Firearms Safety and the Home

Firearms Safety and the Home

Any law enforcement officer that has spent any time on the job would be able to share stories of accidents with firearms in the homes of the citizens they serve. I was witness to such accidents while in that business and feel the need to share some of those experiences. I hope to help you understand how some of these accidents happen and especially how to avoid them.

Also there is the issue of you and your children being in homes where firearms might be stored and what to do about safety if firearms are being mishandled.

Weather you own firearms or not, they are all around us and we need to be cognizant of how to behave around them. Always remember that complacency around firearms will kill. Nearly all accidents I am aware of come from complacent behavior and thinking around guns.

Here are six unfortunate examples:

1 Don’t Tell My Parents!

Officers from our department responded to a residence where two young boys, approximate ages eight and ten, were left home while Mom and Dad went out for the evening. The one boy is a friend and doesn’t live there. The boy that lives there wants to show off his dad’s gun (.45 semi-automatic pistol) and goes to his parents room to retrieve it. While they try to figure out how to operate it, the gun goes off striking the visiting boy in the thigh.

There was considerable pain and bleeding involved, but what the boys were worried about most was getting in trouble when Mom and Dad got home. They immediately went about trying to conceal what had happened. Of course there was no concealing the bleeding and smell of burnt powder. After a while the boys thought they better call for help and called the police department.

Luckily the bullet didn’t strike the femur or the femoral artery or the story would have ended much differently than it did. The boy survived and recovered very well. Dad felt like a heel (as he should) but was very grateful that things didn’t turn out worse than they did.

#2 No One Will Ever Know

One evening our office got an obligatory call from the hospital reporting a man in their emergency room had been shot. Our officer responded and here is what he found.

The emergency room doctor told the officer that the victim, a man in his forties, was brought in by his wife. The man told the doctor that some stranger shot him while he was pruning his apple tree. He said the man shot him with a shotgun from the field adjacent to his back yard. He had no idea who it was and that he was just glad to be alive.

The officer spoke with the man and got the same story. The officer sent other officers from the police department to the man’s home to investigate further. What they found by way of evidence at the residence and on the victim told a much different story.

The wound on the victim (through the left shoulder) indicated a single projectile rather than the many pellets a shotgun would emit. Also the victim’s shirt, as well as the skin around the wound, indicated a near contact wound rather than from across the yard, a distance of some one hundred feet.

At the residence officers initially found prunings and a pair of loppers under the apple tree all covered with blood. Also a trail of blood leading from the tree into the garage where the man and his wife had apparently concealed a jacket and a high powered rifle behind some wood which was also drenched in blood.

Investigators returned to the hospital a day or two later to talk with the man who admitted he had been cleaning his rifle when it went off striking him in the shoulder. He then devised a plan to conceal his error by staging the loppers and prunings (which he clipped while bleeding) so no one would know what actually happened, thus saving him embarrassment.

#3 Is This Your Gun?

A boy had his friend over to play. While in the boy’s bedroom the other boy found a BB gun in the closet. He picked up the BB gun and asked, “is this your gun?” At that point the gun went off. The BB struck the boy’s three year old sister in the chest, traveling between her ribs, through one lung, and lodged by the back of the heart. The little girl was in the hospital for a considerable amount of time but recovered.

#4 OOPS!!!

A fourteen year old boy is in his 9th grade shop class at the local junior high school. He is out of the area he is supposed to be and the shop teacher calls him on it. While being told he needs to go back to his seat, and standing in the posture a fourteen your old would be while being scolded by a teacher, ie his hands in his pockets, the .25 semi automatic pistol in his pocket goes off. The bullet passes through his zipper and strikes the floor. The bullet then breaks into many little projectiles striking a few of the other children in the immediate vicinity. No one is injured beyond a scratch.

OOPS Again!!!

A man in his fifties is at his brother’s house in the kitchen for a visit. This man is making the same mistake as the boy mentioned previously. He has a loaded pistol in his pocket and he has his hand in his pocket at the same time. The 9 millimeter pistol discharges and the bullet exits his pants by his knee. It then strikes the floor by his foot. The floor is made of wood covered with linoleum. The bullet passes through the floor on it’s downward trip toward the basement family room. No one is down there at the time and there are no injuries.

#6 A Party Gone Bad

A young man was throwing a party one night and had all his friends over. There was music, laughter, beer, and a good time being had by all.

