A Complete Look at Gun Safety
Contents
1. In some cases a cartridge may have a primer but no powder Upon discharge the primer would push the bullet into the barrel where it would get stuck This is called a squib load If only the primer fires on a cartridge point the gun in a safe direction for up to two 2 minutes possibly more then check the barrel for any obstruction If a bullet is stuck in the barrel don t shoot another bullet at it to get it out This will more than likely destroy your gun and could injure you and bystanders near you If you can t get it out see a gunsmith or other Knowledgeable person Stuck bullets can usually be carefully pounded out of the barrel with the proper tools If you do a bunch of your shooting at indoor pistol ranges you should make sure that the range is fully ventilated and the fans are properly working There can be a relatively high concentration of lead and harmful compounds in the air if proper ventilation is not observed In addition to this make certain that you wash your hands very well after shooting and cleaning your guns There are many harmful compounds found in gunpowder and ammunition priming compounds Some of them are listed here diazodinitrophenol potassium nitrate nitrocellulose boron metal nitroglycerin tetrazene lead nickel copper zinc lead styphnate barium nitrate While at the outdoor shooting range keep your muzzle down Don t allow your barrel to point above the dirt berms that are designed to pr2. Know your target and what is behind and beyond it Be certain of where your bullet will end up With some higher powered rifle cartridges bullets can travel up to five 5 miles under the right conditions Most rifle bullets will travel between a mile and a half 7 920 feet and three and half miles 18 480 feet Be aware that certain firearms and activities have additional rules and precautions When attending competitions or other organized activities make certain that there are no other rules that you might be unaware of ALWAYS obey range rules and a Range Safety Officer A Range Safety Officer has everyone s best interest in mind Don t feel angry if a Range Safety Officer corrects something you are doing wrong There are quite a few gun safety rules and they all must be obeyed at the same time A gun club may have rules posted that you re not aware of Please treat the Range Safety Officer with respect Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions An obstruction inside the barrel such as a patch bullet or bullet jacket can destroy the usefulness of the gun and could cause severe injury OR DEATH If the discharge of the cartridge seemed a bit different in sound or recoil the gun should be pointed in a safe direction for at least thirty 30 seconds to two 2 minutes in case of a hang fire Then the barrel should be checked for obstruction A hang fire occurs when the gun does not immediately discharge but discharges a few moments later
3. A Complete Look at Gun Safety by Marc Richardson Owner Webmaster SaveTheGuns com Copyright 2013 by SaveTheGuns com The following document is a complete look at all aspects of safety with a firearm You are free to use it copy it print it learn from it distribute it broadcast it ship it mail it or anything else as long as it is kept in its entirety with the title above remains visible and proper credit is given to the author I think it actually gives me physical pain to have to include a disclaimer with this potentially life saving information but legally speaking it is the best thing to do The tendency of supposedly intelligent people to file lawsuits for some kind of wrongdoing or negligence prompts me to include a disclaimer statement If a woman can win a lawsuit against McDonald s for serving her hot coffee which she proceeded to negligently spill on herself God knows what is next If a burglar can fall through the roof of a home that he is trying to break into while a family is away on vacation and win a 100 000 judgment against the family for having a weak spot in the roof where he was stuck for four days then I feel that I MUST include a disclaimer statement in this document DISCLAIMER Choosing to bring any firearm into your home is a very personal decision that should be weighed very carefully and not taken lightly and without deliberative thought Any images used in this e book are the property of their owners and ar
