Please never JOKE around with your firearm. - The Firearms Forum

bakerconch · 08-03-2011, 12:51 PM

First off I have to say that I have known this person for many years and we JOKE and kid around quite a bit, so I know he thought that he was being funny.
Not long ago I was walking out of a local grocery store and I spot this man sitting in the passanger seat, parked along the curb in front of the store. He sees me and says look at this! I look to see a loaded 38 revolver pointed directly at me. I said, you better put that away old man! Then he lowered the weapon and laughed. My first reaction was calm and I set it aside as I knew that he thought he was just was JOKING around with me.
I told this story to my favorite gun dealer after he told me that the same man
(who he knows as well) was in wanting to purchase a new hand gun. Well his reaction was much different than mine and really made me think a little harder on the situation. Even though I know this man, it gives him no right to point a gun at me, even in a so called JOKING manner. The scenarios of what could have happened in this situation are endless, who was walking out of the store behind me? Could they be carrying? What would they do if they thought I was in danger? Scary to think about really.
I know that most people on this forum are very responsible and would never do anything like this, and I am certainly not trying to direct it at anyone, just thought that I would share it.

jack404 · 08-03-2011, 12:56 PM

Good words

Country101 · 08-03-2011, 01:22 PM

I'd have been hot if somebody, even a friend, had pointed a loaded gun at me. I dont like it when I KNOW the gun is unloaded and is pointed at me. That would not have gone over well.

Juker · 08-03-2011, 02:06 PM

Good grief. Time for you to find some new friends --

bakerconch · 08-03-2011, 02:15 PM

Well he is not really a friend as much as a long time acquaintance, an older gentleman, not if that means anything, just much older than me. My close friends would never do such a thing.

Double D · 08-03-2011, 02:20 PM

I happen to know the person he is talking about. When he told me the story, the first thought was this, had bakerconch pulled his firearm and fired on this guy, it would have been a justifiable shooting since he had a loaded firearm pointed at him. So many things could have gone wrong here. This is another reason why stupid people shouldnt breed.

armedandsafe · 08-03-2011, 02:25 PM

I was in the local sproting goods store a couple of years ago and had a heart rate increase. I came around the end of an aisle and saw a fellow pointing a pistol at me.

I ducked back, hit the deck, drew and sat there a for a second realizing that I had glanced at the gun counter, where a fellow was examining a pistol. I reholstered and stood up, when I noticed one of the store clerks on the floor behind me, with HIS piece out, covering my back.

The fellow who had pointed the pistol down the aisle was spoken to by several people and invited to leave.

Pops

fleetwood1976 · 08-03-2011, 02:41 PM

sounds like he has a screw loose. I have a close nit group of friends that are mature responsible gun owners. some of my friends however have some growing up to do.

JLA · 08-03-2011, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bakerconch

Well he is not really a friend as much as a long time acquaintance, an older gentleman, not if that means anything, just much older than me. My close friends would never do such a thing.

That just means he doesnt have any excuses.. He should know better.

Many things could have gone wrong, but first and foremost is, what if the weapon had accidentally discharged. He could have killed you AND anyone standing behind you.

Unfortunately, I have seen this type of ignorance for safety in the gunshop repeatedly. Most memorable for me, This one time I went over to Cheaper Than Dirt to browse the gun counter a bit. there was this older fellow, dont know for sure but he struck me as retired military from the way he talked. Him and a couple of other customers and a clerk were talking proper hold for handgun shooting. When suddenly he whips out his OfficersACP, points it right at the clerk, drops the mag and racks the slide and catches the ejected round with his offhand. He was all but shot dead. 2 other clerks had already unholstered and were holding centermass and the manager quickly escorted him to the door. He cussed the manager like he had done nothing wrong.. I really hope he took that one home and thought it over real good.. He drew a condition 1, single action weapon on a store clerk, then proceeded to handle his weapon, crossing the clerk and the guy next to him while he unloaded it. Dumbass!

ampaterry · 08-03-2011, 06:59 PM

If I had ever pointed a gun - even an empty one - at anyone, my daddy would have raised welts on my backside with his belt.

This guy did not have that advantage, it seems.

Shame, the number of people who grow up with no common sense instilled in them.

Rocketman1 · 08-03-2011, 07:29 PM

I would have been absolutely furious! It doesn’t matter if it was unloaded or not. He broke several rules. Treat every gun as if it were loaded, even if you have checked it. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, even if it is unloaded.

