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Being Safe in Style!
Be Cool and Safe!
“You’ll shoot your eye out!” That’s the response that poor Ralphie from “A Christmas Story” got every time he asked Santa for a Red Ryder BB gun. In the end, Ralphie does almost shoot his eye out. Ralphie’s story proves a couple of points: 1. Listen to your mother and 2. Reading glasses aren’t the same as shooting safety glasses.
Firearms are bound to kick and even the most experienced of marksmen can have a bad day. That’s why it’s imperative that you always wear shooting safety glasses when using a firearm whether it’s on a hunting trip or at the firing range. You don’t want to face injury or even blindness from a premature shot. Properly wearing safety glasses will greatly reduce that risk.
A “Grand Dame”!
WOW, No Excuses!
I’ve always had a fondness for the Colt .45 (M19A1) pistol. I carried one in the military and became a believer when I personally experienced its durability and knock-down power.
However, trying to compare it with one of the ultra modern Glocks, S&W, or even Colt pistols is like comparing apples with oranges or even trying to be objective when evaluating one of the great Cinematic Dames of yester-year as compared with one of the young movie queens of today – it’s all in the pudding!
But, to further complicate it, if you could take your old trust military issue .45 cal. pistol and give it the proverbial cosmetic uplift of handmade laser grips; guaranteed, this would give you the confidence and ability to keep up with the youngsters and be truly ready/qualified for the “Big Time”!
Magazines Changed Everything!
Linked Ammo!
As all hunters and sportsmen know, firearms have a long and storied history. Repeating rifles marked an enormous innovation, allowing for consistent shots made in rapid succession. This would not have been possible without the advent of the magazine. Magazines perform two main functions: They store ammunition and eventually help feed it into the chamber. The modern magazine’s origins may surprise you, however.
The concept of a magazine was first introduced in air rifles of the 18th century. An air reservoir located in the rear of the gun helped fed balls into the chamber. Over time, bolt-action mag rifles gained popularity because of their efficiency during war. Today, many manufacturers offer an array of reloading supplies to streamline the process.
New Easing of Gun Laws!
Second Amendment Rights!
As their name suggests, concealment holsters are designed to keep your firearm out of sight. While this may only seem like a concern for law enforcement agents and criminals, there are many other citizens who carry firearms legally in a concealment holster. As per the Second Amendment, states will issue a concealed weapons permit to citizens with a clean background check.
There has been recent debate over legislation that will allow people to bring guns to national parks and on Amtrak rides. While opponents of the bills say that there will be an increase in violence, others argue that those who want to use a gun for harm will do so regardless of the law. They claim that the new laws will simply allow responsible gun owners to carry their firearms.
Fool’s Gold!
Keep it Clean!
Fool’s Gold: this is not the neat to have stuff or that rare mineral everyone craves; but, rather a dreaded hunter’s nightmare. It’s that unsightly orange colored muck that forms, without warning, in or on the metal parts of your weapon; but, what’s the harm if left unattended? It will destroy the weapon’s finish, pit the barrel, and adversely affect the weapon’s functionality.
Simply put, “Rust” is the by-product of iron-oxidation caused by moisture/condensation forming when left unattended on the weapon’s metal parts. However, the beauty and value of your weapon can be preserved providing you take care of it properly with reputed gun cleaning supplies. Your primary concern should be not to damage the weapon’s finish. Removing surface rust is fairly easy, providing you stick to the following steps:
- First, make sure the weapon is not loaded;
- Put a drop of light-weight gun oil directly on the surface rust. Take a lightly oiled cloth or paper towel and with a circular motion remove the rust. If not successful:
- Lightly scrub the area with a very fine, lightly oiled steel wool. Do not use an abrasive cleaner, sandpaper, or polishes not made for guns;
- Clean with a dry cloth, repeat process if needed. When the rust has been removed and as a preventive maintenance measure, cover all metal parts with a light coat of gun oil and then place in proper storage.
Safety First!
Eye Protection!
