gun safety redux..

[lazs2]

It occured to me that, from reading the other thread, some neophites might have the wrong impression of how "safe" loaded firearms are.

The discussion was about modern fireams (20 years and even more for most)  guns in good condition.

With modern style guns it is allmost impossible to get them to fire without depressing the trigger.

This was not allways the case.   Early single actions and reproductions could not be safely carried with a round in the chamber under the hammer... some rifles were like this with only a fragile notch/trigger relationship keeping the firing pin from contactin the primer.

You can tell by looking at the (unloaded) gun from the side or with the action open.  If the firing pin protrudes past the recoil sheild without the trigger being depressed or... if you can make it protrude by pushing on the hammer... it ain't safe to carry with a round in the chamber.  

Watching a modern revolver shows you how the safety works... when the trigger is pulled... the firing pin protrudes past the recoil sheild in oreder to strike the primer... if you release the trigger the firing pin will retract.

Best tho... if you are in doubt... take the unloaded firearm to a gunsmith or reliable dealer or contact the manufacturer... Some manufacturers (Ruger for instance) will retrofit safe parts for free.

semi autos are are all different but some can't even be fired unless there is a magazine inserted even if a round is chambered... some have grip safties... some little second triggers.. some manual safeties and some fireing pin blocks or.... any combination of those.

Some early semi autos like the jap nambu can be fired by grasping the gun wrong (trigger transfer bar is expossed)... some have hammer drop levers etc.

Best to know your fiream very well and check all the safety devices (manual or itegral) regularly.

lazs

[eskimo2]

I knew a woman who lost her father when he bent over a campfire and his old revolver slipped out of his shoulder holster, landed on a rock, went off and shot and killed him.  Apparently the manufacturer had a long standing recall to retrofit this model from doing just this.  A mutual friend said that he had seen the ad-recall numerous times.

eskimo

[loser]

I used to go rabbit hunting on a daily basis during the winter.  

There was a farm on the way to work that had cariganna bushes that were right FULL of rabbits. I had a .22 mag marlin and a 12 dollar sears 12 gauge (purchased for 12 dollars in the mid 40s)

The bushes were about 12 feet apart as a wind-break in three seperate rows.

I would walk down between the outer 2 rows and the rabbits would run right in front of you. I unleashed with the shotgun first, then dropped the sg and picked the rabbits off with the marlin (which was slung over my shoulder until  i needed it) as they ran back to the "safety" of the bushes.\

That shotgun had that "nipple" action with the firing pin on both ends.

Every single person to ever carry that shotgun has a broken right thumb.

I have it, my dad has it, my brother has it..my grandpa (god rest his soul) has it.

[BUG_EAF322]

I digusted my self once when i accidently hit a duck with an airpressure rifle.

It didn't die, i didnt felt great anyhow.

[Masherbrum]

Originally posted by eskimo2
I knew a woman who lost her father when he bent over a campfire and his old revolver slipped out of his shoulder holster, landed on a rock, went off and shot and killed him.  Apparently the manufacturer had a long standing recall to retrofit this model from doing just this.  A mutual friend said that he had seen the ad-recall numerous times.

eskimo

Revolvers have a MUCH BETTER CHANCE of going off if dropped, than Semi's.  

Karaya

[GrimCO]

Ahhhhh, the old Marlin .22 Rifle...

I've had mine since I was a kid. My wife and I went camping with my XO and his wife, and I decided to go squirrel hunting for the first time. There I was stomping around in the woods with my pajamas on, and picked one off the side of a tree at 50 yds. with open sights. I was extremely proud of myself pulling off a shot like that, and returned with squirrel in hand.

My XO was showing me how to skin it when my wife awakened and emerged from the tent. Let's say she was less than impressed with my marksmanship, and I caught holy hell for shooting an innocent squirrel. Man she was hot. I still have the picture though, squirrel in one hand, Marlin rifle in the other. With my pajamas on  

[GtoRA2]

eskimo2
 Sounds like a Ruger single six. They will STILL to this day fix those guns that still have the unprotected floating firing pin for free.

[lazs2]

masher... I belive you are wrong about revolvers.. they are uysually safer than the semi autos... if nothing else, they allmost all have exposed hammers... you can see em.   All modern revolvers (except a few reproductions of old firearms) have a hammer block or a "transfer bar" that only works when the trigger is pulled.  It is allmost impossible to get one to fire in any other way.   The hammer does not actually touch the firing pin until the transfer bar comes up (by trigger action) and so it simply can't fire... even if you "hammer the hammer" or fan it back and let it drop.

the gun in question does sound like a ruger single action which was a copy of a 1873 Colt design... it was never intended to be carried with more than 5 rounds (the sixth was an empty chamber that the hammer was down on) People just were careless so ruger brought out a transfer bar model and offered (still does) to modify and retrofit for free any old ones no questions asked.

Ruger is a great American firm... I broke a cylinder from EXTREMELY hot loads... I wrote Ruger and asked em to fix it... I admited what I had done and also that the gun was more than 30 years old with 50,000 rounds through it.. they repalced the cylinder and also the ejector rod and a few other slightly worn parts and sent the gun back to me.... NO CHARGE ...

What other companies would do such a thing?

lazs