1967

Has anyone noticed any places that sell guns having license issues? I’ve come across two places in the last few days that can’t sell anything because (they say) their license renewals from the state have not come through yet. I don’t know if its coincidental or what.

1968

Meanwhile, firearms manufacturers continue to behave as if it were business as usual.

1969

It would’ve been more topical if he had been hopped up on meth, and took 7 shots to the torso and still had enough in him to knock her down and start biting her ear off.

And you know that rule about not putting your finger on the trigger until you’re ready to shoot? Now is the time to put your finger on the trigger.

1970

…browsing through more Glock Inc. videos… reading some comments…

Jesus Christ, Houngan, you gotta keep me informed on these scandals. I wondered what happened to Jesse’s last name. Yikes.

1971

Oy, don’t even go there. Drama in Smyrna with nobody coming out unscathed.

1972

Meanwhile, in the total weirdness category, 5 people have been injuredat gunshows in three different states on the same day for the same reason, accidental weapon discharge.

1973

I don’t get how people can’t clear a fucking breech. Well I get it, it’s laziness usually. I automatically clear/check the breech the second I pick up a weapon and right before I set it down again for that matter. Then again I don’t feel the need to have a round in the chamber 24/7 in case I have to reenact Last Man Standing at McDonalds either.

1974

I wonder if this is a “normal” statistical anomaly that happens to be highlighted by the news or maybe clueless people heard about the huge demand and are trying to sell their guns they haven’t used in a while.

This is despite the policy of searches to make sure all guns are not loaded and rendered safe before others can handle them.
I haven’t been to a gun show in a long time, but I thought this was the policy. Someone screwed up somewhere.

1975

Most of this stuff is due to amateur hour. Yesterday was “Gun appreciation day” so there were more gun shows than normal and the people attending these gun shows are more heavily weighted towards the inexperienced gun owner or zombie-tard 20-something.

A lot of the crap we’re seeing these days is because guns, especially Ar-15s, became so damned cheap. It used to be that only serious collectors would bother buying an AR because they’re primarily useful for recreation, expensive as hell to shoot, and until fairly recently not very good guns. Now we have a generation of kids that grew up on shooting videogames that want to buy a toy, and lo and behold, they can buy a friggin’ Ar-15 for less than an IPad. No safety instruction, no father teaching them how to handle, unload, load, or shoot, just a bunch of dumbass college kids with too much money and not much sense.

1976

These people forgot the ten commandments of firearms safety. And it’s not as if they’re complicated or hard to remember.

  1. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
    Never point the gun at anyone or anything you don’t want damaged or destroyed if the gun goes off. The corollary to this is never entirely trust a safety device to prevent firing.

  2. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot!
    This is the most important rule next to Rule #1. If you don’t touch the trigger, the gun is unlikely to fire.

  3. Consider every firearm you handle as being loaded, even if you know it is not. Avoid all horseplay with any firearm.
    If you develop the habit of thinking of every gun you are handling as being loaded, you won’t violate Rule #1 or Rule #2. Don’t “play” with a gun; treat its potential for injury or damage with respect.

  4. Be sure of your target before you pull the trigger and know what is beyond your target.
    Whether it’s a paper target or an intruder in the dark know what your target is before you fire. If you miss, what is beyond your target that you might hit? A street, home, daycare center?

  5. Never shoot at a flat, hard surface or water.
    Bullets can ricochet and may take off in odd directions.

  6. Stored firearms should be unloaded. As a general rule, store guns unloaded to prevent any chance of accidental discharge when removing them from their storage location. When storing any loaded firearm for defensive use, be sure you aren’t forced to violate rule #1 when removing the firearm.

  7. Always make sure the firearm is unloaded and keep the action open except when actually hunting or preparing to shoot.
    When in the field or at the range, unload your gun and leave the action open so others can see it is not ready to fire. In active hunting or shooting you can load and close your gun.

  8. Be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstruction and that you have the proper ammunition for the firearm you are carrying.
    Ensure a forgotten cleaning brush, dirt or other foreign matter doesn’t block the barrel. Many cartridges look similar at a glance, be sure you are using the right ammunition.

  9. Never climb a fence, tree, or jump a ditch with a loaded firearm.
    If you stumble, slip or fall your gun may discharge. Unload the gun and open the action first.

  10. Avoid alcohol and other drugs before or during shooting.
    This should be easily understood. You need a clear head to make proper decisions when handing firearms.

1977

People make mistakes. When you make a mistake with a toothbrush you get one outcome, when you make a mistake with gun you get others.

1978

Ah, now it makes sense. My wife and I were speculating along these lines. We didn’t know about the day having a label nationwide, but yeah, I can see how it would bring out the idiot crowd. Personally, I’m right there with ShivaX when he wrote…

…but not everyone is, and it’s a problem.

1979

Yep, when I’m practicing and I put an unloaded gun down for a few seconds, I’ll still check it when I pick it back up. It’s just the right habit and my father drilled it into my head well before I was ever allowed to handle firearms on my own.

1980

Only 5 accidental shootings is fairly low, statistically speaking. As there are reportedly 20,000 injuries per year from firearms in the US.

So, yeah, there should be about 50 accidental shootings per day, not 5.

Amateur hour or not.

1981

There were 5 at gunshows, alone, on that day. I’m sure those 5 were not the only gun accidents in the whole US, that day.

1982

Well, if we’re going to start actually getting into this (why?) there were three accidents at gunshows; one was a shotgun and wounded 3 people. So, uh, point proven? Hey, you know where there weren’t any gun shows this weekend?

CHICAGO (STMW) — Weekend gun violence in Chicago left two men dead and at least 13 other people wounded,

1983

I’m frankly not sure what point you’re making. Walter implied that the gunshow injuries this weekend were actually less than usual, rather than more than usual (a point which you attempted to provide some rationale for). I addressed his position by pointing to the 5 as gunshow-only injuries, not overall injuries: i.e., it does seem like a wacky weekend for gunshow injuries.

If you think I’m trying to make some argument out of five random injuries, you know my mind better than me.

Perhaps we’re back to discussing whether gun owners in the US should have better training (e.g., more of a requirement than the essential zero level of training required now)? Though I’d say that the five injuries aren’t really relevant, one way or the other.

1984

Well, here’s another one. 15-year old kills 2 adults and 3 children.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/20/justice/new-mexico-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

1985

I don’t think we were ever in disagreement on training, were we?

1986

I didn’t think we were, which is why I’m completely unsure what point you were making in your response.

I still think Walter is looking at the wrong statistic re frequency of gunshow accidents, which lines up with your comment on gun appreciation day.