Flhrci wrote:BB62 wrote:Cincinnati Open Carry/Firearm Education Walk scheduled for Saturday April 12 or Sunday the 13th.
Long arms welcome with proper muzzle control...
Innocent question here. I do not have a long gun, yet. Could you please define proper open carry muzzle control for those of us not sure what exactly that means? Pointed up, down? wear on back ,etc ,etc???? I think I have a clue, but not sure. Not sure I would open carry a rifle anyways. Big next step for me after getting one first.
No problem, and thanks for asking. (
Consider my answer not directed at you personally, but for anyone who just happens to read your query and wonder about gun safety)
First, consider the basic rules of gun handling, for instance: 1) Always treat a gun as if it's loaded, 2) Never point your gun at anything you're not willing to shoot/destroy, 3) Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot, 4) Know your target and what's beyond, etc. There are variations and additions, but those are the basics.
Proper muzzle control means not pointing one's gun, loaded or unloaded (and remember, even if it's unloaded, it's still "loaded") in an unsafe direction - at people or things. If you're at a range, it means keeping your gun pointed downrange to the fullest extent possible. Some ranges have racks where you can place your
unloaded long gun pointing upward. Also at the range, one may have to transition one's gun in or out of its storage container, in which case one should point the gun downrange, downward or upward - whatever direction is considered to be the safest. It's all a part of treating a gun as if it's loaded - whether it actually is or not.
On an open carry walk, proper muzzle control means keeping one's handgun holstered, long gun pointed up or down,
and not moving one's long gun in such a way (such as while switching shoulders with one's strap) so that the muzzle points in an unsafe direction during the movement. So, transitioning one's long gun from pointing downward to pointing upward, or vice versa, or somewhere in between,
is to be avoided to the extent humanly possible.
P.S. - unrelated to OC walks, but what does one do when one is handed a gun? Verify
properly, while pointing it in a safe direction, that it is unloaded,
then handle it as if it is loaded.
Yes, I do believe in open carry. An openly armed man is clear in his intentions. Concealed carriers are sneaks and skulkers and elitist, boot licking, political contribution making, running dog lackies of The Man. <wink> (thx grumpycoconut - OpenCarry.org)
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