The Rules
In the shooting world, there are 4 simple rules that guarantee safety. This is a list of my rules, rules coming from my own personal experience, and I’ll add to them as I go along. Trust me, it’s gonna be long. 
1-10 16 August 2009
1) Retention holsters- don’t.
2) If it falls out of a holster (see #1,) it will hit your foot.
3) Never let a non-gunny mess with your ammo supply. They’ll just do something dumb. Like sort your shotgun ammo by color. 
4) Get over aiming a shotgun. There’s a reason that shell holds a lot of pellets.
5) It’s front sight, press, NOT rear sight, press.
6) When hunting, never let your guard (or your gun) down… they can sense it. Think I’m kidding? Go to your favorite stand unarmed.
7) Being a recoil masochist is like being the sucker at a card table. You probably know one. If you don’t, you probably are one.
8} The answer to “hey, wanna shoot this?” is entirely dependent on whether or not the person asking is a recoil hound. (See #7)
9) Think twice about any “must have” gun. Infatuation with a gun is like infatuation with a love. Years down the road, you’ll be out money and time, and wondering where it all went wrong.
10) Repeat after me, “No, I don’t need that many rails. Lead me not into temptation.” Rails on a gun are like a clean shirt: they attract the oddest things.
11-25 19 August 2009
11) The words “Eyes and ears!” will always be followed by at least one person pulling their ear protection off to say “whut?”
12) Always train for defensive pistol on targets that look like a human. Last time I checked, bulls-eyes weren’t mugging people.
13) When in doubt, shoot it again.
14) A red dot scope works wonders for a .22 rifle.
15) “Hey y’all, watch this!” are the four most unnerving words in the shooting world.
16) No matter what it is you want to buy, a buddy will find the only one in a tri-state area, for cheaper than you could find it, and it will come with accessories.
17) Negotiate. You’re in a gun store, they expect some backbone.
18) Gun stores are like diners, the best ones are small, out of the way, and never advertised. Prices are better, too.
19) If you are looking for a new gun, and the woman of the house is not involved in the purchase… sometimes it’s easier to ask permission than forgiveness. Just sayin’.
20) Mixed boxes of ammo will always migrate to the top of the stack.
21) Home tools and gun tools go in seperate, non-identical bags.
22) Always check that your firearm is loaded before you have to use it. If you don’t, you’ll get caught in an embarrassing or dangerous situation.
23) Old guns are fun. Just not every day. (Winchester Model 37 + 2 boxes trap loads = USRAC tattoo on shoulder.)
24) Guns are like cars. Some are cheap, dependable, but plain. Others are breathtaking but unreliable. (See #9)
25) Beware the man with only one gun. He trains with it. A lot.
[...] When season is out, and you have nothing to hurt them with, the wildlife just comes out to play. (See Rule #6) I was eating supper when I got a call to come to the door. “Is that… a [...]
Doe, a deer, a female deer! « A Dixie Carpetbagger
17 Aug 09 at 8:38 PM
[...] dig the rules. A taste: Retention holsters- [...]
SayUncle » Rules for guns
18 Aug 09 at 8:05 AM
[...] // Blog Title Home About Me Contact RSS Login << These aren't the pictures you are looking for | Home Gunnie rules As an avid Rule #7 kind of guy, I like these. [...]
Sharp as a Marble - Gunnie rules
18 Aug 09 at 9:22 AM
hehehe .. i like … now where’s the rules on the range bag .. you know – like “the only time you decide you don’t need xyz in the bag – you do” ….
julie
18 Aug 09 at 9:27 AM
I feel you neglected ammo in your rules, other than the very true issue of sorting by color….
I have found the following to be true:
Labels on your ammunition containers may indicate the majority of the contents thereof, but there will always be a box of 22LR in the .38 Special container, even if you are certain you never put any in there. The little fellows just love nestling in among their larger friends.
Mikee
18 Aug 09 at 9:34 AM
My rule 5 reads:
5) It’s front sight, press, NOT rear sight, press, NOT Target, press.
dc
deadcenter
18 Aug 09 at 9:47 PM
True, Mikee.
I’ve always found that whenever you combine the remnants of several boxes of ammo, that one box will end up on top of the pile. Always. Also, never buy more than one weight (grain-wise) of ammo from the same manufacturer. I have 165 and 180 grain Remington Golden Sabres mixed so well that I just switched brands. Not that there’s THAT much difference between the two, but I’d rather pick one weight to train with and use than use two different weights.
Julie, with me it’s screwdrivers and tools. I have two toolbags set up: one for armorer’s tools, the other for home repair. They mingle. Nothing could more upsetting than reaching for a AR combo wrench and pulling out the pipe wrench… that’s supposed to be in the OTHER bag.
Dixie
18 Aug 09 at 9:53 PM
Just because i want a derringer in 500S&W does not make me a recoil masochist . . . . much.
SteveA
19 Aug 09 at 3:23 AM
Nice…
#10 is a favorite…
I have a “rules” list- more all-encompassing, work/life guidelines:
http://l2uj.blogspot.com/2009/07/tbgs-rules.html
Great blog BTW- adding it to the links list…
Cheers-
TBG
TBG
19 Aug 09 at 9:52 AM
Steve… a derringer… in .500 S&W? (cough) Well, I guess it would work. I mean, it would be a shorter howdah pistol, right?
Dixie
19 Aug 09 at 1:22 PM
[...] Added a few more. [...]
Rules update « A Dixie Carpetbagger
19 Aug 09 at 10:48 PM
What i want more than anything is a marlin 1895(m or g) in 500s&w. It would be a larger(& i think better) version of the 450 marlin.
Same overall case length(2.10″) but a larger bullet wt range. The 450 is available from 325g – 430g while the 500 is available from 350g – 700g. It would be,imho, the greatest bush gun ever. Short length, 4+1 rounds for anything from deer to grizzly.
SteveA
20 Aug 09 at 12:56 AM
[...] decent defense knife; I found mine for $10 at a gun show. Sellers are very open to applications of Rule 17 late in the last day of a gun show. Anything they sell, they don’t have to carry back to the [...]
Blades at A Dixie Carpetbagger
5 Sep 09 at 8:18 AM
Good ones, gotta remember them – they look like they would come in handy.
Michael
6 Sep 09 at 3:49 PM