describing is, “Treat every gun as if it were loaded, regardless of its actual condition.” This is very different from, “Every gun is loaded.” I wholeheartedly agree with the first rule. The second rule is wrong, false, and should not be taught. ---
**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, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/91 "2014-06-24T23:20:06Z")
> [@Bill\_Door](#): > > What about a .308 Schrödinger? Until you look and the wave form collapses it could be either. Not only that, but it’s the only round where we can’t determine the bullet’s momentum _and_ position at a given instant in time. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/92 "2014-06-25T00:58:43Z")
“Check the safety” That’s the first thing that comes to mind for me. Make sure it’s on if you don’t want the gun to go off. Make sure it off if you need for the gun to spew bullets. ---
**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 25, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/93 "2014-06-25T01:17:35Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > “Check the safety” > > That’s the first thing that comes to mind for me. Make sure it’s on if you don’t want the gun to go off. Make sure it off if you need for the gun to spew bullets. Nope. Safeties are a mechanical device. They can fail. Go with the three rules. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/94 "2014-06-25T01:27:24Z")
I didn’t say it was right. I said it was the first thing that came to mind. 😉 And back in the 70’s this was the received wisdom. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2014, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/95 "2014-06-25T03:18:42Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Actually, there is a way of playing a (non-certain-death) version of Russian Roulette with an automatic. I won’t describe it here, though, for ethical reasons. I guess you could play cuckoo with it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438.md?page=4)