Several gun stores I have been in have an old pickle jar on the counter full of mixed ammunition. It is the rounds they found in "unloaded" guns that customers brought in.
My dad and I were just talking about this topic on Christmas....I'm 52, and I've been shooting since I was a kid and my dad has too.....the biggest mistake anyone can make is becoming overconfident no matter how many decades you've been shooting.... anyone can make a mistake if you don't stay mindful.
I agree totally. In my experience the best teacher is a good Dad. I had a great Dad, Obviously you have one also. Appreciate him while you can. I can't express how much I miss my Dad.
I had an ND at an indoor range one time. Hit a baffle. Kicked myself in the butt for about two weeks and then scheduled a safety training session there. It was mandatory if I ever wanted to shoot there again. So, I took it and learned lots of things. And I fit the demographic. I was about to be 54. A majority of NDs come from men in their 50s who have been shooting guns a long time. I was learning how to shoot a .38 Special in 1974. It is some familiarity but also a lapse in caution. I was clearing a malfunction with my AR-10 and my finger was near the trigger. Nowhere in any training material does it say to have your finger in the trigger guard while doing anything with the rifle that does not involve actively shooting a desired target in a safe direction. I passed the safety class and still go there. And I take nothing for granted. The time I spent kicking my butt saved me from making stupid excuses like "the gun did this or the gun did that." That gun is not capable of firing itself. Every time I thought about that, I corrected myself. Another point in my favor, I never once said, "at least no one was hurt." Because someone could have been hurt. The only place designed to capture and hold your bullet is the backstop behind the target. Everything else can potentially cause a ricochet. If someone gets hurt or worse from either the projectile of shrapnel, there is no undoing that. Also, every bullet we fire, weather at a range, a match, or hunting has a lawyer attached to it. Every bullet. That's because you, the shooter, made that bullet fly. The final step of the class was to perform a function of firing a mock AR-15 by loading a mag into it, etc. He handed it to me. Before doing anything, I pulled back the charging handle and out popped a dummy round. Which turns out to be exactly what he wanted to see. Something Alex Baldwin should have learned. Always clear and know the status of the weapon yourself.
Everyone always makes mistakes. My granddad said the best thing you can do when it comes to guns is to always act like it's your first time picking up the gun
Pride gets people killed. Stick to the rules every time you handle a gun, no matter how long you have been shooting. I know a few carpenters missing fingers from that tablesaw they worked with their whole life...until.
My 45-year-old son knows dam well that when I hand him a gun to look at etc. that its unloaded. He checks it anyways because that's what I've taught him do period.
I've been taught to always clear a weapon whenever I touch it, meaning before and after handling it. If I'm not familiar with the process of a particular weapon I'm not to handle it at all until I have been instructed how to safely clear it.
Great point Hickok. Also people forget safety rules are explicitly made to be redundant, so that they back each other when broken. I’ve had an older firearm unexpectedly break during range use and cause it to accidentally discharge when it was not supposed to. Because it was pointed in a safe direction, the projectile was sent into the range floor in the general direction of the targets. The other safety rules made sure that we avoided the most possible damage.
Something I noticed at two indoor gun ranges I have been to. Where you stand at the stall with barriers on both sides and getting ready to shoot. Straight up over head and all down the ceiling, and on the walls all down the range was filled with bullet holes. Looked like thousands of them. One of these places was an underground range at a police station. My brother in law was a cop at the time and he took me there.
Another thought worth adding to the conversation is that familiarity breeds contempt. Many decades ago, while serving with an Army Reserve unit, I got repeatedly flagged by a soldier junior to me. When I politely asked him to make sure his rifle was pointed in a safe direction, he reacted badly and stormed out of the tent after a few choice words. Hopefully, the training in that unit has improved.
When I was younger I had an incident where I was convinced my rifle was empty 'til I got home and cleaned it. I found the round I left in the chamber. Fortunately, despite my negligence in not clearing it, I kept the safety on and performed the other basics, avoiding a negligent discharge. Now I always double check that I've cleared everything.
@@wettoastermanyup. I had an ND twenty five years ago with a .357 and it went through my bedroom wall, through my hanging clothes in my adjacent closet, through the back wall of the closet, into the garage and is still in the heat pump baffle. Not great.
Follow the 4 cardinal rules of firearm saftey. Treat all firearms as if they are loaded, keep finger off trigger until you're ready to fire, keep muzzle pointed in a safe direction and, know your target and what is beyond and around it.
This is why I don't like shooting around others, most of the time.. I've lost track of the number of times I've seen safety violations, from folks who instantly put their finger on the trigger as soon as a gun is in their hands, to others who don't even know how the safety works ON THEIR OWN GUN, to a guy hopping out of his truck, handing me his new rifle (to check out) and I rack the bolt to check chamber and a round flies out! safety off.. he was riding around with a loaded gun, no safety and didn't even realize/ remember it was loaded! others "looking" at a gun, while sweeping someone standing 5 feet away etc..
Very timely video Hickok. I’ve had people flag me when reloading their weapon at a public range in the lane next to me. I’ll try to get their attention, but failing that notify the RSO.
I was a carpenter. Retired now. I’ve built homes and commercial buildings all my adult life. When I was 33 I made a near fatal mistake and came off an old school steeple the fast way. Broke 35 bones, left wrist 14 places, right wrist 11 places, 3 ribs, my right hip socket, and the L7 in my tail bone. My point is, it’s not just firearms. I had tarpapered the steeple roof and fastened it with roofing nails. The weather was warm enough to make the tarpaper soft and it ripped and let me go. I healed, got back up there and finished it (this time with a tether to keep me safe. I’m now 66
@ you talk as if I would not be affected. Interesting, I feel like I’d have to eat my gun if I ever did that. Yes, I’m likely comparing apples to horse shoes to you.
I’ve found that there are stages of safety in everything … first the safety issues of the lack of knowledge… then the safety issues that are a result of overconfidence and complacency and in its final form when the conscious becomes subconscious there can be issues so one has to be very self aware and aware of others for sure… great topic for discussion!
The only person who carelessly muzzled me with a Single Action Army was a Vietnam Veteran who had been shooting for at least 40 years. The length of time someone has been shooting has nothing to do with whether or not they are safe.
