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ОглавлениеChapter 2 SAFE SHOOTING
Anything that launches projectiles has the potential to cause injury. This is not limited to slingshots, bows, airguns, or firearms. Golf balls, baseballs, and horseshoes have all caused fatalities. In baseball, batters wear helmets for a reason. Participants in other sports wear protective equipment. However, it is in the shooting sports that safety must be paramount. Firearms launch small projectiles at high velocity so they can travel great distances. In spite of this, it entirely possible to enjoy shooting sports for many years and fire tens of thousands of shots in complete safety even though the news media may routinely consider that anything involving a firearm is a high risk activity. In this chapter, we will describe some of the aspects of safety that shooters must follow in order to participate safely in shooting sports.
Aware of the safety issues related to the storage of firearms, Sturm, Ruger & Co. include a safety lock with most of their products.
Devices and Programs
We are at a point in time when shooting accidents are occurring at the lowest rate they have been for many years. There are several reasons for this welcome decline. First, currently produced rifles and pistols are manufactured with more safety features than ever before. Let me cite just one example. Older single-action revolvers can fire accidentally if dropped or the hammer is struck a blow because in some cases the firing pin is an integral part of the hammer and it rests against a cartridge. In other models, the firing pin is held permanently in the frame, but the hammer rests against the firing pin. In either of these types of single-action revolvers, the firing pin may be held away from the cartridge by a notch on the hammer (a so-called safety notch). That safety notch may not be adequate to keep the firing pin from striking the cartridge if a substantial blow to the hammer occurs. In order to carry such a revolver safely, it is necessary to keep an empty chamber in front of the firing pin. Old timers knew this and their revolvers were treated as “five shooters” rather than “six shooters.”
Single-action revolvers are those that require cocking the hammer for each shot (which also rotates the cylinder) and this type has been popular for about 150 years. In 1973, Sturm, Ruger, & Company redesigned its single-action revolvers to produce the “new model” single-action. After the new model revolver is cocked, a transfer bar moves upward to a position between the hammer and the firing pin only as the trigger is pulled to the rear. Therefore, only if the trigger is pulled will the hammer strike the bar and transmit the blow to the firing pin. Neither accidentally dropping a new model revolver nor a blow to the hammer will cause it to fire because when the transfer bar is down, the hammer rests against the frame and it is not in contact with the firing pin. These “new model” revolvers can be carried safely with all six chambers loaded. This is just one example of the additional safety features that are found on some newer firearms.
While the situation described above is in reference to single-action revolvers, it also existed for some of the familiar lever action rifles with their visible, manually operated hammers. Most newer lever action rifles have safeties that block the hammer from moving forward to strike the firing pin if the hammer is struck by an accidental blow. Many models of bolt action rifles also have improved safeties. While most older bolt action rifles required the safety to be moved to the “off” position to open the bolt, many newer ones allow the bolt to be opened without having to disengage the safety. This is a great improvement because to open the action the shooter does not have to operate the bolt of a rifle that is in firing condition. Some bolt action rifles have indicators to show when the piece is cocked, but with others there is nothing visible to show whether the action is cocked or not. Today, most semiautomatic rifles and pistols have a device that holds the action open after the last shot has been fired. An increasing number of semiautomatic pistols have some sort of indicator that shows when there is a cartridge in the chamber. For example, on the new Ruger Mark III the loaded chamber indicator is a lever that runs along the left hand side of the frame and fits flush with the frame when the chamber is empty. When a round is chambered, the lever swings out of the frame slightly and a red dot on the top edge of the lever is visible.
All modern semiautomatic pistols chambered for rimfire cartridges have safeties. Usually they are levers located on the left hand side at the rear of the frame and are operated by the thumb of the shooting hand. It is possible as a result of handling the firearm or removing it from a holster to cause this lever to be moved accidentally. Pistols of recent manufacture often have safeties that are better designed to prevent this from happening, and the possibility of litigation has caused most firearms marketed today to have triggers that require more force to discharge the piece than was the case a generation or two ago. These and other improvements in firearms have helped reduce accidents, but the most important aspect of safety is still the human mind.
