Politely telling someone they’re an idiot

My neighbor always wants to show me his latest gun (mostly pistols)

But his gun etiquette is extremely careless.

For example, while handling the gun, he sometimes allows the muzzle to point directly at me, or worse his kids as they play nearby.

Even though is momentary, that’s still a big no-no in my book. I always try to move out of the way but he’s completely oblivious.

Sometimes there’s ammo in the magazine but haven’t caught him with one in the chamber.

Can someone help me phrase it correctly so I don’t offend the guy?

He’s generally a nice dude but can be kind of nosy and I don’t fully trust him.

Side note: my elderly father has also become careless in how he handles a firearm.

Calling on the wisdom of the THF community.

Cheers

Might I recommend a nice throat punch?

In all seriousness, a polite comment to point out the error of his ways might be a start.

I’d still move out of the way but act like he flagged you big time and just say almost jokingly damn man come on you just flagged the hell out of me to get it into his mind. If he did it again I’d pull him aside and tell him hey if you’re going to keep flagging me while showing me guns, please don’t show me anymore guns.

I hate to say it but I’ve done this once. At a match I was trying to get my ARCA bag off my rifle holding it between my legs and using both hands on the bag the barrel was just kind of aiming where ever up in the air. I looked up from what I was doing with BrotherInLaw on this forum pushing my muzzle out of his face. Felt terrible about it but I blame him for being 7ft tall. Had he been my height the barrel would have been above his head lol.

I've had the same situation with friends, neighbors & relatives. If the muzzle moves in my direction, I quickly recoil out of the way which is when they say "It's not loaded.". I usually ask if I can see the gun at which point they watch me check & disable the gun (cylinder open or slide back with mag out). I can only hope they get the "picture" & realize safety is first & foremost. People with guns, especially handguns, sometimes really surprise me on how bad their safe handling is.

Just say, “TurkeyHunter, stop coming here.”

dayum man

I would have one polite conversation with him. Might be a teaching/learning opportunity. Maybe no one ever showed him? Future interaction would be dependent on the outcome of that conversation.

Just tell him.
If he gets upset at you for pointing a serious safety issue, that's his problem.

Well done!

Ive only had it happen once at a gun store and I called the guy out. I told him I needed him to stop pointing the muzzle at me in a pretty stern voice. He seemed annoyed so I asked him if he’s ever taken a firearm class or hunters safety class to which he just muttered something and walked off.

I had it happen in a CHL class too where a woman basically bought a revolver at Academy and showed up for the class. I caught her sweeping people, tinkering with the gun with ppl down range, and shooting across lanes. I eventually let the instructor know he needed to work with her before she shot someone or shot herself. Since she was there to learn, I didnt feel it was right to call her out and discourage her so I talked the instructor quietly. She seemed very relieved to have the extra help from the instructor and quickly course corrected.

I would just call him out. No need to be polite when it comes to safety.

That’s pretty much what we tell everyone at every match we hold. EVERYONE is Range officers. If you see someone being unsafe speak up. Even if it’s one of the match directors.

We almost had a very bad incident at one of our first matches. I was up on a stage and was just about to squeeze the trigger and someone walked in front of the firing line right in front of me. I know my 22’s trigger with several thousands of rounds down range and it was right at the breaking point when my scope went black and I backed off the trigger. Thank God I did because one of the members on here walked in front of the firing line. Talk about pucker factor.

F that. Tell that bastards he’s to dumb to own a gun. Don’t sugar coat [censored]

Tell him if he does it again you will rape his azz

This is recent. I don't do Facebook, but supposedly this happened in Emory recently. Maybe somebody in that area can fill us in if this is accurate or not.

Damn I was coming from the other side of someone that has done it and felt like [censored] about it, but hey this works too

I’m not polite. There’s no since in sugar coating it. If honesty comes off as offensive or rude, then it’s most likely well deserved.

My neighbor built a gate for a new tractor. It opened up hill, a substantial hill. Not only did they have to scrape dirt away, they had to use a rod to prop it open. I went up there and offered my assistance in correcting the [censored] up. He got offended. A few weeks later he was out there adjusting it again, and again I offered my assistance in permanently fixing it, again he got offended. I walked away laughing.

