Some things seem so obvious they don’t need saying. But when it comes to guns, they do. For example, “always keep a firearm pointed in the safest possible direction.” “Make sure your gun is completely unloaded before cleaning it.” “Don’t leave a gun where a toddler can get it.”
There are other more obscure — but equally common sense-based — gun handling rules. For example, “Don’t spin a loaded revolver on your finger.” “Don’t shoot an AK-47 at a wedding party.” Let’s add this one to the list: Don’t catch a falling gun. While that advice seems worthy of a forehead slap, be careful. You need to think about that one.
Thanks to evolution, homo sapiens are hard-wired to catch things. This lightning-quick unconscious ability enabled humans’ hunting success and prevented us from being killed by hard objects flying through the air.
So when you suddenly fumble a precious item like, say, a gun, you may reach out to catch it without thinking. Worst case, your finger goes into the trigger guard and…bang. Something really bad happens. To you or someone else nearby.
To counter this natural urge to catch a falling gun, first, know this: with freakish and obscure exceptions, modern guns are “drop safe.” They will not discharge simply from impacting a hard surface. Letting a loaded gun hit the deck is not dangerous especially when compared with the potential danger of catching a falling firearm.
Also, remember this: a gun is just a thing. Things can be repaired and/or replaced. Humans, less so. If you drop your $4000 Nighthawk Custom Border Special onto the concrete, dent, ding or scrape it…oh well. Fecal matter happens. If you could afford the gun in the first place, you can probably afford to bring it back to its full, original glory.
If, that is, you’re alive to do so.
Those are conscious thoughts which can help block the subconscious catch it reflex. The best way to head this one off at the pass? Practice. Unload your firearm, safety-check it, assume your shooting position and then…drop it. No need to intentionally damage your firearm; drop it on a carpet, a pillow, a patch of grass, or something else that’s soft.
While you’re at it, you might want to practice quickly and efficiently picking up your gun and getting it into a firing position while keeping your eyes on your target as much as possible.
You have been warned.