Older single-action revolvers had to have the hammer at half cock in order to rotate the cylinder.
Many firearms are shipped with a “flag” in the chamber to show that no cartridge resides in the chamber. Shown here is a Smith & Wesson Model 22A.
While the changes in equipment have made the shooting sports safer, so have the training programs that have been conducted or sponsored by numerous organizations. The National Rifle Association (NRA) has conducted the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program for many years, and more than 18 million of youngsters have received instruction in what to do when encountering a firearm as a result. More information on this program is available from the NRA Eddie Eagle Department at (800) 231-0752 or from the web site www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, fatal accidents from firearms in the pre-K through third grade age group has been reduced by more than twothirds during the operation of this program.
The Boy Scouts of America includes instruction in shooting in many areas of the country. Other groups that are proactive with regard to shooting include 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) groups. Many summer camps that are operated by civic and church groups for youngsters have instruction and practice in target shooting. Other companies and groups are concerned primarily with safe handling and shooting of airguns, and this activity is frequently a forerunner of shooting firearms. Daisy Outdoor Products has sponsored national BB and airgun competition for many years. Daisy also has a trailer that has been converted to a portable range that is used in various parts of the country to introduce boys and girls to shooting activities with airguns. Crosman Corporation also sponsors programs that are directed toward training and safe shooting.
Semiautomatic rifles like this Ruger 10/22 Carbine have a push-button safety located at one end of the trigger guard.
With the emphasis on safety in shooting, most states require the completion of a hunter safety course for anyone under a certain age who wishes to get a hunting license. Certified instructors who make sure that the prospective hunter is familiar with proper handling and use of a firearm conduct these courses. Safety is a constant thing, not a sometime thing. Changes in equipment and training have led to a drastic reduction in firearm-related accidents, but further reductions are possible. Those of us involved in the shooting sports must constantly be concerned with the safety issues of our activities.
Rimfire rifles and pistols are at the same time some of the safest and most dangerous of firearms. Because of their having low noise and almost no recoil, they are convenient and pleasant to use. However, the same characteristics may also cause them to be taken lightly. This should never be the case! The author has served on a coroner’s jury and seen first hand the incredible effect that can be produced by a bullet from a 22 rimfire. He has also used a rimfire to prepare large hogs and cattle for the butcher’s block. A rimfire round can produce an enormous amount of damage!
A bullet from the lowly 22 LR rimfire can travel up to a mile and a bullet from the 17 HMR or 22 WMR can travel even farther. Because the velocity is relatively low, bullets from rimfire firearms (especially the 22 Short, Long and Long Rifle) are prone to ricochet badly. Shooting at almost any object on the ground will result in that familiar but horrible whine of a bullet on its way to somewhere else. Not only that, it may be going at some merry angle compared to the direction in which it was fired. The rimfire shooter must exercise good judgment and restraint. If you are engaged in the noble and time-honored pastime of hunting squirrels with a 22, remember that you may be able to fire at game in some directions but not others. If you miss that squirrel on a limb 40 yards away, the bullet is going to come down a long way from where you are. It may also strike a branch and ricochet in some uncontrollable and unknown direction.
The Thompson Center Classic has a hole through the rear of the trigger guard through which a special lock is placed.
A 22 LR looks tiny beside a 458 Winchester magnum cartridge. As a result of its small size, there is sometimes a tendency to take a 22 caliber firearm lightly.
A bullet from a rimfire can easily penetrate a 2x4 or several inches of flesh. I have performed almost every test imaginable, and the power produced by a cartridge that measures only one inch in length and costs as little as 2 cents is almost unbelievable. Not far from where this is being written, a man getting into a vehicle dropped a loaded 22 handgun, which struck the floor, discharged, and sent a bullet into his body. It penetrated several organs on its upward path and the man was killed. A rimfire has the power to be lethal from many directions, not only when a bullet hits “just right.” All of the safety requirements for any firearm must be exercised in the use of a rimfire. A rimfire firearm is every bit as much a firearm as is a powerful rifle that is intended for hunting elephants. In fact, the story has been told of a shooter actually killing an elephant with a 22 LR!
