Gun safety

[okie]

Just do it!!!

Gregory Rotramel was just weeks away from getting married and welcoming his second child.

"I can see his smile, I can see him acting silly," said Kimberly Gale, Rotramel's mother.

Rotramel was just 21 years old, eagerly planning a future with his fiancée, Alicia, son Aiden and awaiting the birth of their daughter next month. Those close to him said his life was his family.

"He put me and the baby before anything," said Alicia Cessna, Rotramel's fiancee.

"The one thing I would like people to take away is Gregory very much loved life. He was very happy, he was looking forward to the future and the birth of his little girl," said Gale.

But a tragic mistake took that future away. Tuesday night, Rotramel was showing his fiancee how to clean a new handgun when it accidentally fired, hitting him in the head. He died at the hospital barely 24 hours later, leaving his family struggling to understand why.

"Somebody that was that much about life never would have imagined that sort of accident would have happened to him," said Gale.

Through their grief, his family is speaking out about respecting and understanding gun safety: Checking safety locks and always making sure it's unloaded.

"People who are cleaning guns need to know that it's very serious and they need to take precautions," said Gale.

Rotramel's mother says her son grew up around guns, often hunting. She says she can't figure out why this time was so different. She says she hopes others learn, so they won't suffer the same tragedy.

"It's not something to take lightly at all. It can very very serious, and fatal," said Gale.

Now, as Rotramel's family works to move forward they are left with tears and memories of a man taken too soon.

"I have so many things I'm going to miss," said Gale.

http://www.kake.com/home/headlines/28633519.html

[dox1842]

Something isnt right here. How does a gun just "go off"?
ETA: why wasnt he pointing it in a safe direction??

[void *]

Something isnt right here. How does a gun just "go off"?


While cleaning it ...

Why is it always while cleaning it?

I've never seen *anyone* try and clean a loaded gun. Maybe I'm hanging around the right people.

[dox1842]

I read the full article, it says he unloaded the magazine but I suppose he didnt pull the slide back. Thats what I always do when I unload a gun, so I know theres nothing in the chamber.

[jhoagland]

I read the full article, it says he unloaded the magazine but I suppose he didnt pull the slide back. Thats what I always do when I unload a gun, so I know theres nothing in the chamber.

Amen!

My cleaning procedure.
Get cleaning kit and rags out.
Make room on table.
Take pistol out of holster.
Drop magazine.
Rack slide three times.
Lock slide back.
Remove magazine from cleaning area.
Rack slide again and lock.
Look inside chamber and magazine well.
Stick finger inside chamber.
Look through chamber side of bbl and verify light coming through.
Close slide and point at floor and pull trigger.
Click.
Cleared to start cleaning weapon.
I never, ever, ever, deviate from this routine.

[okie]

Amen!

My cleaning procedure.
Get cleaning kit and rags out.
Make room on table.
Take pistol out of holster.
Drop magazine.
Rack slide three times.
Lock slide back.
Remove magazine from cleaning area.
Rack slide again and lock.
Look inside chamber and magazine well.
Stick finger inside chamber.
Look through chamber side of bbl and verify light coming through.
Close slide and point at floor and pull trigger.
Click.
Cleared to start cleaning weapon.
I never, ever, ever, deviate from this routine.

Awesome routine Mate:thumbsup:

[itisbruno]

While cleaning it ...

Why is it always while cleaning it?

I've never seen *anyone* try and clean a loaded gun. Maybe I'm hanging around the right people.

If I ever got to the point that I could not care for myself and became a burden, that statistic may work in my favor.

[RHVEtte]

While cleaning it ...

Why is it always while cleaning it?

I've never seen *anyone* try and clean a loaded gun. Maybe I'm hanging around the right people.

I don't get how you could try to clean a loaded gun. Don't you need access to the chamber to clean, oh, I don't know, ALL firearms?

[BigPhil]

I can't even imagine what his family is going through right now. Gun safety ain't no joke.

[silentpoet]

I think they are trying to cover up a suicide. That is what I always think when I hear the cleaning loaded weapon line.

[dox1842]

I think so too, and doesnt this article mention that he already had a kid with his gf then they were soon to be married?? I think he had second thoughts.......

[MtBaldy]

Tragic but if you don't know how to handle them you shouldn't own them. I know my Glock is safe when I can hold the barrel up to my eye and look through it. If it's not going in the holster every time I pick it up I check the magazine and chamber. I tear those "Against the Law" mattress tags off with impunity but gun safety rules I obey religiously.

[okie]

I think they are trying to cover up a suicide. That is what I always think when I hear the cleaning loaded weapon line.

I didn't think of that, but it sure as hell makes sence:alex:

[okie]

I tear those "Against the Law" mattress tags off with impunity

Oh my hell am I ever tellin the mattress cops on you:tongueout::rofl:

[Model19]

Wow I guess I better change my cleaning routing. My first step is pointing at my head and pulling the trigger.

[hill billy]

Amen!

My cleaning procedure.
Get cleaning kit and rags out.
Make room on table.
Take pistol out of holster.
Drop magazine.
Rack slide three times.
Lock slide back.
Remove magazine from cleaning area.
Rack slide again and lock.
Look inside chamber and magazine well.
Stick finger inside chamber.
Look through chamber side of bbl and verify light coming through.
Close slide and point at floor and pull trigger.
Click.
Cleared to start cleaning weapon.
I never, ever, ever, deviate from this routine.

I do all that and more, I think my wife thinks I am obsessive compulsive.:embarassed: The thought of an ND possibly hurting me or someone I love scares the shart out of me.

