When do you take your safety off?

Not true about no on being shot with the safety ON. My old gunning partner lost most of his Achilles tendon when his dog jumped, and knocked his O/U out of his hands. The gun fell muzzle down, and when the butt stock hit the ground the gun went off with Safety ON. He was very lucky it was not worse, but he limped the rest of his life. Bottom line for me, never trust a safety.
 
In my hunter safety training course we were taught the definition of a Safety was " a mechanical device prone to failure". Practice safe muzzle control t all times.
 
As I thought about this thread more I realized there is one more piece to this gun safety puzzle. When teaching 11 year olds I used to make the point that everyone wants respect and one way to gain respect of elders is to have your action OPEN when around others. This is such an easy thing to do and when others can see an open action and maybe even a empty chamber there is absolutely no doubt that that gun is SAFE. Nothing makes me more nervous than a closed action combined with poor muzzle control. Safe muzzle control has already been brought up here and still is the #1 but combined with an open action, everyone can relax. Good thread and a subject dear to me.
 
Am I to understand that you keep the action open in a blind (boat or ground)? Honestly, I have not seen that. This is absolutely the case while at the gun club.
 
Thumb safeties are the best and probably the safest. I think cross-bolt safeties may tend to get someone in the habit of taking them off way before they need to be. In either case I take mine off as I bring the gun to my shoulder. I don't know if that's the proper way or not. But the less time the safety is off the safer it is.
 
David, Really, you don't see open actions in the blind????? I guess if your gun is unloaded in the blind then you could have the action open. I think you missed the point- the open action indicates the gun is REALLY unloaded and not loaded and relying on a mechanical device that will fail sooner or later. Also if I really have to explain, an open action can allow foreign matter to enter so common sense should rule then too. Sorry I didn't make all that clear.
 
Safety goes off when shouldering and on when taking it down. Like frank said muscle memory. Also the action is open if the gun is not in your hands. A few yeas ago a dog knocked a guys gun over and stepped on the trigger switching the safety and at the same time pulled the trigger and shot his owner. Sounds ridiculous but better to be safe than sorry
 
ok - not to rehash this topic - but i thought of this thread when I caught my self doing something today

took my aging setter out for woodcock this afternoon - trying to let him have some easy hunts with one on one time.

but - related to this thread- i took an old hammer gun to enjoy the hunt with.

after gearing up, hanging the bell on the dog and stepping into the cover, I loaded the gun, raised the muzzle to my carry position

AND THEN

realized my thumb was trying to pull on the non existent safety to make sure it was in position - did it a couple of times of of habit before I went ----DUH !!!!!
 
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