that fire 22 LR cartridges can be converted to 17 Aguila caliber simply by changing the barrels. Even though the 17 Aguila produces slightly lower velocity than the 17 HMR, the difference is not enough to make any practical difference in hunting use especially since the 17 Aguila uses a 20-grain bullet. Shots should be limited to somewhat shorter ranges with the 17 Aguila, but both are suitable for small game and small pests. The almost unknown 17 High Standard cartridge is apparently almost identical to the 17 Aguila.
Newest of the rimfire cartridges is the 17 Agiula, which is a 22 LR case necked to hold a 17 caliber bullet.
Although several obsolete rimfire cartridges have been interesting and historically important, the choices available today make this the most exciting time in rimfire history. Hopefully this will become more apparent as you read this book.
In 17 HMR, Hornady markets loads with a 17-grain polymer tipped bullet (left) or a 20-grain hollow-point (right).
Chapter 2 SAFE SHOOTING
Anything that launches projectiles has the potential to cause injury. This is not limited to slingshots, bows, airguns, or firearms. Golf balls, baseballs, and horseshoes have all caused fatalities. In baseball, batters wear helmets for a reason. Participants in other sports wear protective equipment. However, it is in the shooting sports that safety must be paramount. Firearms launch small projectiles at high velocity so they can travel great distances. In spite of this, it entirely possible to enjoy shooting sports for many years and fire tens of thousands of shots in complete safety even though the news media may routinely consider that anything involving a firearm is a high risk activity. In this chapter, we will describe some of the aspects of safety that shooters must follow in order to participate safely in shooting sports.
Aware of the safety issues related to the storage of firearms, Sturm, Ruger & Co. include a safety lock with most of their products.
Devices and Programs
We are at a point in time when shooting accidents are occurring at the lowest rate they have been for many years. There are several reasons for this welcome decline. First, currently produced rifles and pistols are manufactured with more safety features than ever before. Let me cite just one example. Older single-action revolvers can fire accidentally if dropped or the hammer is struck a blow because in some cases the firing pin is an integral part of the hammer and it rests against a cartridge. In other models, the firing pin is held permanently in the frame, but the hammer rests against the firing pin. In either of these types of single-action revolvers, the firing pin may be held away from the cartridge by a notch on the hammer (a so-called safety notch). That safety notch may not be adequate to keep the firing pin from striking the cartridge if a substantial blow to the hammer occurs. In order to carry such a revolver safely, it is necessary to keep an empty chamber in front of the firing pin. Old timers knew this and their revolvers were treated as “five shooters” rather than “six shooters.”
Single-action revolvers are those that require cocking the hammer for each shot (which also rotates the cylinder) and this type has been popular for about 150 years. In 1973, Sturm, Ruger, & Company redesigned its single-action revolvers to produce the “new model” single-action. After the new model revolver is cocked, a transfer bar moves upward to a position between the hammer and the firing pin only as the trigger is pulled to the rear. Therefore, only if the trigger is pulled will the hammer strike the bar and transmit the blow to the firing pin. Neither accidentally dropping a new model revolver nor a blow to the hammer will cause it to fire because when the transfer bar is down, the hammer rests against the frame and it is not in contact with the firing pin. These “new model” revolvers can be carried safely with all six chambers loaded. This is just one example of the additional safety features that are found on some newer firearms.
While the situation described above is in reference to single-action revolvers, it also existed for some of the familiar lever action rifles with their visible, manually operated hammers. Most newer lever action rifles have safeties that block the hammer from moving forward to strike the firing pin if the hammer is struck by an accidental blow. Many models of bolt action rifles also have improved safeties. While most older bolt action rifles required the safety to be moved to the “off” position to open the bolt, many newer ones allow the bolt to be opened without having to disengage the safety. This is a great improvement because to open the action the shooter does not have to operate the bolt of a rifle that is in firing condition. Some bolt action rifles have indicators to show when the piece is cocked, but with others there is nothing visible to show whether the action is cocked or not. Today, most semiautomatic rifles and pistols have a device that holds the action open after the last shot has been fired. An increasing number of semiautomatic pistols have some sort of indicator that shows when there is a cartridge in the chamber. For example, on the new Ruger Mark III the loaded chamber indicator is a lever that runs along the left hand side of the frame and fits flush with the frame when the chamber is empty. When a round is chambered, the lever swings out of the frame slightly and a red dot on the top edge of the lever is visible.
All modern semiautomatic pistols chambered for rimfire cartridges have safeties. Usually they are levers located on the left hand side at the rear of the frame and are operated by the thumb of the shooting hand. It is possible as a result of handling the firearm or removing it from a holster to cause this lever to be moved accidentally. Pistols of recent manufacture often have safeties that are better designed to prevent this from happening, and the possibility of litigation has caused most firearms marketed today to have triggers that require more force to discharge the piece than was the case a generation or two ago. These and other improvements in firearms have helped reduce accidents, but the most important aspect of safety is still the human mind.
Older single-action revolvers had to have the hammer at half cock in order to rotate the cylinder.
Many firearms are shipped with a “flag” in the chamber to show that no cartridge resides in the chamber. Shown here is a Smith & Wesson Model 22A.
While the changes in equipment have made the shooting sports safer, so have the training programs that have been conducted or sponsored by numerous organizations. The National Rifle Association (NRA) has conducted the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program for many years, and more than 18 million of youngsters have received instruction in what to do when encountering a firearm as a result. More information on this program is available from the NRA Eddie Eagle Department at (800) 231-0752 or from the web site www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/. According to the National Center for Health Statistics, fatal accidents from firearms in the pre-K through third grade age group has been reduced by more than twothirds during the operation of this program.
The Boy Scouts of America includes instruction in shooting in many areas of the country. Other groups that are proactive with regard to shooting include 4-H and Future Farmers of America (FFA) groups. Many summer camps that are operated by civic and church groups for youngsters have instruction and practice in target shooting. Other companies and groups are concerned primarily with safe handling and shooting of airguns, and this activity is frequently a forerunner of shooting firearms. Daisy Outdoor Products has sponsored national BB and airgun competition for many years. Daisy also has a trailer that has been converted to a portable range that is used in various parts of the country
