Importance of Muzzle Control

[TARNATION !!!]

Hunting season is soon upon us. While thoughts turn to the upcoming good times afield, it is always wise to take a moment and think about safety. Short of having empty chambers, muzzle control has always been my greatest concern, instilled incessantly by my father when I was just starting out. The second lesson was never never never have a finger near a trigger unless you intend to kill something. While THIS INCIDENT did not involve a Parker, it serves to underscore the reasons behind the wisdom of muzzle control and keeping the finger off the trigger unless you intend to kill something.

Jack

[J.B. Books]

Obviously it was an accident as he apparently missed his in-laws

[Old and Reliable]

Mama Mia- I had always heard that as an American, you don't want to ever end up in a Turkish prison- but this "tradition" even makes the late (Praise Allah) Saddam H. look a bit tame- believe I saw fotos of him firing off what looked to be a K98 Mauser skyward--

Those rounds fired towards the clouds have to land somewheres- how many of us have been "sprinkled" by errant pellets on a SC course or in a duck blind on a public marsh? One of many good reasons to always wear glasses-

As to muzzle control, as Jack points out so well, that is the whole enchilada of firearm safety. On a SC course, or I suppose Trap or Skeet fields, break action doubles (and SBT's) kept open until you are in the shooting position and ready to call for your targets are somewhat safer- IMO- than pump or autoloaders, unless you can see the opened bolt on those weapons-- BUT no weapon, whether a GHE skeet gun or a Binelli SC autoloader, is ever any safer than the man who is carrying it--

About 15 years ago, at a local gun club where I shot (mainly rifle and handgun) just before firearm deer season opens (15 Nov) they had a running deer target competition- also a sight in course on the adjacent rifle range- On that course, a Dad had given his 12 year old son a military surplus M-1 carbine (.30 cal) - the boy was firing at the 50 yd. range, the weapon possibly had a hang-fire, and the boy turned 180 degree with the weapon now pointing at all of us, the bolt forward and his finger still in the trigger guard- I hit the deck like we were taught in ITR- one of the range officers grabbed the carbine and pointed the muzzle skyward, then took the weapon and cleared it- and what is so strange to me was the father's attitude- No big deal to him I guess- Lord have mercy!!

It seems to me that when a firearm is accidently discharged the bullet or shot load never misses- On the positive side, all of the side-by-side SC events I have attended, I have felt comfortable as the other fellows all were sober, serious about good gun manners, and wanting to shoot well but with regard to the safety of all personnel in the area, not just their squad alone--