Down in the Handloading section we had an elightening discussion, sharing a few of our mistakes - some serious, and that made me think that there is a lot of knowledge out there regarding many aspects of gun, hunting and reloading SAFETY.
I would like to hear from others who may have an interest in sharing experiences and insights on this safety issue, with an eye toward adding a Forum component for it.
I will start things off by mentioning 3 items, 22 tube magazines, bolt action rifle security, and wheel gun security.
1. 22 tube magazines. I have on several occasions encountered 22 tube magazines that will hang a live round at the base, and give the appearence that there is not a round in the chamber. When the action is cycled, the rifle goes into battery, and the potential for deadly trouble begins. This can be due to a weak mag spring, or inadvertent disengagement of the tube plunger, or even dirty or small dents.
2. The use of trigger guards and various manufacturer locks on bolt rifles seems senseless to me when securing the rifle as it is so simple to remove and secure the bolt itself. An extra margin of safety can be accomplished by dropping the firing pin, as it takes both knowledge and strength to cock it out of the rifle, and it generally can't be reinstalled with the pin down. All 9 of my bolts go into a locked tool box, and the rifles are actually displayed in my "shooting room".
3. Revolvers are best secured by taking a standard padlock and locking it around the top strap with the cylinder open. This is cheap, simple and more effective than trigger locks or factory locks. For quick access, use a tine type combo lock and leave the cylinder loaded. This does not work for most single actions, however.
I would like to hear from others who may have an interest in sharing experiences and insights on this safety issue, with an eye toward adding a Forum component for it.
I will start things off by mentioning 3 items, 22 tube magazines, bolt action rifle security, and wheel gun security.
1. 22 tube magazines. I have on several occasions encountered 22 tube magazines that will hang a live round at the base, and give the appearence that there is not a round in the chamber. When the action is cycled, the rifle goes into battery, and the potential for deadly trouble begins. This can be due to a weak mag spring, or inadvertent disengagement of the tube plunger, or even dirty or small dents.
2. The use of trigger guards and various manufacturer locks on bolt rifles seems senseless to me when securing the rifle as it is so simple to remove and secure the bolt itself. An extra margin of safety can be accomplished by dropping the firing pin, as it takes both knowledge and strength to cock it out of the rifle, and it generally can't be reinstalled with the pin down. All 9 of my bolts go into a locked tool box, and the rifles are actually displayed in my "shooting room".
3. Revolvers are best secured by taking a standard padlock and locking it around the top strap with the cylinder open. This is cheap, simple and more effective than trigger locks or factory locks. For quick access, use a tine type combo lock and leave the cylinder loaded. This does not work for most single actions, however.