kip270 Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Found this somewhere else, be warned, a lesson to all........ (Mid-1980s, Seattle, Washington) I worked with a man who taught hunting skills and gun safety after-hours. He came to work one day visibly shaken, and told this story. As his teenage students gathered around him, he warned them not to trust the safety switch of the gun, telling them that it may fail. One of the students did not show up for class for the next few weeks and came in (the night before I heard this story) to tell the instructor how his father had died. The student had gone home after his last class, and told his father about not trusting the safety. The father became irate that the instructor would teach such nonsense. He proceeded to load a rifle, flip the safety on, and hit the butt of the stock on the floor to prove the instructor wrong. Unfortunately, the instructor turned out to be right, while the father was fatally mistaken. The gun went off and killed the man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonno 357 Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Thanks for the valuable lesson Kip. Much appreciate Jonno Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the last engineer Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 that is one of the most deadliest mistakes people make, "its alright my safety is on " never never trust a safety catch. rule 1 the only safe gun is an unloaded one. when i shoot in the field with other guys my gun is broken with 2 in the chamber, the only time its closed is when im going to shoot, the same with the guys i shoot with, some may disagree and say the gun is being handled safely whilst loaded, so its ok, your call i guess , i know i can always trust the guys i shoot with, we all abide by the same rule, semi's are a different tool, i dont hunt with the semi only target , so itsonly loaded in the stand or on the pad . just be careful is all i can say, you've only one life dont loose it. Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Whilst the little story does sound a bit like a lot of others, that seem to wizz round the Internet, trusting a safety catch can be dangerous. What I think is even more dangerous, is the safety catch that is not automatic, as in some clay guns. I have never been able to understand why they are manufactured that way. If its to gain speed, by not having to push the safety catch off between reloads, I don't think its worth the risk. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flash Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 when my grandpa was a kid he was out with his webley and scott 410 and saw a hornet on the ground in front of him, he whent to hit it with the but of his gun, as soon as it hit the ground the gun discharged into the air the opposite direction luckily not injuring him. the moral. NEVER trust a safety catch. flash ps it always cracks me up when in the movies they put cocked pistols down there trousers pointing at there bo**ocks, duh not clever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilishdave Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I never use my safety catch at the clay ground so dont see the point in having the catch on a clay gun. And I am more than responsible enough to apply it when in the field without fail. you should as this thread points out never be reliant on the safety catch to prevent an accident IMHO. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Catamong Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Auto safety catches are a damn nuisance - how often do you see a novice at a clay shoot fail to fire because they've forgotten to push the catch forward. I've seen novices then turn around with the gun loaded and unbroken, pointing it at the feet / legs of whoever is supposed to be looking after them and say "What do I do know..??" In my opinion they're more trouble than they're worth, and are best altered to non auto, so you have to physically pull it to the on position yourself. Cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nildes Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 While safety's can sometimes fail, not using them only adds to the risk level. Why add to the risks if you don't have to? I think the people I go shooting with happily put up with me being a poor shot with a 12bore and missing a lot more than I hit. I'm darn't sure they'd run a mile if they didn't think I was a safe shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisNicholls Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Auto safety catches are a damn nuisance - how often do you see a novice at a clay shoot fail to fire because they've forgotten to push the catch forward. I've seen novices then turn around with the gun loaded and unbroken, pointing it at the feet / legs of whoever is supposed to be looking after them and say "What do I do know..??" In my opinion they're more trouble than they're worth, and are best altered to non auto, so you have to physically pull it to the on position yourself. Cat. I think given the choice I would prefer to start a novice shooting with a gun with an auto safety catch, I have seen novices discharge the gun on the way up to the shoulder before it's properly mounted, caused by them having their finger on the trigger I would think, and squeezing the trigger accidentally as they grip the stock a little too tight. If a novice turns around with a loaded gun, then basic rules have not been made clear enough at the outset, unfortunately I too have seen this happen. I always thought the safety catch only locked the triggers, and the tumblers could still be jarred off and the firing pin strike the shell. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Browning GTS Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Just a thought if safety catches were not fitted we could not depend on them. would that not be safer? Then every action would be unloaded and safe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunkield Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 If true, the story is complete madness. I wonder if the son won his bet? Sounds more like a story from the Darwin awards Safety catch, or not, the FIRST rule is never to point a gun at anything you don't intend to shoot - common sense surely Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ferretmanabu Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I don't think safety catches are really important for clay guns. All the clay clubs I have been to require that you only load the gun when standing inside the shooting box/cage. What's the point in having a safety then? In hunting, it may be abit more useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mel b3 Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 i know it might go against the grain a little bit with some guys but i never use my safety catch , i just prefer to rely on the fact that i always keep the gun in a safe position and if that's not possible (climbing fences) then it's broken and unloaded. a mates gun once loosed off both barrels with the safety on , it missed another mates foot by inches Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kirky640 Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 i agree that if a gun points safely at all times it cannot hurt anyone even if it goes off by mistake Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cranfield Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Auto safety catches are a damn nuisance - how often do you see a novice at a clay shoot fail to fire because they've forgotten to push the catch forward. I've seen novices then turn around with the gun loaded and unbroken, pointing it at the feet / legs of whoever is supposed to be looking after them and say "What do I do know..??" In my opinion they're more trouble than they're worth, and are best altered to non auto, so you have to physically pull it to the on position yourself. Cat. If its easy to teach a Novice to put the safety catch ON, how is it difficult to teach them to push it OFF ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
30-6 Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Another thing to be aware off is closing the gun. I once borrowed the "farm gun" when mine was in for repair (only had one then), and on closing the gun it discharged straight through the hide. I tried to get it to happen again but could not, but once is too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
invector Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 Anyone know of a RIFLE with an auto safety?? Takes me back to when I was a Weapon Training Instructor: "I did not know the gun was loaded, he was my best friend" I have always been used to auto safeties but both of my shotguns are non-auto. I made sure the second one I bought also had a non-auto safety to preclude the possibility of confusion. Putting the safety back on, before you break the gun to reload, soon becomes second nature. Both of my rimfires are CZs with the safety pushed FORWARD for safe and I`m used to that. It`s surprising how little time it takes to familiarise yourself with these things. Have you ever been out with a hammer gun then tried to pull the hammers back on your hammerless the next time you use it? Push button safeties near the trigger guard are another acquired skill, and so it goes on. My brother had a single barrel 12 which folded by pulling a trigger outside the trigger guard. He once pulled the real trigger by mistake and whacked a hole in the bank about ten feet to one side of me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmateX Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I use a manual safety I was taught with a manual safety and as such it has become routine to apply the safety after I have taken my shot. It is much like getting in a car: you get in and belt up, instinctive. I use it when at clay grounds, when rough shooting, when pigeon shooting and when game shooting. There is no excuse for poor gun handling and tbh that guy in the first post deserved it. A safety catch is an added safety feature and comes second to handling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilishdave Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 why would you want to use a safety at a clay ground and why would not using one be unsafe? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kip270 Posted January 7, 2006 Author Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 I had a serious wake up call many years ago. Out shooting with my HW80 air-rifle, had the safety catch on, in the middle of stalking a squirrel, i slipped, the butt of my rifle hit the ground and it went off!!!! So i have always been extra carefull. A lot of my friends think i am OTT when it comes to safety. But i don't. You may not get a second chance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the last engineer Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 why would you want to use a safety at a clay ground and why would not using one be unsafe? Dave Spot on Dave, the safety is put on from the manufacturer, its the law !!!! just like auto makers have to fit belts AmateX, does that mean we all wear them ?? invector , i think you'l find many airifles (my HW80 incl) have an auto safety. they are a safegaurds only, they are not the be all of safe shooting or driving, we come down to the end user, you and i. The safe and proper use of a firearm is taught to make people aware of the inherant dangers associated with use of firearms, not only to themselves but others also. Another point is your finger should never be on the trigger untill , your ready to call a target or ready to make the shot at quarry. safe shooting people Martin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
potshot Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 One true story I always repeat when giving safety lectures - Bloke shooting in Sussex at a posh shoot. Had a badly behaved spaniel at his peg who yapped all through the drives. To shut it up he bent down and hit it on the head with the butt of his shotgun. He shot dead his 11 year old son standing beside him. Do you think he told his wife that the safety catch was on? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilishdave Posted January 7, 2006 Report Share Posted January 7, 2006 (edited) so whats the moral of the storey? If he ehd not acted like a **** or left the badly trained dog his kid would still be here? Dont get me wrong in the field I use my safety without fail and it is not released until the gun is mounted but if you ever rely on it you are asking for trouble. Dave Edited January 7, 2006 by Devilishdave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piebob Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 One thing that has not been mentioned so far, I regularly check that my safety catches actually work as I have heard of instances where the safety has failed. Again, safe handling is better than relying on moving parts subject to wear and tear. Piebob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devilishdave Posted January 8, 2006 Report Share Posted January 8, 2006 A good test for your safety is: cock an unloaded gun Apply safety Squeeze trigger Remove safety Give the gun a sharp tap similar to if it might be droped The action should not cycle. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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