Unsafe loading practice

[Pitchy]

Been watching some reviews of SAA`s of late ans a lot of young shooters loading one skip the next and load the rest then pulling the trigger and dropping the hammer on the empty hole.
I think that practice is very dangerous.

[3leggedturtle]

It sure would let you know if you did wrong.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Been watching some reviews of SAA`s of late ans a lot of young shooters loading one skip the next and load the rest then pulling the trigger and dropping the hammer on the empty hole.
I think that practice is very dangerous.

Agreed. I load one, skip one, load four more, then gently cock the hammer and let it down slowly on an empty chamber. Then I visually confirm by looking at the cartridge rims. No point in courting fate.

[JimT]

it's impossible to make anything fool proof because fools are so ingenious.

[piller]

Once humans make something foolproof, our Creator makes a better fool just to show us that we are not in charge.

[Scott Tschirhart]

Amen Jim!

[.45colt]

Just like when We took the CC Class years ago , the Officers that were the instructors told the newbies with semi-auto's to keep a 5 gallon pail of sand in the house or garage and hold the gun over it when they drop the clip and clear the chamber. They said a lot of people have shot thru walls with "empty" guns.

[piller]

That is a good idea. Has not happened to me yet, but it could happen as soon as I think it won't.

[JRD]

Pitchy,
Amen brother. I load my SAA’s just like Scott described. Going fast can only lead to a mental mistake before you can catch yourself doing it.

Another somewhat related pet peeve is people who rapidly holster a gun- especially modern tactical dudes who are cramming a striker fired auto into an inside the pants or appendix holster. Dang there is so much bad that can happen if something gets caught in the trigger guard and you are ramming that gun down. Call me an old ninny but I always reholster slowly and deliberately.

Jason

[octagon]

There must be many many folks who cannot safely tell "loaded" from "unloaded."
The five step "load one, skip one..." might seem as the quadratic equation comparatively.

[Pitchy]

They call accidents accidents for a reason, when i see this act happen of pulling the trigger and letting the hammer fall like shooting the gun i only see a accident waiting to happen.
I suppose they think they are being cool which is when most accidents happen.
These are the people that need to go to a gun safety class.

[Pitchy]

Example of what i`m talking about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O9Yme7xLGo

[4t5]

A little off topic but amazing no one gets hurt... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mebcvnWc7ag
These are not accident, they are negligent.

[piller]

I have seen accidents in a few types of situations that are not necessarily related to the topic, and I have seen negligence. Negligence bothers me more because it is preventable. When a part breaks, that can still cause injury or death. It might not be preventable.

[1894cfan]

They call accidents accidents for a reason, when i see this act happen of pulling the trigger and letting the hammer fall like shooting the gun I only see an accident waiting to happen.
I suppose they think they are being cool which is when most accidents happen.
These are the people that need to go to a gun safety class.

Let me start a fad, let's start calling it "doing a baldwin"! What say you all

[Bronco]

Murphy's system of reducing the gene pile

[jeepnik]

it's impossible to make anything fool proof because fools are so ingenious.

Or one of my favorite sayings, "every time they improve something to make it idiot proof, they improve the idiot".

[Ysabel Kid]

it's impossible to make anything fool proof because fools are so ingenious.

So true!!!

[Bill in Oregon]

Once humans make something foolproof, our Creator makes a better fool just to show us that we are not in charge.

HA!

[Griff]

Been watching some reviews of SAA`s of late ans a lot of young shooters loading one skip the next and load the rest then pulling the trigger and dropping the hammer on the empty hole.
I think that practice is very dangerous.

Quite frankly, it's the safest way to load a SAA or 4-click clone. I learned that loading method when I bought my 1st SAA in 1973. Load one, skip one, and load four more, pull the hammer back to full cock and lower the hammer. I've loaded that way ever since. Shooting a 5 or 6 stage cowboy match nearly every month since 1985 and never once had an AD. And since about 1995, that's with 2 revolver per stage, so double the chances of an AD. It's darned near foolproof with a mechanically sound SAA. It's the nut behind the gun that's the usual culprit. If by myself at the range I usually just drop the hammer on the empty chamber, when at a match with other folks around, I'm a bit more self-conscience and do the "lower" the hammer thing.

I think the new model Rugers with their lack of a half cock safety are more dangerous. You pop open the loading gate load 5 rounds then have to hold the revolver sideways so you can observe the cartridge rims and place the blank chamber under the hammer and close the gate. Done correctly no more safe or unsafe than the Colt method... but... But, JimT is right.