A good friend of mine recently had a shell malfunction when he was shooting skeet with his 12 ga., pump Shotgun. It was really unfortunate, in-that, he is probably one of the most safety conscious shooters I know. He had been wearing safety glasses prior to the incident, but he had taken them off to make a gun adjustment and failed to put them back on. Some-how, the weapon discharged prematurely, and the unprotected explosion caused facial burning and the embedment of small material flecks in his right cheek.
My friend considers himself lucky. He has been assured by doctors that only minimum damage was done to the right eye, and there is a strong possibility that sight clarity will return to 100 percent. However, his eyebrows and lashes were singed, and there will be some minor scaring on the right cheek.
Incidents like this reinforce the need to pay attention to what we’re doing. Safety must come first. These precautionary considerations should become part of our routine. My friend would be the first to say that he had no control over the weapon malfunctioning; but, good shooting glasses would have prevented most of the injuries – BE SAFE!
Don’t Get Caught Short!
State of the Art!
During my earlier shooting/hunting years, I was not a big believer in the need to wear hearing protection when firing a weapon. I carried to extreme, the notion that you shouldn’t wear it because doing so restricted your hearing and created a safety hazard. Also, you told yourself, the fog that the firing created in your head/ears would only last a couple days and then go away - so why sweat it?
Not quite, I have been diagnosed with Tinnitus and am currently being fitted with hearing aids. The Doctor said that this is a direct result of being exposed to loud firing noises for an extended or sustained period of time. There are presently sounds and tones that I’ll never be able to hear again.
Even-though I accept full responsibility for my hearing condition, there is no consolation when forced to tell someone to “say it again”, because you couldn’t hear/understand them. I do, at this point, wish that I would’ve paid more attention to the Hearing Protection advocates/literature back then, and as mama would say, son – “NOT TOO SMART”!
Gun Safes
Multi-Purpose Safe
The ultimate protection for weapons at home would be a built-in Gun Vault. This might be a justifiable option if your collection’s diversity, weapon size, and or the quantity of weapons so dictated. But, for the average “Joe” with a couple rifles, shotguns or pistols, they’d probably be better suited with one of the many other safes on the market today. Generally speaking, there are two types: Large and Small.
The Large gun safes are used for long barreled firearms and usually designed to stand vertically. They have racks on the inside to hold the guns side-by-side without leaning on each other; additionally, some have shelves for ammo and smaller handguns.
The Small gun safes are used for handguns, revolvers, and/or automatics. However, to be burglar proof, they must be secured to the floor, wall or something permanent. Regardless of the safe’s size, if properly installed, it should provide protection from theft, unauthorized entry, and some fires (depending on time length of burn and sustained maximum heat). BE SAFE!
Weapon Security!
Be Safe!
While most people think that shooting is only for serious minded hunters, recreational shooting should change that perception. This includes the sport of trap and skeet shooting as-well-as the popular paint ball and air gun variations. Sling-shot shooting is also part of this category along with soft air gun shooting.
Regardless of the weapon’s potential lethality, home weapon’s security is important, and should be respected whether children are involved or not. Owner responsibility for proper security can be executed by providing item storage in a locked cabinet or safe. Security can be further supplemented by placing individual gun locks on applicable weapons. BE SAFE – NOT SORRY!
Laser Sights!
Pistol Laser Sight!
Laser sighting is not new but seems to be becoming more popular each day. This technology is not a replacement for using good, strong marksmanship principle and techniques. There is more to it than pointing the weapon at the target, placing the red/green dot where you want the bullet to hit, and pulling the trigger. It does have limitations.
Most laser sights use red laser diodes. This red beam of light can be extremely difficult to see during the daylight, depending on back-ground/drop. Technology has developed a green laser that has improved the visual capability. But, it’s a little more expensive than the red laser and batteries don’t seem to last as long. This equation must also factor that whether using a red or green laser, these beams of light can be seen from/by both the shooting and target locations. There’s no surprise here!
However, there are infrared laser sighting systems that are only visible to people wearing night vision devices; but, this rather defeats the sometimes needed spontaneity. Like other sighting devices, externally attached laser sights must be checked periodically for proper zero/calibration.
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