Check to be sure!

[oozlefinch]

Whenever I take hold of a self-loading pistol that is new to me, or any which has been out of my sight even briefly, I routinely draw the slide back far enough to see that the chamber is empty. I've done it this way for 60+ years. I either see the bright shine of brass or the deep, dark chamber and know immediately if the weapon is loaded or not.

Well, this morning a neighbor handed me his Colt M1911A1, safety off and hammer down. I pulled the slide back far enough to glance into the ejection port and verify that the chamber was empty.

Satisfied, I released the slide and was about to.....

But wait! Was that chamber really as deep and as dark as I remembered?

Lo and behold! There was a .45 ACP dark-varnished, steel-cased cartridge in the chamber and seven in the magazine.

(Persons who carry this pistol in "Condition 2", as described, have a special place in world opinion, but that is a seperate subject.)

With Russians loading empty-chamber-coloured cartridges I will have to be more careful, more clear-eyed, or both, henceforth.

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[K31]

I bet that almost stopped your heart! Your neighbour should be flogged!

[oozlefinch]

I bet that almost stopped your heart! Your neighbour should be flogged!

Perhaps.

But not by me. He's actually my granddaughter's neighbour; a head taller, fifty years younger and seemingly susceptible of instruction.

Having had my way with him I hope that he will never again make the mistake. I got pretty loud.

[sdh1911]

I've lost friends who were above safety issues, good for you. Its not the guy who accidentally kills himself, but, the family who dies with them-SDH

[Adolf Galland]

you are lucky you did not shoot some one.It's good you looked first before pulling the trigger.

[oozlefinch]

Smile when you say that, Mister!

you are lucky you did not shoot someone.

"Luck" has no place here. In addition to a load check there is trigger control, target choice and muzzle discipline.

One must breach all of these for an unintended shooting to occur.

Pistol triggers, by the way, are "squeezed", not "pulled".