Edited to add: I use the same method when capping my Colt C&B revolvers also. Works every time.

[Pitchy]

I just wonder how many of these guys that let the hammer fall would point it at they`er head when doing so.
Not challenging anyone to do that of coarse.

[JimT]

I have loaded 1 ... skipped one and loaded 4 in the Single Actions for many many years. Longer than I like to think about.
After loading I pull the hammer back to full cock and then gently let it forward, keeping it pointed in a safe direction and keeping my thumb on the hammer.
I have never had one go off.
I would NEVER pull the trigger and just let the hammer drop.
I have had occasion when a cartridge was dragging on the recoil shield and I ended up with a live round under the hammer when it should have been on an empty chamber.
Just letting the hammer drop is asking for trouble.
You may never have a problem but why take the chance?

[piller]

Nothing wrong with lowering the hammer slowly and under control.

[Pitchy]

Don`t take me wrong i totally agree with the loading method it `s the letting the hammer fall on it`s own i don`t think is safe.
Another thing i saw was a guy capping a ML revolver first then loading the chambers, that seems a little dangerous to me too.

[JimT]

Don`t take me wrong i totally agree with the loading method it `s the letting the hammer fall on it`s own i don`t think is safe.
Another thing i saw was a guy capping a ML revolver first then loading the chambers, that seems a little dangerous to me too.

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[Nate Kiowa Jones]

Probably a good time to add;
Never lower the hammer from the safety cock or half cock position. Always go to full cock then lower it. Lowering from the safety cock or half cock position usually leaves the cylinder bolt in the up position resting on the cylinder but not in the cylinder notch. This is what can cause the ugly ring-around-the-cylinder.
BTW, this does not apply to the Rugers.

[samsi]

Don`t take me wrong i totally agree with the loading method it `s the letting the hammer fall on it`s own i don`t think is safe.
Another thing i saw was a guy capping a ML revolver first then loading the chambers, that seems a little dangerous to me too.

I worked with a guy who insisted that capping the thing first was the proper way to do it, don't remember the convoluted logic involved. He called me insane for reloading the same 45 ACP cases 10 times...

[samsi]

it's impossible to make anything fool proof because fools are so ingenious.

Or one of my favorite sayings, "every time they improve something to make it idiot proof, they improve the idiot".

One of my favorites is Skeeter Skelton's "The planet is producing imbeciles faster than they can be consumed".

[Griff]

Don`t take me wrong i totally agree with the loading method it `s the letting the hammer fall on it`s own i don`t think is safe.
Another thing i saw was a guy capping a ML revolver first then loading the chambers, that seems a little dangerous to me too.

05.gif

I agree Lenn & Jim! That's beyond foolish!

[piller]

Don`t take me wrong i totally agree with the loading method it `s the letting the hammer fall on it`s own i don`t think is safe.
Another thing i saw was a guy capping a ML revolver first then loading the chambers, that seems a little dangerous to me too.

I worked with a guy who insisted that capping the thing first was the proper way to do it, don't remember the convoluted logic involved. He called me insane for reloading the same 45 ACP cases 10 times...

.45 ACP cases reloaded 10 times? Sounds normal to me. They are relatively low pressure. As long as the cases are still holding the primer and not cracking or splitting anywhere, I keep using my low pressure cases. I occasionally anneal them if one or more cases in the batch start splitting or cracking. Dropping a hammer from half-cock or capping cylinders before loading sounds worse to me. I have a big fear of dropping a hammer without using my thumb to slowly lower it UNLESS I am trying to shoot the gun. Not sure what caused this fear, but it is there. So far, no AD to use as the event causing it. Maybe it happened to someone else standing beside me when I was a kid. I do not know.

[Scott Tschirhart]

I throw away cases if they split or if the primer pocket won't hold a primer, other than that, they all get loaded in their turn.

[samsi]

Yeah. that was back when I was trying to keep track of my autoloader brass. but with other stuff getting mixed in it was futile. Around 20 years ago I discovered that a friend had been reloading the same batch of ACP brass since the early '80's - most of his headstamps were worn clean off. I didn't sweat it after that. though I do still keep track my revolver brass.

[horsesoldier03]

I definitely have some headstamps that are getting faint. I don’t throw them away unless they start to split.