Gun safety is no joke. Every year countless injuries could have been avoided if only the individual in charge of the weapon knew the correct procedures vis-a-vis gun control and safe practice. Moreover, with the government constantly sniffing around for any excuse to forcibly remove your constitutionally given right to own and operate firearms, it’s wise to become familiar with the proper techniques when using a weapon to avoid fueling the anti-gun lobby in their almost neverending quest of overreach. This article will examine some fundamental firearm safety rules that all gun owners should follow, whether they are using real, replica, airsoft, or even replica weapons. So without further ado, let’s waste no time and jump right in.
Fail To Treat All Weapons As Loaded And Be Prepared To Reap The Consequences
In order to understand why this initial step is so undeniably vital, just consider the recent tragic case involving Alec Baldwin. The actor and arguably his stunt coordinators committed the cardinal sin of not treating the weapons that were under their care appropriately. As a result, someone tragically lost their life.
All of this could have been avoided by simply adhering to the most basic rule of gun safety: to treat every firearm as though it were loaded. Even if an unexpected discharge doesn’t result in death, people can get seriously hurt in an accident from either the ammunition itself or even the blowback that occurs when a bullet, dummy, or real leaves the barrel. So instead of being like Alec or the countless others who treat their weapons with gay abandonment, ensure that you are entirely compos mentis when operating your gun and always, always, always consider it loaded until you have performed a weapon-safe technique and are sure the chamber and barrel are clear.
Maintain Trigger Discipline At All Times
As you are probably already aware, the trigger is what makes the gun go bang! This isn’t the case in all cases, and some older firearms are prone to accidental discharge when dropped, etc., but it’s safe to say that a bullet will leave the chamber and fire at whatever the gun is pointed at when the trigger has been pulled. Consequently, trigger discipline, along with other safety techniques, is perhaps one of the first things taught at firing ranges.
Fortunately, this is also the most straightforward method to follow as it simply means keeping your finger off the trigger until the time that you need to give it a squeeze and unload down range. While you might have seen videos of special operations forces appearing to do otherwise, you are not a special operations forces solder, and when controlling your weapon in civilian life, keeping your finger off the go button until required is what is required of a safe shooter.
Only Ever Point Your Firearm At The Thing You Intend To Shoot At
This advice sort of builds on the previous one about presuming your gun is always loaded. Nonetheless, even if you are sure the chamber is empty, keeping it pointed away from anything you don’t want to shoot is still good practice. This will teach you outstanding safety methods that you will keep with you throughout your shooting life. As with the previous point regarding trigger discipline, it’s an easy technique to master; you just need to ensure you do it every time you take out your weapon in order to create a form of muscle memory.
Store Your Firearms Locked And Unloaded
Even if you happen to live in a state with relatively lasses-faire laws surrounding gun ownership, it pays to purchase a dedicated gun safe for all of your weapons and their ammo. This serves two additional purposes in addition to keeping your firearms free of dirt and dust.
- Whether you want to believe it or not, studies indicate that firearm-related injuries are more likely to occur in the home than outside. Therefore, it makes sense that locking them away from those untrained in their use will make your home safer.
- Most gun owners don’t simply own one weapon… it’s almost impossible! Moreover, guns and the myriad of accessories you invest in to kit them out cost a lot, as in arguing with the wife kind of money! Most thieves know this, and you really don’t want to come back home to see that you have been the victim of a home invasion and they have absconded with your very expensive, very dangerous weapons.
When Displaying In Public, Be Considerate Of Other People
It’s fair to say that it’s your right to carry a weapon when in public so long as you have the correct licenses and your state laws allow it. However, you should also be aware that most folks will never have had exposure to real weapons outside of a Hollywood film. Therefore, while it may be your right to open carry, it might be a good idea to be sensible about it to avoid freaking people out and causing unnecessary issues with the police. Of course, it’s up to you if you want to ignore this point, as it isn’t strictly a safety tip. Nonetheless, just think if you really need to carry your heavily modded AR with you when you head out to withdraw money from a bank or if a hip-holstered pistol might suffice.
Invest In The Appropriate Safety Equipment To Protect Your Eyes And Ears
Despite the fact that this article is about staying safe around others, it usually pays to consider your own needs. Think of it as an airplane oxygen mask sort to thing. I.e., you put your own mask on first before helping others. In this case, it means ensuring your eyes and ears are fully protected so that you can continue operating your firearm safely in the event of an occurrence that could render you unable to use the weapon and, therefore, hazardous to those around you (think shrapnel in the eye or being unable to hear orders from the range master, etc.).
Never Allow Children Unhindered And Unsupervised Access To Your Weapons
Do you know what is a good idea? Teaching kids of a certain age how to operate a firearm safely and ensuring they understand just how deadly they can be in the wrong hands. Do you know what isn’t a good idea? Giving them free rein to handle and shoot a deadly weapon without the correct supervision. So, by all means, teach your kids how to shoot, but never leave them alone with it and lock it away in your home when not in use.
Firearm safety really isn’t rocket science. As long as you adhere to a few fundamental, common-sense techniques, you will ensure that you and those around you are free from danger and that you can enjoy and use your firearms as they’re intended.