The young man throwing the party leaves the party for a few minutes to go look at the shotgun he had just bought that day which he kept in his room. While he was looking at the shotgun, the door opened and a friend came in. The friend commented how cool the gun was. When the young man went to show the gun to his friend, it went off striking the friend in the face.

Emergency medical services responded to the 911 call immediately, but there was nothing that could be done. The friend had instantly been killed.

What Is Happening Here?

All of these incidents have in common the violation of the various but simple rules of firearms safety. Unfortunately, these are just a few experiences I was involved in while I worked for the city. They are by no means comprehensive of the accidents that occurred while I was there, and unfortunately, we see these accidents in the news all the time. All of them are avoidable.

Lets look at these incidents and see what happened. To most, it will be obvious.

In the story "Don’t Tell My Parents", the father had a loaded .45 caliber pistol (“hidden” so the children could not find it) to protect his family. Unsecured firearms will always be found by children. I have heard from some that say their children have been trained to never touch their guns. I was one of those children. I knew where dad’s .38 was and fooled with it while my parents were gone. I think to this day if my dad were still with us and was aware of that, he would skin me alive! I believe he would also rethink his weapon security methods.

In the story "No One Will Ever Know", the man was getting ready to clean his gun on the back patio. He had his cleaning kit, his rags, a good chair, a loaded rifle, and plenty of beer. Alcohol and firearms do not mix!!! I have seen it time and time again!!! If you are working with firearms, do not drink.

Also, who brings a loaded rifle back from a hunting trip. The law at the that time stated that firearms in vehicles had to be unloaded. This gun was transported home from the hunting trip in loaded condition and laid about the house in that condition unsecured until he accidentally shot himself with it.

In “Is This Your Gun?” there was an unsecured firearm. OOPS! Is a BB gun a firearm? Not in the literal sense of the term, but it does the same thing. It emits a projectile at a high rate of speed with enough energy to kill birds and other small animals. Should it be left unsecured in a loaded condition in a youths room. No.

In both “OOPS! And OOPS Again!” both made the mistake in thinking that a pocket is a good way to carry a loaded pistol. Think of how many times a day your hands go into your pockets. Each and every time you do this with a loaded gun in your pocket is an opportunity for disaster. If there is anything in my pocket, keys, pocket knife, money, etc. I grab it with my hand when my hand goes in my pocket. I guarantee you that if I carried a pistol in my pants pocket, there would be a problem.

In “OOPS!” What was the young man doing with a pistol in his pocket in the first place? What about carrying it to school? Where did he get it?!

Well, he waited till late at night when his parents were asleep. He belly crawled into their room, took the keys from Mom’s purse, opened the gun cabinet, AND STOLE THEIR GUN!!! He wanted protection while at school. I have often thought what a blessing it was that it went off when it did. Who knows what he might have gotten involved in later. The potential for harm when the accident occurred was bad enough. Interestingly, this young man had been told not to fool with the guns too.

The cabinet this family used was inadequate to secure firearms. It locked alright, but it had a glass front and a simple key to open it.

In “A Party Gone Bad” just about everything that can go wrong did. Here was an 18 year old young man having a beer bust party. No parents at home. The house was rocking with lots of beer and youth that had no business being there. A shotgun is being handled by someone with no training, experience, and because of the alcohol, no sense. Why was the gun loaded? I don’t know.

Another thing to remember is that in all of these and any accident I investigated, the trigger was pulled. In the accounts mentioned, I used the phraseology that the firearm discharged. Well, they discharged in all cases I am aware of, because someone pulled the trigger.
Remember what I said earlier? Complacency with firearms kills.

So What Are We To Do?

My intention was not to give a complete course on firearms safety in this article. It is however my intent to help you have safe homes free of the hazards of firearms accidents. Is that always possible? I think it is.

I own firearms myself. I enjoy target shooting, clay pigeons, hunting, and competition. I just returned from a successful hinting trip a week ago. We have five children and eight grandchildren and as I have said before, they can all be in the house at the same time. Can they all be watched at all times. No.

Here Is What We Have Done And A Few Suggestions

First realize that firearms are dangerous and if not handled properly, accidents can and will happen.

Talk to your family about your owning firearms if you have them. Teach them why it is important to not get into the guns and ammunition.

Teach your family members that if they are in a home where guns are being mishandled they should leave and waste no time doing it.

Keep ammunition locked up and separate from the guns.

Keep the guns locked away in adequate safes or lock boxes.

Do not drink when firearms are involved.

If your children are interested in shooting sports, teach them and involve them in appropriate shooting activities when they are of appropriate age.

