Only One Chance

You only get one chance to do things right. After that you are doing it over.

In the case of firearms safety if you are lucky all you have to do is do it over. Most safety rules are written in blood, and in the case of firearms safety the four rules have gallons of ink to illustrate them.

You have to violate at least two of those rules to have a bad day, and the correct course of action when it is pointed out to you that you have violated even one is...DON'T DO IT AGAIN! What you don't do is double down and try to put the pressure on the one who tells you about it.

Each one of us has our Delta Sierra moments. I had one this weekend in fact, while I was showing off Grand-dad's High Standard. I handed it to someone in the room...names aren't important, but keep in mind I spent the whole weekend with gunnies...and he looked at me strangely, dropped the magazine and checked the weapon clear.

It took me a few seconds to realize what I had done, and by then the moment was over, but when the "D'oh!" finally hit me it was all I could do not to melt through the floor. Nothing was said, but nothing needed to be. I had screwed up royally.

I'm glad to say the error was not repeated, and it never will be, but I'll remember that look for the rest of my life. Here I was, in the company of shooters, trying to make a good impression, and there was that pooch...

Nothing was hurt but my pride, and that's the good thing.

Stay safe. You only get one chance.

UPDATE: Sean has firewalled the post, apparently in response to being told he was over-reacting to being muzzled. I guess some people don't have a problem with it. My mind is boggled.