Doe anyone use a Clearing Barrel

[Rotty]

I am reflecting back to my military days. When I would arrive for duty I would go to the Armory, receive my weapon, walk to the Clearing Barrel, load my weapon then start my day. At the end of the day the process is reversed, weapon into the clearing barrel, unload, return weapon to the Armory, go home for the day.

Does anyone here on NWFA use a Clearing Barrel at their home? If so did you purchase one or did you make it. It seems that the ones I have ever used in the past ranged from a tin 5 gallon bucket to a 55 gallon barrel. Both filled with sand with hole cut in the lid with a piece of steel pipe welded in place to form the top of the barrel. One end of the steel pipe is buried into the sand and the other end sticking out of the top so you can rest the weapon inside of it.

I often wondered if I should look into putting together a "Clearing Barrel" for home use. I wanted to see what you folks thought about it and to find out what the best way to go about making one. Then there is also the question of where would I keep it. I mean a clearing barrel isn't exactly a fashion statement.

I figure if there is ever an accidental discharge I would much rather prefer the discharge firing into a bucket/barrel of sand rather through the floor or wall. I do have neighbors to consider.

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[Simonpie]

The concept should be more common than it is. At Tri-County, they have benches lined with berms in the action range where you do your set up and tear down. It is also a good legit place to show a gun, work on a gun, etc. I've always wondered why more gun shops don't have this.
When I dry fire practice at home, I figure I'm breaking every safety rule other than being unloaded, so I "click" at a 1" steel plate.
The world isn't the rural bliss of our forefathers anymore. We have to fabricate safety. I say a bucket of sand and steel is a small price to pay for peace of mind.

 

[bellarum]

Why do you feel the need to build something to safely unload a weapon at home?. I safely loaded my carry gun (with one in the chamber)and it stays that way 24/7. My home defense guns are loaded (with one in the chamber) and stay that way 24/7. I do safely unload the defense guns at home to take em to the range but, always clean and safely reload em at home without issue. Always pointed in a known safe direction at all times. As you should. I guess you could always put in ear plugs just in case. If I owned a weapon of questionable quality or reliablity I would sell it before worrying about it going off by accident.

 

[bellarum]

When I dry fire practice at home, I figure I'm breaking every safety rule other than being unloaded, so I "click" at a 1" steel plate.

WOW! a close range steel plate seems like a horrible indoor safety idea! Snap caps are pretty fool proof though. You can aim and "click" those at a pillow. They are a different color for easy ID and they CAN'T be used in a loaded weapon! You MUST unload your weapon to use them.
When you drop a mag on a loaded semi auto and pull the slide back and the chambered round is ejected..... peek inside how many more rounds are you expecting to see? Clicking at a steel plate indoors just to be safe?....ha ha ha. Be safe and KNOW that your weapon is clear before "cicking"

 

[speeddemon94]

And that attitude is EXACTLY what causes NDs. Accidents are called that for a reason, otherwise they'd be called an on purpose.

 

[Medic!]

I just point the gun at my dog when I unload it. I hate the dog,so if I slip and let one fly I won't feel bad. I think a large dog is raited to 357?
So I need to go out to the barn to unload anything bigger. I swear that horse knows what a gun is! Kinda makes me feel guilty.

 

[oknow]

I just point the gun at my dog when I unload it. I hate the dog,so if I slip and let one fly I won't feel bad. I think a large dog is raited to 357?
So I need to go out to the barn to unload anything bigger. I swear that horse knows what a gun is! Kinda makes me feel guilty.

sick

 

[bellarum]

I just point the gun at my dog when I unload it. I hate the dog,so if I slip and let one fly I won't feel bad. I think a large dog is raited to 357?
So I need to go out to the barn to unload anything bigger. I swear that horse knows what a gun is! Kinda makes me feel guilty.

That's funny bubblegum!

 

[Rotty]

I just point the gun at my dog when I unload it. I hate the dog,so if I slip and let one fly I won't feel bad. I think a large dog is raited to 357?
So I need to go out to the barn to unload anything bigger. I swear that horse knows what a gun is! Kinda makes me feel guilty.

If I had a cat I would do the same thing.

Seriously the whole "Clearing Barrel" concept is more remembering what I was trained to do years gone by. Monday through Friday I live at work and work does not allow firearms on work time. So leaving a loaded gun in my home unsecured when I am not at home would be irresponsible for me as a gun owner to do. Not to mention if that loaded weapon were to fall into the wrong hands would leave me liable. That is why the "Clearing Barrel" concept has been on my mind. I am very safety conscious and I am very aware of where the weapon is pointed when loading/unloading. But accidents (as speeddemon94 stated) are called accidents for a reason otherwise they would be on purpose.