Thoroughly enjoyed this episode and couldn't agree more with you. Even though I think I'm a safe shooter, it's so good to listen to other's perspectives and learn. Just because I know my weapon is safe doesn't mean others do.
It was good for me to hear your discussion on gun safety, especially at the range. I could hear the years of experience you spoke from. It's good to be reminded of safety rules. I was a bit "dusty" on them. They say, "Experience is the best teacher." "Safety is no accident."
Well said. Working as an RSO trainer and firearms instructor, I've been flashed several times from the line (more so when training new INSTRUCTORS than fresh-from-the-farm Hunter Ed kids!) I guarantee the instructor candidates that flashed me will never forget that moment. :-)
One of the sportsman's clubs I am a member of requires that you serve as a range safety attendant as part of your requirements to stay in the club, and when you are dealing with people that all have to be the safety guy at some point during each year, you actually get to see that people can use their brains and be safe. Yes, you get some that just don't care, and some that bring guests that don't get gun safety, at all, but the members usually do a decent job of schooling them.
When I was in the army, we were at an M4 range and had two people get kicked off in one day. One of them was a private, put a magazine in, racked it and then turned it so that she flagged the entire firing line to her side, she got warned the first time she did it and then did it again and got kicked off. The other one was an NCO and a team leader, he was coming off the range, was clearing his rifle by just going through the motions and he didn't check the chamber. For whatever reason there was a round in there that didn't eject, probably a bad extractor, and he fired it into the clearing barrel and gave our RSO a PTSD flashback. It was pretty messed up
At the range I use they require chamber flags, I forgot my flags one day, I had everything else and followed all other rules. Everytime the gun was not in use it was unloaded with the action open. I still got grief from from another shooter. He loaned me a flag and I used it. I gave it back and thanked him when I was done. But I have to say I don't enjoy going to the range as much as I use to.
Better than going to Dragonman’s in Colorado Springs and getting shot at by a dude wearing a green shower cap and chicago styling his Chips Ahoy Glock with Binary installed.
my landlord in FL panhandle was a tactical firearms instructor in the USAF and the only time he got shot was at a range, off base. he said lane was cold and they were walking down to set up targets when he got plucked in the back. i always feel more comfortable on base ranges because they tend to be more strict and disciplined, also they usually require you to complete range master training.
My local range has lots of monitors that correct behaviors, traditional lanes have thick material between the stalls, but my favorite is the private sweet. Private sweet has each group in their own stall with a thick brick barrier between everyone.
In many ways Hickok, you remind me of Papa. He wasn't nearly as verbose (I imagine he'd think of creating a YT Channel and talking into cameras, to the whole world, extremely intimidating!), but when he spoke, what he said was worth listening/respecting, most of the time (He, like all of us, had his 'Moments!') 🙂 Just saying, when it came to firearms/weapons of ANY KIND, Papa/Momma, ALL of our 'Elders,' and any older siblings we had, never allowed a scant inch of tolerance for misbehavior. I grew up in a house that had loaded firearms on their racks, in their holsters, and at my youngest memories, I KNEW to never touch them (I was taught, and WATCHED). Papa began teaching me at the age of four. Yes, '4'. He made me a wood rifle and pistol (I still have them!), and until I proved I was taking it seriously, responsibly, I wasn't allowed to handle the real thing. I went through H.S., as a member of our Schools' Shooting Club, and attended many Competitions/Matches. I became a Marine, graduated Boot as 'Expert' with the A2 (And they were still teaching the .45 1911!), and have been continuing to learn about firearms after more than half a century of living. You, good Sir, are such a calm, rational voice of Reason and Wisdom, and it's refreshing to know folks like yourself still exist, and are willing to invest your time and $$$ to help the rest of us. Thank you.
Two things, keep your finger off the trigger, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, any mistakes you make while doing those two things will be mitigated. Too many rules are difficult to follow and mistakes can be made but boiling it down to those two things will keep people reasonably safe on any range.
What is worrisome is that you can abide by all the firearm safety rules and still fall victim to someone else's lack of firearm safety. You can't control fools who are around you. The best would be to have a private backyard range to have so shooting fun.
@@jeffanon1772 nothing wrong with it as long as you have a good holster that covers the trigger, no different than 3 o’clock carry that points at major arteries in your leg, or shoulder carry that can point at people behind you.
@@jeffanon1772honestly the appendix position is just as safe as any other position (aside from maybe a torso holster) side or rear carry will be pointing at your legs just as much. And appendix is supposed to be lined up with your legs, not pointing at yourself. Doesn’t really matter if you have a good holster and trigger discipline anyway
Storage, Range, CCW, and Hunting safety are primary. The firearm and its condition must be kept in mind at all times. Complacency is a serious risk. The rules usually are complementary so that a misstep on one rule will be compensated by another rule so no tragedy will occur. If the firearm is unloaded, pointing in a safe direction, and fingers are off the trigger, no one should get shot. Bullets, once fired, can never be called back.
Just hit an indoor range with my .223 a couple days ago. I had never shot this weapon indoors before. But I guess they upgraded the backstopping since I bought the rifle there... anyway. My point is. I'm used to shooting on a private outdoor gun club range. No supervision of any kind. It would be very easy to get complacent. So I did what your suggesting. And simply over exaggerated each step. Empty mag. Double check bolt is locked open. Eject mag. Clear it twice just to be sure. Visual inspection of breach. Only than would I set the gun down to reload. Nothing wrong with taking the time to be sure. Noone is going to heckle you, or think of you as a beginner or anything. Unless of course your doing something stupid and NOT being safe. Make a mental checklist. And get used to going through it every time.
More than once at our local public range I watched as guys are tinkering with sights with bolt actions closed while others are down range changing targets. As the volunteer "designated" range officer for that time I mentioned it to them as a safety issue and several of them said they never heard that before and ignored me. I go there very seldom now. I see the safety issues getting worse. Guy shows up one day with a gun he just bought, still in the box. Unwraps it and has absolutely no idea what he was doing. But with no requirements for any type of instruction or licensing there is nothing that can be done. Just my take.
