I'm chuckling, because I ALREADY know if I say what I am going to say somebody here is going to get on their "High Horse" and take offense...(it has happened so MANY times before....
)
But there are ONLY two types of "Shooters" in this world....
Those Shooters who have HAD an "Accidental Discharge,"...
... and those that WILL have an "Accidental Discharge" someday.
The ONLY "Gun Guys" who will NEVER have one are those guys who are not SHOOTERS.....yeah, if they never have any actual AMMUNITION laying around for their "collection" and all they ever really do with them is bring them out of the case and fondle them and wipe them down and put them back in the case...
But BEWARE, if they DO have any ammuniton laying around....
But if you are a real SHOOTER, or work on guns, fiddle with triggers, bed guns, accurize rifles, gunsmith anything, in other words are a REAL "Gun Guy...."
You WILL have an AD someday....
That is why there are TWO rules to safe gun handling....not ONE.
#1 ALWAYS treat the gun as if it is LOADED...
#2 NEVER point it at anything you don't want to SHOOT....
You CANNOT hurt somebody or yourself if you always do BOTH.
ALL of us can "Help" ANYBODY if they violate #2, don't EVER feel out of line telling ANYBODY at the range, your best buddies, whoever..."Watch that MUZZLE..."
And it is up to US, if anybody says that to US, NOT to get indignant, or get pissed, or tell them how long you have been shooting....NOBODY really CARES if you did something unsafe!
If they say that to YOU, bite your TONGUE, THINK, and then your only response should be...."Sorry, and THANKS!"
The funny thing is the WORST violations I have seen as a range officer, or a shooter with others, is with the MOST experienced shooters, not the LEAST...
Watch some LEO, or "A" class IPSC shooter, or top trapshooter at your club show his buddy his new $2000 "Racegun" and SEE where that muzzle points...
I don't care if it is your FIRST time at that range, or your FIRST time shooting ANYTHING...if you SEE that muzzle sweep anybody or anything, and especially YOU...
SAY SOMETHING.
You are representing ALL of us here....