[kirgi08]

Guys/Gals,Whatever happened ta "Check Safe".I don't/won't handle a firearm I ain't cleared.Okster/WTF.'08.

[okie]

Guys/Gals,Whatever happened ta "Check Safe".I don't/won't handle a firearm I ain't cleared.Okster/WTF.'08.

Your spot on Roger. I can't help but think suicide here,maybe, maybe not:dunno:

[Zombie Steve]

Sad story, but I'm also bothered with the "it accidentally fired" part. How 'bout "he accidently / negligently fired the gun".

And yeah, why the hell was it pointed at his head????

[kirgi08]

There ARE no ADs.They are all NDs or planned.'08.

[digitspaw]

Amen!

My cleaning procedure.
Get cleaning kit and rags out.
Make room on table.
Take pistol out of holster.
Drop magazine.
Rack slide three times.
Lock slide back.
Remove magazine from cleaning area.
Rack slide again and lock.
Look inside chamber and magazine well.
Stick finger inside chamber.
Look through chamber side of bbl and verify light coming through.
Close slide and point at floor and pull trigger.
Click.
Cleared to start cleaning weapon.
I never, ever, ever, deviate from this routine.


I'm in the camp of "you can never be TOO safe" and I practice and teach forming habits and routines.

Making sure your gun is unloaded is the very second thing you should do in the cleaning process if you want to stay safe.











































The first thing you should do is load another gun.

[okie]

There ARE no ADs.They are all NDs or planned.'08.

Spot on again Roger:thumbsup:

[coachg]

I do all that and more, I think my wife thinks I am obsessive compulsive.:embarassed: The thought of an ND possibly hurting me or someone I love scares the shart out of me.

I think if you don't feel a little obsessive/compulsive when clearing a gun, you aren't being careful enough.

I hate to pass judgment on someone after such a tragedy, but i never understand how people get shot the way they do while cleaning their guns. I guess it's possible, but i tend to suspect suicide or a good excuse for murder.

[Steve0853]

Another one whose "family was everything to him", yet managed to get the baby mama knocked up twice without marrying her.

That don't sound like someone who thinks "family is everything". Maybe I grew up in the wrong era.

[badge315]

Wow I guess I better change my cleaning routing. My first step is pointing at my head and pulling the trigger.

You should apply for a job with the DEA...I hear they have an opening for a top-notch UC agent who's professional enough to carry a Glock Foe-Tee. :supergrin:

[okie]

You should apply for a job with the DEA...I hear they have an opening for a top-notch UC agent who's professional enough to carry a Glock Foe-Tee. :supergrin:

<-------------Won't carry a Glock Foe-Tee:supergrin:

[silentpoet]

I think if you don't feel a little obsessive/compulsive when clearing a gun, you aren't being careful enough.

I hate to pass judgment on someone after such a tragedy, but i never understand how people get shot the way they do while cleaning their guns. I guess it's possible, but i tend to suspect suicide or a good excuse for murder.

Yes to the second paragraph.

And the first for that matter. I do the 5 finger check when I am going to do dry firing. I clear the chamber and check it with 5 different fingers.

[stevelyn]

I don't buy the "I/He/She/It was cleaning it and went off" stories. They are either suicides or Darwinism to the extreme, in which case we're all much better off anyway.

[LoadToadBoss]

My OCD cleaning routine saved me last month when my wife put her Bersa Thunder 380 back in her range case without clearing the weapons. She dropped the mag but left one in the pipe for me to find at the cleaning table. Fortunately, Bersas have a mag safety (no mag, no trigger).

Always, always, always (ad nauseam) check your weapons safe before cleaning.

[silentpoet]

Always, always, always (ad nauseam) check your weapons safe before cleaning.
Also don't, as a general rule, point them at your head.

[hill billy]

I don't buy the "I/He/She/It was cleaning it and went off" stories. They are either suicides or Darwinism to the extreme, in which case we're all much better off anyway.So how many people(besides me) hear " A police officer shot himself to day while re-holstering his weapon" and think suicide as well?

[Texas357]

So how many people(besides me) hear " A police officer shot himself to day while re-holstering his weapon" and think suicide as well?

When the shot is to the head, I do....

[coachg]

The reason i first bought a Glock was because i had heard so many stories about people getting killed cleaning their guns, that i thought i better get one that doesn't need to be cleaned as often. It's just too dangerous. :rofl:

If you believed the news, you might actually think its more dangerous to clean one than shoot it.

[Gonzoso]

I would imagine all it takes is to lay out your patches, rods, swabs, solvents, brushes, etc. and eat a bullet. When the cops show up, they see a clear accident, and who wants to tarnish someones name by saying they committed suicide?

IMO suicide is weakness, a permanent solution to a temporary problem.

[10-32]

Who knows what happened with this guy. I feel bad for his mom and the rest of his family, but I have to agree that it sounds suspect. Particularly a guy with a hunting/firearms background.

I know a guy who fatally shot someone else in the head while "cleaning" his weapon. I'm very suspicious of him. I've heard him joke about it. That aint right man. But he got no legal action because it was an "accident". Bull.


The last time I went shooting with some friends I had a guy trying to help me pack up at the end. A nice gesture, but I kept telling him to leave my guns alone. There were several people handling my weapons that session, and I wanted to personally clear each and every one before they got packed away. Maybe I offended the guy a little, but I don't care. My weapons, my responsibility. Simple as that. If I didn't clear it, it aint clear.