Are you scared of your gun going off unexpectanly or would you be if you had one?

Answer 1

No.

I have had a gun, and it never went off on its own, and I am not nervous so I twitch.

Answer 2

A gun will pretty much never decide to just fire itself. I've been present for a few accidental discharges, and every time it's happened, it was because someone missed one of the rules of firearm safety. Recently this fall when I was out shooting some computer parts at a buddy's farm with a few friends, and while we were setting up for the next round of laptops, hard drives, and some satalite parts, I heard a .22 discharge. As it turns out, there was still one in the chamber after he cleared the rifle, and he didn't check. Luckly he was pointing it in a safe direction, and nothing became of it. But in all honesty, it was a bit disconcerting. Beside my bed, I keep a Beretta 1201FP semi-auto shotgun, fully loaded, but hammer down on an empty chamber. Next to that, I keep an 8-shot Mossberg 500, also loaded, also with an empty chamber. I know these won't go off. Why? There's nothing to make them go off, since the chamber is empty, and the one's in the magazine don't have any reason to go off. Two, the only way I'll check to see if the chamber is loaded is through the rear of the barrel, not the front, not with the trigger. Three, if, by some act of god, one does decide to go off, I have lightweight steel shot as the first two or three rounds in both, and they're both pointed into the ceiling. We don't have a second story. That stuff won't leave the house, and it won't have a chance to hit anyone while it's pointed in that direction. And that's where it stays. As for all the other firearms, they won't go off if they're not loaded, and I have loaded chamber indicators on the ones that fit them, or the bolt stays locked back. I have no problem with my roommates or their friends handling a rifle once I make sure it's clear, and while they're handling it, nobody's handling any ammunition. There are no exceptions, I don't pass around Federal Hydra-Shok slugs when someone's checking the new Red-Dot on my AR. An AR can't fire the slugs, but I don't want to have anyone handling any ammunition and any gun at the same time.

Pretty much, anyone using common sense and the fundamentals of firearms safety have very little to fear from accidental discharges, and will probably never see a gun just 'go off'.

Answer 3

I have many guns and don't worry about it because guns just don't discharge by themselves. However, there are certain kinds of accidents that can happen unexpectedly. Certain old or cheap handguns can discharge when dropped, particularly if they land on the hammer. All newer guns have built-in safety features to prevent this. It is unlawful, as far as I know in all places, to have a loaded gun in a car. However, people don't think and put them in anyway. If they are removed barrel first, if the safety is off and the trigger is accidentally pulled, they will discharge and injuries and deaths have resulted. The same thing happens when catching the trigger on something, such as a twig, or crossing a fence incorrectly.

The basic safety rules are readily available. All new guns have them included in the box. They are available on-line. I suggest going to the National Rifle Association: http://www.nrahq.org/education/guide.asp and http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation: http://www.nssf.org/PDF/ResourceGuide.pdf?AoI=generic, pages 7-9.

Answer 4

I am a gun owner and fear is not part of it. Respect is.

Rule #1 always treat a firearm as if it is loaded. Never assume it is not.
I've had a mishaps with a firearm when I was a teen as the result of a faulty safety and a corn stalk. So never assume the chamber is empty.. Does mean I fear the weapon, NO. It means I know my firearm, and I am observant of those around me who are hunting with me.
I've hunted with people who don't look past the end of their barrels, needless to say it is generally the last time I hunt with them. I am cautious.. a gun like a car can maim or kill a person very quickly. As I don't ride in the car with a drunk driver I won't hunt with anyone who imbibes either.

I enjoy my sport, I do so as often as possible. Fear has nothing to do with it. It is about wanting do it my entire life and that be a long one.

Answer 5

Many ask me about handguns being unsafe and I ask, "do you have young kids at home, if so you don't want a revolver" and "you should not have a loaded firearm of any kind with kids in your home, that's when accidents happens". In the State I reside in you can not have a loaded firearm in your home if any one under the age of 18 lives there.

What I do is have a loaded magazine in the night-stand and my Glock mounted behind it. If a child finds both, they are not strong enough to pull the slide back to chamber a round. With a revolver you pull the trigger it fires, you pull the hammer back and squeeze the trigger and it fires.

