Mark Carew
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- Sep 6, 2020
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I live in Ontario, Canada so firearm safety training is a federal requirement for a firearms license in Canada. Without a firearms license, one cannot legally possess, purchase and use any firearm or purchase ammunition. Horrific accidents where a young child accidentally shoots a sibling are unknown in Canada due to firearm and ammunition storage laws.
That being said, twenty years ago, I was asked to try out a friend's recent auction purchase at a legal shooting range. It was a Savage takedown model '99 in 250 Savage. I put a round into the magazine, cycled the lever, and the rifle discharged instantly. The bullet plowed into the ground about ten feet straight ahead of my station, still in my shooting lane. I felt the heat of embarrassment climbing into my face; I mumbled something about my foolishness of somehow setting the trigger off as I closed the action. The range officer, sensing my discomfort at the discharge, stated that " Twenty years of safety training had just payed dividends for everyone involved at the range today!"
Long story short, the rifle required a gunsmith's attention, as each time the action closed the rifle would discharge. The sear was worn to the point that it would not hold the firing mechanism at highest tension. I think of this experience often as a matter of perspective.
That being said, twenty years ago, I was asked to try out a friend's recent auction purchase at a legal shooting range. It was a Savage takedown model '99 in 250 Savage. I put a round into the magazine, cycled the lever, and the rifle discharged instantly. The bullet plowed into the ground about ten feet straight ahead of my station, still in my shooting lane. I felt the heat of embarrassment climbing into my face; I mumbled something about my foolishness of somehow setting the trigger off as I closed the action. The range officer, sensing my discomfort at the discharge, stated that " Twenty years of safety training had just payed dividends for everyone involved at the range today!"
Long story short, the rifle required a gunsmith's attention, as each time the action closed the rifle would discharge. The sear was worn to the point that it would not hold the firing mechanism at highest tension. I think of this experience often as a matter of perspective.