If you have a permit to carry a gun, use a good holster system that covers the trigger and trigger guard. A good holster will not allow the weapon to fall out. About a year ago there was a story in the news of a man that dropped his pistol in a restroom at a fast food establishment. The gun went off and shattered a toilet. I will talk more of concealed carry in another article.

Always live by these four rules of firearms safety.
1. Treat all guns as though they are always loaded.
2. Don’t allow the muzzle to point at anything you don’t want to shoot.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
4. Be aware of your target and what is beyond it.

These four rules are not comprehensive in the least, yet they were violated in all incidence of accidental discharge I was witness to. We will discuss general firearms safety more in the future, but if you remember these four rules and always live by them, you will safely handle firearms.

Firearm Storage and Security

I did some research and found an interesting web site called http://www.kidsandguns.org/. If you own guns and have children, I think you need to look at some of the frightening statistics cited on this and other web sites. This site discusses statistics about children and firearms accidents. Some of us own firearms with the intention of protecting our families. If the guns are misused, we are failing in our duty.

Among other things it says:
► Among homes with children and firearms, 40% had at least one unlocked firearm and 13% kept their unlocked firearm loaded or stored with ammunition.
The RAND Corporation, "Guns in the Family: Firearm Storage Patterns in U.S. Homes with Children," March 2001.
► Among gun-owning households with children:
28% do not always keep guns locked in a secure place.
25% only "occasionally" lock and store the bullets separately from the gun.
48% do not regularly make sure that guns are equipped with child safety or other trigger locks.
Peter Hart Research, "Americans’ Attitudes on Children’s Access to Guns: A National Poll for Common Sense about Kids and Guns," July 1999.
► In 30% of handgun-owning households, the gun was stored unlocked and loaded at the time of the survey.
National Institute of Justice, "Guns in America: National Survey on Private Ownership and Use of Firearms," May 1997.

If you need to keep a loaded firearm in the home, use a good system to secure the weapon that will allow you quick access and at the same time restrict others from being able to gain access.
In my law enforcement carrier I needed to have a loaded gun available while at home. I have a safe to keep the guns (and other valuables) locked up, but gaining access is slow. So I got a small locking gun safe that holds only one pistol. It uses a four finger combination method to open it. You just place your fingers on the pad and type in the combination you set. The combination can be changed as often as you like. Should you forget the combination or should the batteries die (which last about a year), you use a key to open it. If someone is trying to figure out the combination by trial and error, the safe will lock up and require you to use the key to get into it. You will then have to re-program the combination. I keep the key in a box with other spare keys in my regular safe. It is a fast and very secure system. I bolted it to the shelf in my closet from inside the box so it can not be easily removed.




There are many versions of these safes on the market that use different methods to access your firearms. You can spend as little or as much as you want depending on your needs and ability to pay. The small pistol safe in my closet cost about one hundred dollars. A simple, but secure key lock arrangement of like size can be purchased for less than fifty dollars.














My larger safe is more in the seventeen hundred dollar price range, but larger gun lock boxes can be purchased for just a couple hundred dollars. A friend of mine gave me a set of lockers from a school. They would be great in the basement to secure firearms if I choose to use them that way. If you don’t have much money, get creative!




















There are all kinds of locking safes or gun storage boxes available at all price ranges in your favorite sporting goods stores. Of course the stores that don’t sell firearms won’t have them, but you can get them in stores like Cabella’s, Sportman’s Warehouse, Lowe’s, Home Depot, and many furniture stores. Of course furniture stores will be most interested in selling high end safes that are also decorative and thus more expensive.

Training

I worry that many good people get interested in owning firearms and because they are adults, feel they don’t need training.

I have been asked many times, “should I get a gun?”, because of some crime (or many crimes) that had recently occurred. What is the answer? If you want to and you are willing to involve yourself in some training. Now that sounds ominous, doesn’t it? TRAINING! Not really. There are several avenues a person can pursue that will give them the needed knowledge and experience to safely own and handle firearms.

When I was 14 I wanted to hunt ducks and pheasants with my friends. In Utah, hunter safety was a requirement for children under 16. I learned a great deal and have had a great deal of fun hunting with friends then and now. What I gained mostly from hunter safety training is a great respect, for not only the safety issues associated with owning firearms, but also an appreciation for the rights we enjoy in this country. For More information about Utah Hunter Safety go to http://wildlife.utah.gov/huntereducation/options.php. Another site that has information for several states is http://www.hunter-ed.com/.