Safety Rules
Many accidents are avoidable. Common sense and logic would prevent many situations from arising in which someone might be injured or killed. Millions of shooters have enjoyed their sport for many years without ever being involved in an accident. In terms of the number of man-hours involved and the very low incidence of accidents, shooting sports are safer than are many other types of activities. However, when an accident involving a firearm does occur, it is deemed a newsworthy item. Even a minor injury inflected by a firearm will get more press coverage than a broken spine that results from a skiing accident except when the injured party is someone famous. Those of us who are involved in any form of shooting sport must remember that there is a large, vocal segment of the population who does not believe that we even have the right to own and use a firearm. They believe that the Second Amendment is some sort of collective right that was intended for militias but not individuals. That is remarkable in view of the fact that the other rights specified in the Bill of Rights are individual rights. Historians of my acquaintance who specialized in constitutional history at the doctoral level and studied the papers of the writers of that time say that the documents made it clear that the citizens of this country would not be reduced to serfs. It was clearly their intention that law-abiding individuals would enjoy the freedom to own and use firearms lawfully.
While this may seem so elementary that there is no need to state it, read and follow all instructions in the owner’s manual that came with your firearm! The manual may contain information regarding the operation of your firearm that you may not know even if you are an experienced shooter. Some firearms have particular features or characteristics that may have changed so that even experience with a similar model some years ago does not necessarily mean that the latest version operates in exactly the same way. I found recently when I was having trouble with a certain rifle that consulting the owner’s manual showed me why. It was not a safety issue but rather involved convenience in operation of the rifle. In addition to information on safety, the owner’s manual will give tips on maintenance of the firearm that can lead to long, trouble-free service. Correct procedures for loading, unloading, and handling firearms are important, and the owner’s manual will give you the information you need to perform these functions correctly.
It is incumbent upon all shooters to use all means available to make the shooting sports as safe as possible. There are several rules that serve as a basis for conduct in the shooting sports, a sort of shooting etiquette. The list takes on several forms depending on who is drawing up the list, but the rules can be distilled to embody the following areas.
1. Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
Some gun handlers become sloppy when they “know” a gun isn’t loaded. However, it is the “unloaded” gun that is sometimes involved in an accident. Never assume that a firearm is unloaded when you pick it up or someone hands it to you. With many firearms, there is no way to tell at a glance that there is not a round in the chamber. It may also be that there is a round in the magazine, and working the action may place that round in the chamber unknown to the person handling the gun. If this rule were always followed, it would prevent a firearm from being handled in a careless manner. The author knows of a case where a hole was drilled through a leg of a lamp table in a living room. The shooter thought his 22 rifle was unloaded and was attempting to release the spring tension on the firing pin by snapping it while aiming at a section of the table leg. It turned out that there was a round in the chamber, and a bullet was placed squarely through the table leg. Although his aim was good, his logic was defective. This type of mistake can lead to disaster. If the tension on the cocking mechanism is to be released, first insert a snap cap before pulling the trigger. If the piece is a bolt action rifle, raise the bolt handle, pull back on the trigger, and slowly move the bolt handle to the “down” position which allows the firing pin to move forward in a controlled manner. Treating every gun as if it were loaded has been translated by some to read “all guns are loaded.” Always assume that this is so.
As a young lad, the author remembers being in the home of a relative and looking around in a bedroom. On the floor was a small revolver that did not look much different than the toy cap pistols that were so familiar at that age. However, when the revolver was picked up, the bullets in the cartridges were clearly visible from the front of the cylinder and the cartridge heads were visible at the rear. Having been around firearms a great deal it was immediately obvious that this was a real gun rather than some toy that had been left behind. Very carefully the revolver, a Smith & Wesson 32 Hand Ejector model, was placed where it was found. Someone who did not know better might have been involved in a tragic accident when finding a loaded revolver. Teaching youngsters about firearm safety (even those who live in homes where there are no firearms) is a worthwhile activity. Knowing and teaching about firearms is infinitely better than trying to isolate young, curious children so they will never have contact with a firearm. Sadly, it seems today that the approach taken by many individuals is to pretend that firearms are somehow evil and must be avoided.
