Provide products and tips for early safety training - Lethal Force

Shooting Industry, Nov, 2002 by Massad Ayoob

Safety is a major theme in this issue of Shooting Industry. As you'll note, there are plenty of safety products to offer your customers. You play a major role in safety by providing products, facilities and tips.

Firearm safety training should begin at an early age--and never end. I was reminded of this as I watched the National Junior Handgun Championships at the Pioneer Sportsman Range in Dunbarton, N.H., in July. The young competitors ranged in age from elementary school to high school.

Congratulations to the new National Junior Handgun Champions: Heather O'Keefe, 16, Individual Junior Champion; Jaskiel McDowell, 11, Individual Sub-Junior Champion; Ryan O'Keefe and dad, Jim, National Champion Parent/Child Team (Junior); and Jimmy D'Elia and mom, Shirley, National Champion Parent/Child Team (Sub-Junior).

Exemplary Safety

Wise parents don't send their children to a national championship unless the kids are ready. Clearly, the parents of the kids attending were wise. I saw exemplary gun handling throughout the event. Range officers reported none of them had been crossed by a gun muzzle during the three-day tournament. Each official gave the attending youngsters high points for safety.

They had all been taught the rule firearm salesmen should emphasize to their customers. The rule: The finger does not enter the trigger guard until the immediate intent to fire has been formulated.

The young shooters also practiced another important rule: A safe, low-ready position orients the muzzle at about a 45-degree angle. This prevents the muzzle from drifting further down, out of sight, and, therefore, out of mind. When this happens, the handgun, eventually, is pointed at the shooter's feet.

To help prevent this from happening, the Pioneer Sportsman Club provided a shooting bench at each firing point. Young shooters could rest their guns on the bench, which helped prevent fatigue. More important, it guaranteed muzzles of loaded pistols could not reach the dangerous straight-down angle. This is a great idea for range operators.