Weapons Safety

When I was in the Marines, we were religiously taught The Four Weapons Safety Rules which we ceremonially recited in unison before every live-fire event. At the time, it felt foolish and excessive, but now I can’t help but be uncomfortable when I get around others who don’t adhere to these procedures as Marines do. However, as an instructor with .308 Ghillies I constantly have contact with shooters with widely varying backgrounds, and there are some specific considerations I’ve developed for my instruction.

I still use the four safety rules, but have swapped out the Corps’ for Cooper’s. While everyone familiar with firearms is also familiar with these rules, it never fails to amaze me how many people disregard them. Failure to treat these rules as proper building blocks is akin to shrugging off proper trigger manipulation.

All guns are always loaded.

If your buddy tells you a weapon is “clear”, but gets offended when you double check, you probably shouldn’t worry about it. He won’t be much help in a gunfight anyway. Get a new training partner.

 

Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.

This can, and most frequently does, include yourself. While you might not stare down the barrel, flagging your legs or support hand is just as real a threat. I watch the same guy who gets red hot because a muzzle points in his general direction simply shrug it off if you point out that he’s passing his own body parts in front of his own muzzle.

 

 Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.

The most frequent premature shootings I’ve seen have come on the draw stroke of a pistol. When the adrenaline gets flowing, it’s easy to fire into the dirt six feet in front of you because you thought you were only taking up trigger slack. Second most common would be sympathetic reactions.

 

Identify your target, and what is behind it.

A man’s grape isn’t much of a backstop for a bullet. Neither is a chest cavity. That is if you manage to place all rounds into the target. Collateral damage may be one thing, but could it be avoided simply by being more proficient? That’s the marked difference between an amateur and a professional.

 

Weapons safety is not what prevents accidents. By definition, accidents are what happens when we screw something up while trusting our autopilot. Use of the safety rules is a core foundation of effective tactical engagement. Each safety rule needs to be consciously ticked off as you perform shooting drills.

 

With that being said, we also can’t allow our range safety mindset to sneak in and compromise our combat mindset. The firing line is a great concept administratively and for safety, but they don’t exist in an ambush. You may find yourself in the uncomfortable position of having a friendly shoot near or over you in order to eliminate a threat. Even more uncomfortably, you may have to shoot past a non-hostile yourself.

-Marshall Bowen