It is readily apparent that this revolver is loaded. This is one advantage of the revolver over the autoloader.
Many years ago, I visited a gun shop that had handguns in a glass case. A Colt 1911 attracted my attention, and I asked to look at it. The owner handed the pistol over the case, and I held it carefully. Casually pulling back the slide, a loaded 45 ACP cartridge was ejected! With the action open, it was obvious that there were additional cartridges in the magazine. I carefully handed the pistol to the totally baffled owner. It seems as if the pistol had been placed in the case only a day or two earlier when the previous owner delivered it to the shop to consummate a trade that had been arranged earlier. Having examined the pistol at the time the trade was made, the owner assumed that the previous owner had unloaded the pistol before bringing it in for transfer. Never assume that any gun anywhere is unloaded.
2. Never allow a gun to point in an unsafe direction or point a gun at anything you would not shoot.
Firearms, especially handguns, are short enough that simply by moving an arm or turning one’s body the muzzle may be pointed in a direction in which a shot should not be fired. Realizing that the firearm being handled may be loaded (and should always be treated as if it were!), the firearm must be controlled in such a way that the muzzle is never brought to point in a line that represents an unsafe shooting direction. Handguns should be manipulated with the muzzle pointing upward, action open, and finger off the trigger until it is safe to load the piece and assume a firing position. Rifles should be kept unloaded with the actions open and the muzzle pointed upward or in another safe direction depending on the circumstances. On ranges, special racks are usually available where all rifles are held in this condition. This writer has observed instances in which someone holding a firearm was spoken to by someone else. While turning toward the speaker, the person holding the firearm allowed the muzzle to sweep through an arc which brought the muzzle in line with another person. While holding a firearm, you must always be conscious of where a bullet would go if the piece discharged at any time. It is bad enough to have a firearm discharge accidentally under any circumstances, but it is much better to have it fire in a safe direction (in the air or down range) should such an event occur.
3. Always wear eye and ear protection.
While it is by no means a common occurrence, it is possible for the case rim to rupture when a rimfire firearm is discharged. The author has had it happen several times, and when it does hot gases as well as bits of powder and brass are ejected around the bolt face of the rifle (or out of the front or rear of the cylinder of a revolver) . These are sufficiently energetic to cause eye injuries. Even when the case rim does not rupture, the gap between the cylinder and barrel in a revolver can allow bits of unburned powder or lead shavings to escape. Modern rimfire ammunition is extremely good, but the author recently had four rounds of 22 LR target ammunition from the same box misfire. Moreover, two of these rounds misfired in each of two bolt action rifles. After waiting a short time with the muzzle remaining pointed at the target, the bolt was carefully opened and the round gently removed by pulling the bolt back. In such instances, it is possible for a “hang fire” round to detonate inside the open action causing all sorts of debris to be launched in all directions. If such an event happens, the shooter had better be wearing eye protection. Depending on the type of backstop being used, it is also possible that some small particles of the lead bullet may ricochet. Eyes are delicate and it is prudent to use every precaution possible to prevent eye injury. Participants in paintball sports are certainly aware of this requirement.
Safe shooting requires the participant to wear eye and hearing protectors.
Most corrective eyeglasses are made with polycarbonate lenses which are impact resistant. If the shooter is wearing glasses, the majority of bits of debris will be deflected although most glasses do not provide any protection from the sides. Good shooting glasses need not be expensive. Some suppliers of firearms market shooting glasses under their own labels. For example, Remington and Smith & Wesson each offer several styles that are available from many suppliers of shooting-related products such as Cabela’s. Prices range from $20-40 for most of these glasses. Inexpensive wrap around safety glasses are available which are intended for shooters of airguns. Glasses such as these are generally sufficient to afford eye protection when shooting rimfire firearms. The important thing is to get a rigid, transparent layer of plastic between your eyes and any flying objects or gases.
