Shooters had to be told before they could do anything. It was Jeff Cooper
who ran it the other way round: all guns were loaded. (Consider this: if you
are on patrol and report to the range, where are you supposed to unload to be
“safe”? Why is the gun “safe” at the range when unloaded, but not unsafe on
the street while it’s loaded?)
The only way any gun could be unloaded is “Make ready for dry practice.”
Otherwise, the piece should be ready for battle. Carrying a loaded gun on a
firing range is appropriate—where else can one learn safe handling of loaded
guns? Range safety is artificial. We teach specific techniques and attempt
to get quantifiable results. The street isn’t so clean. The offender moves, the
officer moves. Cover is where you find it, not where you put it. The light is
broadly variable and uncontrolled.