Reminds me of the time when my next door neighbor was sitting in his living room with his 12 ga shotgun. He had supposedly just cleaned it. He was sitting there watching TV, and when someone came on the TV that he didn’t like he pointed the gun at it and pulled the trigger. He forgot that there was one in the chamber. Thats when I came up with my signature below:

On Edit: "I should change my signature to read "Stupid gun owners cause so called gun accidents."

H-D · 08-03-2011, 07:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampaterry

If I had ever pointed a gun - even an empty one - at anyone, my daddy would have raised welts on my backside with his belt.

This guy did not have that advantage, it seems.

Shame, the number of people who grow up with no common sense instilled in them.

+1 my daddy tore my backside up for pointing a toy gun at a friend when I was a kid then came the lecture and Rules of safe gun ownership his #1 was Every gun Is loaded #2 do not point a gun at anything you dont want to kill/ put a hole in there are quite a few others and I learned to live by them

Diamondback · 08-03-2011, 09:05 PM

Friend, acquaintance whatever. I would have, after my heart rate went down and the adrenalin had drained from my system, quietly informed him that if he ever pulled such a stunt again I would place said revolver in a very unaccommodating and painful location. Like many of you my father literally pounded into my head proper gun safety. I caught his nickel/steel wedding band upside my head many times during his training sessions. I wholeheartedly agree there are no such thing as accidental discharges.

JLA · 08-03-2011, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Diamondback

Friend, acquaintance whatever. I would have, after my heart rate went down and the adrenalin had drained from my system, quietly informed him that if he ever pulled such a stunt again I would place said revolver in a very unaccommodating and painful location. Like many of you my father literally pounded into my head proper gun safety. I caught his nickel/steel wedding band upside my head many times during his training sessions. I wholeheartedly agree there are no such thing as accidental discharges.

I believe the very same thing. As a gunsmith, and intimately familiar with the basic way every single firearm works. Guns simply cannot fire themselves. It requires human interference to manipulate the firing mechanism of a firearm. Whether it be intentional or unintentional, it is the operators responsibilty to ensure the firing mechanism remains unmanipulated and safe until the weapon is 100% intended to be fired.

Where guns are concerned, There should never be accidents.

dons2346 · 08-03-2011, 10:28 PM

If he had pointed a gun at me, I'd probably be in jail right now. All I can say is the guy is stupid, really stupid.

bakerconch · 08-04-2011, 10:22 AM

Thank you for your comments and stories.
My hope is that people that lack good common sence and might think that this is funny, will read these posts and think twice before the same thing is done to someone else.

rosierita · 08-04-2011, 11:11 AM

i like to joke & laugh w/ the best of them...

but i NEVER & i mean NEVER!!!! joke around w/ firearms.

i have NEVER allowed my kids or anyone i have taught to shoot, to joke around w/ firearms.

i'm glad your story ended well w/ you walking away unharmed.

Maximilian II · 08-06-2011, 12:24 AM

Pointing a firearm (loaded/unloaded doesn't matter) or otherwise threatening someone with a weapon is not a joke. In my mind it's a justifiable a##whooping. Obviously I'm not a lawyer, I'm a man with common sense and a hard fist.

Woodnut · 08-06-2011, 07:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Maximilian II

Pointing a firearm (loaded/unloaded doesn't matter) or otherwise threatening someone with a weapon is not a joke. In my mind it's a justifiable a##whooping. Obviously I'm not a lawyer, I'm a man with common sense and a hard fist.

Max. that is the exact same way I feel about that. Good use of words.

okiefired · 08-06-2011, 08:15 AM

If he's got a CCW, it should be revoked. My dad drilled safety into me too. I remember as a young boy telling him about a friends father who had "accidentally" shot a hole on his own truck. I said "it wasnt his fault though, the gun fired on its own". His reply.."you cant shoot something you're not pointing at". One of the many things he said I've never forgotten.

pulltabbob · 08-06-2011, 04:22 PM

Back in the 70's, I had a friend who was cleaning his 45 ACP. He took it out of the case, dropped the mag and started cleaning the outside when "Gunsmoke" came on TV. He put his holster on and tried to out draw Marshall Matt Dillon. He pulled the gun, pointed the gun at Matt on TV, pulled the trigger, and promptly blew a hole in his TV. He missed the Marshall though. His TV had good sound but the picture just did not work anymore. Dummy forgot to rack the slide to finish clearing the gun. The sorry thing about the whole thing was he had his gun in base housing against the base rules and they had to move into the local town.

