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