4. VER use drugs or alcohol before or during shooting Alcohol or drugs can impair judgment Mistakes are more likely to happen under the influence of alcohol Be vigilant about safety don t drink alcohol or use some prescription drugs while handling a gun Alcohol use before or during the handling and or firing of a gun can drastically increase the incidence of a scientific phenomenon known as the Stupidity Factor Ok I made up the Stupidity Factor but my point remains This rule applies especially when reloading ammunition NEVER shoot into water and avoid ricochets Bullets can skip off the surface of water and then change direction too Don t shoot into the water Don t shoot at heavy metal objects such as junked cars old propane tanks and abandoned refrigerators Ricochets have been deadly in this type of situation NEVER rely solely on the safety device on the gun Mechanical safeties have been known to fail If you know Murphy s Law then you would know that if a safety lever or button is going to fail it will fail at the worst possible moment Mechanical safeties can wear out or malfunction over time NEVER allow horseplay with a firearm even if you are certain it is unloaded Horseplay with an unloaded gun is never a good idea It can condition a child to respect a firearm less and regard gun safety as less important NO HORSEPLAY NEVER Speaking about no horseplay what about horses Do not fire a gun within close proximity to a l
5. arge animal unless the animal has been trained to handle the sound of gunfire This would include horses cows large dogs and any other animal that could injure you if it was suddenly startled by the sound of gunfire ALWAYS AVOID THE NATURAL TENDENCY TO PLACE A FINGER INSIDE THE TRIGGER GUARD WHEN HANDLING A GUN I know I already said this one but it is worth repeating Most accidental discharges occur because of a misplaced finger on the trigger Carry guns in cases whenever practical In some States this is the law Get to know your State firearm laws Ignorance of the law is not a valid excuse before a judge It is the gun owner s responsibility to be familiar with their own state s gun laws Do not allow a holster sling or clothing that might interfere with the safe operation of the gun Choose firearm accessories carefully Use only the slings holsters mounts or aiming devices made specifically for your gun Never lean a rifle or shotgun against a wall or vehicle They can easily slip off the surface and hit the floor or ground It is very unlikely that it will discharge however a ding or scratch in the firearm will not make you a very happy camper It could permanently damage a scope too Never alter or modify your firearms unless you know what you re doing or are following explicit instructions Sawing off shotgun or rifle barrels below 18 can result in federal criminal charges that can result in as much as twenty 20 years in pr
6. e floor and or wall e Is it made of heavy enough gauge metal that it cannot be readily cut into e Is the lock itself unpickable e Does the safe allow relatively easy access in an emergency e Would a gun lock be just as good without the expense of a safe But then again a safe keeps your guns cleaner and the dust doesn t accumulate on them Well that s all I have for you I kept this complete look at gun safety to just sixteen pages or so depending on the format you are reading it in of course Once again this document is provided free of charge and no payment is necessary However if you feel compelled to do so you may send me a thank you gift to support my efforts You can find all of the information you need to send me a gift contribution at http www savetheguns com contributions htm Thank you for reading Now pass this onto someone else Together we may actually save a life or two Mare Richardson info eave thegane com
7. e used here solely to demonstrate to inexperienced adults or children how inappropriately firearms are handled in the entertainment industry or to teach them how to handle gun safely Fair Use under Title 17 Section 107 of the U S Code Section 107 contains a list of the various purposes for which the reproduction of a particular work may be considered fair such as criticism comment news reporting teaching scholarship and research Section 107 also sets out four factors to be considered in determining whether or not a particular use is fair 1 The purpose and character of the use including whether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes 2 The nature of the copyrighted work 3 The amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole 4 The effect of the use upon the potential market for or value of the copyrighted work http www copyright gov fls fl102 html Because of the fact that the images in this e book are strictly of a critical nature the images constitute an infinitesimal aspect of this work and this e book is completely free of charge we are well within the traditional boundaries of Fair Use doctrine in using those images Because of the fact that I cannot give complete individual and hands on instruction to the reader I will not accept any responsibility whatsoever for any use unintentional omission or misuse of the text pictures or any infor
