... because firearms are mechanochemical devices of non-trivial complexity, and as such are under the control of the dread Murphy, who has a tendency to make life interesting from time to time.
In short - misfires happen. Whatever the barrel's pointing it can get hole(s) punched in it. As such, always know what you're pointing a live weapon at, IMO, and that includes foreground, target, background, and possible scatter.
This is *not* a trivial task, IMO. However, if you are a responsible weapon-user, it's something to keep in mind. Yes, misfires on well-maintained weapons are rare, but they can happen. Rather than hollering with holes in people to deal with, hollering with holes in property is much easier to handle.
A somewhat similar case is that bullets can go through things. Knowing what your weapons' capabilities are in such circumstances is important. Firearms are not identical, round are not identical, and knowing what you can do - and how! - makes a critical difference in the degree of safety (and lethality) you have.
IMO, 'course - this is a bit of a soapbox, sorry for that. Just a heartfelt position or three of mine. |