Check your local laws before you have a loaded firearm in your home. My son turned 15 today and has been on Hunting & fishing trips with me and has also been through a Firearm safety course with the DNR.

My son was told to ask questions and not to talk guns with fellow classmates, I do own a safe and my wife & son don't even know the combo.

Answer 6

None of my guns are "loaded" that is, have a round in the firing chamber, so no, I do not fear the "gun going off unexpectedly". It's impossible.
However, if I or someone else is handling one in an unsafe manner ( and I'm guilty of having done that) then yes, I fear an accidental discharge. I shot a hole in my den ceiling one time. BUT, since I would never point a gun at someone I did not intend to shoot, I don't worry about it That's what safeties, and training is about.

Answer 7

I am not afraid of my firearms going off unexpectedly, but your question is valid. Safety with weapons is very important. If you intend to handle or use a firearm, please seek training. I was lucky enough to be trained first by my father, and then Uncle Sam. A gun is a tool to be respected, but not feared.

Here are some rules from a wise man, that work if you take them to heart. Forgetting rule one causes the must problems.:

Jeff Cooper's Rules of Gun Safety
RULE I: ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
RULE II: NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
RULE III: KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
RULE IV: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

Answer 8

No I am not.

Hi. You know what would help the folks here that are knowledgeable in such areas, help you?
And others that know little about firearms?
Just tell us honestly that you know little, or what you have “learned” was hearsay (from others).

No need to be bashful about it. And it would make explaining things much easier for all of us here.

Guns are just a tool to do a job. Its job is to fire a bullet. And it has to have something to operate it to work. It also has to have live ammo in it.
Once loaded even a monkey could fool around with it and make it go off. This is how people have gun accidents many times; from some one playing with a loaded gun.
But as others have said; by itself it can not do a thing but sit there.
NO ONE should EVER handle ANY firearm with out the proper knowledge and education about that firearm. And this requires training from an adult who has attended either hunter’s safety or firearms training from some school or police citizens firearm training class.

So it like this; You car will not get in a wreck parked in the garage will it? The gas tank in your car will not explode sitting there.
But to drive the car with out killing you and others you have to learn to drive. And because people die in cars (more than by guns by the way) you have to prove to the state you can drive.
Then you get a drivers license and now you can drive the car and carry the responsibly of that.
Now you have about a ton of steel traveling almost the speed of a civil war cannon ball when it reaches its target. You now have control of a lethal killing device; a car.

This is how it is with guns also. Only with guns you may not need a license or permit depending on where you live.
So someone who knows nothing about how to drive a car can kill some one if they drive it. The same with guns; one could just pick up the gun and pull the trigger and bang or with some old weapons just drop it and it could go off, IF its loaded. Some guns are made where you could throw them all over the place and they will not go off. It depends on its design.

This is why people MUST get some training before they EVER handle a loaded firearm.

Hope that helped explain things some.
Have a nice day!

Answer 9

I have plenty of gun and none of mine have ever went off out of the blue.

A firearm is a mechanical device that needs an action upon it for it to work. There has to be a human element to cause this action in some way.

Now if you are shooting you should be surprised by the break of the trigger causing the firearm to fire. This way you are not pulling your shots because you are anticipating the gun firing (Flinching).

Answer 10

no I am not scared of a gun just "going off" it is an inanimate object and will not fire unless a person actually pulls the trigger. If you have never been given safe handling lessons best to just walk away.
As an NRA RSO I find this question to be ignorant....the kind of question that anti gun people would ask.....let me ask you a question.....
Are you afraid that your lipstick is going to bleed onto your blouse???

at this point I had best just quit or I will end up with a violation and I don't want that to happen.

Answer 11

No, unless you pull the trigger it will not go off. I have dropped a loaded gun and fell numerous time while carrying a gun and none of them have gone off.

I have target practiced and hunted for over 30 years, I also have a concealed carry permit. It is useless to carry a concealed weapon unless it is loaded and I have never worried about it going off.

You should always carry a gun with the safety on and if it has a hammer the hammer should be down(not cocked). I know there are some who carry concealed with the hammer cocked, but I do not. I carry a double action PPK clone so all I have to do is pull the trigger.