8. g unload the firearm first Please hear me on this Burying your own child because you ignored me here doesn t make much sense NEVER did you hear me NEVER pull a loaded gun up into a tree stand I do not care if it is a muzzleloader that is much easier to load while on the ground either Take your ammunition or your powder patches and bullets into the tree stand with you Dozens and dozens of hunters get injured maimed or killed each year while pulling a loaded gun up into a tree stand from the ground If you find a firearm while out hunting and it doesn t look as if it has been there for months another hunter may be very nearby It s also possible that the owner of the gun is injured possibly from a fall or health problem and may need aid It s always important in my estimation to carry a cell phone to call for help in case of an emergency of some type In addition to that a firearm that has been discarded may have been used in a crime or homicide Having a gun used in a homicide in your home is likely not a good idea Call law enforcement to come and pick it up as it could be evidence in a crime E E Gun Safety At The Shooting Range Obey range rules and a Range Safety Officer Never accept a loaded gun from anyone unless you are a Range Officer or Certified Firearm Instructor or really know what you are doing When you receive a firearm from someone it should be unloaded and the action should be open Keeping the action open when pas
9. himself right through his right hand Properly hauling a firearm into a tree it is pointed down not up and it is hopefully unloaded 5 The shooter stumbled and or fell and the firearm discharged unintentionally because of the stumble or tumble When doing anything physically challenging the firearm should be unloaded Accidents genuine accidents will happen but avoid them if you possibly can by making your firearm safe while doing anything physically demanding Such things are climbing uphill descending jumping creeks climbing trees etc 6 The improper crossing of an obstacle with a loaded gun is the sixth most common cause of hunting accidents Going over a log getting over a stone wall getting over or under a fence and any other crossing of obstacles should be done with care and due diligence 7 The hunter s firearm fell from an unsecured or unsteady resting position and discharged upon impact Most modern arms will not typically fire when falling over from a resting position but it does happen and here it is at number seven 8 Very similar to number seven is when a firearm discharges because it is dropped Whether it is dropped from a tree stand dropped over the edge of some precipice or cliff or whatever some kind of tethering device might be a good addition to your hunter safety preparation Here are some more rules and tips Some of them may be repeated tips from above but they are worth mentioning again More than one h
10. ison Altering some aspects of firearms could make them dangerous as well eee Gun Safety At Home These are rules that are more specifically intended for the home You should store guns and ammunition so that they are not accessible to any unauthorized people NEVER be satisfied with just hiding a loaded gun If you are simply hiding a loaded gun in your home KNOCK IT OFF You are sending out an invitation to tragedy if you simply hide a loaded gun in your home There are easily affordable devices available on the market so you don t need to simply hide a gun Quick access however should be practiced and practiced often You don t want to be fumbling around for a defensive firearm while you re being attacked Quick access to a defensive firearm should be tempered if possible with an eye toward inaccessibility to untrained children and unauthorized adults Never hide a firearm under a pillow or mattress This is not a very smart thing to do Someday it WILL BE FOUND by someone It can get damp or musty and rust under there too Whoever finds it may not be someone you want handling an unsupervised firearm Not to mention that if you are attacked while still in bed you can t get under the mattress anyway Your weight and the weight of a spouse and or intruder will prevent access to the gun anyway You should store firearms and ammunition separately if practicable Store ammunition so it does not get too moist or in an area that gets excessively ho
11. ly involving human error mechanical defect and or happenstance most such accidents are actually negligent careless and unmindful or result from a lack of knowledge so deep that even handling them in the first place without proper supervision is strongly inadvisable There are three basic rules of safe gun handling Learn them right here You should repeat them to yourself enough times that you can briefly look away from this page and recite them without glancing back Repeat them as many times as you wish I ll sit here and wait for you 1 These are the Three Basic Rules of Safe Gun Handling as given by the National Rifle Association which is the world s largest and oldest gun safety and marksmanship organization in the world There are another set of popular safe gun handling rules which became very popular many years ago as introduced and promoted by Colonel Jeff Cooper arguably one of our nation s most famous and revered firearms experts and trainers Here are Jeff Cooper s Four Rules 1 ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED An unloaded gun is useless and no one should ever assume that any piece he may see or touch is not ready to fire Would that we would never again hear the plaintive wail I didn t know it was loaded Of course it was loaded That is why it exists Treat it so 2 NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT PREPARED TO DESTROY When you point a weapon you may not always actually intend to des
