# How do you (I) remember the whole 4th rule of safety?



## HipGnosis (9 mo ago)

To be clear; I'm asking about "Always Be Sure of Your Target and What's Beyond It".
My question is specifically about 'what's beyond it'.

Doing dry firing and going to the range, it's easy to 'dismiss' what's beyond the target.
But I don't want to get in the habit of dismissing it. Because I'm not practicing to practice more. I'm practicing so I've got the 'right' habits (muscle memory, etc..) to use my weapon should I ever need to.


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## SouthernBoy (Jun 27, 2007)

The major problem with practicing scenarios where there might be an innocent party behind someone who is deserving of your use of deadly force is that you may withhold fire when you absolute must fire in order to save your life. So you would be putting yourself in a real quandary by pausing and deciding what to do in such a situation. This could very likely cost you your life. This then comes down to a very hard decision. Who's life is more important; yours or the innocent party's?


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## denner (Jun 3, 2011)

Accuracy is your friend. Shooting an unintended target is not a good thing. You may not know in all circumstances what's behind your target, good judgment would come into play.
Now, if you lived in a cheaply made apartment with thin drywall walls and decided to use an AK with hardball for your only firearm for self defense, that would be an example of very poor judgment.

I was watching local news about a couple in a nice hotel, and just seconds before were standing in a spot that someone next room over sent a .45 acp round through the wall just above their headboard, zipped through their room and in to the next room.

If they had been standing there seconds before one of them would have been hit.


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## tony pasley (May 6, 2006)

Awareness of soundings, type of ammo you choose, practice and more practice helps


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## LostinTexas (Oct 1, 2018)

If the world were perfect, you'd never need to defend yourself. 
Do your best and do what you have to.


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## Goldwing (Nov 5, 2014)

If you think you have to shoot to avoid loss of life, make the shot. You don't get to be wrong twice in that circumstance.


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## SamBond (Aug 30, 2016)

There are times when you just can not take the shot.
Personally if I killed an innocent I don't think I could live with that... So I would rather not.

Sam


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## BackyardCowboy (Aug 27, 2014)

You won't know the choice you'll make until it is forced upon you.


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## 357MagMan (Dec 11, 2011)

“everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth” Mike Tyson
Hopefully you'll never know.
Carry Safe and
Watch Your 6 🇺🇲👍😎


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