Not so very long ago, I was firing a young neophyte shooter friend's .45 carbine. He had a box of factory .45 Colt, and we were at 50 yards, and he said, after having fired a group offhand at a paper plate target, "Care to try it?"
"Sure," I responded. "But that ammo's expensive [$18/box!!!]; just put in 5 to give me an idea of the trigger."
Friends and neighbors, I watched him rack it fast to clear it, then carefully load in 5 rounds in the magazine. I then took receipt of this pretty little '94 Trapper, and put a nice 5-shot group into a paper plate. Having automatically levered it after having fired the 5th shot, I cleared it for him before handing it to him, the "fast way." I pointed the rifle downrange, and pulled the trigger.
"Hope that 6th one doesn't spoil your group," my friend said. All four of our brows were raised. I had "seen" him clear it. Watched the empty fly out, and didn't think I saw a live one chambered. Then, when he handed it to me, I found a round in the chamber, and assumed that he or I had levered it into the chamber (we were talking, so that I fired the group a minute or so after he loaded it.). So I had five in the magazine, one in the chamber. Thought I had five in all.
Violated Rule #1. Didn't violate the other rules, though, and I did "check" it. Shot went downrange, hit the backstop, and all's well that ends well. Follow any one of the Four Rules, and everything will probably turn out for the best. Correllary to the Four Rules is, though: "PAY ATTENTION!"
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Will you, too, be one who stands in the gap?
Matt
[This message has been edited by Long Path (edited October 31, 1999).]