Big Mat Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 A good post advocating the unreliability of a safety catch . Your clay pigeon shooting friends know the score. I've a feeling in the incident he referes to the guy didnt have the saftey catch on... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Al Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 A good post advocating the unreliability of a safety catch . Your clay pigeon shooting friends know the score. Sorry - I have just re-read my post and realised I left bits out. The guy behind was an experienced (and quite useful) clay shooter who habitually left his safety off. While no-one else was there, the analysis at the time (this happened approx. 25 years ago) was that both men were walking through a narrow gateway one behind the other. Neither had broken their guns to do this. This is when the second man's gun discharged. I'll readily admit that poor gun handling played a hand but if the guy behind had applied his safety, the gun would probably not have gone off and the victim would be alive. I feel this is turning into a clay shooter vs rough shooter debate and that no minds will be changed. But the guy whose gun went off said that were he to do it all again he would have broken his gun while walking and used his safety in the field. He obviously lost his guns and died within 10 years himself. A very very tragic episode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Kelly Posted February 15, 2013 Author Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 (edited) The only reason clay shooters don't use the safety is so they can't leave it on by mistake and miss a clay. It's not about safety for them. Clay grounds are designed so that it's all but impossible to shoot anyone should a gun go off accidentally. As the shooters are only loaded when they're in the cage with their barrels pointing down range the last line of defence is fairly unnecessary. To preach to people about not using a safety catch in the field is misguided at best. Edited February 15, 2013 by Tim Kelly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaveyTed Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 If, as has been said, it's easy to get into the habit of sliding the safety off when mounting the gun it's just as easy to get into the habit of sliding the safety on when closing the gun. Simples Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fenboy Posted February 15, 2013 Report Share Posted February 15, 2013 I see no issue with carrying a loaded closed gun with the safety on when rough shooting , in fact in over 30 years of shooting I have never shot with one person that starts the shot with a closed gun . As said a safety catch is not a fail safe but I for one know where my barrels are pointing when out shooting , if they are not pointing at something I want to kill then they are pointing in the air. The guy started a thread on converting a gun to auto safe , not quite sure why the thread descended into a lecture on gun safety . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malantone Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 I see no issue with carrying a loaded closed gun with the safety on when rough shooting , in fact in over 30 years of shooting I have never shot with one person that starts the shot with a closed gun . As said a safety catch is not a fail safe but I for one know where my barrels are pointing when out shooting , if they are not pointing at something I want to kill then they are pointing in the air. The guy started a thread on converting a gun to auto safe , not quite sure why the thread descended into a lecture on gun safety . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-Mongrel- Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 (edited) The guy started a thread on converting a gun to auto safe , not quite sure why the thread descended into a lecture on gun safety . It's just the way of forums isn't it? Rarely does a post stay on topic for that long and the question was answered so no real harm dome IMO. I'm quite pleased it did after I was basically told I was unsafe, as I now find that if that is the case, then so are most of the genuine (as opposed to armchair) shooters out there. A loaded but open gun seems the norm on a rough shoot with some using a closed gun with safetys applied and in a hide I would expect the gun to be loaded and closed with safetys on because most of the time you'll be holding it so should be aware of barrel orientation, and trying to close a gun in a net hide is just asking for it to get snagged. Edited February 16, 2013 by -Mongrel- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scully Posted February 16, 2013 Report Share Posted February 16, 2013 Leave it as it is and don't rely on a safety catch Good advice.Don't do it...auto safeties are a pain in the ****! I personally would rather shoot with someone who was totally muzzle aware than someone who relied on a safety.Phrases such as,'It's ok,the safeties on!' or 'It's ok,it isn't loaded' isn't something I care to hear as someone waves their muzzles around.I don't care whether it's in the field or on the range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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