This is one of your best videos and you have many excellent videos. Thank you Hickock45 for sharing your knowledge and expertise. I have learned a lot from you. All the best in 2025 to you and your family.
As with many things in life, the Golden Rule applies. Put yourself in the other guy’s place - would you feel comfortable with your behavior if you were him?
Have to be careful everywhere, one time at my home range i was loading clays in a thrower and a friend almost blew my head off, he wasn't invited anymore, that's just one of a few stories I have, everybody be careful ! Good video like usual thank you !
Three of us alone at the big range. The RSO, myself and another guy, both of us shooting bp long guns slowly from our benches. The weather is crappy. No one else shows up for an hour. We two decide, between us, to walk downrange and check targets. The RSO bolts out of his shed and reads us the Riot Act for failing to inform him so that the range could be declared officially cold. I forgive him. He was right.
I've never been on a civilian shooting range. Only the Marine Corps rifle range during my 6 years of active duty. Believe me, if you have had the experience of a Marine DI or range officer, yelling in your ear, you learn range/firearm safety very quickly.
Safety pass it on! The first thing I learned when my father handed me my first 22 rifle at 13 years old was the 10 commandments of safety. I couldn't take the gun out by myself until I demonstrated to him I was 100% safe. He also told me something that was chilling and thought provoking. You can cry, beg God for mercy, pray all you want but you can never take a bullet back once you squeeze the trigger and bullet leaves the barrel. Been hunting for 65 years and to date never had a mishap.
I have seen too many videos where the presenter points the handgun at their own finger or hand while discussing it. That bothers me even if they have just shown it to be clear.
Fifty one years ago, I was twelve years old and my father walked into my room, handed me a new Marlin 39A, and said “There are only two types of gun owners, those that have had an accident, and those that will.” Every time I go shooting, I’m very aware, I don’t want it to be my day for an accident.
My home range is a private club. They have cameras everywhere. Half of the members have gone through the NRA Range Safety Officer program. They are extremely strict. Violators will be counseled. If caught more than once, they will be banned from the club. It's my favorite place to shoot, as the club and it's members prioritize safety. I love this sport, but I don't want to die while out having fun at the range. Something 4-H teaches kids to do is run a piece of weedeater string through the action and barrel. It's a cheap and incredibly effective method of showing everyone that the action is open and the chamber/barrel is clear - as you can plainly see the neon-colored string sticking out of both ends. This actually saved me from a potential catastrophe one time. I loaned a pistol of mine to a friend. Apparently, the last round he shot through it was a squib - and he didn't realize it. He returned the pistol to me, with the squib still in the barrel. Before I took it out to the range, I tried putting a weedeater string in it. The string wouldn't feed down the barrel. That's when I discovered the squib.
I consider myself lucky. I have had one ND in my life. It was on a rifle range. It was down range with no harm save my pride and 6 sets of ears. I have a saying I like to use. “ people that don’t play on train tracks don’t get hit by trains.” Follow the firearm safety rules and you can stay off the train tracks.
San Pellagrino is one of my favorites!! Seltzer water is all I drink, no flavor whatsoever just water with bubbles. Haven’t drank a regular soda in over 7 years! Safety is a state of mind.
What's needed is respect for others and respect for law. One gets respect for them from ones parents/Church and school teachers! I'm now 79. I've carried a gun since I was 10. The guys I ran around with also carried guns. We didn't go around robbing and shooting people. We learned respect from parents, the Church and our teachers. You just can imagine how important it is for teachers to show and instruct good citizenship😀
One of my close friends lost his life in highschool because he wasnt safe enough with a gun, you have to be 100% aware of everything you are doing when handling a firearm, no matter how confident you are with them.
Yep, complacency, overconfidence can kill. I'm in my 50s,hunt, go to range few times a month, combat veteran. Had my first accidental discharge 2 yrs ago. Thank God nothing bad happened and was very humbled even though nobody was around. Use chamber flags, keep finger off the trigger until it's time,keep muzzle pointed in safe direction. We all know the drill, keep safe.
Something that amazes me is how many gun clerks don’t express enough concern for people not having proper safety with display weapons. I had one clerk say that over the years he’s had 3 people point a display gun straight at him and one even pulled the trigger.
Never been to a range, I live in a rural area, my sons and I often shoot together on our place . Even so , we shoot one at a time , gun pointed down range at all times .
When I was trap and skeet shooting, just before hunting season started, folks would show up to get ready bird season , more than once I walked off the ranger with folks not being safe with their gun,,,,,
I once had a person point a muzzle loader at me, I told him not to point the gun at me, he said it's not loaded, I asked him,How Do You Know It's Not Loaded?.
Saw a guy fire a blank 22rf at a person, I asked him how did he know it was a blank cartridge?, because a blank 22rf looks like a 22rf (bird-shot round) it has a crimped mouth on the case. People are not right are they? ):
I was at an outside public range one very cold day and I was the only one there. Behind the firing line was ice, but just in front of it was fluffy snow where i could get some solid footing. The range officer happened to drive by to talk, and he had some issues with me shooting in front of the firing line. Surely if there were other people around i would have been behind the firing line doing my best not to slip on the ice, but I was the only person at the time. I figured that shooting on solid footing was safer than standing on ice behind some arbitrary line. But the range officer took issue with my logic.
I see both sides of your situation. I lean towards your logic as I’ve done that before when my range is completely empty. I still use the red flag green flag all alone, but I also will do drills and exercises that might not fly with a range full of members.
Safety is important, but some folks take it to extremes. These are the same folks that think a bullet can come through a camera and over the internet to harm someone.
@@murphy4yt Right. There are times when you can "safely" break one or more of the cardinal rules. As everyone knows, you have to break the first rule to disassemble your glock. =)
One time my dad and I took one of my friends from school Duck Hunting with us and while sitting in the blind we noticed he was checking if the safely on the shotgun was on by pulling the trigger. We lectured him and NEVER took him hunting again.
