Gun safety is a crucial part of handling any firearms. Guns are not playthings and should never be considered lightly. Without proper security regarding firearms, many accidents and unfortunate events can take place.
Gun safety rules are there so that these accidents can be avoided, and you should always be wary of these rules.
Misuse of a gun can result in dangerous situations that can often lead to fatal incidents. That said, there are five basic rules that you should always keep in mind before handling or owning a gun.
- Always assume that a gun is loaded even when it is not.
- Never point a gun at anything that you don’t want to destroy.
- Until you are ready to fire, your finger should be off the trigger.
- Be aware of the surroundings and what is beyond the target before you fire.
- The tip of the muzzle should always be pointed in a safe direction.
All of these rules are very basic and should be practiced preventing accidents. We will explain exactly why each of these rules is there to help you understand their importance.
Gun Safety Rules
1. Always assume that a gun is loaded even when it is not
This practice is an elementary practice that can prevent misuse of guns and set up your mindset and view towards handling of firearms.
There are countless instances of people playing around with an unloaded gun, pulling the trigger and pointing at each other. Even while ignoring the mechanical faults that this may cause there can also be a leftover bullet in the chamber.
To prevent accidents like this, you should treat every gun the same way as you would treat a loaded firearm and never fool around with it.
Accidents involving unloaded weapons are more common than you might think, and you should never leave things like these to chance.
2. Never point a gun at anything you don’t want to destroy
Well, if you don’t want to shoot, then why aim? It is a simple question that you should ask yourself whenever you think about using your gun.
Accidents can happen out of nowhere and let’s face it; accidents involving guns can never turn out to be good.
For this reason, when you are handling a gun always be careful of where you are pointing. so, Must use a Best Gun Safe for Safe your gun .
Any sort of accidental discharge or misfire can cause a bullet to come out and hit your target. It’s better to be safe when it comes to guns as the chances of being sorry are slim after you take your shot.
3. Until you are ready to fire, your finger should be off the trigger
It is a critical practice, as this is the primary cause of many gun-related accidents. The trigger is the first mechanism in the gun that activates a bullet to be fired from the barrel.
The safe practice is to keep your finger off the trigger unless you are absolutely sure that you want to fire. This habit takes no time out of your firing speed and should be practiced by everyone from civilians to military personnel.
Your trigger finger should be as far away from the trigger possible when you are gripping the gun and aiming.
Only once you have the target in your sight should you put your finger on the trigger. If you don’t intend to fire, keep your finger away from the trigger. So, the steps, should you want to fire a gun, are
- Aim
- Putting your finger on the trigger
- Pulling the trigger
4. Be aware of the surroundings and what is beyond the target
You should always consider, before shooting, what is right beyond the target in your line of fire. If you are in a target range, make sure there is no one standing anywhere near the target.
No matter how good of a marksman you are, there is always a possibility of missing the mark. The risk that is involved should you slip your target and hit something, or someone else is not one that is worth taking.
There are countless instances of accidental hits occurring every year relating to gunshots. Look around before you shoot to make sure that the surrounding is absolutely safe.
Do not shoot in the vicinity of any flammable or hazardous materials and indeed not around any living creatures.
5. The tip of the muzzle should always be pointed in a safe direction
This last practice is when the gun is at rest, and the firearm should never be pointed at any unsafe direction.
The muzzle from where the bullet comes out should never be pointed at anyone or anything dangerous. Accidental discharges may occur at the most unfortunate moments, and this practice should be adopted by any gun owner to prevent that.
These are the most basic rules that you must follow before owning or handling any sort of firearms. Some other practices that you should follow when you have a gun at your disposals are;
- Unload all the bullets from your firearm when you are not using it.
- The safety of the weapon is not about you being safe. So, don’t rely on it.
- Use the right ammunition as the wrong one can cause severe injuries to yourself and even destroy the gun
- If the gun is jammed and does not fire after pulling the trigger once, be careful.
- Make sure you are not intoxicated and in the right state of mind before you pick up your gun
- Don’t modify the gun without specialized supervision.
- Get it cleaned and serviced regularly.
- Always wear protection before shooting the gun.
- Do not be clumsy when handling a firearm.
- Keep the weapons and ammunition out of reach of unauthorized persons, especially children.
Final Thoughts
The essential rule about handling a gun is not to rely on the safeties of the revolver.
No matter what new technology the gun comes with when it comes to safety, you should always rely on your own wits and attitude to be safe while handling firearms.
For whatever reasons you are holding a gun, you alone are responsible for the safety of yourself and others around you.
Last Updated on by Larry K. Brown
Larry is a professional Shooter and his hobby is shooting and Hunting! He has been shooting for the last 6 years and he loves using many types of guns while outing as well. Based experiences with a different type of Guns and Hunting related products. He is sharing his opinion about various Guns so that a beginner can get started right way. Find him on Facebook.
Happy reading!