WHy You Should Always Check and Re-Check

[carlson1]

A few minutes ago I picked up my AR 15. Dropped the empty magazine and was going to break it down. My wife was standing across the room in front of me, so I pointed the muzzle to the grown and decieded to clear my already unloaded rife guess what my friends, one 75 grain TAP, boat tail hollow point jumped out. My heart that already skips beat skipped two more. Always check

[longtooth]

Thank you Lord for grace.
Folks who practice safety occasionally get a repreve.
How is the wife doing? Scare her pretty bad I guess.

[carlson1]

She is fine. She has told everyone I tried to shoot her. I always say "God looks after his stupid children."

[longtooth]

I resemble that remark.

[The Marshal]

I just want to smack people that reflexively squeeze the trigger when you hand them a gun!!!

A terrible habit.

I *almost* did that the last time I picked up my Father-in-Law's Remington Pump that he had behind a door. I caught myself, and racked it instead. Surprise was on my face when the Double-Ought round hit the floor from the chamber.

You can never be Too Careful with an unloaded firearm.

~Bill

[carlson1]

I am surprised even at gun stores of people who will hand you guns and never check them or rack the slide

[Boma]

Hmm, aren't you supposed to drop the mag and then pull the slide back and visually inspect the chamber, before pulling the trigger?

Since when is dropping the mag by itself considered clearing out a gun?

p.s. I'm not trying to bash you.

[txinvestigator]

Rule #1; Treat every gun as though it is loaded, always. or simply, All guns are always loaded.

Carlson1, your brain just would not let you proceed without checking. I would say good job.

Boma, I teach; 1) remove the magazine
2) lock the slide/Bolt to the rear
3) visually check the chamber
4) feel the chamber

[Venus Pax]

I had to get onto dh not long ago b/c he squeezed the trigger while my gun was on safety. GRRRRRRRR. It had a round in the chamber. (My guns stay loaded. Unloaded guns don't do much good, although they're nice to look at.)

He was trying to prove to me that the gun would not go off while on safety. I believe him, but had something gone wrong, the best scenario would have been a hole in my wall.

TX Invest... you're right to teach people to drop the mag, THEN rack the slide. If you rack the slide ONLY, you've likely put a round in the chamber.
GC Montgomery, at the forum day at PSC, taught us the valuable skill of dropping the mag, then locking the slide back and checking the chamber with our pinkie as well as checking to see light coming through the chamber. I thought it was a good skill.

[jbirds1210]

4) feel the chamber

I like it!
I had never heard of this method until the Texas CHLforum day at PSC. Greg taught his class to make a physical "feel" a part of the clearing process. I now use this method when I am clearing my gun.....it stops me from taking a quick "peek" and seeing an empty chamber that might not actually be empty.

Carl-I am glad that you are yours are doing OK.....ND are very scary. One for me and hopefully never again.

Jason

[carlson1]

Hmm, aren't you supposed to drop the mag and then pull the slide back and visually inspect the chamber, before pulling the trigger?

Since when is dropping the mag by itself considered clearing out a gun?

p.s. I'm not trying to bash you.

Dropping the mag is not clearing the weapon that is why I also cleared (locking slide back, looking, and feeling). The point is I THOUGHT it was unloaded. I guess there are some who forget that is why Accidental Discharges happen. This was just a reminder for some because there are some of us who are not perfect and we forget.

[Liberty]

Hmm... Have I been doing something unsafe? I don't typically drop the mag when checking a gun. I lock it back and inspect the chamber. running my pinky through seems like a good idea, but I've never though of removing the mag as part of the process. It would be pretty obvious if there was a cartridge ready to load in the mag.

Perhaps I need a rethink. Not all cartridges are brassy and shiny anymore.

[txinvestigator]

Hmm... Have I been doing something unsafe? I don't typically drop the mag when checking a gun. I lock it back and inspect the chamber. running my pinky through seems like a good idea, but I've never though of removing the mag as part of the process. It would be pretty obvious if there was a cartridge ready to load in the mag.

Perhaps I need a rethink. Not all cartridges are brassy and shiny anymore.

If you remove the magazine you remove the possibility that a new round could be chambered when lowering the slide

[carlson1]

Hmm... Have I been doing something unsafe? I don't typically drop the mag when checking a gun. I lock it back and inspect the chamber. running my pinky through seems like a good idea, but I've never though of removing the mag as part of the process. It would be pretty obvious if there was a cartridge ready to load in the mag.

Perhaps I need a rethink. Not all cartridges are brassy and shiny anymore.

If you remove the magazine you remove the possibility that a new round could be chambered when lowering the slide

All of you instructors: No matter how weary those reminders seem KEEP giving.

[Liberty]

If you remove the magazine you remove the possibility that a new round could be chambered when lowering the slide

I suppose but in any gun with a magazine that I have used a round in the mag would be pretty hard to miss. If the slide/bolt is locked back and I am peeking into the chamber I get a pretty good view.

At any rate I probably won't worry about it to much with my own guns and my own ammo. But I learned something today, and will make a habit of dropping the mag before locking the slide back. on a strange gun. I always thought I was pretty careful about checking and clearing guns, but I do learn something new every day.