The thing I’ve noticed the most with especially newer shooters first thing they do is put their finger on the trigger when a gun is picked up or handed to them
One time my flintlock failed to fire just before a target change and the range officer was getting annoyed as I tried to fire it off. He yelled at me to leave it pointed down range because "there's no cap on it so it can't go off". He didn't appreciate me correcting his unsafe commands
I hate going to most ranges because of unsafe people. I'm lucky that I live in a state that has hundreds of thousands of acres of public land. You can go have a private area to practice and have fun. The fact that most of the people in a range don't touch a firearm on a daily basis makes me nervous.
I think that part of the reason so many people seem to believe that Guns are so dangerous is because they don't know how to handle them safely and they've never been around them. the other thing is that Kids and younger people who are taught Gun Safety early usually become Gun Owners when they reach the age of Responsibility and some people don't want that they'd rather be able to scare people into forcing people to give up their Guns then have them understand that there are ways that they can be handled and used safely. I think Gun Safety being taught is definitely a good idea but everybody gets nervous when someone else Flags them and things like that happen. it's worse at the Range because you know these guns are more then likely loaded. we all should try to be as safe as possible as often as possible but it is something that takes constant attention so we all slip up every so often. we exaggerate Gun Safety so hopefully we just start doing without thinking about it too much.
Retaining the counsel of my mother: One moment's foolishness can cause a lifetime of regret. Remember the seven "Ps": Proper prior preparation prevents piss poor performance.
My issue lately has been with older men that have been "shooting all their lives"and don't believe range rules are for them and complain that the range officers are harassing just by telling them to keep the firearm pointed down range.
I have definitly been to several ramges where there were so many rules it was dangerous. People acted like they were walking on egg shells and new shooters being too nervous to do anything. There needs to be a good medium between layed back and safety nazi.
This is why rangemasters have a delicate but serious job. You cant be too much of a dick, or else people wont come back, but you have to be stern enough to call out bad form and teach them proper etiquette.
There was a couple in a store last week when i was in there buying. They ended up trying to buy with a straw purchase, he was not allowed to have on as he failed his check at another store so she tried to buy for him.. but anyway. They were handing them guns to try and I was on the computer doing background check and I kept hearing a "click" behind me, well the counter guy was busy. I turn around and the woman and man were pointing the firearms directly at me and pulling the trigger. The counter guy finally realizes it and takes the guns back from them and tells them they need to point in a safe direction. The woman tells him "I just wanted to see how it looked to have a person in the sights. Well prior to him giving the gun to them the man asked how far would it be affective at taking someone out. That should have stopped the whole thing right there but It was a Farm store not a regular shop and it was a younger guy working that wasnt even his section filling in for a guy on his lunch break.
Enjoy your shorts Your honesty and commitment to the sport Follow all your channels Keep up the good work Wishing you and yours all the best in the years to come A Hoosier friend forever
Gun safety is been getting more ridiculous 😂as the year ls go on. its called gun 'SELF' regulation, gun smarts, or maybee ounce of gun common sense 🤔👍💪🤝🫡
A lot of people are not safe with anything, we see this all the time on the streets, a lot of people just can't drive (the way they should), a lot of people just don't understand what safety is about. I remember when a family member fired a 25 auto into the floor of his car, the man was a real threat to people when he had a gun in his hand. ) : ?
@ I’d search out a shooting club, I been to many that when your a member you have a key to come and go as you please, the + was limited members so being there alone was very common, and most the folks willing to be a member and pay to are well experienced and safe.
I think.... it can be carried too far. mostly you need to keep your finger off the trigger til you are gonna shoot and keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction... lastly? you should be as sure as you can of your 'backstop' I think a lot of the 'rules' are either redundant or prohibitively strict... like what? Well.. if you want to be absolutely safe you should never have a loaded gun until the exact time you are going to shoot it and unload it if you change your mind... or silly stuff like the cowboy load there are folks who will not carry with a loaded chamber... just like there are fairly big time gun guys who believe that anything but the cowboy load for SAA is unsafe I carry with a loaded chamber and I load 6 instead of 5 and use the safety notch on SAA. Some will say that I am being 'unsafe' and others not. I believe that I am but... if not doing either of those things seems the only safe way? You are welcome to take the extra time on one and lose a round on the other and unless you need to get the gun into operation quickly.... or need that extra round? it is safer to not do as I do.
Several gun stores I have been in have an old pickle jar on the counter full of mixed ammunition. It is the rounds they found in "unloaded" guns that customers brought in.
My dad and I were just talking about this topic on Christmas....I'm 52, and I've been shooting since I was a kid and my dad has too.....the biggest mistake anyone can make is becoming overconfident no matter how many decades you've been shooting.... anyone can make a mistake if you don't stay mindful.
Absolutely. Complacency around firearms can get someone killed.
I agree totally. In my experience the best teacher is a good Dad. I had a great Dad, Obviously you have one also. Appreciate him while you can. I can't express how much I miss my Dad.
I had an ND at an indoor range one time. Hit a baffle. Kicked myself in the butt for about two weeks and then scheduled a safety training session there. It was mandatory if I ever wanted to shoot there again. So, I took it and learned lots of things. And I fit the demographic. I was about to be 54. A majority of NDs come from men in their 50s who have been shooting guns a long time. I was learning how to shoot a .38 Special in 1974.
It is some familiarity but also a lapse in caution. I was clearing a malfunction with my AR-10 and my finger was near the trigger. Nowhere in any training material does it say to have your finger in the trigger guard while doing anything with the rifle that does not involve actively shooting a desired target in a safe direction.
I passed the safety class and still go there. And I take nothing for granted. The time I spent kicking my butt saved me from making stupid excuses like "the gun did this or the gun did that." That gun is not capable of firing itself. Every time I thought about that, I corrected myself.
Another point in my favor, I never once said, "at least no one was hurt." Because someone could have been hurt. The only place designed to capture and hold your bullet is the backstop behind the target. Everything else can potentially cause a ricochet. If someone gets hurt or worse from either the projectile of shrapnel, there is no undoing that. Also, every bullet we fire, weather at a range, a match, or hunting has a lawyer attached to it. Every bullet. That's because you, the shooter, made that bullet fly.
The final step of the class was to perform a function of firing a mock AR-15 by loading a mag into it, etc. He handed it to me. Before doing anything, I pulled back the charging handle and out popped a dummy round. Which turns out to be exactly what he wanted to see. Something Alex Baldwin should have learned. Always clear and know the status of the weapon yourself.
