I never mix the two.

And in NC, concealed carry has zero tolerance. You can carry, or you can drink, but not both.

I was on prescribed oxycodone for my shoulder injury and surgery, and for those 4 days each time, no guns. Even after, since it was my shooting side, all I could carry was a G42 on the off side.

I rarely drink any more, and more than one good margarita means I should not drive. I would assume the same as to firearms.

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NHI, 10-8.

I don’t drink. Wasn’t brought up with it and just never acquired a taste for booze.
My best friend Ed, however was a drinker to the point it became a problem that eventually took his life at 47 years old.
We were doing a morning of target shooting, starting off with .357’s and .45’s and finishing up with .22’s. I wasn’t aware that Ed’s breakfast that morning was in liquid form although I don’t know how much he had.
Ed was shooting a High Standard .22 auto. He started walking to the target stand carrying the .22, stumbled and the gun went off. He hadn’t put the safety on.
The bullet entered the upper calf of his leg, followed the bone down and bounced out the top of his foot.
Luckily X-rays showed he hadn’t broken anything.
I had hoped it was a learning point for him but later I found a box of casings of various calibers on his reloading bench with primers in sideways, backwards etc. so I guess it didn’t sink in.
I guess you know where I stand on alcohol and gun powder.

The question was asked to initiate a discussion and an exchange of opinions on the subject, which it apparently has done. I believe we all concur that drunken behavior is an awful mix with firearms. However, it's also apparent, based on personal observation as well as some comments here, that individuals have varying opinions on what is acceptable and what is not. An example of this would be the person who carries concealed when out for dinner and drinks, but refrains from actually handling the gun unless absolutely necessary. Another, which I haven't seen addressed here, is handling guns which are "known" to be unloaded while drinking; would you show a guest in your home some of your collection over cocktails, for instance?

As I stated initially, I'm not looking to start any arguments here.

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Ain't This Fun Though?

I have my own land and a well appointed range that I welcome friends, and their friends, to shoot, camp, and hunt with me there. I don't allow alcohol consumption while shooting. After everyone is done shooting and we have started the bbq, then sure, they bring out the alcohol.

I don't want an accident on my range. There is the liability issue for the landowner. We are twenty miles from the nearest hospital. Those are the primary, practical reasons. I won't go into the character reasons.

Are you kidding ... Booze and anything ... (except maybe sitting in a recliner and watching the Ball Game) doesn't go well together ! .
Don't drink and Talk ... Don't drink and Wal;k !

I have two children that were booze induced ... older married people should never drink and Kiss !

Gunpowder ... Just Say No !
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member

Just fine with me.

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I’m your Boogie Man, uh huh.

I don't have a radio or TV on when I hand load either. No distractions needed for me. Bob

Complete separation between firearms and alcohol consumption is a very good general rule. Like any general rule there will be occasional exceptions.]

While in Vietnam I spent a fair amount of time in the bush on combat operations or at outlying operating bases subject to frequent attacks. We also received supplies from time to time which might include fresh food and cooked meals, ice cream, or enough beer for everyone to have a couple of cans. We appreciated those items, but we continued carrying fully-loaded weapons (including full-auto, grenade launchers, mines, explosives, etc). In the interests of maintaining morale and commitment to task I think this was an appropriate course, and a necessary exception to the general rules.

Most of my law enforcement career was with agencies having policies dictating always being armed and always on duty (although temporarily relieved from active performance of duty). Not unusual while off-duty to attend social functions including alcoholic beverages, and most of us enjoyed without excess. At least arguably, another exception to the general rules.

Much of the time I was required to be on-call 24 hours per day and respond as needed. I saw no need to completely deprive myself of a private life and normal activities, only to remain sufficiently capable of safely performing necessary duties. Again, at least arguably a reasonable exception to the general rules.

Now I'm retired. I very rarely go to public bars, but may have a beer or wine with a meal, and if I choose to stop by one of my private clubs while out and about for the day I do so. I consider leaving a firearm in an unattended vehicle to be avoided if at all possible, probably far more likely to result in danger or harm than simply maintaining maximum control myself. Some might argue that this is avoidable, thus not a valid exception to the general rules, and they are entitled to their opinions.

Like it or not, alcoholic beverages are a part of life and have been for about 10,000 years of human history. The necessity for self-defense in modern society is (in my opinion) beyond doubt. The responsible person must balance realities and common sense, and stand ready to accept the consequences of every decision.

Zero tolerance standards and policies are little more than an excuse to avoid decision making, reality, common sense, and personal responsibility.

OK, fire away!

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

Don't forget, they also cover explosives, which makes the whole party even more fun!

The only time alcohol and firearms are ever present at the same time is at deer camp and even then someone may have a beer while taking a sighting shot or two, when the real drinking starts guns are put away in the rack. I never consume alcohol when I’m reloading.

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Some Might Say.

Years ago at Gunsite Mr Cooper would bring out the beer after the students had left. His word was group tightener. Shooting a handgun at ranges from 25 yards to just beyond 75 yards was an experiment. Shoot a group at 50 yards. Drink one beer and wait 45 minutes. Shoot another group at 50 yards. The results were telling as most groups were smaller after the one beer. Drink another beer and wait another 45 minutes. Shoot another group and the results stayed the same or improved a little. Drink one more beer and wait another 45 minutes. Shoot a group and the results were eye opening to say the least. The groups were the worst shot. All groups opened up at least 2 inches. This is just FYI and not meant to accept alcohol on the range or anywhere else. There is a reason that every range I have been to bans alcohol. And remember that Mr Cooper was a former Marine Colonel, and somebody One does not argue with on His Range. The right answer is Guns and Alcohol do not mix.

