A gun is such a thing which can scare everyone, from a dangerous animal to a notorious robber. That is why I often say having a gun always worth it. However, a gun can also be the reason for unwanted accident sometimes. At least the statistics said so.
According to the different statistics from government, more than 6,500 peoples died in the USA from unwanted or unintentional shootings within 2006 to 2016.
The data also says the majority of these deaths might be prevented if the gun was carefully used and stored correctly. It is highly essential to know the gun safety rules and store the guns at the best gun safe.
If you have bought a gun for the first time or planning to buy one soon, then it is highly essential to know the gun safety rules. It not only protects you from an unwanted accident but also keeps you safe from the uninvited cases filed in your name.
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In this article, we will discuss the 5 important gun safety rules that everybody should know and implant while using a gun.
The 5 Most important Gun Safety Rules
A little mistake with a gun can be the reason for a life-threatening injury.
Here are 5 gun safety rules that you must abide by while dealing with guns-
1. Treat all the guns as loaded
This is considered as one of the primary rules of gun safety. You will be shocked to know that every year many firearm accidents happen because of this mistake.
You may think that this is a silly mistake that you will never make. But when we consider some sources of the mistake, it doesn’t look silly at all. As an example, think that you are shooting a pistol which has 10 rounds of bullets.
Now after shooting for a while, you think that you have shot all the bullets. But somehow you have mistakenly calculated wrong, and there are still some bullets in the gun.
Just imagine what happens next if you target the gun to a person or a pet for fun and pull the trigger.
The purpose of the rule is keeping a watchful mindset to handle the guns safely.
Usually, when the gun is not loaded, you will feel much relaxed with it, and you can often participate in risky practices. As a result, if you ever forget and treat a loaded gun as unloaded and pull the trigger, there is an immense possibility of troubles.
Besides, if you treat a firearm as loaded even if you are out of ammunition, it will create a positive and careful mindset.
2. Be sure about your targetThe purpose of the rule is to be aware of the nearby environment and the possibility of accidents while shooting a gun. Every year in America, a large number of “shot to death” incidents happen while the policemen miss the targeted area of the body that they are trained to shoot to stop an intruder.
Almost 7 out of 10 “shot to death” incident happens just because of it. If the trained police can miss their target, then that should be much obvious in the ordinary peoples. This event occurs with the beginner shooters very often.
When you are shooting a gun, be aware of the target as well as the belongings around the target. Here are some of the possibilities which you should identify carefully.
- The nearby non-targets that the bullet may hit if it misses the actual target;
- The non-targets that the bullet may hit if it goes through the target;
- Possibilities of a non-target come forward to the target.You must be assured about your target and the non-targets around it.
The rule is highly essential to abide by when you are shooting or hunting at night.
3. Point the gun in a safe directionThis rule is also known as Muzzle discipline. There is a habit of the gun owners to target at humans playfully. This rule prohibits such playful activities and commands you only to target the things that you are willing to shoot. This is another common reason behind accidental gun injuries. There are two directions which are considered as safe to point the gun (muzzle).
One is the down, where the muzzle will be faced to the ground, and another one is up where the muzzle will be faced to the sky.
However, these two positions are not safe all the time. Such as, if the gun is positioned in the ground and if the trigger is intentionally pulled, it may ricochet. It can also go through the floor if you are in a multi-story building.On the other hand, if the gun is pointed to the sky and the trigger is pulled, the bullet will come down to the ground and may hit something. There are several incidents happened in the first few years caused by the firearms discharged at the air.
As an example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 43 of such wounds in 2004 caused by falling bullet during the New Year festival in Puerto Rico. It is advisable to point the gun in a safe position according to the nearby situation.
4. Don’t grip the trigger until you are ready to shootThe rule is also mentioned as Trigger Discipline. The purpose of the rule is to outlaw any unwanted release. We all know that the trigger needs to be pulled to shoot a gun.
Most of the people put their finger in the trigger when holding the gun. If the trigger is pulled unwantedly and if the gun is loaded then there is a higher chance of accidents.
The trigger can also be pressed unwantedly sometimes for various reasons, such as inadvertently, destination, falling, or body movement. This rule prohibits touching the trigger when you are not intended to a shooting. The safe place to put the finger is outside the trigger guard before shooting a gun.The trigger guard is also a natural, comfortable place for your finger while you are becoming ready for the shooting.
Try to keep the finger on the above side of the trigger guard so that the fingers don’t accidentally reach the trigger. Keep your finger in the same position until you are entirely ready to pull the trigger.
5. Store and lock the gun properlyThe purpose of the rule is to prevent accidents that occur from improper storage of the guns. Guns are something that needs to be appropriately stored. An insecurely stored gun can be the reason for fatal injuries to you and your family members.
According to the statistics, death from unintentional gun injuries is 3.7 times higher in the houses that have a gun. So, it is highly essential to keep the gun in a proper place to avoid any unwanted instances. You can store the guns on a gun safe to ensure 100% safety. They are made with high-resistant metals and come with multiple locking mechanisms to keep your guns safe at any condition.
You can save one or multiple guns as well as ammunition in the gun safes. There are numerous gun safe bands in the market, and it is advisable to choose the suitable one by checking the best gun safe reviews. It’s also important to keep the gun locked while storing them.
Don’t always rely on the default lock of the gun. You can add trigger locks, cable locks; chamber locks externally to ensure proper safety.
Other important gun safety rules:
Here are some more gun safety rules which are also essential to remember and follow:
Handle the gun with care in case of any malfunction.
- Never leave a gun neglected when it is loaded.
- Always use the right ammunition based on the gun.
- Make sure that the gun is safe to maneuver.
- Always be aware of your firing range.
- Wear eye and ear protection while shooting.
- Never touch a gun when you are on drugs.
- Remove the ammunition from the barrel before storing the gun.
Printable Gun Safety Rules
If you are much concerned about the safety of your guns, then you may want to read detailed information on it. For your convenience, here we are giving you a printable gun safety rules handout.You can download it and print it for reading later. (Note that the handout is made for North Dakota by the North Dakota State University. But you can follow it as same the rules are applicable for the other states)Last but not least, the gun is not a toy or a way of fun. It is a serious entity, and you need to deal with it proper concentration.
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