Everyone always makes mistakes. My granddad said the best thing you can do when it comes to guns is to always act like it's your first time picking up the gun
Pride gets people killed. Stick to the rules every time you handle a gun, no matter how long you have been shooting. I know a few carpenters missing fingers from that tablesaw they worked with their whole life...until.
My 45-year-old son knows dam well that when I hand him a gun to look at etc. that its unloaded. He checks it anyways because that's what I've taught him do period.
I've been taught to always clear a weapon whenever I touch it, meaning before and after handling it. If I'm not familiar with the process of a particular weapon I'm not to handle it at all until I have been instructed how to safely clear it.
& then they go “it’s unloaded” lol like yeah that’s what I’m checkin
@@DreErdna and even if i saw that it's unloaded im not going to pass the chance to check out how the action feels, just to be extra safe 😉
Great point Hickok. Also people forget safety rules are explicitly made to be redundant, so that they back each other when broken. I’ve had an older firearm unexpectedly break during range use and cause it to accidentally discharge when it was not supposed to. Because it was pointed in a safe direction, the projectile was sent into the range floor in the general direction of the targets. The other safety rules made sure that we avoided the most possible damage.
Something I noticed at two indoor gun ranges I have been to. Where you stand at the stall with barriers on both sides and getting ready to shoot. Straight up over head and all down the ceiling, and on the walls all down the range was filled with bullet holes. Looked like thousands of them. One of these places was an underground range at a police station. My brother in law was a cop at the time and he took me there.
Better to be too safe than not enough. Complacency is a killer.
Another thought worth adding to the conversation is that familiarity breeds contempt. Many decades ago, while serving with an Army Reserve unit, I got repeatedly flagged by a soldier junior to me. When I politely asked him to make sure his rifle was pointed in a safe direction, he reacted badly and stormed out of the tent after a few choice words. Hopefully, the training in that unit has improved.
When I was younger I had an incident where I was convinced my rifle was empty 'til I got home and cleaned it. I found the round I left in the chamber. Fortunately, despite my negligence in not clearing it, I kept the safety on and performed the other basics, avoiding a negligent discharge.
Now I always double check that I've cleared everything.
I had a ND with my airsoft gun, Still had to sacrifice a TV to learn this lesson, now ill never forget.
@@wettoastermanyup. I had an ND twenty five years ago with a .357 and it went through my bedroom wall, through my hanging clothes in my adjacent closet, through the back wall of the closet, into the garage and is still in the heat pump baffle. Not great.
The gun version of Mr. Rogers... Amazing.
Firearms safety is so very important! We were taught gun safety and had shooting clubs in school in West Texas back in the day! Thanks 👍
Follow the 4 cardinal rules of firearm saftey. Treat all firearms as if they are loaded, keep finger off trigger until you're ready to fire, keep muzzle pointed in a safe direction and, know your target and what is beyond and around it.
This is why I don't like shooting around others, most of the time.. I've lost track of the number of times I've seen safety violations, from folks who instantly put their finger on the trigger as soon as a gun is in their hands, to others who don't even know how the safety works ON THEIR OWN GUN, to a guy hopping out of his truck, handing me his new rifle (to check out) and I rack the bolt to check chamber and a round flies out! safety off.. he was riding around with a loaded gun, no safety and didn't even realize/ remember it was loaded! others "looking" at a gun, while sweeping someone standing 5 feet away etc..
Very timely video Hickok. I’ve had people flag me when reloading their weapon at a public range in the lane next to me. I’ll try to get their attention, but failing that notify the RSO.
I was a carpenter. Retired now. I’ve built homes and commercial buildings all my adult life. When I was 33 I made a near fatal mistake and came off an old school steeple the fast way. Broke 35 bones, left wrist 14 places, right wrist 11 places, 3 ribs, my right hip socket, and the L7 in my tail bone. My point is, it’s not just firearms. I had tarpapered the steeple roof and fastened it with roofing nails. The weather was warm enough to make the tarpaper soft and it ripped and let me go. I healed, got back up there and finished it (this time with a tether to keep me safe. I’m now 66
@ you talk as if I would not be affected. Interesting, I feel like I’d have to eat my gun if I ever did that. Yes, I’m likely comparing apples to horse shoes to you.
I’ve found that there are stages of safety in everything … first the safety issues of the lack of knowledge… then the safety issues that are a result of overconfidence and complacency and in its final form when the conscious becomes subconscious there can be issues so one has to be very self aware and aware of others for sure… great topic for discussion!
The only person who carelessly muzzled me with a Single Action Army was a Vietnam Veteran who had been shooting for at least 40 years. The length of time someone has been shooting has nothing to do with whether or not they are safe.
Thoroughly enjoyed this episode and couldn't agree more with you. Even though I think I'm a safe shooter, it's so good to listen to other's perspectives and learn.
Just because I know my weapon is safe doesn't mean others do.
Agreed. Not fond of public ranges. Been swept from someone next to me far too many times.
It was good for me to hear your discussion on gun safety, especially at the range. I could hear the years of experience you spoke from. It's good to be reminded of safety rules. I was a bit "dusty" on them. They say, "Experience is the best teacher." "Safety is no accident."
These times merit that every law-abiding citizen should have tools.
Whats your definition of "law abiding citizen ". Are we not free humans?
There are no bonus points for speed holstering!
Well said. Working as an RSO trainer and firearms instructor, I've been flashed several times from the line (more so when training new INSTRUCTORS than fresh-from-the-farm Hunter Ed kids!) I guarantee the instructor candidates that flashed me will never forget that moment. :-)
One of the sportsman's clubs I am a member of requires that you serve as a range safety attendant as part of your requirements to stay in the club, and when you are dealing with people that all have to be the safety guy at some point during each year, you actually get to see that people can use their brains and be safe. Yes, you get some that just don't care, and some that bring guests that don't get gun safety, at all, but the members usually do a decent job of schooling them.