There was a time when hearing protection was not deemed necessary when firing a rimfire. True, the report is low compared to that from firearms of higher power, but it is sufficient to cause hearing loss, especially over an extended period of time. The author competed as a member of a small-bore rifle team for two years with firing conducted on an indoor range. He also has little hearing in his left ear (the one toward the muzzle), which is partially attributable to a lack of hearing protectors at that time. Rimfire firearms make a loud crack that is certainly capable of causing hearing loss. We know a lot more about these things now that we did 40 or 50 years ago, and hearing protectors are commonly used in occupations from airport workers to highway construction.
Although hearing protectors are available which cost as much as $200, it is not necessary to spend a lot of money to get adequate protection, especially when shooting rimfire firearms. My wife and I use Beretta Range Muffs that fold up to make a compact unit. These muffs are available from Cabela’s for $24.99 with your choice of blue or black color. There are many other brands and styles available in the over the ear type of protector. The in the ear plug styles are also available and most are inexpensive.
Trigger locks are one way to keep a handgun secure. This lock requires a special key that has a most unusual shape to open it.
4. Do not shoot at a hard surface or water.
Almost anyone who has fired a rimfire firearm in the outdoors has heard the whine of a bullet that has been deformed but not stopped. It can happen when shooting at a pine cone and the bullet hits the target or a branch and goes off into space. It can happen when a bullet fired at a pop can makes contact with the ground and whines on its way. It will almost certainly happen if the bullet is fired at a target on the surface of water. The shooter of a rimfire firearm must anticipate that a ricochet is likely under these conditions. Most states prohibit shooting at targets on the surface of water. A bullet that is deflected during a ricochet may be capable of traveling a long distance because the velocity may not be reduced a great deal. Always be sure of your backstop or shoot in an area where there is nothing that can be damaged for a long distance if the bullet continues past the target.
5. Do not cross a fence or stream with a loaded gun.
Sometimes, it may not always be possible to pass an obstacle while constantly keeping the muzzle of a firearm pointing a safe direction. There is always the chance for a foot or hand to slip causing the shooter to assume some unsafe position while trying to regain control. It may also happen that the safety or hammer of the piece may contact the fence or some part of the anatomy and be moved. Any of these events can result in an unsafe situation. If it is necessary to pass some obstacle such as a fence, unload the firearm, leave the action open, and hand it to someone on the other side of the fence. If you are alone, place the empty firearm with the action open on the other side of the fence before you cross it. When crossing a stream, unload the firearm, open the action, and cross the stream safely before reloading. Having seen the foot of a hunter slip off a wet stone in the middle of a stream and the hunter go one way and the his rifle another, it can not be overemphasized that it is unsafe to cross a stream with a loaded firearm.
6. Keep every firearm unloaded until you are ready to shoot.
Some of the most unsafe situations involving firearms result from improperly storing and transporting them. Firearm safety requires that an encounter of a person with the firearm begins with an unloaded piece. Someone else in your home or vehicle may have access to the piece in your absence. That person may not know the characteristics of your particular firearm which could lead to accidental discharge if the piece is loaded. Some firearms have actions that can not be opened unless the safety is in the “off” position. If the firearm is loaded, taking the safety off prior to opening the action places it in the ready mode. Therefore, it is imperative that the firearm be unloaded so that the person handling it is not manipulating a firearm that can be discharged immediately and accidentally. An exception to this can be made if the firearm is being used for self defense, but it should be stored so that only the person to whom the firearm belongs has immediate access to it.
7. Transport only unloaded, cased firearms.
In almost every situation, it is unlawful to discharge a firearm from a vehicle on a highway. In the confines of a vehicle, handling a rifle or handgun can cause the muzzle to point at someone else or at your own body parts. It is difficult to keep the muzzle from pointing in a direction that violates rule No. 2 given above. Even if the firearm is cased, removing a loaded firearm from a gun case can be an unsafe practice. It is possible that while transporting the piece the safety may have become disengaged. For firearms having external hammers, the hammer may have become partially or fully cocked. It is all too easy under these conditions to accidentally discharge the firearm. In the state of Wyoming there were four gun related accidents during the 2003 hunting season. Two of them involved loaded firearms in vehicles.
