As you know this is one of the guiding principles of our sport and yet from time to time we are presented with situations which show not everyone is taking the concept seriously enough.
At a recent Level II match a competitor was disqualified for having a laser trainer in the chamber of their firearm on their first stage. I will discuss some of the fallout from that later but to it me shows a major safety procedure failure on the part of one of our competitors. I would not make such a big issue about this, but it happens far more than it really should.
Over the last 30+ years or so I have been working and running competitors in our sport where I have either witnessed, heard about or dealt with the results of someone having a “loaded” firearm when it is specifically is not allowed by our rules.
Our firearm handling rules are based upon a very simple concept. You are allowed to handle your firearm only under direct supervision of a Range Officer or in a safety area. You are allowed to handle ammunition anywhere on the range except at a safety area. That way a firearm and ammunition can only be handled together under Range Officer supervision. This system is called running a “Cold” range.
Unfortunately, this system fails when a competitor comes to a match with an already “loaded” competition firearm. When you start with a loaded firearm, the safety system has already failed. This also why every firearm is treated as loaded at all times under our rules until proven otherwise. Sometimes, people think this is dumb and overkill, but it exists because of things that have happened in the past.
The next issue to be discussed is what we mean by a “loaded” firearm. Obviously, if the competitor comes to the line with a live round in the chamber or a loaded magazine that is pretty cut and dried. 10.5.13 does not list the requirements for determining a loaded firearm, but if we go to the Appx. A3, it defines what constitutes a loaded firearm. It also defines what is covered under dummy ammunition.
Also, under our rules if they come to a safety area and they determine they have a loaded firearm they are required to get a Range Officer over there and report what happened so the firearm can be safety unloaded under RO supervision. 10.5.12 specifically mentions live and dummy ammunition (including practice or training rounds, snap caps and empty cases).
If you look at these two rules, it is clear you should never handle dummy ammunition, snap caps or empty cases in a safety area while actively competing at a USPSA competition. You can do your dry fire practice at home or off the range but leave them alone while at the match.
So let’s discuss a failure tree which can take place and get the competitor into a situation where they can get disqualified.
- You are getting ready for the match and doing a bunch of dry fire practice at home or in the hotel. Maybe you have a snap cap, laser trainer, or dummy round in the chamber. After completing your practice, you do what you always do and just bag your firearm when you are done intending to check the gun before heading off to the range.
- A good friend of mine had been out doing live fire practice and when he pulled his firearm out at the safety area a live round rolled across the safe table. He could not tell you how that happened, but it did.
- You get to the range, and you are out walking stages before the first stage and because you are in a hurry, you just pull your firearm out and holster the gun at the safety area because you “know” it is unloaded. You would “never” put your gun away without checking it. (I do not know about you, but when I put my gun on, I like to cycle the slide a couple of times to see if I need to add some lube, check the dot, etc.)
- It is your turn to shoot and on the “Make Ready” command, you insert the magazine and rack the slide, and it fails to go into battery, or a snap cap rolls on to the ground. “Ricklesnarts!” I guess it is going to be a very short match day for you.
- Several years ago, a competitor came to the first stage of the Single Stack Nationals and when given the “Make Ready” command a snap cap rolled across the floor in the dark house. He never got to fire a shot.
So, how do we prevent yourself from suffering this most preventable of DQ’s. The key is remembering that no DQ is caused by a single point of failure. You need to always keep safety in the forefront of your mind. Anytime, you are handling your firearms either on the range or at home treat them as if they are loaded. Before you put that competition firearm away after practice, dry fire or otherwise, make sure you clear it before you store it away safely. Do it the same every time whether from live fire or dry fire. Being systematic will instill in you a culture of safety.
This issue is not as uncommon as you might think. We have a lot of newer competitors who were not brought up in the firearms culture like you or I might have been. Video games and computer programs do not emphasize safety like my Scouting Instructor Mr. Lincon did on both the range and in Hunter Safety programs.
So, what can we take away from the incident? Treat every firearm including your own as loaded until proven otherwise. Remember, under our rules anything in a chamber of an unloaded firearm other than a chamber flag may be treated as dummy ammunition and put you at risk of being disqualified. Be systematic and never put your competition firearm away until you have confirmed it is actually unloaded. Getting DQ’ed because you came to a safety area or the line with a loaded gun is nobody’s fault except your own. If it happens take responsibility for it and learn from your mistake.