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A
word about safety
IPSC and similar
action shooting sports are inherently safe. The safety rules and range
officer’s attention successfully prevent mistakes from happening.
I have been shooting action type sports since 1985, and have only witnessed
a small handful of minor mishaps. The worst injuries I have seen have
been from folks falling down and scraping knees and hands. Skiing is a
far more dangerous sport.
This isn’t
to say that you couldn’t get seriously hurt or killed while competing
at a match. While you are more likely to be hurt or worse on the highway
on the way to the match, it is possible that you or someone else will
make a terrible mistake.
I know a few folks
that have had mishaps that included serious injuries. Almost ALL of them
happened at home, or in tinkering in the garage, or getting out of a vehicle
with a loaded gun. I shot my chimney once, so I know accidental discharges
happen. In almost all cases, the person shot themselves and not someone
else.
Most all of the folks I shoot with are masters at safe gun handling.
- Always keep the
muzzle in the direction of the back stop, well within the 180 degree
line. This should always be practiced.
- Do not uncase or
unholster the gun until the range officer gives the command.
- No matter what
happens, including falling down, keep the muzzle pointed at the backstop.
- If anything unexpected
happens, take your finger out of the trigger guard.
- If you take more
than one step, take your finger out of the trigger guard.
- Practice reloads
so that when your thumb reaches for the mag release, your finger comes
out of the trigger guard.
- Do not cup your
hand over the ejection port when you extract a live round.
- Keep magazines
out of the gun at all times unless shooting or dry firing. Use dummy
rounds that are clearly dummies when practicing reloads.
- Pick a place to
dry fire that doesn’t aim at your neighbor’s house, the
kid’s bedroom, etc. You might find that the chamber isn’t
dry someday and a full metal jacket with a full head of steam will go
through many walls before it stops.
- If you aren’t
experienced, handle an unloaded gun often, making sure to ALWAYS keep
the gun pointed in a safe direction. Cycle the slide, drop the hammer
in safe direction, operate safeties, etc. Familiarity breeds confidence.
Just make sure not to allow yourself to get too confident (you might
shoot your chimney).
- If the hammer falls
to half cock or the gun “machine guns”, quit, and take your
gun to a gunsmith immediately.
- When moving into
or out of awkward shooting positions, pay attention to your muzzle direction
and keep your finger off the trigger.
- Never shoot over
your head, or try to "trick shoot".
No one is perfect. I have seen the very best
of the best make safety mistakes. It’s rare, but it does happen.
I know of a Grandmaster that never even fired a shot at the 2004 Nationals
in Bend because he drew the gun while facing up range, an action he
had done correctly a thousand times before…..
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