My brother did THE SAME EXACT thing to me YEARS ago. He handed me his brand new shiny Beretta .380 auto and says; "Try the double action is it so smooth" I first noticed it was kinda heavy for a unloaded firearm and I proceed to eject the mag and to my surprise it's loaded, then I rack the slide and a nice shiny 90 grain FMJ goes flying.
Yep treat EVERY GUN as it ALWAYS loaded ALL THE TIME.
Exactly how do you "treat every gun as (if) it (is) always loaded all the time"? Would that constitute keeping it pointed in a safe direction, with your finger off the trigger until you decided to fire?
I'm reminded of something I learned in early childhood. On Passover, at the Seder table, there comes a point when the youngest child able to do so asks "the four questions"
מַה נִּשְׁתַּנָּה, הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה
מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין
חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה
הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלּוֹ מַצָּה
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין
שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת
הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלּוֹ מָרוֹר
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ
מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת
הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין
בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין
הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלָּנוּ מְסֻבִּין
מִכָּל הַלֵּילוֹת
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין
חָמֵץ וּמַצָּה
הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלּוֹ מַצָּה
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין
שְׁאָר יְרָקוֹת
הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלּוֹ מָרוֹר
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אֵין אָנוּ
מַטְבִּילִין אֲפִילוּ פַּעַם אֶחָת
הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, שְׁתֵּי פְעָמִים
שֶׁבְּכָל הַלֵּילוֹת אָנוּ אוֹכְלִין
בֵּין יוֹשְׁבִין וּבֵין מְסֻבִּין
הַלַּיְלָה הַזֶּה, כֻּלָּנוּ מְסֻבִּין
For those of you who don't read Hebrew , that says,
"Why is this night different from all other nights?
On all other nights, we eat both bread and matzah. On this night, only matzah.
On all other nights, we eat many herbs. On this night, we especially eat bitter herbs.
On all other nights, we do not dip vegetables at all. Tonight, we dip them twice.
On all other nights, some sit and others recline to eat. Tonight, we all recline."
That's called the "Four Questions", but in truth, as you see, there is but one question.
So there is but one question here: If your firearm is handled safely at all times, what does it matter whether or not it is loaded?
Blessings,
Bill