Yup, you just can't fix stupid!

clamman · 08-08-2011, 02:48 PM

How about this! Im my "former" life, I was joking around with my .357 by pointing it at my tv. Saw someone I didn't like and blew him away. Later, my ex wife wanted to know why I have a new tv (kids told her) I sad my old one was SHOT lol. And no, there was no one in the house but me.

JLA · 08-08-2011, 04:30 PM

.357 is a pretty potent round.. How many walls did it go thru before it stopped? Pretty high risk of collateral damage, especially if you have close neighbors.

BETH · 08-08-2011, 04:45 PM

very good reminder-thanks

HunterAlpha1 · 08-08-2011, 10:03 PM

In my life I have done 3 stupid things with guns:
1. Shortly after I inherited my great-grandpa's .22 I wanted to see if it would still shoot, so i loaded it and shot it at our utility shed. In which a 5-gallon can of gasoline resided.
2. A few months later, there were some rough looking men doing some work in our house, so I locked myself in my room and sat on my bed,with the .22 loaded and with a round in the chamber, pointed at the wall with the muzzle resting on my bed. Not paying attention to what I was doing I absentmindedly pulled the trigger, and CRACK!, shot a hole through my bed and doorframe.
3. Two years ago, during my second hunting trip, I was unloading my Springfield XD45, and i muzzle-swept the guy standing next to me.

Needless to say, I have finally learned gun safety. But the root cause of these stupid stunts is this: when I first got the .22, instead of taking me up to the nearest gun club and having a certified firearms instructor teach me gun safety, my grandpa told me to put it up on the old rifle rack(which I had previously used for an old broken BB gun), and to leave it alone.

But being a teenager, that's not what I did, was it?

08-03-2011, 01:22 PM	#3
Country101 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dardanelle, AR Contributor Posts: 2,045	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. I'd have been hot if somebody, even a friend, had pointed a loaded gun at me. I dont like it when I KNOW the gun is unloaded and is pointed at me. That would not have gone over well. __________________ Gainfully employed= shooting somebody elses bullets and getting paid for it Country101

08-03-2011, 02:06 PM	#4
Juker Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Land of Lincoln Contributor Posts: 2,872	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. Good grief. Time for you to find some new friends -- __________________ SHOOT FIRST. SHOOT SECOND. MOST IMPORTANTLY, BE THE MAN WHO'S SHOOTING LAST.

08-03-2011, 02:15 PM	#5
bakerconch V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: North Florida Posts: 259	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. Well he is not really a friend as much as a long time acquaintance, an older gentleman, not if that means anything, just much older than me. My close friends would never do such a thing.

08-03-2011, 02:20 PM	#6
Double D TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: North Florida Contributor Posts: 8,259	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. I happen to know the person he is talking about. When he told me the story, the first thought was this, had bakerconch pulled his firearm and fired on this guy, it would have been a justifiable shooting since he had a loaded firearm pointed at him. So many things could have gone wrong here. This is another reason why stupid people shouldnt breed. __________________ I own a bunch of scary guns. You want em? Come and take em..... Liberalism is a serious, non curable, mental disorder... NRA LIFE MEMBER Oath Keepers Member NRA Certified Instructor 30 Yr CC permit holder. Last edited by Double D; 08-03-2011 at 02:21 PM..

08-03-2011, 02:25 PM	#7
armedandsafe Former Guest Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Moses Lake, WA Posts: 10,344	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. I was in the local sproting goods store a couple of years ago and had a heart rate increase. I came around the end of an aisle and saw a fellow pointing a pistol at me. I ducked back, hit the deck, drew and sat there a for a second realizing that I had glanced at the gun counter, where a fellow was examining a pistol. I reholstered and stood up, when I noticed one of the store clerks on the floor behind me, with HIS piece out, covering my back. The fellow who had pointed the pistol down the aisle was spoken to by several people and invited to leave. Pops