When I was in the army, we were at an M4 range and had two people get kicked off in one day. One of them was a private, put a magazine in, racked it and then turned it so that she flagged the entire firing line to her side, she got warned the first time she did it and then did it again and got kicked off. The other one was an NCO and a team leader, he was coming off the range, was clearing his rifle by just going through the motions and he didn't check the chamber. For whatever reason there was a round in there that didn't eject, probably a bad extractor, and he fired it into the clearing barrel and gave our RSO a PTSD flashback. It was pretty messed up
At the range I use they require chamber flags, I forgot my flags one day, I had everything else and followed all other rules. Everytime the gun was not in use it was unloaded with the action open. I still got grief from from another shooter. He loaned me a flag and I used it. I gave it back and thanked him when I was done. But I have to say I don't enjoy going to the range as much as I use to.
Every gun range I know that requires flags has jars of them available for free. One uses some made from bright orange zip ties
Better than going to Dragonman’s in Colorado Springs and getting shot at by a dude wearing a green shower cap and chicago styling his Chips Ahoy Glock with Binary installed.
@@GlockPerfectionDawg You got that right!
Weed wacker cord works too
my landlord in FL panhandle was a tactical firearms instructor in the USAF and the only time he got shot was at a range, off base. he said lane was cold and they were walking down to set up targets when he got plucked in the back.
i always feel more comfortable on base ranges because they tend to be more strict and disciplined, also they usually require you to complete range master training.
My local range has lots of monitors that correct behaviors, traditional lanes have thick material between the stalls, but my favorite is the private sweet. Private sweet has each group in their own stall with a thick brick barrier between everyone.
In many ways Hickok, you remind me of Papa. He wasn't nearly as verbose (I imagine he'd think of creating a YT Channel and talking into cameras, to the whole world, extremely intimidating!), but when he spoke, what he said was worth listening/respecting, most of the time (He, like all of us, had his 'Moments!') 🙂
Just saying, when it came to firearms/weapons of ANY KIND, Papa/Momma, ALL of our 'Elders,' and any older siblings we had, never allowed a scant inch of tolerance for misbehavior. I grew up in a house that had loaded firearms on their racks, in their holsters, and at my youngest memories, I KNEW to never touch them (I was taught, and WATCHED).
Papa began teaching me at the age of four. Yes, '4'. He made me a wood rifle and pistol (I still have them!), and until I proved I was taking it seriously, responsibly, I wasn't allowed to handle the real thing.
I went through H.S., as a member of our Schools' Shooting Club, and attended many Competitions/Matches.
I became a Marine, graduated Boot as 'Expert' with the A2 (And they were still teaching the .45 1911!), and have been continuing to learn about firearms after more than half a century of living.
You, good Sir, are such a calm, rational voice of Reason and Wisdom, and it's refreshing to know folks like yourself still exist, and are willing to invest your time and $$$ to help the rest of us.
Thank you.
Two things, keep your finger off the trigger, keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, any mistakes you make while doing those two things will be mitigated. Too many rules are difficult to follow and mistakes can be made but boiling it down to those two things will keep people reasonably safe on any range.
What is worrisome is that you can abide by all the firearm safety rules and still fall victim to someone else's lack of firearm safety. You can't control fools who are around you. The best would be to have a private backyard range to have so shooting fun.
Well said !
Amazes me that people actually carry in the appendix position..SMH
@@jeffanon1772 nothing wrong with it as long as you have a good holster that covers the trigger, no different than 3 o’clock carry that points at major arteries in your leg, or shoulder carry that can point at people behind you.
@@jeffanon1772honestly the appendix position is just as safe as any other position (aside from maybe a torso holster)
side or rear carry will be pointing at your legs just as much. And appendix is supposed to be lined up with your legs, not pointing at yourself.
Doesn’t really matter if you have a good holster and trigger discipline anyway
Storage, Range, CCW, and Hunting safety are primary. The firearm and its condition must be kept in mind at all times. Complacency is a serious risk. The rules usually are complementary so that a misstep on one rule will be compensated by another rule so no tragedy will occur. If the firearm is unloaded, pointing in a safe direction, and fingers are off the trigger, no one should get shot. Bullets, once fired, can never be called back.
Just hit an indoor range with my .223 a couple days ago. I had never shot this weapon indoors before. But I guess they upgraded the backstopping since I bought the rifle there... anyway. My point is. I'm used to shooting on a private outdoor gun club range. No supervision of any kind. It would be very easy to get complacent. So I did what your suggesting. And simply over exaggerated each step. Empty mag. Double check bolt is locked open. Eject mag. Clear it twice just to be sure. Visual inspection of breach. Only than would I set the gun down to reload. Nothing wrong with taking the time to be sure. Noone is going to heckle you, or think of you as a beginner or anything. Unless of course your doing something stupid and NOT being safe. Make a mental checklist. And get used to going through it every time.
Thank you. It’s so important. I’ve been shooting for over 50 years and it’s the small things that can become big fast.
There's a bullet hole in the partition/stall divider at my local indoor range. I'm envious of your property every time I see it! LoL
One of the best videos out there. Many out there do not take it seriously enough!
Every time I take a gun course I get an hour about the second amendment and five minutes dismissing safety. Really needs to be the opposite.
Nailed it.
Fucking thank you for saying it.
More people died from lack of 2A understanding than lack of gun safety, by deci-levels of magnitude.
Treat every gun as a loaded gun.
More than once at our local public range I watched as guys are tinkering with sights with bolt actions closed while others are down range changing targets. As the volunteer "designated" range officer for that time I mentioned it to them as a safety issue and several of them said they never heard that before and ignored me. I go there very seldom now. I see the safety issues getting worse. Guy shows up one day with a gun he just bought, still in the box. Unwraps it and has absolutely no idea what he was doing. But with no requirements for any type of instruction or licensing there is nothing that can be done. Just my take.
Great video. Even for those of us who have been shooting for a long time, this is a good wake up call.
This is one of your best videos and you have many excellent videos. Thank you Hickock45 for sharing your knowledge and expertise. I have learned a lot from you. All the best in 2025 to you and your family.
As with many things in life, the Golden Rule applies. Put yourself in the other guy’s place - would you feel comfortable with your behavior if you were him?
