What is your "safe direction" to point a gun?

[foxytwo]

What is my "safe direction" to point a gun?
It depends on 'where' I'm at and 'what' I'm doing at the time.
Step one is to 'always' clear your weapon.

I always check that my chamber is empty before dry firing or cleaning. I never point it in the direction of a person but I don't worry about what wall or window it is pointed at because I know it is empty. In my 66 years of handling firearms I have never seen one load itself. A visual check of the chamber is the only way you can be 100% sure. Needing something safe to point at when you pull the trigger shows that you are not 100% sure it is empty. Check the chamber!!!

[Keykutter]

What goes up, must come down? I always thought straight up was pretty good. I haven't shot myself or the roof yet.

You'd think. Did you just see the story posted here on USA Carry that showed where a boy was with his parents and suddenly just started bleeding from his eyes and ears? It just happened.

Yup, your right, what goes up must come down. Granted, I do think this was a bit freak but apparantly not impossible.

Food for thought.

KK

[Phillip Gain]

Digging WAY back to my hunter safety course (which was a while ago - I was 12 then, and 39 now)...I seem to remember that 'loaded and slung, with barrel up and safety on' was considered ok. I seem to also remember that Dad and I would not chamber any rounds until we were away from camp, in the actual woods, and walking (had already parked and locked up the ATV.)

While rounds can travel for quite a way...it seems unlikely that a "straight up shot" deep in the woods would find its way to another person.

By contrast...I remember being taught that carrying "barrel down" was a bad idea, because with one slip you could get a barrel full of dirt or mud.

I'm curious as to what's being taught in the hunter safety courses these days (and would definitely take one as a refresher before taking up hunting again).

[tuts40]

Sounds like you only handle your gun in your house.

My safe directions are too numerous to list.

KK

hehe, you beat me to it.

[joelevi]

They did, however, find that phone books stopped handgun calibers fairly well... not that I'd want to test the theory myself...

[tcox4freedom]

At home, just about any outside wall is a good "safe" direction. Dry wall insulation and brick, should do the trick!

[Grognard Gunny]

.... Then there was the recent incident of a young girl getting killed by a rifle bullet a mile from where the shooter let one fly into the air.

Mind you, it was a freak, one in a million "accident", but in a universe of endless possibilities, everything possible can and will eventually happen.

I'm often surprised that the Muzzies, who seem to have this perpetual urge to crank out rounds from their AKs into the air at any provocation, don't have more similar "accidents" in their neck of the woods. Maybe they just don't report them, not wishing to appear ignorant.

GG