[UncleEntity]

> One vital rule of gun handling is to never point it at something until you’re ready to shoot...

Not so much, never point a gun at something unless you're willing to shoot -- a double barrel shotgun has a lot of power to make someone rethink their life choices when pointed at them without having to actually shoot.

[bigbubba]

There are numerous formulations of this rule. The one used by the US Marines is 'Never point the weapon at anything you do not INTEND to shoot.'

In this formulation of the rule, pointing a gun with the intent to threaten isn't valid, since an intention to threaten is not an intention to shoot.

[UncleEntity]

What they tell you and what actually happens on the battlefield are two different things.

I've pointed weapons at people without the intention of shooting them while covering other solders and on occasions where they "just didn't look right" -- can't just randomly start shooting people but you also don't want to be caught off guard if they decide to start shooting at you. The last time this happened some car rolled up on our guard post and all of us were pointing our weapons at said vehicle while we sent someone out to figure out what they wanted (which turned out to be the main gate so they could find out what happened to one of their relatives who was arrested or something). Nobody intended on shooting them but if they didn't stop short or acted suspiciously we would've lit them up with the .50cal.

[jessaustin]

I'm sorry for what was done to you in the military. Please try to find a different way of existing in our society. People you'd never suspect have firearms, and will use them to kill you in response to the behavior you describe here.

[InitialLastName]

My preferred formulation is "Never point a gun towards anything you don't mean to destroy". Including things within a reasonable solid angle of your target.

[snypher]

This is a hero fantasy, and allows you to be legally killed by pretty much anyone. Don't do this.