12. mation contained on www SaveTheGuns com or contained within this e course The reader on behalf of himself herself and spouse children heirs executors and administrators hereby release and forever discharge any claim that we or they might now or in the future have either in law or equity against Marc H Richardson SaveTheGuns com or any of their agents servants or employees in any way relating to or arising out of either or both of us participating in any of the information or instruction or omission thereof contained on this Web site or e courses no matter how said claim is designated I have carefully read and understood this waiver and its terms I understand that I am assuming full and complete responsibility for any injury or loss occurring to either of us spouse included or any of us arising in any way out of the above mentioned activities I We have executed this waiver voluntarily and with full knowledge of its significance Copyright 2000 2013 by Marc H Richardson All Rights Reserved There are only two causes of the negligent discharge of a firearm A lack of knowledge and carelessness are the only two causes of a negligent firearm discharge Now that you are reading one of the most comprehensive and all encompassing gun safety documents currently found anywhere in the world a lack of knowledge is not an excuse Author s Note Please do not label negligent firearm discharges as accidents they are not true accidents sole
13. n Proof Children I have always taught that it is a far better thing to gun proof your children than to child proof a gun Reality dictates that a sound strategy of both teaching your children proper gun handling procedures and letting them shoot and clean your guns coupled with locking up and safely storing guns and ammunition must be followed I uns should be stored so that they are inaccessible to unauthorized children or adults Lock guns in a rack cabinet or safe You should n general store ammunition in a separate container If you foresee the real possibility of using the firearm for home defense purposes there are many products on the market to assist you Simple combination single pistol lockboxes Fingerprint scanning single pistol lockboxes Key locked trigger guards Key locked cables Obviously the concerns of a well trained person with no children and the concerns of a family with small children differ in the level of precaution that must be observed If you live in an area where a break in is somewhat likely you should seriously and carefully consider the storage of a self defense firearm If you foresee the possibility of using a firearm for home defense you should practice accessing your unloaded defensive firearm in a variety of conditions and circumstances Tempering defensive firearm access with home firearm safety is the responsibility of each gun owner Only you can decide what is best for y
14. ndle a semi automatic handgun by the time he reached first grade but he had a good teacher A child as old as three or four can learn and retain a simple three or four step gun safety message Children as young as this learn best through repetition It is best to keep the message simple too STOP AND DON T TOUCH IT This is the best message to teach young children in case they find a gun in an unsupervised situation This is the heart of the National Rifle Association s gun safety program for kids called Eddie Eagle W Ne For more information on this program call the NRA Eddie Eagle Program toll free at 1 800 231 0752 Eddie Eagle is a registered trademark of the National Rifle Association Eddie Eagle s Home Page Keeping Good Records If God forbid your firearms are ever stolen it would be a great help to your police department to have all your firearms documented Here is just an example of what I would suggest you do Create a table like this one fill it out and keep it in a safe or safety deposit box It is also a great idea to have good photographs of the firearms and document any customizing that has been done Download a firearm inventory Microsoft Word Document here Manufacturer Model Action Caliber or Gauge aerial Number XXX Sturm Ruger GP 100 Revolver 357 Magnum XXXXX XXX Sturm Ruger 10 22 Semi Automatic 22LR XXXXX Sig Sauer P226 Semi Automatic 40 S amp W a Child Proof Guns Or Gu
