Over the past two months, I’ve worked with several new shooters and have gone over the four rules of gun safety – over and over and over again. I ended up seeing one couple at the range recently and witnessed safety infractions happening and had to speak up and say something. That was not at all what I taught them.
If you are new to shooting or maybe just never received the proper training read the following – and not just practice it but remember…and learn it.
GUN SAFETY RULE #1:
Every gun should be treated like its loaded. Complacency and carelessness has cost far too many lives and it’s totally preventable. Positive a gun is empty? Treat it likes it’s not.
GUN SAFETY RULE #2:
Handling a firearm comes with an awesome responsibility. Do not EVER point a firearm at something you are not willing to destroy – aka kill. This should be common sense but far too often it’s not. See someone break this rule accidently? Let them know. It may be your life you end up saving.
A question that often comes up is – “Well, where should I point the gun?” This depends on where you are and where everyone else is. Bottomline is the gun should never point at any person. Many shooting ranges have rules stating all firearms must point down range at all times. When carrying firearms – both pistols and long guns – I prefer to keep barrels pointing downward.
GUN SAFETY RULE #3:
Accidental discharges are more often than not caused by a finger pulling a trigger when the shooter was NOT ready to shoot. This is a simple fix by keeping your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
GUN SAFETY RULE #4:
Never shoot at anything you have not absolutely identified AND know what is behind it. Targets are often missed and you are accountable for every round exiting your gun. Bullets can travel great distances so you must know exactly where every shot will end up.
* * * * *
As a gun owner, you are responsible for handling all firearms in a safe manner. As a responsible advocate for the 2nd Amendment, I would go further to say you are also responsible for watching out for others to prevent accidents and help educate.
Be safe out there!
Rourke
Sage Advice brother!
We’ve always gone by the same 3 rules you have. Simple, correct, and spot on. I need to add rule 4 as part of it and not part of targeting.
In fact,on one of our regular visits to a relatives house in the country of Alabama. One day I brought my AK for them to fire it. After firing the AK the relative pulled their pistol out and started waving it around. I was like Whoa, whoa. whoa!! This fool, redneck relative says, “No, it’s okay. Look that safety’s on”. Then began to squeeze the trigger multiple times as he moved it back and forth crossing my 8 year old son’s back. O..M.. G, I was so furious/angry. How angry? We’ve never been back. And we used to go all the time.
Actually rule four has been updated in firearm training to reflect the following: Be aware of what between you and the target and what’s beyond the target!
If you follow these cardinal rules you will never have an ND!! Never! In every ND one or more of the four rules were violated.
In our classes in NH I would tell new students a bullet is not like a well trained dog you can call back, once the bullet leaves the barrel its gone and you are responsible for any damage to life and property you OWN