Have to be careful everywhere, one time at my home range i was loading clays in a thrower and a friend almost blew my head off, he wasn't invited anymore, that's just one of a few stories I have, everybody be careful ! Good video like usual thank you !
the graveyards are abundant with souls who did not abide by this fact.
I don't know of any in graveyards but I have a friend who got a deer slug through the leg. Not good !
Three of us alone at the big range. The RSO, myself and another guy, both of us shooting bp long guns slowly from our benches. The weather is crappy. No one else shows up for an hour. We two decide, between us, to walk downrange and check targets. The RSO bolts out of his shed and reads us the Riot Act for failing to inform him so that the range could be declared officially cold. I forgive him. He was right.
The more firearm safety the better, you can never be to careful.
19 years old and i like learning a lot from people who're older than me!
I've never been on a civilian shooting range. Only the Marine Corps rifle range during my 6 years of active duty. Believe me, if you have had the experience of a Marine DI or range officer, yelling in your ear, you learn range/firearm safety very quickly.
I appreciate this channel and your insight. Happy New Year!
That's one thing I always appreciated about Hickok45's channel, he always demonstrated safe gun handling.
Safety pass it on! The first thing I learned when my father handed me my first 22 rifle at 13 years old was the 10 commandments of safety. I couldn't take the gun out by myself until I demonstrated to him I was 100% safe. He also told me something that was chilling and thought provoking. You can cry, beg God for mercy, pray all you want but you can never take a bullet back once you squeeze the trigger and bullet leaves the barrel. Been hunting for 65 years and to date never had a mishap.
I have seen too many videos where the presenter points the handgun at their own finger or hand while discussing it. That bothers me even if they have just shown it to be clear.
Fifty one years ago, I was twelve years old and my father walked into my room, handed me a new Marlin 39A, and said “There are only two types of gun owners, those that have had an accident, and those that will.” Every time I go shooting, I’m very aware, I don’t want it to be my day for an accident.
That’s one heck of a statement. I get it though and agree.
Got to respect guns,motorcycles,and lawnmowers 😅
Chainsaws fit in there somewhere too.
My home range is a private club. They have cameras everywhere. Half of the members have gone through the NRA Range Safety Officer program. They are extremely strict. Violators will be counseled. If caught more than once, they will be banned from the club. It's my favorite place to shoot, as the club and it's members prioritize safety. I love this sport, but I don't want to die while out having fun at the range.
Something 4-H teaches kids to do is run a piece of weedeater string through the action and barrel. It's a cheap and incredibly effective method of showing everyone that the action is open and the chamber/barrel is clear - as you can plainly see the neon-colored string sticking out of both ends. This actually saved me from a potential catastrophe one time. I loaned a pistol of mine to a friend. Apparently, the last round he shot through it was a squib - and he didn't realize it. He returned the pistol to me, with the squib still in the barrel. Before I took it out to the range, I tried putting a weedeater string in it. The string wouldn't feed down the barrel. That's when I discovered the squib.
I consider myself lucky. I have had one ND in my life. It was on a rifle range. It was down range with no harm save my pride and 6 sets of ears.
I have a saying I like to use. “ people that don’t play on train tracks don’t get hit by trains.” Follow the firearm safety rules and you can stay off the train tracks.
🙏👍🇺🇸
It’s something that was instilled in me from before I could shoot.
Must be taught diligently. (Firearms safety)
San Pellagrino is one of my favorites!! Seltzer water is all I drink, no flavor whatsoever just water with bubbles. Haven’t drank a regular soda in over 7 years!
Safety is a state of mind.
What's needed is respect for others and respect for law. One gets respect for them from ones parents/Church and school teachers! I'm now 79. I've carried a gun since I was 10. The guys I ran around with also carried guns. We didn't go around robbing and shooting people. We learned respect from parents, the Church and our teachers. You just can imagine how important it is for teachers to show and instruct good citizenship😀
One of my close friends lost his life in highschool because he wasnt safe enough with a gun, you have to be 100% aware of everything you are doing when handling a firearm, no matter how confident you are with them.
Anytime that you have a weapon in your hand of any kind you should be mindful but then again stupid is as stupid does💀
Yep, complacency, overconfidence can kill.
I'm in my 50s,hunt, go to range few times a month, combat veteran. Had my first accidental discharge 2 yrs ago. Thank God nothing bad happened and was very humbled even though nobody was around.
Use chamber flags, keep finger off the trigger until it's time,keep muzzle pointed in safe direction.
We all know the drill, keep safe.
we got a bright and early upload today
It’s 2 am for me man I’m just happy to be here I knew I wasn’t staying up for nothing
I just ate dinner and watched it at 5 in the morning.
Something that amazes me is how many gun clerks don’t express enough concern for people not having proper safety with display weapons. I had one clerk say that over the years he’s had 3 people point a display gun straight at him and one even pulled the trigger.
Never been to a range, I live in a rural area, my sons and I often shoot together on our place . Even so , we shoot one at a time , gun pointed down range at all times .
I have always admired your commitment to safety in ALL your videos.
When I was trap and skeet shooting, just before hunting season started, folks would show up to get ready bird season , more than once I walked off the ranger with folks not being safe with their gun,,,,,
Good stuff Hickok,you really can’t be too careful💯
I once had a person point a muzzle loader at me, I told him not to point the gun at me, he said it's not loaded, I asked him,How Do You Know It's Not Loaded?.
Saw a guy fire a blank 22rf at a person, I asked him how did he know it was a blank cartridge?, because a blank 22rf looks like a 22rf (bird-shot round) it has a crimped mouth on the case. People are not right are they? ):
Very well said Hickok, no such thing as being too safe when it comes to firearms amongst other things
What is the differences between shotguns, side by side and up and under?
Amazes me that people actually routinely carry in the appendix position...SMH
I do
I was at an outside public range one very cold day and I was the only one there.
Behind the firing line was ice, but just in front of it was fluffy snow where i could get some solid footing. The range officer happened to drive by to talk, and he had some issues with me shooting in front of the firing line.
Surely if there were other people around i would have been behind the firing line doing my best not to slip on the ice, but I was the only person at the time.
I figured that shooting on solid footing was safer than standing on ice behind some arbitrary line. But the range officer took issue with my logic.