15. nt for avoiding an accident It is now state law in that a firearm must have a trigger locking device attached to it or the gun must be locked in a secured container under key or combination There are many devices on the market that one could use such as trigger locks cable type locks locked boxes under key or combination or stand up safes I believe that many Safe Storage Laws deny the basic human right of self defense I believe that safe storage of firearms should be decided by the individual gun owner on a home by home basis I believe that some Safe Storage Laws clearly violate the Bill of Rights and therefore are void and need not be obeyed anyhow Legislation that runs contrary to the Constitution is null and void even if it s passed by the legislature and signed into law by the state governor When should I start to teach my child gun safety You know your child better than I do There is no set chronological time that is best to teach firearm safety to a child The unwritten rule is that you should begin to instruct a child about gun safety when they begin to show responsibility in other areas and also show an interest in guns If the child can assume responsibility for feeding a pet or can perform household chores reliably that may be a good indication of their maturity Some children may absorb gun safety knowledge as early as four years old some may take much longer My child could reliably and correctly ha
16. orrect overall length or any of a host of other defects may seriously jeopardize your safety the safety of those around you and or the reliability of your firearm in a defensive situation Many shooters prepare and safely use reloaded ammunition each day and it can be an economical way to stretch your ammunition budget but the safety of that reloaded ammunition directly depends on the care components equipment and practices used in preparing it Always use a proper measure when loading Pyrodex or black powder into a muzzle loading firearm Never simply guess Never use modern smokeless gun powder in a muzzle loader and never mix smokeless powder and black powder There is such a thing as a duplex load which uses two different powders but they should only be used under the most controlled circumstances and according to known recipes Never smoke cigars pipes or cigarettes when using a muzzle loader or when reloading centerfire ammunition You may lose your beard mustache eyebrows and eyelashes which is very unattractive Never put a match to a pile of accidentally spilled black powder You might end up having to completely shave off all your facial hair until it grows back evenly right John Any gun is only as safe as the operator Remember that a gun is merely a device that stores helps aim and discharges ammunition A firearm will only do what the operator makes it do Safe storage of a firearm is an essential ingredie
17. otect the surrounding community from a wayward bullet ee Gun Safety While Reloading Ammunition Reloading ammo has its own set of rules and risks Never keep black powder or smokeless gun powder in unmarked containers Always use the original containers Don t mix powders unless you know what you re doing and you re specifically attempting a known duplex load Store all of your reloading components in a cool and dry area Primers black powder and smokeless powder should always be stored in a cool and dry area This is more to protect the integrity of the reloading components than anything else Of course you ll want to store them away from any heat source like a furnace woodstove or water heater Always check metallic cases and shotgun hulls for defects before reloading them Check cases and hulls for splits or cracks Use the utmost in caution when reloading centerfire ammunition Don t allow yourself to become distracted Concentrate completely on the task at hand and most importantly stay organized and label everything Follow the ammunition tables exactly do not experiment unless you are a very experienced or expert reloader A cartridge which has the wrong powder no powder charge or too large a powder charge an inverted primer mis seated primer the wrong type of primer or an inert primer a mis seated inverted or mis sized bullet a collapsed weakened improperly sized or mis crimped case inc
18. ou and your home Total firearm accessibility may compromise gun safety considerations too much But too many gun safety precautions may compromise defensive firearm access Gun proof your children and child proof your guns Gun Locks Gun locks trigger locks keyed cables and metal jacket locks are all good solid devices to keep guns away from unauthorized fingers The following locks come highly recommended by me This is especially if you have young children or grandchildren around In some states like Massachusetts and California you must have one of these attached to your firearm or your collection could be confiscated Sorry guys but that the law in at least Massachusetts Talk to your spouse about a gun safe or sturdy security cabinet too Safes The easiest and best way to make your firearms safe and secure is to file them away in a sturdy firearm safe or lockable metal gun cabinet Wooden gun cabinets look great but don t afford much protection from the curious prying hands of an unsupervised child These wooden cabinets with a large plate of glass certainly will not slow down a prepared criminal very long at all You don t have to spend as much money on a Safe as you did on your first car There are plenty of well made gun security cabinets that are less than 200 00 These can be bolted to the floor and to the wall When choosing a safe or security cabinet you should make sure of a few things e Does it easily bolt to th