State laws regarding transportation of firearms vary enormously. Some states allow firearms to be transported uncased and loaded while in other states transported firearms must be unloaded and cased. Even within certain states there are great difference. For example, some municipalities forbid the ownership of handguns. Travelers who are transporting a handgun in such areas even when it cased and unloaded may be considered to be in possession of an illegal firearm. In some states, firearms and ammunition cannot be transported in the same case. The point is that there are literally thousands of laws on the books that relate to firearms, their transportation, and their uses. It is your responsibility to know and obey the rules that apply in your locality.
8. Keep all guns stored unloaded and away from unauthorized persons.
We are at a point in time where certain jurisdictions require that all firearms in homes be stored in locked containers or with a trigger lock of some sort in place. The idea behind this is to prevent someone who does not know safe gun handling procedures from picking up a loaded gun and accidentally firing it. Firearms vary enormously in design. The author once handed his single-action revolver to a police officer who was fully qualified for duty with a semiautomatic pistol. The officer had no idea how a single-action revolver worked and thought it was some type of top-break model that had to be opened at the top for loading. Of course there was no lack of concern for keeping the muzzle pointed correctly or other safe handling rules. It was simply a matter of not knowing how the mechanism of a single-action revolver worked. Someone who is unfamiliar with firearms, especially children, may find it all too easy to move some button or knob and place the firearm in a “ready” mode. The tragedy of a child finding a loaded gun, pointing it in the wrong direction, and accidentally discharging the weapon is a scenario that can and does happen. It should not.
Numerous attempts are being made to make it more difficult for anyone other than the primary user of a firearm to operate it. Built in smart locks that use code or a small key that must be inserted are currently being utilized or developed. By incorporating such devices, the chance of someone other than the owner firing the piece when the owner is not around is reduced. Some of the rimfire models with built in locks include the Ruger Mark III and the Walther P22. Regardless of what safety devices are developed, the most effective safety device is a careful, well-trained person who exercises appropriate caution while handling a firearm.
9. Obey all range commands instantly.
Shooters of rimfire rifles and pistols often engage in formal or informal target shooting which may involve training sessions. This may occur at a range or in some other safe area with a suitable backstop. When firing is conducted on a range, it may be under the supervision of a range officer especially if it is a formal match carried out with time limitations. If this is the case, shooters are arranged at stations on the firing line with the firearms lying on a bench or table pointing toward the target area. When the target area is clear, the range officer may call, “Ready on the left? Ready on the right? Ready on the firing line! (pause) Commence firing!” At that point, the shooters are permitted to start firing the course. At the end of the time allowed, the range officer will announce, “Cease fire!” The course of fire is over at that time regardless of whether or not all competitors have fired the number of shots normally included in that course. As firing progresses, the range officer may issue other commands. Regardless of what these commands are or whether or not they involve you, obey all such commands instantly. In basketball, when a whistle sounds the ball is almost always lobbed toward the basket, but no shot is ever to be fired on a shooting range after a command to cease is given. It is entirely possible that the range officer has seen something that none of the shooters on the line has observed. At many clubs, there may be no range officer present, but the shooters follow the same rules. A “cold line” is observed with all weapons having actions open and magazines empty until all shooters are “ready” and the appropriate commands are given to allow the line to become “hot.”
Benchrest shooting, one of the popular forms of target shooting, involves firing the rifle from a heavy bench with the rifle fully supported. The object of this type of shooting is to fire the shots into the smallest group possible although in some cases, firing is for score. All shooters must keep their firearms unloaded and with the actions open until they are actually on the firing line. In rimfire benchrest competition, bolt actions are to have the bolts removed when they are not actually being set up for firing. When any person is downrange from the benches, the rifles are to be removed from the benches and all shooters are to be away from the benches. Rifles that do not have removable bolts are to have a safety device (a safety flag) protruding from the open breech when they are resting on the benches and a person is downrange.
10. Never use a firearm when mental or motor skills are impaired.
It is a crime to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol. Some medications can cause the user to become drowsy or sluggish, which are physiological effects that are not unlike those produced by alcohol. Anyone who has received any substance that reduces mental or motor skills should not use a firearm. Crisp mental action and physical motions are required to manipulate a firearm in a safe, efficient manner.