08-03-2011, 12:51 PM	#1
bakerconch V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: North Florida Posts: 259	Please never JOKE around with your firearm. First off I have to say that I have known this person for many years and we JOKE and kid around quite a bit, so I know he thought that he was being funny. Not long ago I was walking out of a local grocery store and I spot this man sitting in the passanger seat, parked along the curb in front of the store. He sees me and says look at this! I look to see a loaded 38 revolver pointed directly at me. I said, you better put that away old man! Then he lowered the weapon and laughed. My first reaction was calm and I set it aside as I knew that he thought he was just was JOKING around with me. I told this story to my favorite gun dealer after he told me that the same man (who he knows as well) was in wanting to purchase a new hand gun. Well his reaction was much different than mine and really made me think a little harder on the situation. Even though I know this man, it gives him no right to point a gun at me, even in a so called JOKING manner. The scenarios of what could have happened in this situation are endless, who was walking out of the store behind me? Could they be carrying? What would they do if they thought I was in danger? Scary to think about really. I know that most people on this forum are very responsible and would never do anything like this, and I am certainly not trying to direct it at anyone, just thought that I would share it. -->

08-03-2011, 12:56 PM	#2
jack404 Former Guest Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Australia Contributor Posts: 17,622	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. Good words

08-03-2011, 02:41 PM	#8
fleetwood1976 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Southern Indiana Contributor Posts: 1,339	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. sounds like he has a screw loose. I have a close nit group of friends that are mature responsible gun owners. some of my friends however have some growing up to do.

08-03-2011, 06:59 PM	#10
ampaterry TFF Admin Staff Chaplain Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: West Tennessee Contributor Posts: 6,378	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. If I had ever pointed a gun - even an empty one - at anyone, my daddy would have raised welts on my backside with his belt. This guy did not have that advantage, it seems. Shame, the number of people who grow up with no common sense instilled in them. __________________ Reason given by one of Obama's more intellectual supporters when asked why she voted for him: *"He gave me a PHONE!!"*

08-03-2011, 07:29 PM	#11
Rocketman1 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Columbus, Ohio Posts: 1,107	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. I would have been absolutely furious! It doesn’t matter if it was unloaded or not. He broke several rules. Treat every gun as if it were loaded, even if you have checked it. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, even if it is unloaded. Reminds me of the time when my next door neighbor was sitting in his living room with his 12 ga shotgun. He had supposedly just cleaned it. He was sitting there watching TV, and when someone came on the TV that he didn’t like he pointed the gun at it and pulled the trigger. He forgot that there was one in the chamber. Thats when I came up with my signature below: On Edit: "I should change my signature to read "Stupid gun owners cause so called gun accidents." __________________ There is no such thing as a gun accident. Irresponsible gun owners cause so-called gun accidents. Last edited by Rocketman1; 08-03-2011 at 07:31 PM..

08-03-2011, 09:05 PM	#13
Diamondback Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Silver City, Oklahoma Posts: 706	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. Friend, acquaintance whatever. I would have, after my heart rate went down and the adrenalin had drained from my system, quietly informed him that if he ever pulled such a stunt again I would place said revolver in a very unaccommodating and painful location. Like many of you my father literally pounded into my head proper gun safety. I caught his nickel/steel wedding band upside my head many times during his training sessions. I wholeheartedly agree there are no such thing as accidental discharges.

08-03-2011, 10:28 PM	#15
dons2346 Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Move between WA and points south Contributor Posts: 1,431	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. If he had pointed a gun at me, I'd probably be in jail right now. All I can say is the guy is stupid, really stupid. __________________ "A strong body makes the mind strong. As to the species of exercises, I advise the gun. While this gives moderate exercise to the body, it gives boldness, enterprise and independence to the mind. Games played with the ball, and others of that nature, are too violent for the body and stamp no character on the mind. Let your gun therefore be your constant companion of your walks." --Thomas Jefferson, letter to Peter Carr, 1785

08-04-2011, 10:22 AM	#16
bakerconch V.I.P. Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: North Florida Posts: 259	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. Thank you for your comments and stories. My hope is that people that lack good common sence and might think that this is funny, will read these posts and think twice before the same thing is done to someone else.

