12-056 M14 Picture of the day - Germany 1963

[Mark in Rochester]

U.S. Troops In Germany

Date taken: 1963

Photographer: Ralph Crane

Information

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[Amsdorf]

Wow, you mean the Army did not follow the "Four Laws" of gun safety? Shocking.

[Ben Hartley]

Wow, you mean the Army did not follow the "Four Laws" of gun safety? Shocking.

Huh?

Ben Hartley

[Mark in Rochester]

Huh?

Ben Hartley

The rules of gun safety follow from this mindset. There are many variations, and one of them is the Four Rules introduced by Colonel Jeff Cooper, which are:


1.All guns are always loaded.
2.Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3.Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4.Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

—Jeff Cooper[1]

The NRA provides a similar set of rules:


1.ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2.ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3.ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

—The National Rifle Association, The fundamental NRA rules for safe gun handling[2]

The Canadian Firearms Program uses the concept of The Four Firearm ACTS:


1.Assume every firearm is loaded.
2.Control the muzzle direction at all times.
3.Trigger finger off trigger and out of trigger guard.
4.See that the firearm is unloaded. PROVE it safe.

—Canadian Firearms Centre, The Four ACTS of Firearm Safety[3]

---------- Post added at 09:03 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:02 AM ----------

In the second picture what are in the cans on the web belt?

[Ben Hartley]

Mark...

Um..er... I really do know about safe firearms handling practices, both Col. Cooper's and the NRA's. I'm not surprised that our northerly neighbors (neighbours?) hold to something similar.

My comment was prompted by Amsdorf's: "Wow, you mean the Army did not follow the "Four Laws" of gun safety? Shocking." Try as I may, I cannot see where any of the safe handling practices is being violated in any of the pictures shown. So far as I can tell, those are all M14's with nary a magazine to be seen. Is there a round in a chamber? Dunno. I'm too lazy to copy the picture and blow it up to see if the bolts are locked back, but that wouldn't surprise me any.

Ben Hartley

[browningautorifle]

the cans on the web belt?

I think they're smoke grenades.

"Four Laws" of gun safety?

Remember, the weapons have been cleared. They're not pointing, they're layed down and at a 45 degree angle upward. They have to go somewhere. And yes, in the army we have the same rules. Most of you guys know what I'm talking about anyway.

[blazer91]

cool pics, that's the year i was born there (Hemer) Dad was Cdn artillery, 1SSM Bty
Jim

[frankderrico]

Jim, I think they may be to long for smoke grenade tubes. Could they be some other type of grenade?.....Frank

[Mark in Rochester]

Frank, that was my conclusion also. ground signal, smoke grenades and even the m9a1 anti tank grenades were packed in black cardboard tubes. just not sure what thery are

[browningautorifle]

I wondered if it was a rifle grenade at first. HE like. I'll buy star cluster...