I realize that not everyone is interested in hunting and there are several other sources for firearms training. This one, http://www.nssf.org/lit/FRH.pdf, is a great little online power point presentation you can view about your responsibility as a gun owner and walks you right through securing firearms in the home. I really liked this one and think anyone can benefit from viewing it. It only takes a few minutes.

The National Rifle Association has many firearms training programs available. If you go to http://nrahq.org/education/Training/basictraining.asp you will see a little more of what is available. The NRA’s experience and recourses are extensive. Look the site over. There is much to be learned, even if you don’t own or are not interested in owning firearms. There are other organizations that can help as well in your communities. The internet is a great recourse for locating training programs and organizations.

FINALLY!!!

Now that I have written the longest blog in human history, let me close by giving this last bit of advice about training.

Many states allow it’s citizens to have concealed weapons permits. Should you have one? Maybe. Up to you. If you choose to get one you enter an area of great responsibility. If you carry a gun for protection, realize that just pulling it out under the wrong circumstance can land you in jail. Firing a weapon in the wrong circumstance can land you in prison for years. We all watch TV and have preconceived notions of when using deadly force is justified. Many of those notions are wrong and in fact (by statute) constitute criminal acts.

If you are going to carry a gun for personal protection, learn the law, know the law, and be able to recite the law relative to a citizens right to defend themselves using deadly force. Don’t assume you understand what you have memorized or that your interpretation of the law stands on it’s own. The states and nations highest courts are still debating those issues and will into the foreseeable future. Police officers at all levels continue their training and legal updates frequently. Citizens need to do the same.

I enjoy a day at the range nearly as much as I enjoy a day in the field hunting. I will own firearms as long as I am able to safely use them. I hope you are able to enjoy the same sports and protection in your lives in such a way that all will be safe in your homes. I hope your children will be able to learn from you and enjoy the same sporting fun.

Happy And Safe Shooting!!! ;-)

Making Mowers Last

Our first lawn mower was given to us by my mother in law. It was a push mower. You know, a mower completely powered by your pushing it. The power to turn the blades and to move it forward are provided by people power. We had a regular neighborhood front and back lawn that would take an average person one half hour to mow with any power mower, but we used a manual push mower. It doubled the time but used no gas or electricity. A lot more effort to do the same job. If you are looking for exercise, this is a good way to go. Also, there is no gasoline consumption or oil used to lubricate the engine. You are the engine. Interestingly, no one ever asked to borrow this mower.



Here is an example of an old push mower. They still make them today and they are a viable option for those that want a little extra exercise while they mow. They do a great job and create no emissions. This one is missing the handle. You get the idea.


One day one of my co-workers saw me using this push mower to cut the grass. Feeling sorry for me, he offered to give me a power mower. He told me it did not run and that it was a piece of junk, but if I did some work on it, who knows... We didn’t have money to buy a power mower (another great reason to use a push mower) so we brought it home.

I looked at this sad pile of metal over trying to decide where to start. It was filthy, the wheels sagged on the axles, and according to my friend, it hadn’t run in years. I used a pressure nozzle on a hose to spray the grime off the mower. It looked a little better. All I had to do to fix the wheels was to tighten the bolts that held the axle assembly to the body of the mower. It looked a little better still. Actually, it looked as good as it ever would. This thing was old and there was no getting around the fact that it had not been taken care of for years.

I gave the pull starter a tug and found it to be sluggish. It was as though something was keeping the engine from turning over. There was! Upon checking the oil I found it was up to proper levels, but it had the consistency of honey. It just stuck there on the dipstick. More like grease than oil. I asked my friend when he changed the oil last. He could not recall. He thought it interesting that he could not remember ever changing the oil, but remembers adding oil once in while.

I removed the oil drain plug from the mower and let the mower sit on a big old can. A little oil came out, but it stopped flowing almost immediately. Over several hours the oil gradually drained out of the engine. While I was waiting for the oil to drain I removed the spark plug. It appeared to be badly burned and worn out. I replaced it with a new one and put new oil in the crank case. I pulled the air filter out. It was full of dirt and grime so I cleaned it and put a light film of oil on it before reinstalling it. The mower had not run in years and there was no gas in it. I filled the tank and started the process of trying to coax the old dead mower to life.

