Gopher Hunters Charged

[Ackleyman]

Never good when your careless with a firearm. The charges are serious , two years time is possible , although you can half beat someone to death and you wouldn't get that much. I guess the old boy's are going to find out.

Nearly everyone who has stayed in a hotel has heard things through the wall of their room.
However, not a lot of people have had something come through the wall — especially something like a bullet.
In a media release Tuesday, the Weyburn Police Service said three elderly men had been charged after the accidental discharge of a rifle sent a bullet through the wall of their hotel room into the neighbouring room, just missing a person in that room.
Police said that after getting a report of a shot being fired, officers from the Weyburn and Estevan police services descended on the hotel. The building was evacuated as police investigated the gunshot.
Officers subsequently found three seniors who had accidentally fired a rifle in their room before going out for supper.
“The males didn’t realize the bullet had (gone) through the headboard in their room and made its way into the room next to them,” the police release said. “The males were hunting gophers in a rural area earlier and didn’t realize one of the rifles was still loaded when they were putting them away.”
Police said the three men — two from British Columbia and one from Saskatchewan, according to Discover Weyburn — were charged with unsafe storage of a firearm. One of them also was charged with careless use of a firearm.
“There’s never too much safety when it comes to using a firearm,” Deputy Chief Brent VanDeSype said. “Always make sure that you know when you are hunting that (your gun) is pointing in the safe direction, and when you’re done hunting, to make sure that it’s check and double checked that it’s clear, it’s safe and it’s locked.”

The hotel wasn’t identified in the release, but Discover Weyburn reported it was on Sims Avenue.

[Dick284]

Bad habits displayed in the most noticeable way.

I see it all the time at ranges, the profound fear of leaving the action open, like they are in the mud of Flanders or something. Rebuttal is always is “I’ve been handling guns for X number of years.”

They do walk amongst u!s

[bat119]

no sympathy from me, old enough to know better, I always open the action of every gun as soon as I touch it something I picked up when I was eight years old.
I never trust anyone that hands me a gun with a closed action

[catnthehat]

I am constantly directing shooters to take their trigger locks off and open their actions as soon as they open their gun cases, NOT after they put them.in the rack!
I recently had an exchange with a member who did just that and had a live round eject when he opened up the rifle!
"I thought it was empty!" Was his explanation.
My motto is "I don't believe in safeties- I belive in open guns and muzzle control "
Cat

[Ackleyman]

Right on Cat...Lots of people killed with "empty guns"

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Ackleyman

Right on Cat...Lots of people killed with "empty guns"

And I can say unequivocally that no one has ever been shot by a firearm with an open action!

I my mind there’s no more fearful of term as “don’t worry I’ve got the safety on”!

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

I am constantly directing shooters to take their trigger locks off and open their actions as soon as they open their gun cases, NOT after they put them.in the rack!
I recently had an exchange with a member who did just that and had a live round eject when he opened up the rifle!
"I thought it was empty!" Was his explanation.
My motto is "I don't believe in safeties- I belive in open guns and muzzle control "
Cat

I was walking past an suv that a guy was unloading at the range, and he had an SKS laying in an open case in the rear, action open, but live rounds in the magazine. The rifle was pointing forward, towards him, as he drove all the way from Edmonton. I pointed it out, and it seemed like it was no big deal to him, until I informed him that it was a big deal on our premises, and that this would be his one and only warning about firearms safety at our range.
Another member had his membership revoked, after the executive watched a four minute video, that showed him committing five safety violations, and three violations of range rules, including leaving two shotguns with closed actions unattended on a bench while he and another person walked in front of tbe firing line, past both muzzles, while the range was hot.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Dick284

And I can say unequivocally that no one has ever been shot by a firearm with an open action!

I my mind there’s no more fearful of term as “don’t worry I’ve got the safety on”!

Just think, in every case where a Trigger " failed" and someone was injured or killed , no one would have been hurt if the person holding the gun hadn't "failed "to control their muzzle!
Cat

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by Ackleyman

Right on Cat...Lots of people killed with "empty guns"

and nothing to do with gopher hunting.

Grizz

[Dick284]

Assume every firearm is loaded, until…. You!
Control the muzzle direction at all times,
Trigger, control is maintained by keeping your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard,
See that the firearm in unloaded, by PROVEing it safe……

Point the firearm in the safest possible direction(muzzle control)
Remove all ammunition,
Observe the chamber,
Verify the feeding path is clear,
Examine the bore.


