Safeties and Complacency?

[HokieCadet14]

I was talking to a friend today and the conversation turned to gun safety. I made a comment to him that I still stand behind, but I want y'all's opinion.

I told him the safest gun I have is my 1974 Winchester 30-30. I say that because it has absolutely no manual safeties period. Truly the only thing I can consider a manual safety is whether or not the hammer is back. I call it my safest because, due to its lack of safeties, it forces me to think about my actions while handling / carrying said firearm, lending to my belief that ultimately the only true safety is between the user's ears. With other weapons, I may subconsciously become more lax due to the presence of a manual safety. Of course I got all sorts of flak from him over my opinion.

I know all about the "safeties can fail" moniker and have witnessed evidence to support that. However, do you agree that we the public (as a collective gun owning group) may have become somewhat complacent in the "But my safety is on..." paradigm?

[rayikeo2]

Originally Posted by HokieCadet14

I was talking to a friend today and the conversation turned to gun safety. I made a comment to him that I still stand behind, but I want y'all's opinion.

I told him the safest gun I have is my 1974 Winchester 30-30. I say that because it has absolutely no manual safeties period. Truly the only thing I can consider a manual safety is whether or not the hammer is back. I call it my safest because, due to its lack of safeties, it forces me to think about my actions while handling / carrying said firearm, lending to my belief that ultimately the only true safety is between the user's ears. With other weapons, I may subconsciously become more lax due to the presence of a manual safety. Of course I got all sorts of flak from him over my opinion.

I know all about the "safeties can fail" moniker and have witnessed evidence to support that. However, do you agree that we the public (as a collective gun owning group) may have become somewhat complacent in the "But my safety is on..." paradigm?

Gun owners on this forum do not have that (complacency) attitude about safetys. Some demand thumb safetys, mostly on single action guns. Most people with double actions don't like safetys. All agree the safety is your trigger finger control and the knowledge of the weapon of choice and do not make the comment, but the safety is on.

[TCS_XDM]

Originally Posted by HokieCadet14

I told him the safest gun I have is my 1974 Winchester 30-30. I say that because it has absolutely no manual safeties period. Truly the only thing I can consider a manual safety is whether or not the hammer is back. I call it my safest because, due to its lack of safeties, it forces me to think about my actions while handling / carrying said firearm

So do you not think about your actions when you handle other firearms?

The only reason I'm going to disagree is because I use the same rules when I'm handling any firearm. Im sure you do the same thing. Maybe one firearm makes you nervous but muzzle awareness and trigger discipline goes a long way.