What if he smiles at you and does it again?

So he gave a loaded pistol to some stranger he was trading to? Sounds like both were at fault on this one. I’d never hand someone a loaded pistol especially if I’ve never met them.

There’s like multiple safety violations in that story.

Yes, speak up. “Hey man you just swept me. Watch your muzzle.” I don’t like being around people who are not safe with firearms. And if it becomes a pattern, I won’t hunt with them. Pistols are much easier for it to happen than with long guns for obvious reasons. But I’m always watching.

Simple response. "You point that [censored] gun at me again and I'm gonna take it from you and shove it up your [censored]". A one time accidental flagging from someone who is otherwise very careful is one thing. Hell, I'm guilty of that too. But constant disregard of muzzle safety is reason to make your displeasure crystal clear. And the "it's unloaded" comment is further reason for someone to have said unloaded firearm shoved up his [censored].

If there was a polite way to tell someone they’re an idiot, very few people would end up on the wall.

You just have to use common sense and be as polite as you can, but also firm. If you have to follow up more aggressive to explain why so be it. You might have saved someone's life then or by awareness in the future. For that reason it does not matter if it offends them. where it can get sticky is when friends or family of the person are also present. It's human nature for people to get embarrassed and for others to get defensive for their friends even when they are in the wrong.

Getting picked up at a stand once I watched a guy a little ways down the road from me look at me using his scoped rifle. Then I watched him unload it when he put it in his truck. So he was sighted in on me with a loaded rifle. I was wearing a red flannel shirt so he knew who I was too. I brought it up back in camp to please use binoculars instead of a loaded rifle on me next time. Half the camp got offended. Though I was as polite about it as I could be and it was not my intent to embarrass the gentleman in front of his family, but that is what I did. My mistake was not taking him aside by himself to point out the seriousness of what he had done. So something to think about if it is a situation in front of other people where the immediate threat is over and you can wait to explain it to them alone.

BTW, I broke the ice by putting my red flannel shirt on a deer shoulder mount that had the feet under it and taking a picture of the deer wearing the shirt. I had previously said in the original conversation with the offended, something like "Deer don't wear red flannel shirts". I showed them the picture and said "I apologize because I was wrong. Deer do wear red flannel shirts. See!".

You cannot have patience with this. Plain & simple, it's a safety issue which must be respected.

This

Politeness and etiquette goes out the window with me and gun safety/awareness
I have escorted people to the front gate and off ranch over gun issues. Have been told a couple times I overreact.
I don’t care.

There’s absolutely no reason to be polite in that situation

A few years back there was an "idiot" next to me shooting at the Garland Public Range. He was pointing his hand gun everywhere but down range at the target. He muzzle swept our group several times. I eventually approached him and took his gun away form him and after dropping the mag and clearing the chamber I gave it to the RSO stripped down in pieces. I have not been back to the chit hole range since.

I'm around a lot of strangers with guns every year. And they are standing on my land. I do not have to be overly polite, and I do not have to be an a-hole either. You open a gun case , and the bolt is closed, I am going to reach down and open it. The only safe gun is one with an open bolt, or open slide, and you still NEVER point it at anything you are not willing to destroy. I would say those words to him, look him in the eye, and never crack a smile. This is serious business, and if he cannot take constructive criticism then I would not want to be anywhere near him, holding a gun ever again. I would also plainly tell him I hope he does not accidentally shoot his wife or his kids due to his carelessness.

No sugar coating this stuff, it is life and death.

Do you have to actually tell someone they're "an idiot". Think I'd take the more PC route and kindly mention to the guy that he's practicing poor firearm handling protocol and why that is. If he doesn't like it, then non-politely tell him he's an idiot. Why has society gotten into first wanting to yell or cuss instead of discussing things sanely. We'd be a lot better off if we went back to doing it like we used to do.

That exact same scenario cost me a hell of a guiding job a few years ago, owners 16 yr old son would swing a loaded gun past everyone while handling. I addressed it immediately and it didn't go over well with the owners. It's a matter of life and death.