I see both sides of your situation. I lean towards your logic as I’ve done that before when my range is completely empty. I still use the red flag green flag all alone, but I also will do drills and exercises that might not fly with a range full of members.
Safety is important, but some folks take it to extremes. These are the same folks that think a bullet can come through a camera and over the internet to harm someone.
@@murphy4yt Right. There are times when you can "safely" break one or more of the cardinal rules. As everyone knows, you have to break the first rule to disassemble your glock. =)
One time my dad and I took one of my friends from school Duck Hunting with us and while sitting in the blind we noticed he was checking if the safely on the shotgun was on by pulling the trigger. We lectured him and NEVER took him hunting again.
The thing I’ve noticed the most with especially newer shooters first thing they do is put their finger on the trigger when a gun is picked up or handed to them
It is the most natural position for someone who’s never been taught gun safety
He's drinking fancy water!
Topo Chico is my vibe
San Pellegrino baby!
All those RUclips $$$$$
He shoots all the cheap water.
@jeffsmith1830 😂😂
Oh yeah I learned the hard way being overconfident (neglegent) lol. I used to have 206 bones, like most humans. I'm 1 less now.
One time my flintlock failed to fire just before a target change and the range officer was getting annoyed as I tried to fire it off. He yelled at me to leave it pointed down range because "there's no cap on it so it can't go off". He didn't appreciate me correcting his unsafe commands
We fight for our rights. The non gun world will always treat us like fools. If you show them a fool, they are justified. Be an ambassador.
I like early videos, I'm always looking for something to watch before daylight
I hate going to most ranges because of unsafe people. I'm lucky that I live in a state that has hundreds of thousands of acres of public land. You can go have a private area to practice and have fun. The fact that most of the people in a range don't touch a firearm on a daily basis makes me nervous.
what state? in north IL theres no private areas
I think that part of the reason so many people seem to believe that Guns are so dangerous is because they don't know how to handle them safely and they've never been around them.
the other thing is that Kids and younger people who are taught Gun Safety early usually become Gun Owners when they reach the age of Responsibility and some people don't want that they'd rather be able to scare people into forcing people to give up their Guns then have them understand that there are ways that they can be handled and used safely.
I think Gun Safety being taught is definitely a good idea but everybody gets nervous when someone else Flags them and things like that happen. it's worse at the Range because you know these guns are more then likely loaded.
we all should try to be as safe as possible as often as possible but it is something that takes constant attention so we all slip up every so often.
we exaggerate Gun Safety so hopefully we just start doing without thinking about it too much.
Retaining the counsel of my mother: One moment's foolishness can cause a lifetime of regret. Remember the seven "Ps": Proper prior preparation prevents piss poor performance.
My issue lately has been with older men that have been "shooting all their lives"and don't believe range rules are for them and complain that the range officers are harassing just by telling them to keep the firearm pointed down range.
Preach on.
I have definitly been to several ramges where there were so many rules it was dangerous. People acted like they were walking on egg shells and new shooters being too nervous to do anything. There needs to be a good medium between layed back and safety nazi.
This is why rangemasters have a delicate but serious job. You cant be too much of a dick, or else people wont come back, but you have to be stern enough to call out bad form and teach them proper etiquette.
There's no such thing as being "too safe" with guns.
There was a couple in a store last week when i was in there buying. They ended up trying to buy with a straw purchase, he was not allowed to have on as he failed his check at another store so she tried to buy for him.. but anyway. They were handing them guns to try and I was on the computer doing background check and I kept hearing a "click" behind me, well the counter guy was busy. I turn around and the woman and man were pointing the firearms directly at me and pulling the trigger. The counter guy finally realizes it and takes the guns back from them and tells them they need to point in a safe direction. The woman tells him "I just wanted to see how it looked to have a person in the sights. Well prior to him giving the gun to them the man asked how far would it be affective at taking someone out. That should have stopped the whole thing right there but It was a Farm store not a regular shop and it was a younger guy working that wasnt even his section filling in for a guy on his lunch break.
Enjoy your shorts
Your honesty and commitment to the sport
Follow all your channels
Keep up the good work
Wishing you and yours all the best in the years to come
A Hoosier friend forever
Good reminder. Thanks.
Best!✔️✔️✔️✔️✔️👏🏻
My friend got upset I i accidentally flagged him with a detached ar upper receiver muzzle as I was holding it with two hands. Woops
Great talk! Can we hear what you think about gold and silver ?
Gun safety is been getting more ridiculous 😂as the year ls go on. its called gun 'SELF' regulation, gun smarts, or maybee ounce of gun common sense 🤔👍💪🤝🫡
A lot of people are not safe with anything, we see this all the time on the streets, a lot of people just can't drive (the way they should), a lot of people just don't understand what safety is about. I remember when a family member fired a 25 auto into the floor of his car, the man was a real threat to people when he had a gun in his hand. ) : ?
PS, I don't do public ranges, too many people pointing guns at me ):
I expect a drink next time
You hit it on the head when you said it’s about respect
Don’t go to public ranges any more way to unsafe in my opinion.
around me theres no private options
@ I’d search out a shooting club, I been to many that when your a member you have a key to come and go as you please, the + was limited members so being there alone was very common, and most the folks willing to be a member and pay to are well experienced and safe.
RUclips gonna actually like this one.
Do what you want. This guy exaggerates.
Life is good
I think.... it can be carried too far. mostly you need to keep your finger off the trigger til you are gonna shoot and keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction... lastly? you should be as sure as you can of your 'backstop' I think a lot of the 'rules' are either redundant or prohibitively strict... like what? Well.. if you want to be absolutely safe you should never have a loaded gun until the exact time you are going to shoot it and unload it if you change your mind... or silly stuff like the cowboy load there are folks who will not carry with a loaded chamber... just like there are fairly big time gun guys who believe that anything but the cowboy load for SAA is unsafe I carry with a loaded chamber and I load 6 instead of 5 and use the safety notch on SAA. Some will say that I am being 'unsafe' and others not. I believe that I am but... if not doing either of those things seems the only safe way? You are welcome to take the extra time on one and lose a round on the other and unless you need to get the gun into operation quickly.... or need that extra round? it is safer to not do as I do.