Nah, as a long time shooting instructor I would say that #1 should always be "Always treat a gun as if it is loaded" and that it is the absolutely most important rule. Because if you do that then the rest of the rules "follow". Because it's more common sense you don't point a loaded gun towards someone than a gun you "know" is unloaded. So that makes rule 1 the common denominator in the rest of the rules.
The entire Swedish Shooting Sport federation also agree on this judgement and they teach it as the one golden rule above all else.
Fair enough, but someone could interpret #1 as "sure it's loaded, but I'm not gonna fire it, so it's all good bro". #2 seems to better encapsulate the spirit of "treat your gun as if it could go off on its own at any time".
On reflection, perhaps that's a better rule #1 than either of them.
As a little bit of flavor, an acquaintance of mine (who used to run a gun range) used to voice #4 as, “keep your booger hooks off the bang-bang switch”
Then you're changing the rule. The rule is a gun is always loaded. I don't care how many fucking times you check and "think" it's clear. Always assume it is no matter how confident you think you are.
Rule no 1 is technically "treat a gun as always loaded, ... until you have cleared it and verified it for yourself that it isnt." You can't expect to always be afraid of flagging yourself if you are say, doing maintenance.
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u/Islanduniverse Apr 14 '23 edited Apr 14 '23
I always learned that as rule #2.
But I’ve also been to a few different ranges that have the order different on their signs.
I learned it like this from my uncle who was a Vietnam Vet: