Welcome back to the 50th installment of my blog, in which I don’t claim to be an expert, in fact, the opposite. I’m a new user of the AR platform and want to share my findings and experiences as I go through and build rifles as well as being the Operations Manager at Tyrant Designs.

If you’re from Illinois then you probably remember last year when Illinois Judge Patrick O’Shea accidentally discharged his weapon in his home. The flight path of the bullet traveled from the gun through a mirror and a wall, which ended up reaching the next apartment. The best part was he lied to property managers as well as the police in regards to the neighbors finding the bullet and the hole in their wall. In the end, he had to turn in his weapons, ammunition, and conceal carry permit but was later found not guilty.

I can just picture the judge turning to his mirror while pointing his gun at his reflection while mumbling some line from a Clint Eastwood movie, pulling the trigger and having that “Oh Sh*t” moment. Sounds funny, but this is an example of a serious lack of personal weapon safety that could have ended much worse.

I believe Judge O’Shea didn’t properly dry fire his firearm, meaning the gun was loaded when he pulled the trigger. I believe this is a good opportunity to touch upon gun safety. In this case, we will dive into how to dry fire your weapon.

This may sound like a no-brainer for the novice and experienced gun users, but when is the last time you were around a newb while they were handling firearms. It can be a dangerous and scary proposition. Even “experienced” gun owners have poor safety practices, just go to your local range and watch the people next to you.

Here is a list of things that may help to ensure you don’t have a live round accident like Judge O’Shea.

1. Create a routine based on loading and unloading your firearm in your home

2. Practice your routine every time you load or unload your gun to make a ritual

3. Some people find it helpful to say loaded when loading their firearm for psychology reasons I guess

4. Unload and load in two separate locations in your home

5. If you do dry fire indoors, point the firearm at something that will absorb the bullet

I feel like this could happen to just about anyone. How many times have you been cleaning your firearms, maybe reloading your carry gun, and you get a call or get distracted by something on your phone. That mental lapse could make you forget the current state of your firearms, in which an accident is bound to happen. Safety first people!

What precautions do you all take when cleaning and/or handling your firearms? Comment below!