Guns Kill

by ToddG

I know, I know. “Guns don’t kill, people kill.”

Guns are still deadly weapons. And far too often, shooters seem to forget that fact. The attitude that many casual shooters take towards safety is that as long as they're not trying to hurt someone, the gun is just a tool no more dangerous than a hammer or a camera. But whether you're playing a game, plinking, or just practicing, the gun is still a gun. The gun doesn't know that you're just plinking. When it fires, it fires with the same force and deadly effect regardless of whether you were intentionally shooting the person that gets hit.

So when you are taking your gun out of its case, don't point it at anyone. If you put it down on the ground or on a table, lay it in a position where it's not likely to be pointed at anyone while it's there or as you pick it back up. When you're showing a student something about a gun, don't point it at yourself, at your student, or at anyone else.

The Cardinal Rules exist for a reason.

This is not rocket science. Don't point guns at people. Loaded, unloaded, slide locked back, cylinder open... I don't care. It's a gun. It can kill. You might not use it for that purpose, but it can. If we can all keep that simple fact in our minds whenever we have guns in our hands, the range will be a safer place.

from pistol-training.com