It is a bit interesting how the father insists on safe handling practices and the tike in image 1 has his hand on the trigger pointing at the cameraman - OK, OK, not directly.

I mean that when I learned to shoot, the finger only goes on trigger when one is going to shoot.

Like I said, just an observation I thought was interesting. YMMV.

I mean that when I learned to shoot, the finger only goes on trigger when one is going to shoot.

I on the other hand think checking the magazine and the chamber first is quite sufficient before taking a photograph that actually looks the business :-)

I remember that picture! Wonderful.

And an entirely reasonable point, Perry. It's just something I notice when I see people are carrying (bearing) - especially handguns.

After learning to shoot, I don't see people carrying guns the same way as before. I even count rounds - tho' not as well as some friends who are really into guns (aka gun nuts ;-).

If women carry (bear) children, and Texans carry guns, where do little Texans come from? Or are they all sons of guns?

LOL Nick!

There didn't actually have to be a person behind that camera - I know I wouldn't stand behind it, unless I checked the gun myself a minute before.

How nice for him, but just the same...

BOOGER HOOKS OFF THE BANG SWITCH UNTIL YOU ACTUALLY WANT IT TO GO BANG!

(And then there was the one about handling firearms as though they're always loaded...remember?)

Decades of .35"-.45" holes in floors of police department locker rooms testify to why deviations from this are not a good idea. I'm responsible for firearms training for several trained adult professionals, generally more mature than even the steadiest child, people I trust with my life on a regular basis, and I'd still throw them off the range for that.

It is a posed photograph, folks. Check magazine, check chamber, then take picture with weapon doing anything scary you damn well please as long as you have not taken your eyes off it in the meantime.

Quite so.

Absolutely. There are many people who even advocate dry firing practice to improve trigger technique.

A gun is always loaded until you have verified it isn't and never point it at something you're not willing to destroy. I'm sure the cameraman didn't particularly want his camera destroyed but was confident enough that it wouldn't be for the shot (no pun intended) in question.

Biggest problem I have with a 1911 as a real-world weapon is the single-stack mag. Fortunately my hands are big enough to grip a GLOCK 21 with its 13+1 capacity.

[...] The World’s Youngest Practical Shooter [...]

Neat.