I was taught this long before the acronyms where the thing, but heck if one good thing can be said about the acronyms is, that it is indeed a catchy teaching tool.

[Bigwoodsman]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

My motto is "I don't believe in safeties- I believe in open guns and muzzle control "
Cat

This was drilled into me as a young kid. It's the only way.

BW

[Dewey Cox]

Old people.
Am I right?

[esher]

Was a rcmp that did same thing in his apartment and got nothing.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Old people.
Am I right?

They were older in the Saskatchewan instance, but at our range there does not seem to be any correlation between age and improper firearms handling .
Cat

[Dewey Cox]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

They were older in the Saskatchewan instance, but at our range there does not seem to be any correlation between age and improper firearms handling .
Cat

Sounds like something and old person would say...

(I'm only joking, don't anyone get worked up and spit your dentures out)

[jthoward11]

Its the first thing I taught my daughter when she picked up her first gun and its always the last thing I reminder her about.

[catnthehat]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Sounds like something and old person would say...

(I'm only joking, don't anyone get worked up and spit your dentures out)

Cat

[Grizzly Adams1]

Originally Posted by Dewey Cox

Old people.
Am I right?

Youthful arrogance causes just as many accidents.

Grizz

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Assume every firearm is loaded, until…. You!
Control the muzzle direction at all times,
Trigger, control is maintained by keeping your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard,
See that the firearm in unloaded, by PROVEing it safe……

Point the firearm in the safest possible direction(muzzle control)
Remove all ammunition,
Observe the chamber,
Verify the feeding path is clear,
Examine the bore.


I was taught this long before the acronyms where the thing, but heck if one good thing can be said about the acronyms is, that it is indeed a catchy teaching tool.

Sure, but when it is time for trophy photos, it just isn't cool to not have the rifle laid up on the animal, action closed with the barrel pointed at the longarming victor or support crew.

[elkhunter11]

Originally Posted by catnthehat

They were older in the Saskatchewan instance, but at our range there does not seem to be any correlation between age and improper firearms handling .
Cat

There are the young and stupid, and the old and stupid. The common factor, is stupid.

[Dick284]

Gotta call BS on you here!

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

Sure, but when it is time for trophy photos, it just isn't cool to not have the rifle laid up on the animal, action closed with the barrel pointed at the longarming victor or support crew.

[Pathfinder76]

How do you guys hike around with actions open?

What are the statistics on accidental discharges of firearms in Canada? Anyone know?

[Jim]

When transporting put a trigger lock on, a cable lock through action and then feed a long cable down barrel and lock the two ends together now that’s safe.

[Ackleyman]

Another clown act........One very dangerous use of semi auto pistols is the use by someone that did not pay much attention and somehow got an RPAL.
When there is a cease fire or the person is done shooting knowing that he still has ammo in mag ,,,,This insane practice of pulling slide back , ejecting a round and letting slide go introducing another round into chamber........unknowingly as they were not taught properly , IE: dump mag then clear pistol. I have seen it numerous times. These clowns inadvertently also have poor handling [muzzle control] and wave the gun around. Really ticks me off and have barked at a few dummies to wake up.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

How do you guys hike around with actions open?

What are the statistics on accidental discharges of firearms in Canada? Anyone know?

I guess you are oblivious to the part about only loading a firearm when it is legal to do so.
So hunting would be such an activity…..
Being in a hotel room, wouldn’t be such an activity.


Who reports their negligent discharges?
Most are potential lessons learned, yet who’s daft enough to self report…….

You’re more than capable of asking the question to the government types Chuck, it falls under sections 86-88 of em the CCofC.
So you tell us since it’s so important to you.

[walking buffalo]

Originally Posted by Dick284

Gotta call BS on you here!

Dick, Dick, Dick....
You're turning grumpy....
I didn't insinuate you....


Every hunting thread season there are piles of these photos.
Makes me cringe.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by walking buffalo

Dick, Dick, Dick....
You're turning grumpy....
I didn't insinuate you....


Every hunting thread season there are piles of these photos.
Makes me cringe.

Ah, I see, but perhaps if you would throw some sort of context in your posts, misunderstandings could be avoided.
My apologies, anyway.

Bad habits are bad habits, and with the incident first spoken about, this firmly illustrates where these bad habits can end up.