While spending a great deal of time in the Big Horn Mountains of Wyoming, the author and his wife became friends with one of the campground workers and his son, David. One summer, David had a friend, Josh, who came to the mountains to spend a week with him. Each afternoon, for the week of Josh’s visit, it was customary to see the boys with their 22s heading out into the forest for an afternoon of adventure. It usually involved shooting a box of ammo at pine cones and pop cans that they took with them and brought back. If, as was usually the case, the boys came over to talk for a while before heading out, it was interesting to note that their rifles were unloaded, actions open, and muzzles pointing either straight up or down. They had faithfully learned the proper etiquette of handling firearms. The entire scene portrayed the very essence of our heritage and the legacy of the 22 rimfire. Watching David and Josh brought back memories from more than half a century earlier when my brother and I engaged in similar pursuits. There are those who wish to do away with such wonderful activities of others for their own misguided reasons. However, when, not if, this privilege is lost, America will be the poorer for it. Safe firearm handling may forestall our loss of this right assured by The Second Amendment.
Weapons and Image
Image is everything someone has said. If you do not believe it, watch a candidate for office as he meets with a group of business people or for a debate dressed in a black suit, white shirt, and red tie. Watch the same candidate as he meets with occupants of a nursing home or a group of farmers and note the difference in the candidate’s attire. This is not a sexist observation because equivalent dress codes also exist for female candidates. Not long ago, as this is being written, a news report from the TV station in a city nearby gave the story of a homicide. As the announcer was talking, the graphic on the screen showed a handgun, the word “murder” and the outline of a body. You have probably seen such things before. However, in this instance, the victim had been stabbed to death! The desired connotation had nonetheless been conveyed to the viewers as they heard about a murder.
Let us look at one instance of how statistics and image are used in relation to reporting data regarding shooting sports. A recent study reported that an “estimated 21,840 injuries” resulting from nonpowder guns (air rifles, paintball pistols, and BB guns) were treated in the year 2000. That estimate may or may not be accurate, but the implication is that the number is known because it is not given as “over 20,000” which would clearly show that it is an estimate. As bad as the use of the use of the word “estimated” is, there was another factor in the report that was even worse. In the lead paragraph of the report was the phrase “…undermining the notion that such weapons are harmless…” Did you ever hear a baseball announcer say, “Jones dropped his weapon and headed for first base” during a baseball game? Is a baseball bat a weapon? Absolutely, if it is used as a weapon. What about a golf announcer making the statement, “Jones had a good swing with the weapon.” Is a golf club a weapon? Absolutely, if it is used as a weapon. If you think these are absurd examples, what about watching a TV show on cooking only to hear the chef say, “Slice the cold dessert with a warm-bladed weapon.” In this book, the only time the author will use the word “weapon” is in Chapter 11, which deals with some aspects of self-defense. It is true that the same shotgun that is used when hunting quail or 22 rifle used to hunt squirrels can be used as a weapon, but it is the use that determines what is a weapon. The person who “rode shotgun” on a stage coache had a short-barreled shotgun known as a coach gun that was indeed a weapon.
Once, while the author was shooting on a range at a military establishment, a worker there came by and noting my 22 caliber semiautomatic pistol remarked, “What a beautiful weapon.” I was astonished because I regarded it as a device for punching holes in a piece of paper that was 50 feet away. That handgun was never used as a weapon. It is the contention of this author that in sporting circles the word “weapon” should generally be avoided because it conveys a negative connotation to nonshooters (who are all too numerous and a growing segment of the population).
In the 10-year period 1990-2000, the total number of deaths from nonpowder guns was 39 (approximately four per year), far fewer than those resulting from bicycle accidents which have been averaging about one death every six hours or up to almost 1,500 per year! According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), 36 children die annually by drowning in 5-gallon buckets! This does not include the hundreds more that drown in bathtubs, showers, toilets, etc. According to the same CPSC, children under the age of 5 die at a rate of approximately 150 per year as a result of playing with cigarette lighters (this does not include approximately 1,100 per year under age 15 who die in residential fires). Falls from open windows annually account for the deaths of approximately 18 persons under the age of 10. Note the lack of media coverage to some of the other types of accidents compared to those in the shooting sports. If the intent is really to reduce accidental injuries and deaths, there are far more fruitful areas in which to work than with the shooting sports. For example, each year, almost a million children are treated for injuries involving bicycles.
