First, Check Out This Gun Safety Video:
Owning and handling a firearm is an IMMENSE responsibility…
A gun is a tool that, if mishandled, can obviously be extremely dangerous to you or those around you…
But with that said, it IS absolutely possible (and very necessary) to handle firearms in a SAFE manner, and any person can learn to handle guns safely…
So if you’re a new shooter or just trying to become more safe with your firearm, give me your full attention right now…
…because here are the four gun safety rules.
Click Here For My Top 5 List Of Gun Safes >>
Rule 1: All Guns Are Always Loaded (How To Handle A Gun)….
I know what you’re thinking…That’s a lie! Well, technically you’re correct. All guns are not always loaded…
However, you need to treat every single gun as if it’s loaded ALL THE TIME! There are no exceptions to this rule. Period.
Unfortunately, there have been people who’ve “known” their gun was empty, only to be surprised by a loud BANG! informing them…
…that they were completely wrong about the condition of their firearm.
And all it takes is one accidental discharge to create an irreversible mistake…
So ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS treat every gun as if it’s loaded, even after you’ve cleared it several times.
This is the most fundamental of all firearm safety rules, and it lays out the foundation for all the rules that follow…
Rule 2: Always Point Your Firearm In A Safe Direction (Gun Range Safety)!
When you’re following Rule Number 1(treating your firearm as if it is loaded)…
…you naturally need to point your gun in a safe direction AT ALL TIMES.
Now, if you’re out practicing your shooting then the easiest and safest direction is always down range.
But here’s the deal, pointing a gun down range simply isn’t possible when you’re handling a firearm outside of a shooting range.
So, I’ve got a few options that I want you to keep in mind when you’re trying to determine which is the best direction to safely point your gun…
It might be a good idea to point your gun toward the sky, but there are a couple of important factors to consider before doing this…
- You may endanger aircraft if they’re above you.
- Any round that’s fired up, must eventually come down somewhere.
Now if the sky is clear, you don’t really have to worry about hitting any aircraft…
…and if you’re in a remote or rural area then it’s very unlikely that a round fired accidentally would come down and hurt someone.
Now, aside from pointing toward the sky, you can point your muzzle at the ground directly in front of you…
This is a very popular option for experienced shooters because almost all of the time, it’s a pretty safe option.
That said, you should keep in mind that there are limited times when this might not be the best option.
For example, if you’re on the 2nd floor of a building with many people below you, pointing your muzzle down probably wouldn’t be the safest option available.
Prudence is absolutely necessary when handling firearms. So, you’ll need to use your best judgment to determine the safest direction to be pointing your gun at any given time.
You NEVER want to point your gun at anything you are not prepared to destroy, and even allowing your muzzle to cross another person for a second is completely unacceptable.
Think of it like this… if your gun is never pointing at another person, it simply cannot do them any harm.
Rule 3: Keep Your Finger Straight And Off The Trigger!
One of the easiest ways to spot a person new to shooting is to watch them pick up their gun…
…and immediately see their finger wrap around the trigger.
Now, this is actually a very natural thing to do because the gun is set up for you to comfortably fire while holding it that way.
But guns don’t magically go off on their own. They require manipulation of the trigger in order to fire, and if your finger is not touching the trigger, the gun cannot go off.
What you should do is keep your finger straight, and press it above the trigger guard along the stock or frame of your firearm.
Later on, when your sights are aligned and on target…
….and you’ve made the conscious decision to shoot, you can lower your finger on the trigger and fire.
This is called finger discipline, and it’s a habit that will eventually come naturally to you once you practiced it for some time.
Rule 4: Be Aware Of Your Target And What Lies Beyond!
Many people develop a sort of tunnel vision when they’re really trying to focus on something, like aiming at a target.
But when you’re shooting, you need to be cognizant of what your target is and what’s going on behind it.
Some targets are simply not safe to shoot. For example, things that are extremely hard like big rocks and jagged metal can cause ricochets…
So to be safe, you always want to stick to proper shooting targets such as paper targets, AR500 steel, and traditionally fun things that are not dangerous like soda cans and plastic bottles.
In addition to that, you need to pay attention to what lies beyond your target…
You should always have some form of backstop like a berm or a hill that’ll catch all of your bullets…
…and make sure that no person is endangered because they, unfortunately, ended up for some reason down your line of fire.
Four Gun Safety Rules – Final Thoughts…
If you make the four firearm safety rules your first priority when handling a gun…
…you’ll be able to stay completely safe and truly enjoy the hobby and sport of shooting.
And the next step after understanding gun safety is to understand marksmanship fundamentals…
…and to help you do that, I have a FREE Guide that shows you how to improve your shooting…
…without leaving your home or spending a dime.
It’s a very basic exercise, and I use it myself to continue my own improvement…
So, to gain access to that just click the link below…
Again, it’s 100% Free!
Farewell, and have fun on the range!
-RDshooters