[DaveInTexas]

I know two people now who have had one. I am trying to explain to myself (and my wife) why this happened to them.

Yes, its easy to say they were bone-headed and never should have been given a gun and stop there.... but I like to dissect things:
What do you think:

We could say they did not follow the basic and essential rules that all gun owners/handlers should be taught and then follow all their lives (keep finger off trigger, first action should be to check if it is loaded etc). True, but -->

I have to wonder if a more fundamental reason could be considered to contribute:
Complacency - in other words, losing that respect we (most of us) first had when handling guns - loss of respect as a result of years of familiarity. "Oh my gun. I need to move my gun. It's just a gun; I am knowledgable about guns, so I will simply grab it and move it. Bang!"

Instead, we should be saying, "My gun! I need to move my gun. All guns have the potential to be lethal. I must take myself back to my first day when my instructor told me how to stay safe. I must religiously follow the rules I was taught,...even if it is late, I am tired, I am in a hurry - this is just too gol darn important! So I will assume it is loaded. I will keep my finger off the trigger and the first thing I will do is check to make sure it is unloaded (where appropriate). I will not direct the muzzle at anything I do not intend to destroy"

My thought here is that people are having NDs because they are treating guns like any household object, losing that respect, becoming complacent. And the fix for that is to Always, Always, Always STOP and remember to handle your gun differently, remember that respect, revert to your training EACH TIME.

"May that I never have an ND."

 

[Ram Rod]

Create good habits to start with. My guess is that these folks never created good habits around firearms or had anybody teach them. Bad deal and big mistake. Two ways of learning.....the easy way......and the hard way.

 

[dukalmighty]

I have been at a gun range and ready to shoot a gun I was not familiar with,a comped out 45 and when I put my finger on the trigger it fired before I wanted it to.I was aiming at the target and as I acquired the target transitioned to the trigger,the trigger pull was so light compared to my carry guns it went boom as soon as I touched It and I went dang,next shots went off as I chose to, but I would never carry anything with that light a trigger for SD

 

[buckeye .45]

People should have the basic firearms safety rules ingrained in them when they start handling firearms in my opinion

Treat every weapon as if it were loaded
Never point your weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot
Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to fire.
Keep your weapon on safe until you intend to fire.
Know your target and what lies beyond and in between it.

That would really reduce the number of ND's if everyone just obeyed those simple rules.

I think people do sometimes get complacent about weapons safety, which is too bad, because as cliche as it is, complacency kills.

 

[RoadRunner71]

I have to wonder if a more fundamental reason could be considered to contribute:
Complacency - in other words, losing that respect we (most of us) first had when handling guns - loss of respect as a result of years of familiarity. "Oh my gun. I need to move my gun. It's just a gun; I am knowledgable about guns, so I will simply grab it and move it. Bang!"

Honestly, it is a wonder that it doesn't happen MORE often. Just look at the way most people handle their cell phones and laptops - crash, drop, toss. I just scratch my head sometimes. These things may not go BANG like a gun can, but they are expensive, and usually, more delicate. Maybe if they had that potential, folks would not treat their guns in the same manner.

 

[MinisterMalice]

I think it is vital to maintain that respect and sense of the inherent danger of carrying and handling firearms. As in much of life, the danger lies in complacency and familiarity. When we become too familiar with firearms we can become complacent in our safety procedures. This is when ND's start happening.

 

[DaveInTexas]

Thanks.
How would you describe the normal transition from 'fear' to 'respect and understanding' that occurs with many folks as they handle firearms for the first time?
Maybe that can't be put into words, but I think it is something I need to nail down.

 

[Bunny]

Fear is when something is unknown to us. Respect and understand is what occurs once we are familiar with it.

 

[DaveInTexas]

How about:

Fear and Ignorance --> Training --> Understanding and Respect --> Familiarity --> Time Passes and/or Lack of Refresher Training --> Complacency and Weakened Skills --> Incident or Poor Performance

With the goal being to Stop the progression at "Familiarity".