The Four Rules

SayUncle had a negligent discharge of his Walther P22 over the weekend, but because the four rules were being followed, no one was hurt.  One thing I need to get, and I would say anyone who handles firearms a lot needs to get, is a clearing barrel.  Every time you load a gun, there is a small chance that the round could slamfire, either from a problem with the gun, a misseated primer, or what have you.  There’s also the chance of human error.  A clearing barrel makes sure no one gets hurt, and you don’t end up having a hole of shame in your floorboards.  It’s one of those things that over time, statistics will catch up with you, as they did with Uncle, so it’s best to be prepared.

9 thoughts on “The Four Rules”

  1. I’ve seen cheaper ones :) Those were the first I could find looking fast. Anyone who doesn’t have a job to worry about want to go find me a cheaper example?

  2. A five gallon bucket full of play sand works fine. So does a stack of those old Encyclopedia Brittanicas or National Geographics in that box you’ve been meaning to throw out.

  3. Slam fires and negligent manual hammer-decocks are rather different problems, fundamentally.

  4. As some have noted, a clearing barrel need not be a barrel.

    It can be any container tall enough to fill with several inches of sand, such as a flower pot or a miniature trash can.

    In the basement next to the safe, it doesn’t even need to look spiffy.

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