Kinda like shooting pool at the bar.

Always seemed like I did the best 2-3 beers into the night. After that not so much.

We called it Aiming Fluid.

I don't drink anymore, but even when I did, my thought was that they absolutely do not mix, in any quantity.

And the two clubs I belong to are dry. Probably one of the easiest ways to become an ex member is to violate that rule.

I support that 100%

Same here. It is what it is.

In MT it is illegal to bring a gun into a bar. I am not saying it is never violated, just the law.

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Front sight and squeeze

The only things they left out were chips and dip, otherwise they got a pretty good recipe for a party.

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Life of the party until 8:00PM

Used to be a range in Garfield NJ in the basement of a bar. Lotsa folks mixing alcohol and shooting. Didn't go there much. I don't drink alcohol or use illegal drugs and don't shoot with those who do. In my experience, some "stone cold sober" folks shouldn't be handling guns either. $.02. Joe

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Behavior Creates Destiny

Lifetime teetotaler here, never went down that road.
IMHO alcohol doesn't mix with gunpowder gasoline, power tools, boats, bicycles-social events. I worked as a part-time driver/dispatcher at a large limo company, recall the time a charter bus driver called the base in terror when a fight broke out on the party bus he was driving, another large wedding, the father of the bride called to get a car for a guest who had too many and was belligerent. One acquaintance said his relationship with his new FIL started to sour at the reception-the Russians have a saying, "What the sober man has on his mind the drunk has on his tongue."

There is a shooting range/restaurant located in Melbourne, FL that I've been to. Their rule is if you have a drink during a meal or at anytime while you are there then you cannot shoot, regardless of how much/little you have imbibed. Period. No exceptions.

They are, however, more than happy to allow you to drive home...

I’m goofy enough without mixing the two.

So... Friday night you are home after a a busy week. Watching your favorite show on TV drinking your favorite adult beverage when you hear a crash in your garage. Rather than take your firearm with you to investigate you all are telling me you're taking a golf club with you, because you had a drink. Interesting.

"Alcohol and gunpowder don't mix - won't shoot and tastes like s***!" Those were the words of "truth" from my Dad and my shooting mentor. I do enjoy the occasional "sundowner" at the conclusion of the day's activities - but only after the guns are cased if they were part of the activities.
To each their own, but the folks in my party don't mix the two, nor drinking & driving. I spent more time in ER's helping repair the results of both activities than I care to remember.

WYT-P
Skyhunter

A Trap club that used to shoot at often had a big sign that said "No alcohol allowed on the premises" and I never saw anyone in the clubhouse with a beer or any other alcohol drink. But....no one ever searched the coolers that many shooters had in their vehicles in the parking lot. I saw shooters drinking beer in the parking lot but I kept my mouth shut and minded my own business.

No Drinks till guns are put away Just not a good idea to Mix the 2

I stopped drinking alcohol some years back, but before then decided not to drink and handle firearms. A psychiatrist friend once said "your inhibitions are the first thing to go with alcohol". I think he's right. You can enjoy both, but not together. I figure some of the gun "accidents" (Alec dipshit) were probably alcohol related.

I've been around some bonfires where the " Good old boys " were shooting guns to celebrate the New Year . When the fools started throwing cartridges in the fire that's when I hiked back up to the house . Nope nope nope

I have been known to clean my guns and enjoy a beverage while doing so. Ammo is no where near me. Gun is cleared prior to touching the glass.

Having taught Hunter Safety for 28 years, the Ten Commandments of Firearm Safety are pretty much ingrained in me. Now remember...these aren't called the Ten Suggestions of Firearm Safety, but the Ten Commandments.

As I'm sure most on this forum will remember, one of those commandments is,

"Avoid alcoholic beverages before and during shooting.

Alcoholic beverages and mind-/behavior-altering substances impair coordination and judgement."

Personally, that seems pretty "cut and dry." But again, that's just me.

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Pack light and cinch tight.

I know a guy who blew the barrel off his T/C Contender, he likes to have a few at his reloading bench.

With rising use of weed, I wonder how many are smoked up at the range. Almost always when I go to the LGS I smell at least one that just burned a bowl in the parking lot.

More people have been accidentally shot or shot themselves with guns that they thought were unloaded. So if you and your friend have been having cocktails is it really the time to check guns to ensure they're truly unloaded? And would you assume they're unloaded because you always keep them that way, and wont bother checking?
I think it's not just a bad idea to go out for dinner and drinks with a carry gun on you, but also a bad idea to handle guns when you've had drinks at home. Everyone can make their own decisions, but as I said a lot of folks have been shot with guns they thought were unloaded. I taught my kids when they were young to never assume a gun was unloaded, even if they watched someone check it. They always were told if I checked a gun and handed it to them they immediately double checked it to make sure I was right when I said it was cleared.

Generally mixing guns and booze is of course unwise. However, in years past I participated in choir practice more than a few times. Heck, I bought most of my guns back then from Lucky's Liquor. Yeah, my liquor too. And I could shoot better after one drink. And yeah, in my youth, booze and motorcycles were mixed a time or two, or three, ok maybe four or five. No, I'm not advocating mixing booze with either. Just fessing up! I never claimed perfection.

I’ve noticed how common it is to find empty booze bottles and beer cans discarded at public ranges.
I’ve also noticed how common bad, discourteous, and/or unsafe behavior is becoming at public ranges.

Do you think the two might be related?

Is the Pope a Card Carrying Catholic !
Gary

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Certified Cajun
NRA Member