My hunters ed instructor ... never mind how many decades ago ... told me the only way we REALLY treat every gun as if it is loaded is if every gun really is loaded.
I couldn't disagree more. First, based on the principle that muzzle control is not something anyone can afford to let up on, even if the firearm is unloaded. It's not hard to get into the habit of treating every firearm as if it were loaded, and it's a habit everyone needs to get into. It's easy to treat a gun that you know to be loaded as loaded. The trick is when you know it's unloaded.
The way we teach that is with our replica firearms. We have a set with all the common actions, all the correct parts, and blaze orange stocks so they're unmistakable. But they're inoperable, no firing pins. We pull those out and tell the class that even though the firearms are inoperable, can't be loaded, and can't be fired, we're still going to control the muzzles at all times because that's not something you turn on or off, based on whether it's loaded or not. That's what "treat every gun as if it were loaded" means, They get it. And when they handle the guns, even the ones who've never shot before do a good job with the muzzle.
Second, based on the principle that the overall goal of "treating every firearm as if it were loaded" is safety, i.e., not shooting someone or yourself. If the overall goal is safety, there is no safer firearm than a cold one. No matter the muzzle control. Or no matter how "safe" the hunter is, as your instructor proved to you.