Polite happens within the scope of acceptable behavior. Your situation is not within.

Gun safety is zero tolerance. If you do it around me we will handle it on the spot. I will also yell at you for smoking while pumping gas.

Does anybody still do that?

"Bless Your Heart"...dumb azz idiot!

If you addressing safety cost you the job I argue that it wasn't "a hell of a guiding job". Sounds to me you were done a favor.

'It's not loaded'

My response to this is always 'There's a huge list of people that have died from 'unloaded' firearms. Let's not add to it.'

I had a friend that had terrible trigger discipline and would muzzle people all the time. One day we were at my range and I gave a stern "HEY MFer!!! Get your finger off the trigger and quit pointing that thing at me or go TF home." Hasn't been an issue around me anymore.

I would call him an idiot for showing his guns
That's how they get stolen

A good friend of mine's son was killed with a shotgun "not loaded". I have zero tolerance when around guns. I don't see what a direct "if you don't mind don't point that gun anywhere near my direction" hurts in a situation like the OP stated.

Hey dipchit stop being stupid. That’s what I’d say.

Yes. Probably 1/3 of people in this state are actual morons. Where you are is likely different.

I see on here with pictures. Someone shoots a deer and has their rifle laid across it and pointing right back in their direction with a closed bolt. Heck, sometimes it’s their kids. I don’t say anything… but I think it. However, just about every time I see someone with the bolt open I comment that I like the gun safety. Especially if it’s their kids.

Same goes with a shotgun leaned up against the tailgate full of birds. We’ve all heard stories of the dog knocking the gun over and it going off and shooting someone.

This is a great thread! I can almost guarantee you it will make a difference for someone in the future to either speak up when they see something, or change their actions themselves.

Was with a group of family and couple of friends recently and they wanted to shoot their guns. There were 2 pistols and an AR among 5 people. They all shot the guns for a minute and one of the friends who knows noting about guns of any sort wanted to shoot. He finished the mag and my nephew reloaded it and handed it back to this guy. He began talking and the pistol was waiving everywhere with his finger in the trigger guard. I told him to get his finger off the trigger and to hand me the pistol then proceeded to clear a round out of the chamber and dump the contents of the mag onto the dirt. Handed it back to him with the slide open and told him that even with no mag and the slide out of battery you still should never point it at anyone or anything you didn't want to shoot and only a gun handled in this condition is truly safe. He spent the rest of the afternoon repeatedly apologizing. Never met this dude before but I didn't care at that moment what he would think of me afterwards. Turned out to be a real nice guy.

I think we got you beat - probably 4/5 that are actual morons here.

As to the OP: I don't tolerate poor gun safety. I wouldn't have been nice - polite - whatever. Most people aren't going to take you serious the first time if you're nice. I'd rather be an [censored], teach you, and move on. One stupid mistake can cost someone their life - nothing nice about it.

That place was the worst. Always seemed like it was where the gangbangers went to train. Shooting their handguns sideways. Shooting across lanes. Sweeping people. Then ironically the ROs would chew your azz out if you dared to carry a fully cased gun during a cease fire.

I grew up hunting in south texas. From a very young age, was taught about guns. Camp rules, all actions left open. Bolt action? better have the bolt open. Semi auto? Better lock the bolt back and take out the mag. Lever action? better have that lever open. Pump? Have it open. Even single and double barrel shotguns? Better be broken open. It just really isnt that hard.

Sorry, but I'd have no nice way of explaining it to him!!!!!!

Why do you want to "sugar coat" the obvious? Sounds WOK to me.

Tell it like it is with ZFG...to Father as well.

There’s no nice when it comes to this.
I packed up my stuff, loaded up my boys and left because of this kind of thing.
They did have 2 accidental shots fired after we left, no one was hurt, but it’s not worth taking a chance.

The moment life - or to be less dramatic even health - is threatened the pleasantries go out the window. It's that simple. At that point there is a choice: sternly address the childishly simple rules of gun safety or part ways.

Let me add...he would no longer be a firearms owner if it was my elderly Father that was being careless or reckless with firearms. Tough chit "Dad" you F'd up, they're gone.