I was recently shown a video of a group on a firing line. The safety violations were staggering. These weren’t new shooters — they appeared experienced, but likely complacent. When I was flying aircraft, we had a saying: “Complacency kills.” These folks were lucky that phrase didn’t hold true.
Let’s talk about firing line safety. While each range has its own rules, there should be a universal baseline of safe behavior. Here are a few fundamentals:
- Bringing a Gun to the Line
Always bring your firearm to the line in a case, and ensure it’s unloaded. - Uncasing
Before touching the firearm, rotate the case so the barrel faces downrange. Otherwise, you risk pointing the gun in an unsafe direction the moment you touch it. - Open the Action
Before placing the gun on the bench, open the action, remove any magazines (if applicable), and lay it down with the ejection port facing up. Firearms should never be set down with a closed action or a magazine inserted — except in an emergency. If you have chamber flags, use them. - Cold Line Protocol
When the line is cold and someone goes downrange, step back from the shooting points. - No Handling During Cold Line
When someone is downrange, there should be zero handling of firearms. Many ranges also prohibit loading magazines or handling ammunition during this time (ours included).
All of these rules were violated by multiple individuals in a short video I just watched. Shooting sports are enjoyable and historically very safe — but only when we uphold basic safety standards. Let’s stay vigilant and keep it that way.
