There's always time to verify, maybe the rest of your life. Thanks for posting.

I follow rule number 1 as an instruction. That way I know for a fact it's loaded.

I complimented a 20 y.o. gal at the local gun store, last week.

Prior to handing me the pistol that I asked about , she opened it looked at the chamber and stuck her pinky finger in there,
all with her finger outside the bang hole.

she did it all right , including setting it on the counter mat and letting me pick it up.

she was beaming with pride that I mentioned my approval of her practice.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: bendable,

A good reminder. We probably all have made similar errors.

I sent a round into the berm once from a gun that I thought was unloaded. At least when I pulled the trigger to decock (I thought) it, I had it pointed in a safe direction. I had dropped the magazine, and something distracted me and when I turned my attention back to the gun, I thought I had cleared the chamber. Now, I am almost obsessive, and check the chamber more than once often.

Another thing I do - never 'just start' doing something with a firearm.

Meaning, if you are getting out a weapon to do maintenance, just do maintenance. If you are getting it out train, just train. If you are showing people some firearms, just show them the firearms.

Typically these "oh fuck I had a ND" stories involve either no plan (I was just fucking around with my firearms) or a plan you change, even slightly. Routine MX becomes an impromptu dry fire event, or some other unplanned random fuck all that helps the chain of events to an ND.

When I do MX, I set everything out (tools), then set out all the unloaded weapons with no ammo / loaded magazines in the room (save my CCW, holstered). Then I do MX, to include function checks (as needed). Then I put firearms away (loading weapons as needed), then tools away.

When I do dry fire, take the unloaded weapon, with unloaded magazine and snap caps to the back room, where I only do dry fire. Again, no loaded ammo in the room, save my loaded CCW (unless I'm training with that), in which case there is no ammo anywhere. When I'm done, I put it all away and if I need to load the weapon, I do that last.

Think through your plan, do your plan, put everything away. Kind of a holdover from the Navy of "Fly the brief".