During the three score years of involvement in shooting sports by the author, there has been a drastic change in firearms and the presentation of information about them. If you pick up a copy of almost any magazine devoted to guns and shooting, you will see photos of firearms that have laser sights, flashlights attached (hunting at night is illegal under almost all conditions), and a red glow at the muzzle with streaks emanating from it. Often the holder of the firearm is dressed in black and wearing a mask. Such presentation of a firearm may have a place in military and law enforcement settings. However, if a nonshooter passing the magazine rack on his way to find a copy of Financial Insight or Daydreamer’s Quarterly sees several magazines with these sinister looking firearms on the cover, he or she has a mental image generated which is likely transferred to all shooting sports. Never mind that the first Gold Medal given in the 2000 Olympics was won by Nancy Johnson in women’s airgun competition. As this is being written, the so-called Assault Rifle Ban that was introduced in 1994 has just expired. That Act was placed in force in no small measure because of the image of certain firearms. Never mind that the vast majority of such firearms were never used in criminal acts. Note that the news report described above used the word “weapon” as a descriptor for air rifles, paintball pistols, and BB guns. The first step in getting people on your side of an issue is to generate an image. In this case, the image of a “weapon” is being transferred to even BB guns and the paintball pistols used in a type of game or sport but not as weapons.
The Thompson/Center Classic is shipped with a red flag that is attached to a plastic plug that inserts into the chamber.
Another word that is used frequently in many shooting publications is the word “tactical.” We read about tactical pistols, tactical flashlights, tactical knives, and tactical scopes. What sort of tactics? Squirrel hunting? Shooting groups to test accuracy? Shooting pop cans and pine cones? Tactical is the adjective form of the word “tactics” which my dictionary defines in one way as the science of maneuvering forces in combat. No wonder a nonshooter seeing a magazine that has listed the contents on the cover as articles on “tactical pistols” or “tactical knives” might think that the readers of such a magazine are (or want to be) members of some paramilitary group. There is nothing wrong with any of these “tactical” items, but they are not part of recreational or practice shooting unless the participant is training for tactics of a different sort.
Just as this is being written, the December 2004 issue of The American Rifleman arrived. It had a short story about an auction on eBay that had been pulled because the item being offered was believed to be related to assault weapons. It seems that the person whose item was for sale had used the descriptors “sniper” and “tactical” in reference to the item. It turned out that the item was a composite stock for a version of the popular bolt-action Remington Model 700 rifle that is sometimes referred to as a “tactical rifle.” Someone associated with eBay believed that somehow the stock was for an assault rifle and it seems that the policy is not to offer for sale on eBay anything that is associated with such firearms. Had the words tactical and sniper terms not appeared in the ad, the item would have been just as legitimate as the stock that I bought on eBay for my Ruger 77/17 that is described elsewhere in this book. In view of what took place in the Washington, DC area in the recent past, it is probably best to avoid the use of the word “sniper” in sport shooting circles. Image may not be everything, but it obviously important to those who are not knowledgeable about shooting sports.
We who love (a word that is appropriate for this author who has used rimfire rifles for 60 years) sport shooting can help give a positive image to the shooting sports. The “study” cited above did not mention the fine work done by Daisy Outdoor Products in conducting the National BB Gun Competition because the intent was to emphasize how “dangerous“ airguns are. Shooting sports in the Olympics are virtually never even mentioned in the TV coverage. We cannot expect balanced coverage of our sports in the mainstream media. A great deal of what is written in this section shows the personality, interest, and concerns of the writer. Almost all writing always does. It remains, however, that we can go a long way toward preserving the shooting sports by the image we present. In this book, the intent is going to be to present an image of shooting as a skill, a sport, and a science to be enjoyed safely by an enormous number of people.
