Go to any gun range...
"All weapons must be pointed downrange at all times"...
I'll bet half of all gun deaths in the US are from "unloaded" guns...
"While cleaning his gun", "playing with an unloaded gun"... "didn't think it was loaded"...
For a period of 10 or 15 years, I was an avid shooter...
500 to 1,000 rounds per week... mostly .22... but including many others... (between me and my buddy, probably 250,000 rounds)...
During that time, there were, 4 or 5 incidents of accidental fire....
Every single one, was with an empty gun...
Fortunately...every single one went downrange, into a safe backstop...
No, not fortunately,... actually, and intentionally...
Instinctively...
Much like rider training...
Habitual behavior and training is in effect when unexpected things happen...
We play with big boy toys... they need to be respected...

...
Be safe...
Serow