19. ou should always follow ALWAYS treat every gun as if it is loaded and ready to fire An excuse often heard following an accidental death is that I thought it was unloaded ALWAYS handle the gun as if it is loaded even if you know it is empty Never target shoot or hunt with a firearm when you are too tired or fatigued to continue to pay attention and operate a firearm safely After getting a brand new gun or your first firearm you may have a tendency to stay out too long Call it a day before you get too tired to pay attention NEVER point a gun at something or someone that you don t intend to shoot at As Jeff Cooper would say Don t point a gun at anything you are not prepared to destroy Check the action of the firearm every time you pick it up Condition yourself to do this Check that action again even if you just checked it Wear eye and ear protection as appropriate Inviting a hot piece of metal or powder in your eye is not a very good idea in fact it hurts like heck I know this from experience ALWAYS wear those silly looking glasses or you may be sorry If you want to be able to hear your grandchildren you should have ear plugs or ear protection muffs and use them according to the instructions NEVER TAKE A GUN AWAY FROM SOMEONE BY PULLING ON THE BARREL If they have their finger on the trigger pulling on the barrel could discharge the gun and injure you This is the most common type of accident among young people NE
20. sing a firearm from one person to another is very important and it clearly demonstrates that you are conscientious and that you know what you are doing It is impossible to have a negligent discharge with the action open Be sure the gun is safe to operate A gun that has been neglected or one that is very old may not be safe to use Some guns manufactured in the early 1900 s should not use modern ammunition Be sure to cock back the hammer with the non shooting hand when you have to cock a hammer There are two reasons for this First it will be easier to keep the barrel pointed directly at the target area throughout the cocking procedure Cocking the gun with your shooting hand means you re disturbing your grip enough to change the direction in which the barrel is pointing and you may be tempted to raise the barrel too high if you use the thumb on your shooting hand Secondly cocking the gun with your non shooting thumb will make sure that your grip stays consistent throughout your group that you re shooting Never look down the barrel of a potentially loaded gun Leave that to an episode of the Three Stooges There is no way to tell if a gun is loaded by looking down the barrel anyhow Don t do it it s not that funny Checking the barrel for powder lead and copper deposits while cleaning the gun is ok as long as the action is open and you re completely certain it is unloaded during the cleaning process Be certain that when you are leaving
21. t like an attic cellar or closet Ammunition primers can corrode and become unreliable if they are stored in a damp area Read and fully understand the manual that came with the gun The gun manufacturers are truly concerned about gun safety Don t take the gun apart too far Learn all there is to know about your firearm Know it inside and out Taking the gun apart too far is how gunsmiths make a lot of their money Not that I m against gunsmiths making money but I would rather spend my money on something other than having a professional reassemble a gun that I took apart too far When attaching trigger locking devices make certain that they are done properly If you have your firearms under lock and key be sure to keep the key on YOUR key chain and keep it with you It does no good to lock up your guns and leave the key out for anyone to find Always thoroughly check to make sure a firearm is unloaded before cleaning or disassembly Also you should strictly follow the user s manual when disassembling the firearm Remove all live ammunition from the area where you ll be cleaning the gun There s no reason you should have live ammo around when cleaning a firearm Gun Safety While Hunting Follow these rules and more while hunting Before I go into the safety rules while hunting allow me to first list the eight 8 most common ways that people get injured with firearms and bows 1 The failure of the hunter to properly identify the targe
22. t that they have decided to shoot at is number one A hunter shooting at movement or misidentifying another hunter as a game animal is the most common method of gun related injury while hunting and it is the one with the feeblest excuse Identifying the sex of a game animal before you let a bullet shot charge or arrow fly will stop this type of accident 2 The hunter getting shot while transporting a game animal from the field to the vehicle is the 2nd most common If you have two turkeys slung over your shoulder and another hunter sees two turkeys moving together through the brush you could get shot You should have something that is day glow yellow orange on the end of your barrel or some kind of visible sign that what is moving in the brush is a human being who is transporting game 3 The trigger of a loaded firearm that is ready to fire that gets caught on an object such as a branch is number three 4 The fourth one is the hunter who fails to utilize a proper haul line for a firearm that keeps the muzzle pointed down and the gun unloaded When pulling a firearm up into a tree stand the firearm or muzzleloader should be unloaded if practicable and the barrel should be pointed down not up at the bottom of your chin Please ladies and gentlemen listen up This just happened to a local hunter near where I live in Maine He hauled a loaded muzzleloader up into a tree utilizing a cord and the trigger guard The trigger got caught and he shot