08-04-2011, 11:11 AM	#17
rosierita Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: South Carolina Posts: 5,218	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. i like to joke & laugh w/ the best of them... but i NEVER & i mean NEVER!!!! joke around w/ firearms. i have NEVER allowed my kids or anyone i have taught to shoot, to joke around w/ firearms. i'm glad your story ended well w/ you walking away unharmed. __________________

08-06-2011, 12:24 AM	#18
Maximilian II Advanced Senior Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Northwest GA Posts: 1,385	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. Pointing a firearm (loaded/unloaded doesn't matter) or otherwise threatening someone with a weapon is not a joke. In my mind it's a justifiable a##whooping. Obviously I'm not a lawyer, I'm a man with common sense and a hard fist. __________________ Karma is just justice, without the satisfaction. And I don't believe in justice. -Joe Sarno, bagman.

08-06-2011, 08:15 AM	#20
okiefired V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: OK. Posts: 186	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. If he's got a CCW, it should be revoked. My dad drilled safety into me too. I remember as a young boy telling him about a friends father who had "accidentally" shot a hole on his own truck. I said "it wasnt his fault though, the gun fired on its own". His reply.."you cant shoot something you're not pointing at". One of the many things he said I've never forgotten. __________________ "If I ever meet a Texacan that hasn't drunk muddy water from a hoof print, I'll shake his hand and buy him a Daniel Webster ceeegar" Rooster Cogburn

08-06-2011, 04:22 PM	#21
pulltabbob V.I.P. Member Join Date: Apr 2011 Location: Up Nort Der MN Youbetcha! Posts: 56	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. Back in the 70's, I had a friend who was cleaning his 45 ACP. He took it out of the case, dropped the mag and started cleaning the outside when "Gunsmoke" came on TV. He put his holster on and tried to out draw Marshall Matt Dillon. He pulled the gun, pointed the gun at Matt on TV, pulled the trigger, and promptly blew a hole in his TV. He missed the Marshall though. His TV had good sound but the picture just did not work anymore. Dummy forgot to rack the slide to finish clearing the gun. The sorry thing about the whole thing was he had his gun in base housing against the base rules and they had to move into the local town. Yup, you just can't fix stupid! __________________ Age and treachery will win out over youth and skill every time! Stop Organized Crime: Re-elect NO One If you haven't got a smile on your face And laughter in your heart, Then you are just a sour old fart! Vote for Mr. Ed for President... Let's get the horses head this time......

08-08-2011, 02:48 PM	#22
clamman V.I.P. Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Coastal north carolina Posts: 342	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. How about this! Im my "former" life, I was joking around with my .357 by pointing it at my tv. Saw someone I didn't like and blew him away. Later, my ex wife wanted to know why I have a new tv (kids told her) I sad my old one was SHOT lol. And no, there was no one in the house but me.

08-08-2011, 04:30 PM	#23
JLA TFF Moderator/Host Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Heart Of Texas Contributor Posts: 17,407	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. .357 is a pretty potent round.. How many walls did it go thru before it stopped? Pretty high risk of collateral damage, especially if you have close neighbors. __________________ It takes 43 muscles to frown, 17 to smile, and 3 for proper trigger squeeze. The latest caliber or gear is no substitute for experience and skill. Rifles and cartridges don't make hits -- shooters do. Fact of life: After Monday and Tuesday, even the calendar says WTF!

08-08-2011, 04:45 PM	#24
BETH Advanced Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: naugatuck,Ct. Contributor Posts: 6,686	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. very good reminder-thanks

08-08-2011, 10:03 PM	#25
HunterAlpha1 Former Guest Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Yorktown, VA Posts: 1,049	Re: Please never JOKE around with your firearm. In my life I have done 3 stupid things with guns: 1. Shortly after I inherited my great-grandpa's .22 I wanted to see if it would still shoot, so i loaded it and shot it at our utility shed. In which a 5-gallon can of gasoline resided. 2. A few months later, there were some rough looking men doing some work in our house, so I locked myself in my room and sat on my bed,with the .22 loaded and with a round in the chamber, pointed at the wall with the muzzle resting on my bed. Not paying attention to what I was doing I absentmindedly pulled the trigger, and CRACK!, shot a hole through my bed and doorframe. 3. Two years ago, during my second hunting trip, I was unloading my Springfield XD45, and i muzzle-swept the guy standing next to me. Needless to say, I have finally learned gun safety. But the root cause of these stupid stunts is this: when I first got the .22, instead of taking me up to the nearest gun club and having a certified firearms instructor teach me gun safety, my grandpa told me to put it up on the old rifle rack(which I had previously used for an old broken BB gun), and to leave it alone. But being a teenager, that's not what I did, was it?