There’s good reason that the whole acts/prove thing is run through so many times in the current CFSC/CRFSC, it’s an attempt to in-still good habits. Muzzle control, trigger finger discipline, open actions. If these three steps are done every time you pick up a firearm, that has left your direct control at anytime, there is a near impossible chance of there being any sort of incident.

Why people insist on keeping their actions closed when not actively hunting or shooting(grab and grins)(range cease fires)(handing firearms to others)…… I can’t fathom….

[Pathfinder76]

Originally Posted by Dick284

I guess you are oblivious to the part about only loading a firearm when it is legal to do so.
So hunting would be such an activity…..
Being in a hotel room, wouldn’t be such an activity.


Who reports their negligent discharges?
Most are potential lessons learned, yet who’s daft enough to self report…….

You’re more than capable of asking the question to the government types Chuck, it falls under sections 86-88 of em the CCofC.
So you tell us since it’s so important to you.

Dick. It is not illegal to have a bolt closed while taking photos, transporting a firearm, storing a firearm or having one on a hotel. None of it. In fact there is no way I’m putting a rifle with the bolt open in a case of any kind. The bolt is in or out. No in between. I get that some like to have their bolts open for pictures. But part of me says that is as much virtue signalling as anything else. At the range? Of course bolts are open. To many people. Firearms are intentionally pointed down range etc.

The statistics are in. The hunting and shooting sports aren’t a hazard to your health. Stupid is though. But stupid covers far more than just handling firearms.

Back to these hotel shooters. How in the world did they get their rifles in the room? By walking through the lobby with bolts dangling? I suspect not. I suspect they were cased in some fashion. What they failed to do was clear these rifles of ammunition. Contrary to popular belief empty rifles kill no one. That is impossible. So unload your bloody rifle. Check twice if needed. But I don’t feel safer seeing open bolts leaning on deer. In fact, for safety reasons, I’ve quartered a lot of game with a chambered rifle darn handy.

The other elephant in the room is the fact that you need to eventually close a bolt that’s open. What a great way for someone to inadvertently load the fool thing. I like to check that rifles are empty and try not to load them again. Bolts closed on empty chambers don’t load themselves.

Let’s not cut our noses off to spite our faces.

[Dick284]

Originally Posted by Pathfinder76

Dick. It is not illegal to have a bolt closed while taking photos, transporting a firearm, storing a firearm or having one on a hotel. None of it. In fact there is no way I’m putting a rifle with the bolt open in a case of any kind. The bolt is in or out. No in between. I get that some like to have their bolts open for pictures. But part of me says that is as much virtue signalling as anything else. At the range? Of course bolts are open. To many people. Firearms are intentionally pointed down range etc.

The statistics are in. The hunting and shooting sports aren’t a hazard to your health. Stupid is though. But stupid covers far more than just handling firearms.

Back to these hotel shooters. How in the world did they get their rifles in the room? By walking through the lobby with bolts dangling? I suspect not. I suspect they were cased in some fashion. What they failed to do was clear these rifles of ammunition. Contrary to popular belief empty rifles kill no one. That is impossible. So unload your bloody rifle. Check twice if needed. But I don’t feel safer seeing open bolts leaning on deer. In fact, for safety reasons, I’ve quartered a lot of game with a chambered rifle darn handy.

The other elephant in the room is the fact that you need to eventually close a bolt that’s open. What a great way for someone to inadvertently load the fool thing. I like to check that rifles are empty and try not to load them again. Bolts closed on empty chambers don’t load themselves.

Let’s not cut our noses off to spite our faces.

Chuck you are missing it completely.
You pick up any firearm that has left your direct control, you mind the muzzle, keep your booger hook off the bang switch and open the action to see if it’s unloaded!
So these clowns had a loaded rifle in the hotel, and likely put them in a case to get their guns into the hotel, so their bad habits resulted in them not opening the action to check the rifle before putting them in the case. If they had followed 3 simple steps no one had to crap their drawers, and no charges from the Crown would be pending.
No one is inferring that you’re supposed to clear your rifle in bear country while doing the deed, or that you can’t still hunt with one up the pipe, or that you put your rifles in a case with the action open either. Just make sure it’s unloaded when you’re not actively out there doing your thing.
Ranges are a different thing, the only visible indicator that a firearm is safe for when a group of folks heads down range, is seeing that the action is open….. Some people can’t grasp that bit of the range rules.

[Pathfinder76]

Yes, use your head. Make good decisions when handling a firearm.