Car crash videos, situation awareness, and one bad mistake

[Sir Henry]

I enjoy watching car crash videos. Since I don’t really like TV or movies that aren’t 50 years old it’s my main entertainment.

However it’s more than that. I now drive hyper alert with a high degree of situation awareness. Many Vietnam veterans came home with it and it never leaves you.

I have been hyper alert for about 72 hours and I’m still high -hence my long posts.

Now the big mistake. I always clear my firearm at a range before casing it. The last thing I do is point it down range and dry fire it. With the resent post about dry firing I did not do that. When I got to my destination early this morning I took the firearm out of the case and did the same thing. I pointed it in a safe direction and worked the lever on my Henry.

Can you guess what happened? Yes an unspent round was chambered and went flying. All my training went out the door and I made a rookie mistake.

[North Country Gal]

Thank-you for sharing that and your honesty, Gene. Much appreciated and it may save someone from making the same mistake.

Let me add one more thing. Tube magazine guns are notorious for having a shell hang up in the mag and not cycle. Remember, those last couple of rounds in the magazine are under the least amount of pressure from the mag spring. When clearing the gun, then, it's a good idea to cycle the action several times and with authority.

[Sir Henry]

Thank-you for sharing that and your honesty, Gene. Much appreciated and it may save someone from making the same mistake.

Let me add one more thing. Tube magazine guns are notorious for having a shell hang up in the mag and not cycle. Remember, those last couple of rounds in the magazine are under the least amount of pressure from the mag spring. When clearing the gun, then, it's a good idea to cycle the action several times and with authority.

Shoot enough tube fed firearms and it will happen. It’s actually not all that rare even in a clean tube. With my Henrys I also look for the orange follower and did not do that this time.

I am wasted from driving 2,218 miles in 54 hours.

[BrokenolMarine]

Congratulate yourself, the Rookie mistake would have been casually pulling the trigger on a firearm you hadn't first cleared, and shooting a hole in something. I have heard of veteran shooters do so when tired. Pat yourself on the back for checking.

Although I know which guns are normally stored loaded and which are not, I ALWAYS check the action on any gun I remove from one of my safes for any reason... Just to insure I KNOW it's condition. It has saved me a couple times over the years, pulling a normally unloaded gun, to find a loaded mag inserted.

Good job my friend... No accidental discharge.

[Sir Henry]

Congratulate yourself, the Rookie mistake would have been casually pulling the trigger on a firearm you hadn't first cleared, and shooting a hole in something. I have heard of veteran shooters do so when tired. Pat yourself on the back for checking.

Although I know which guns are normally stored loaded and which are not, I ALWAYS check the action on any gun I remove from one of my safes for any reason... Just to insure I KNOW it's condition. It has saved me a couple times over the years, pulling a normally unloaded gun, to find a loaded mag inserted.

Good job my friend... No accidental discharge.

Thanks. I have had some surprise discharges over the decades when I thought the firearm was empty and it was not. In all cases it was at the range safely pointed downrange and it was that last safety check before being cased.

Still this has upset me. If it was someone else I would have been in their face.

Thanks again my friend.

[dave77]

Even if I watch someone check that a gun is unloaded before handing it to me I will always immediately check it myself.

[BrokenolMarine]

^^^^^

Mark of a pro...

[Conax]

I have a habit of counting rounds as they're loaded and as they're fired. I still check and clear it before leaving the range, but counting everything keeps me from having to dry fire it at the end of every load during regular shooting.
I only have to count up to seven. It's pretty easy.
I accidentally pulled the trigger early on a .44 magnum Cimarron revolver one time. I don't know how it happened, but thanked goodness it was pointed down range. I am capable of "senior moments" now so I have to be doubly careful from now on.

[Headhog]

I think you were too hard on yourself. Even though you made a mistake, at the range, your training did work. You have trained yourself to check a firearm every-time you pick it up. When you took the rifle out of the case you pointed it in a safe direction and opened the action before anything else. That part of your training made all the difference. Your routine has built in redundancy and that prevented an accidental discharge.

Paul

[RetiredSeabee]

You’re good Gene.. long hours behind the wheel make me forget the simplest things. Now if you had pointed that rifle at the tv, cocked the hammer and pulled the trigger. That would be another conversation. The fact that you assumed it was loaded and did the right thing says a lot for your training and awareness. Enjoy your road trip. Wish I was there.

[Sir Henry]

Thanks all. I always work the action each time I pick up a firearm. Some exceptions are if the slide is locked open or it is obvious it is empty by a visual check. But even then I might work the action. Sometimes I work the action because I like the sound and feel.

At our range all firearms on the table need to be positioned so anyone walking by can make a visual check. No semi-autos with the chamber ejection facing down. All actions open and no magazines attached.

No touching of a firearm during a ceasefire but you can load magazines.

My jet lag is gone and my blood pressure is down.

[RanchRoper]

Good reminder. Cycle those levers...

[Grunt67]

However it’s more than that. I now drive hyper alert with a high degree of situation awareness. Many Vietnam veterans came home with it and it never leaves you.

Gene, you're spot on. I was a "grunt" in 'Nam, you had to constantly alert 360 deg 24/7. Thankfully, it doesn't go away. Saved my hide a few times.
My partner in the Sheriffs Dept. told me I didn't trust anybody. Nope, I don't. Never know.