Surprisingly, the mower started in about twenty pulls. I was amazed and thrilled!!! Not only did I get this relic to run, but I now had a power mower! I was catching up with the Jones’! We used this mower to cut our grass for the next six or eight years. I don’t know what brand mower it was. There was no way to tell. I think it was just your run of the mill department store cheapie.
After we had moved into a new neighborhood, I was mowing the lawn one day when one of the neighbors came over and asked me about my mower. He could see it was not a very handsome machine and that it was not self propelled. He told me he had just bought a new Toro mower and that his old one (also a Toro) was in fine working order. He said that if I wanted it, I could have it.

This wasn’t like my old mower. This was an old but well cared for Toro rear bagger with front wheel drive. SELF PROPELLED!!! Boy was I excited about that! It started on the first or second pull, looked nice, and was easier to maintain. Why did he give it to me? I don’t know, except he had a new one and saw I had an old mower. He and his wife had no living children (another story for later) and we got along very well as neighbors. We used this mower for probably three years until I bought our current mower.

So what did I do with the old mower? Why, I gave it to my other neighbor who used to borrow it anyway. Both of these old mowers were great machines that gave me terrific service. All I had to do was service them yearly. When we bought our current mower I cascaded the Toro to my neighbor as well. Why? Because the engine on the old mower had seized. An engine seizing is usually caused by one of two things. Either it is finally completely worn out, or no one checks the oil level or condition. Was that why the old mower gave out? Who knows, it was old when I got it and I used it for years.

In January of 1993, after many conversations with a work associate about his experience in the lawn care business, I decided I would quit my part time job and give working for myself a try. In the police department I was working for, all the officers had a second job to make ends meet. I had been doing security work on the side and wanted to find something that would provide a little better income. This looked like the way to do it. My friend had warned me to only use the best mowers. He told me there are a lot of lawn mowers out there that will cut grass once a week for many years. He said when a mower runs every day of the mowing season, it had better be the best. Otherwise, you will find yourself not mowing and being paid, but fixing and paying.

After a lot of research and looking at what the others in the business were using, I found there were several brands that produce great commercial grade mowers. We settled on the Honda commercial grade mower for several reasons. They had a great financing program, their shop was close to home, and I felt they had the best machine for the money. I also bought a consumer grade trimmer, edger, and sidewalk blower. All the consumer grade items were worn out by the end of the first season.


What about the Honda lawn mower?


We mowed every day of the week but one and every week of the season for three years. During the season we sharpened our blades, changed the oil, and at least cleaned the air filter every month. You don’t need to do all of that when you are running a mower once a week on just your lawn, but when you run a mower more in one week than most mowers are used in an entire season, you better service the machine at least monthly. Changing the oil and the other items once a season is sufficient for most of us that only have one lawn to mow.

After we closed the lawn care business (we had met our goals), my son and his buddy used the mower for a couple seasons to make money. In addition, I mowed my mine and my mother’s lawns weekly. Also my neighbor has borrowed this mower on many occasions. We still mow our lawn once a week and the mower runs great. We have had it in the shop a couple times, but we mostly maintain it ourselves. It is now 16 years old and has provided us with excellent service. The thing cost me a thousand dollars in 1993 to buy, but made me a profit in the first season I owned it. Since then it has continued to be an excellent piece of equipment and should it crumble to dust tomorrow, I would replace it with another Honda.

Here are a few simple tips to mower longevity:

Choose a mower brand that has been around a long time. This means parts will be available for a long time. You then have a resource if the machine breaks down and you don’t know how to fix it yourself. If you choose to use old mowers and fix them yourself, there are many books and internet resources available to help you keep that machine in top shape.

Service the mower by changing the oil, cleaning/replacing the air filter, cleaning/replacing the spark plug, and sharpening/replacing the blade at least seasonally.

Keep it clean. Spray the exterior off with the hose, but only when the engine is cold. Clean the under side of the mowing deck by spraying it off.

If something goes wrong with the mower, fix it or take it to the shop to have it repaired professionally. These can be dangerous machines if they are not working properly or if you are not operating them in the manner prescribed by the manufacturer.

Park the mower out of the weather in your garage or in a shed. Weather beats everything up in time. Parking it inside protects it from the elements.

Don’t loan your mower to people that will not take care of it.

Over the years I have had many neighbors and friends that have had to replace their mowers on a regular basis. Why don’t their machines last? Because they do the opposite of the afore mentioned tips. As much as I have learned over the years about taking care of lawn mowers and like machines, much of this experience has come from seeing what others do or don’t do to take care of their mowers.

HAPPY MOWING!!!