Oh pipe down, no one likes the french. You guys can't even count normally. Honestly, why would you say "four-twenty-ten-nine" instead of just making a word for 99?? (Yes that's what it means) And I'm not even American. And when Americans do dumb things I'm the first to jump and say "only in America". That's not to say I hate Americans. :o

YDI for trying to be a smartass!

Ain't no one ever told you to make sure that the weapon's safe and clear? In terms you can understand "gun expert" your finger is not in the trigger guard, the red dot is not showing on the safety selector, there is no magazine in the weapon and there is no round in the chamber. If you follow those simple steps, the weapon is guarenteed not to go off!

retarded much?

If they OWNED guns, I'm pretty sure the person/people you were explaining the gun safety too were pretty damn aware of it already. You were probably belittling their knowledge in the first place!

@#9 Guns stored unloaded make excellent paperweights. Many times someone can use a gun in self-defense without firing (and thus not make the news). This can be done with a loaded gun as well as with an unloaded one. In all other cases, a loaded gun is superior. @OP There is a reason Jeff Cooper put the Four Rules in the order they are. Here is my paraphrasing. #1 AMMO: Always treat a gun as if it is loaded until you can check (your missed this one) #2 MUZZLE: Always point the gun in a safe direction (assuming your friend doesn't live in an upper-floor apartment, good job pointing at the floor) #3 TRIGGER: Keep your snot hook off the bang switch (I stole this one; you missed this one too) #4 TARGET: Know what is around and behind what you are shooting at Rule 4 is not a repeat of Rule 2 because it applied when you actually do want the gun to fire: That is, when know a gun is loaded, you are pointing it at something you do not object to destroying, and you are about to pull the trigger intentionally. This is the reason most police departments (including all or most in New Jersey) choose a hollow-point bullet -- and why most citizens should as well, and should work to change the law where they are forbidden, e.g. New Jersey. Hollow points maximize the force conveyed to what they hit, which is, ideally, your target and something or someone whose health is not a key concern to you. Outside of war no one should shoot to kill -- even if it can avoid some nasty lawsuits -- but should shoot to stop an imminent potential killer or mauler or rapist. Dead is one form of stopped, but a couple rounds to the center of mass, if they do not kill him, will usually not immediately make your target stronger. (Shooting arms or legs only works well when those arms and legs aren't moving, which is usually called assault with a deadly weapon.) Non-hollow point rounds, e.g. full metal jacketed cartridges, may miss bone and not as fully transfer their energy to your target; this means they may pass through the target and hit someone or something you do not want to shoot. Weather using hollow points or not, Rule 4 applies (you might miss after all), but when you don't have a better choice (i.e. any time you need to fire a gun at a fellow human being, or at a domestic animal) it is more desirable to use bullets that will not pass through your target doing minimal damage while hitting non-targets. Finally, it sounds like the OP would be a better candidate for the Eddie Eagle program than presume to teach someone about gun safety using a third party's gun. This program from the NRA teaches children to stop and leave an area when they see a gun, and inform a trustworthy adult about it.

YDI for being a toOl!

next time aim better

It was a small grace of fortune or more likely my observance that saved a friend of mines life. I was lining up to take a shot, safety off, exhale, friend walks forward of "safe" line, safety on, crossbow down (we're in the UK), friend gets a sound bollocking, friend ***** off to other side of field, pick up crossbow, line up shot, safety off, exhale, squeeze trigger, gold, repeat

haha you're so right. were there train tracks near by?