GOP Rep. Posts PSA After Alleged Firearms Safety Violation
Montana Rep. Troy Downing explains break-action shotgun safety after photo sparks controversy.
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Republican Congressman Troy Downing of Montana posted a public service announcement (PSA) on Sunday after being accused of violating basic firearms safety rules in a recent photo. The incident occurred during a hunting trip for upland game birds on Saturday, where Downing was photographed with the muzzle of a break-action shotgun pointing in the general direction of his wife’s head.
Following public backlash, Downing shared a 28-second video explaining how a break-action shotgun works, accompanied by a statement: “Since some folks are confused, here’s a quick firearm PSA! As a combat veteran and lifelong outdoorsman, let me educate some of my friends on how a break-action shotgun actually works.”
In the video, Downing, dressed in hunting attire, held up the same shotgun from Saturday’s photo. He emphasized the importance of proper handling, stating, “When I was a kid, I was taught never hand somebody a gun if it’s loaded. A break-action never handed to somebody if it’s not open. If it’s open, it can’t be fired. I always stick my fingers in to make sure that there’s no shells in there. That’s how you hand it to somebody else.”
Since some folks are confused, here’s a quick firearm PSA! As a combat veteran and lifelong outdoorsman, let me educate some of my friends on how a break-action shotgun actually works. #SafetyFirst https://t.co/qjvROtCDgN
Commenters on X criticized Downing for failing to follow the basic safety rule, with at least one referencing a 2006 hunting accident involving then-Vice President Dick Cheney, in which he accidentally shot a hunting companion with his 28-gauge shotgun. Downing responded by saying, “If the gun’s closed, always assume it’s loaded. Make sure that the muzzle’s never pointed at anything you don’t want to destroy and if you’re hiking, moving around, if you’re not actually shooting, make sure that it’s safe so it can’t be fired.”
Meanwhile, Republican congressional candidate Brandon Herrera, known as the “AK Guy,” took aim at Democratic Massachusetts Rep. Jake Auchincloss over an ad supporting a gun-control law up for a referendum in the state. Herrera criticized the ad for lacking fact-checking, stating, “Imagine paying a political consulting firm to record and produce an ad, but nobody bothers to fact check anything you say. What he’s demonstrating here is already a federal crime. What a joke.”
During the 2024 presidential campaign, Democratic Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz appeared to have difficulty loading a semi-automatic shotgun while participating in the annual Governor’s Pheasant Hunting Opener near Sleepy Eye, Minnesota.
Source: Daily Caller
