Lumpy Responds
Over at Knoxviews, Lumpy responds in comments about the gun safety issues:
Hi this is Greg “LUMPY” Lambert I don’t usually post here but I decided to address some of the issues that have come up. The video clip of me drawing the firearm was staged. My weapon was unloaded and the clip was removed. The reporter asked if I could show her what happened using the gun as a prop, I unloaded the firearm and showed her and the camera man how to determine that a gun is unloaded.
Pointing even unloaded firearms at something you don’t intend to shoot in an unsafe practice and should not be done under normal circumstances, however firearms are often used as props. When using a firearm, as a prop normal safety rules don’t apply, in this situation the gun was unloaded and checked immediately before the footage was taped.
If something ongoing were being produced (like a movie or TV show) an air soft (realistic toy) gun would be used or the weapon would have been permanently modified so that it could not chamber a live round. In the case of a short one-time sequence like the footage for the news story often a real weapon (usually the actual weapon used in the events that are being recreated) are used but it is absolutely essential that the weapon be checked and rechecked to keep accidents from happening.
November 15th, 2006 at 9:36 am
I know Xavier has taken some heat in the past for his idiots with guns post (which I fully enjoy, btw). Wonder if he has any thoughts on this.
November 15th, 2006 at 10:29 am
We actually have a guy on the LiveJournal guns community that supplies firearms as props for the movie industry. He’s also brought up the “the rules for using guns as props are different” argument. I’m not sure how I feel about the idea. I suppose I could accept a necessity argument in that case, but some really stringent safety measures would have to be followed.
But it’s important to remember Brandon Lee bought the farm because of carelessness with prop weapons. “Unloaded” guns have been known to kill people. But I think the bigger lesson here is to never trust the media 😉
November 15th, 2006 at 10:30 am
Kim took some heat over this same issue on one of his Shooting Trail clips.
I didn’t have a problem with him doing it. It’s a gun show after all, but I’m less enthused when it’s done for the news. Only shooters watch gun shows, but everybody watches the news.
November 15th, 2006 at 7:44 pm
There are no exceptions when it’s a functional firearm. Even before I became an instructor, I refused to break those rules, even for photographers. When I would come across one that would even make a request for me to break a rule, I would immediately ask them to leave the range and refuse permission to use my image in any way.
Beyond the plain and simple safety issues, it’s a PR issue. The fact is that the image of a gun pointed at a viewer is often intimidating to people who aren’t familiar with firearms. Not to mention, it’s hardly a friendly or positive image of a gun. Of course, this is also why I refuse to use the “w” word while talking about guns. I’m concerned about reaching shooters, especially from non-traditional gun owner groups, so I consider their reaction every time I handle a gun. If a picture of me or constant use of words that sound more threatening turns one person off of guns, then I consider it a disservice to our issue.
No one should take this as an attack on those who do it. I don’t like it when they get those images published, but I don’t bite their heads off, either. However, I do wish more gun owners would think about how non-gun owners will respond to images and words a little more when dealing with the press.
November 16th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
I think the Media took advantage, they’re a hard Madam-Mistress to resist.
November 16th, 2006 at 7:14 pm
[…] The armed citizen non-shooting in Knoxville with the non-victim wearing the NRA cap during the attempted robbery stirred up some debate. No, not over whether some stupid issue like whether it was justified or some other typically left wing response. It was from gun owners regarding some of the images of the non-victim pointing his gun at the camera for photos. SayUncle reports that the guy has responded to critics by clarifying that the gun was unloaded. […]
November 16th, 2006 at 10:21 pm
Who here has not checked the condition of a barrel’s lands and grooves by first verifying that the firearm is unloaded, locking open the action, inserting a finger or a white piece of paper such that light is reflected inside, and sighting down the barrel from the muzzle? Are you not violating rule #2?
How about pointing a gun at your living room floor? I’m pretty sure that’s something that most people are not willing to destroy, although frequently it’s voted as the safest surface to discharge a round into. Usually the floor beats out the TV, the computer, your domestic partner, or that Ming vase on the table over there. It even usually beats out the ceiling, because with a hole in the floor, you don’t have to rush and patch it.
Likewise, waiting to shoot at clays, have you ever seen anyone rest a double shotgun, action broken open, over their shoulder? Aren’t they being a bit careless? I mean they’re not even watching where the muzzle is pointing at, they’ve got their back turned. Another violation of rule #2?
Does dry fire practice violate #3?
Am I being careless when I have the bolt out of the action of my Mauser, and I’ve verified that I can see the follower, and I have the gun clamped down and I’m swabbing out the barrel and just for one brief moment I assume that the gun is not loaded, contrary to rule #1?
I like to hope I’m a safe gun handler. I make sure everyone is following the rules when I’m the range safety officer. I don’t let the nieces or nephews handle firearms until they correctly answer the question “what is the first thing you do when you pick up a firearm?”. I teach them to keep their finger off the trigger and keep the gun unloaded and pointed down range until it’s their turn to shoot.
I teach the four rules. But I realize I violate the rules all the time. And I realize that it would be impossible to rewrite the four rules such that I never violate them, yet still retain their simplicity.
Go ahead, rip me a new one in comments. I can take it.
Example:
Rule #2 (revised) 2. Never let the muzzle of a firearm point at anything you are not willing to destroy, except:
a. When inside a house. I the case of being inside a two story house, one would generally point the muzzle of a firearm toward the floor on the lower level and at the ceiling when occupying the upper level. This rule, however can change depending:
1. On whether or not the house in question has a basement, and whether or not one thinks the basement might be occupied (see rule #4, revised).
2. It could also vary based on what how close the neighbors are and whether there are any convenient berms around the area. When in doubt, however, error on the side of caution by not entering in the dwelling at all…