Gun Safety? Finger up the Barrel of a Semi Auto

[bakerboy]

Has anyone seen this months PULL magazine ? Page 28 Safety Corner, Safety First.

 

Check to see the gun is unloaded and clear by placing your finger inside the barrel. The wording says "You can insert your fingers for a physical check too in the interest of building multi level safety .

 

It is not something I would want to do, what about you?

 

All I would say, bearing in mind who is in the picture and who wrote the article, is Puuuuuuulllllllllllllllllllllll your finger out before you lose it.

 

I stand to be corrected of course if I am wrong.

[P~MX]

wouldn't wanna do that myself -- maybe Dennis wrote it ****

[bedwards1966]

OK on a pump action, but considering the strength of the springs used on semi's I wouldn't do that as a matter of routine, just think of the pain if you caught the button or if it failed...

[Joe99]

Anyone who has ever caught their finger in the action of a semi would not recommend this

[gazzthompson]

I do sometimes, but i hold the charging handle with the other hand so it cant go forward.

[BerettaSV10]

Boy does it hurt, I was doing a quick clean of my s/a and caught the bolt release while I had my finger in in the ejector port area. The air was black and blue to say the least and so was my finger, had to clean it again as some blood was split, brings tears to the eys as well. :sick:

[Albert 888]

I would gladly give £5 if someone would put thier finger in my action on the sx3 and let me press the bolt release button. When you have run out of fingers is it safe to use your toes?.

[kent]

lot safer to look- even if you need a torch ! But I always check there aint a magazine jam up that's held one back in the mag by feeling with my finger down there from below as you cannot always see clearly. An SX3 might take your digit clean off

[la bala]

not shotgun i know, but during weapons training with the old SLR 7.62, it was Cock Hook Look and Feel.

[mudpatten]

I`m happy to do that. Just exercise a little caution and keep your fingers away from the release catch.

 

It`s especially effective for wildfowlers operating in poor light, or indeed complete darkness, and is the ultimate test of "empty".

 

Absolutely impossible to miss "seeing" a cartridge and generally very good advice.

[aister]

One of the guys I used to shoot with happened to close the bolt of his SX3 on his thumb and the extractor claw went straight through his thumb nail

[Catweazle]

I do it, force of habit from practical shotgun and semi-auto pistol shooting.

[Gordon R]

There has to be a less dangerous way. An accident waiting to happen.

[shakari]

It's SOP with most bolt action rifles in many military forces around the world & has been for decades at the very least....... I'm not sure I'd recommend it with a semi auto though.

[sitsinhedges]

I look down the barrel from the muzzle end before I start shooting. With the bolt back there can't be a cartridge in the breech but there could be an obstruction in the barrel.

[chrispti]

I used to do it, if you don't want the bolt to close on your fingers, don't press the release catch.

[Muddy Funker]

I blow down the barrel from the muzzle end, if I can blow freely it means it's empty

[Paddy Galore!]

"multi level safety"? does that mean that after you've lost all your fingers you won't be able to pull the trigger?

[Paddy Galore!]

make a plug and flag for it, just push one empty case inside another and tie a bit of ribbon round it.

[hillmouse]

Could, might,maybe, but probably won't. yes I would stick my fingers in there to check for a stuck round (carefully in an 11-87, those rails get scalpel sharp)

 

Squinting down the dangerous end and seeing darkness just as the bolt slams shut on a live round stuck in the chamber has somewhat more serious potential.

 

You can fix mashed fingers with swearing and elastoplast but a steaming hole where your eye and the back of your head used to be might take a bit more work.

[chrispti]

make a plug and flag for it, just push one empty case inside another and tie a bit of ribbon round it.

 

Personal choice, but I would never use an old cartridge or one of those flags.

 

Getting into the habit of sticking something in the gun, basically loading it with a duff cartridge, especially in the dark, is asking for trouble.

 

Same for those snap caps, a lapse in concentration or a distraction, could end in tears.

 

The plastic safe-t-plugs are about the safest option.

[NickS]

I once got my thumb caught in the breech of an M1 Garand rifle earning myself a Garand Thumb - not something I would care to repeat!

 

Nick

[bullet1747]

We use to check the barrel that way in the forces ,before some one says different weapons the bolt on a SLR hurts trust me , only when it was dark mind you

[Scully]

We use to check the barrel that way in the forces ,before some one says different weapons the bolt on a SLR hurts trust me , only when it was dark mind you

Ditto.I wasn't in the forces,but when shooting in the cadets we were always told to do this when making safe the SLR.

[Frenchieboy]

not shotgun i know, but during weapons training with the old SLR 7.62, it was Cock Hook Look and Feel.

I'm sorry mate but I think you will find that the army saying with a 7.62 SLR was "Cock, Loch and LOOK" not FEEL!

I would dare anyone to try putting their finger into my Breda to check it had an empty chamber as the spring is so strong that if they touched the trelease button it would take their finget clean off and stop them from picking their nose for ever!