 

[speeddemon94]

Well, I am also a Vet, and am well versed in a clearing barrel. I remember young soldiers coming back onto the FOB after mission, and they are dog tired and not thinking. They clear the rifle, drop the mag and fire a round. Oops. Saw a letter of reprimand go on an E-7 master gunner for doing a ND. It happens, and I dont care how "perfect" people think they are when it comes to firearm safety, when they get to the point of thinking there is no way it could happen to them, that's when it does.

If I was in a larger place, I would absolutely use a clearing barrel, or maybe a worm. Cheap insurance in my mind. My EDC is always loaded outside of the house. I unload it when I get in the door.

 

[bellarum]

I only leave loaded weapons in secured areas that only my trained family members are aware of. If you feel you need a clearing barrel in your house to feel safe with your firearms more power to you. The sound of racking a shotgun only lets the intruder know that you were unprepaired. I like the sound of taking the safety off.

 

[Sgt Nambu]

Don't point it at anything you can't afford to loose! Ever!

 

[Simonpie]

When I dry fire practice at home, I figure I’m breaking every safety rule other than being unloaded, so I “click” at a 1” steel plate.

WOW! a close range steel plate seems like a horrible indoor safety idea! Snap caps are pretty fool proof though. You can aim and "click" those at a pillow. They are a different color for easy ID and they CAN'T be used in a loaded weapon! You MUST unload your weapon to use them.
When you drop a mag on a loaded semi auto and pull the slide back and the chambered round is ejected..... peek inside how many more rounds are you expecting to see? Clicking at a steel plate indoors just to be safe?....ha ha ha. Be safe and KNOW that your weapon is clear before "cicking"

The concept is redundancy.
Do I sweep people? Not 99.9% of the time.
Am I loaded when I think I’m not? Not 99.9%
Do I have a safe backstop? 99.9%.
If you say 100% you’re a liar. If you say 99.9% is enough you are WRONG! 2 bricks of.22 and I’ll prove it!
I’d rather take a .22 rebound at 30 feet in steel than send a round through a neighbor’s house.

 

[tacticalgunner]

I like the clearing barrel idea, we used it in the navy, you can buy small cb for your home Clearing Barrels ? Selection & Use of Clearing Barrels

 

[vertical ascent]

I just point the gun at my dog when I unload it. I hate the dog,so if I slip and let one fly I won't feel bad. I think a large dog is raited to 357?
So I need to go out to the barn to unload anything bigger. I swear that horse knows what a gun is! Kinda makes me feel guilty.

I need to be careful reading posts on-line in front of my laptop while drinking a liquid, now I have to cleanup the mess, dang you Medic

 

[Rotty]

Don't point it at anything you can't afford to loose! Ever!

When I "Choose" to point a weapon it will be at something I can afford to loose. In the meantime why take chances over a simple mistake because that is all it will take.

 

[Rotty]

I only leave loaded weapons in secured areas that only my trained family members are aware of. If you feel you need a clearing barrel in your house to feel safe with your firearms more power to you. The sound of racking a shotgun only lets the intruder know that you were unprepaired. I like the sound of taking the safety off.

Have you ever heard the sound of racking a round in a shotgun in the dead of night when you least expect it? It's pretty damn scary sound by itself. The muzzle flash that follows is scarier still.

 

[Rotty]

I like the clearing barrel idea, we used it in the navy, you can buy small cb for your home Clearing Barrels ? Selection & Use of Clearing Barrels

Nice! Thanks, I'll give it a look.

 

[speeddemon94]

I only leave loaded weapons in secured areas that only my trained family members are aware of. If you feel you need a clearing barrel in your house to feel safe with your firearms more power to you. The sound of racking a shotgun only lets the intruder know that you were unprepaired. I like the sound of taking the safety off.

Did I ever say that all of my weapons are unloaded inside my house? You can never be too careful, but you can be too confident that you are perfect and not capable of having an accident, and often times those are the folks that have the biggest accidents of them all.

 

[PMB]

I just point the gun at my dog when I unload it. I hate the dog,so if I slip and let one fly I won't feel bad. I think a large dog is rated to 357?
So I need to go out to the barn to unload anything bigger. I swear that horse knows what a gun is! Kinda makes me feel guilty.

I had a cup of hot black tea coming up to my face when I read this... I was fortunately able to get it settled on the desk before the laughter hit full force.
Thanks Medic.

We keep our home defense pieces loaded and with one in the chamber.
We also go through our practice sessions in which my wife and kids click the button, eject a live round and chamber a new one, just for the SOUND. It seems to be a near universally recognized sound that tells a potential bad guy that there is serious business about to be undertaken in defense of home and family.

The round in the chamber is there for a purpose, I understand that. It also seems to me that there is a percentage of situations that could be ended with the nice clean chambering of a round before there is any face to face discussion.

I teach my family that if self-defense seems like it will require a shot to be fired, do not jack that first loaded round for the "sound effect".

I am open to other opinions and experiences.