[geeks] gun control thoughts

[Dan Sikorski]

Phil Stracchino wrote:

>Well, actually, this makes perfect sense with a little more thought.
>It's the second of Cooper's Laws.
>
>First law:  "All guns are always loaded."  i.e, ALWAYS take all proper
>safety precautions with a gun as though it were loaded, *even if you
>"know" it isn't*, and never take someone's word for it that a gun is
>unloaded -- ALWAYS visually verify it yourself.
>
>And second law:  "Never allow the muzzle to cover anything you are not
>willing to destroy."  Even if you "know" it's not loaded -- because one
>day, you just might be mistaken, and saying "Oops" afterwards doesn't
>cut much ice.
>  
>
I have a friend who will testify to these laws...

He was out shooting a .22 with a then-friend of his (who we will call 
derek (not his real name)), and after they were done, derek took the 
clip out of the gun, and they went into the house to put the gun away.  
Now, my friend is just about the same height as i am (6'8") and derek is 
probably about 6'.  Derek was carrying the gun with the barrel over his 
shoulder, and holding it in his right hand with his finger on the 
trigger (obvious mistake #2).   As the story goes, (both of them get 
sketchy on the details from this point on) my friend was following 
derek, and noticed that the barrel was pointing at his face, and since 
he was uncomfortable with that, nudged the gun to the side a little and 
moved his head so that the barrel was no longer pointing directly at 
him.  At this time, derek apparantly felt that the gun was moving, and 
tightened his grip on the gun.  The round that was still in the chamber 
(obvious mistake #1) fired.  The bullet hit my friend near the right 
temple, went between his skull and his scalp, and exited this top of his 
head (he still has the cap that he was wearing when it happened, with 
the bullet hole in the top.)  You could say that he's lucky to be alive.

    -Dan Sikorski