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BOUNTIFUL — Shooting guns doesn't make you tough, but it sure can feel that way.
That kick. That sound. You can't blame guys like Matthew Franzen for spending their free time at the Bountiful Lions Gun Range.
"It's sort of like a male knitting circle," the gun enthusiast said.
When he's not on the range for recreational purposes, part of Franzen's job as range safety officer is to make sure every shooter is doing it safely.
"Accidents do happen, and just like anything else you have to understand firearms are a tool with an intended purpose. You just have to be very careful handling them," Franzen said.
After two target shooting deaths in the past couple of weeks — one in Box Elder County and one in Duchesne County — Franzen feels it's important for even longtime shooters to make sure they're doing everything right. "As a general rule, people are pretty understanding if you ask them to do things in the name of safety," he said.
There are lots of safety rules at ranges, but Franzen says four basic rules will keep you safe:
- Always act like a gun is loaded.
- Never point the gun at anything you're not willing to destroy.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready.
- Be sure of your target, as well as what's beyond. "It's pretty basic stuff when you think about it, but people forget about it," Franzen said. That's when accidents happen. Franzen said he's constantly reminding people, especially as range safety officer with a streak he would like to continue.
"We've never had an incident when I was on duty that was actually a cause of a result of somebody being negligent," he said.
