One of the first rules of gun safety is to never point the gun at anything you would not want to be destroyed. Yet, when carrying, invariably the gun will point in undesirable directions. How do you not occasionally have your dog cross by close to you and come into the path of the gun? How about if you sit down and now the gun in the pocket holster is almost horizontal and possibly pointing at someone nearby. What if you sit on the ground, back against a wall or tree, and knees up so the gun points at an upward angle and people are walking by. If you are on a hillside and the gun in holster points at someone below? Or a shoulder holster could have it pointing at people all the time if the holster stores the gun horizontally. Or for the ladies, purse carry (hope she has a holster and not have it triggered by stuff floating around inside the purse).
This is an excellent question and something that I have brought up on numerous occasions and on various forums. Because I think the first rule of gun safety should be changed to state,
"Always know where your gun it pointing". This is what I was taught as a child and such that I have practiced my entire life. I grew up hunting and I was always around family and friends with loaded weapons. This would include a few adolescents and/or less experienced shooters. So it was always important to know exactly where your firearm as well as others was always pointing. A lot of people are just not conscious of such and consequently always end up pointing the weapon in an inappropriate direction.
The first rule of firearm safety is typically presented as you stated,
"Don't point your gun at anything you are not willing to destroy". That however does not encourage maintaining a conscious state of your firearm! It simply says don't point it at anything important.
Whereas practicing
"Always know where your gun is pointing" does create a conscious state of your firearm. I've been shooting for nearly 50 years and even if you forgot all the other rules; as long as you practiced this one rule then no harm could come even with an accidental or purposeful discharge of your weapon. Otherwise, the rule could be stated as
"Always know where you gun is pointing and never point it at anything you are not willing to destroy".
The problem isn't that people inadvertently point their guns in an inappropriate direction at times. The problem is that they are not aware that they are doing such! They are not aware of such because they've never made a habit of always knowing the status of their weapon.
Two perfect examples. 1) I purchased a pocket pistol for Church security once and the first time I sat down with it in my pocket, I immediately realized my weapon was horizontal and pointing at the pew in front of me. Consequently, I immediately readjusted it to point downward. I doubt most people who pocket carry are even aware when this occurs but I did because I've made a lifetime of always knowing the status of my firearm. 2) A gentleman, on this forum I believe, stated that his pocket gun had slipped out of his pocket unbeknownst. He then went back outside to work in his yard for several hours before he realized his gun was no longer in his pocket. Upon searching for it he discovered that it had slipped out of his pocket and had become lodged in his indoor recliner. I found this to be entirely unacceptable, sorry. But such occurred because people don't make a habit of always knowing the status of their firearm.
The fact you are conscious of such OP, tells me that you have the proper frame of mind.
Happy Easter,
Ralph