23. the range or another shooting area that the firearms you are packing away are completely unloaded including magazines I have been shooting for more than thirty years and I mistakenly left a handgun loaded after packing up at the range only once As a responsible and alert gun owner you should always know if one of your guns are loaded or not That is why I have clearly advocated so many redundant safety checks Please hear me If you don t know anything about the gun seek a knowledgeable person If you are in a position to use a gun at a range or while recreationally shooting outdoors and you are not familiar with the gun then ask the owner Almost every model of gun operates a little differently from its cousin Know how to use the gun safely If you don t know what you are doing while out shooting with friends and family don t pretend to know what you are doing It is always OK to ask questions Don t be afraid about looking less than macho If you make a grievous mistake while handling the gun then how would you look Use ONLY the correct ammunition for the gun On a rare occasion a 20 gauge shell has slipped into the barrel of a 12 gauge shotgun The next shot could destroy the gun and injure you I know of someone that tried to shoot a 38 special from a 1911 45 ACP A hospital run came soon after Carry only one caliber cartridge or shell at a time This will reduce the possibility of using the wrong ammunition in your firearm
24. troy but you must be emotionally willing to do so The fact that the piece is not loaded does not alter this See Rule 1 3 KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET Guns do not go off by themselves Somebody fires them The competent shooter keeps his finger straight and outside the trigger guard until he verifies his sight picture Violation of Rule 3 is responsible for about 80 percent of firearms mishaps 4 BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET Never shoot at anything that you have not identified Never shoot at a shadow or a sound or a silhouette or anything that you cannot see clearly Also make sure of what is behind and beyond your target that a bullet may penetrate completely These are the four general rules of gun safety as taught by Colonel Jeff Cooper They apply always while you are on and off the range at home in transit hunting or fighting In studying them you will see that if they were always observed by all people at all times there could be no such thing as a firearms accident As to that it may be proper to insist that there is no such thing as a firearms accident only negligence So whether you prefer the NRA rules of Safe Gun Handling above or Jeff Cooper s Four Rules of Gun Safety please just know that learning how to handle a gun safely in every way at all times is essential and the lives of your family and friends depends upon it Gun Safety at All Times These are gun safety rules that y
25. undred hunters each year have to get up the courage to tell his hunting buddies wife why he won t be coming home for dinner DON T BE THAT GUY NEVER shoot at movement when hunting If you miss your intended target where is the bullet going Positively identify the sex of the animal before firing This will guarantee that you will not kill some lady who is hanging out her laundry while wearing a brown and white fur coat true story If you don t know what the male and female species of your quarry looks like you should not be hunting in the first place ALWAYS carry the gun safely and watch that muzzle The muzzle is another name for the front end of the barrel WHILE hunting you should be completely aware of where your buddies are and carry your firearm accordingly When walking together make certain that the muzzles are looking in a safe direction NEVER climb a tree or fence or jump a ditch with a loaded gun You will have very little control over your firearm during a fall Unload that firearm before you descend or ascend steep slopes During an uncontrolled tumble or while sliding down a steep slope your control of the firearm will be compromised Unload it first I would rather see you lose a chance shot at a game animal than take a load of buckshot under your chin during a fall In 2005 a hunter accidentally killed his own son after an uncontrolled slide down a steep slope while hunting Before you do anything physically challengin
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