Responsible gun owners can recall the 6 basic gun safety laws as easily as their Date of Birth and Social Security number. It’s your responsibility to know them.
Guns are awesome and we love them, but they are inherently dangerous. I mean that’s kind of the point…
But if you’re going to own a gun for self defense, or home defense, then you need to ingrain these basic rules into your psyche and follow them every single time.
Most accidents come down to negligence. So don’t be that guy, make sure you know the 6 basic laws of gun safety.
1. Treat every gun as if it is loaded
Even if you know for a fact that a gun is unloaded, you should always treat it as if it were loaded. This is the most important gun safety rule, and it is the one that is most often violated.
If you unloaded your gun last night and put it in the safe, this morning it is loaded until you have checked that it isn’t. That’s the mindset you need to adopt to avoid putting yourself and others in danger.
“I was sure it wasn’t loaded,” are words that appear far too often on police reports.
2. Keep the gun pointed in a safe direction
Never point your gun at anything you are not willing to destroy or kill. When you are not shooting, the fun should be pointed in a safe direction.
Waving a gun around is one of the fastest ways to get banned from the shooting range, and simply pointing a gun can open up a world of legal troubles that you just don’t need in your life.
So make sure your firearms is always pointed at the ground or a safe place when you’re not actively engaged or using it for fun and recreational shooting. At all other times, take care of those around you, and take their feelings into account.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger
Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot. Your finger should never be on the trigger unless you are ready to fire the gun. When you are not shooting, your finger should be outside the trigger guard.
Trigger discipline, or lack of it, is a running joke on social media. But it matters. If you make it a rule of life not to rest your finger on the trigger then you should never have those ridiculous accidental discharges that are basically not accidental at all.
4. Know Your target and what is behind it
Before you shoot, you should know exactly what you are shooting at and what is beyond your target. This is important because bullets can travel a long way, and they can easily ricochet or penetrate objects.
If somebody is standing behind an object you’re firing at, then you could easily be held responsible for what happens. Even in a self-defense situation.
5. Always be aware of your surroundings
When you are handling a gun, you should be aware of your surroundings and make sure that there are no people or animals in the line of fire.
6. Store your guns unloaded and in a safe
When you are not using your guns, they should be stored unloaded and in a safe place. This will help to prevent accidents and keep your guns from getting into the wrong hands.
There are exceptions to this rule, of course. Your defensive pistols need to be safe, but they also need to be functional and most home invaders won’t give you time to get your ammunition.
So a hidden gun safe is the answer there. That gives you instant access to your home defense guns and theoretically an intruder or your own children will never find them.
These are the 6 basic gun safety rules. If you follow these rules, you can help to prevent accidents and keep yourself and others safe.
In addition to the 6 basic gun safety rules, there are a few other things to keep in mind when handling guns.
- Never drink alcohol or take drugs before or while handling a gun.
- Never leave a gun unattended.
- Teach children about gun safety at an early age.
By following these simple rules, you can help to ensure that guns are used safely and responsibly.
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