This instructable will show you some basic firearms safety precautions. I am intentionally keeping this very basic and to-the-point, but may go into more detail in a future instructable. Handling a firearm, like any other deadly item (cars, knives, ballbats, cook-stoves, lanterns, welders, etc.) is no laughing matter. People's lives are at stake.
Eighteen years ago, I lost a dear friend in a hunting accident. He and his uncle were going rabbit hunting. They were both experienced outdoorsmen, and may have developed a lax attitude to gun handling. They did not follow all the appropriate safety measures. He recieved a shotgun blast at point-blank range to the upper thigh and torso. Even though he had the top surgeon in the area working on him within 5 minutes (another close friend) he bled to death right there beside his truck. His young wife lost her husband. His 2 year-old son lost his father. I hope his story will encourage others not to take firearm safety lightly.
This instructable is not intended to be the last word on safety, but rather just a start. Good safety habits are developed and maintained over years. It is also not about "How to Shoot/How to Shoot Better". That's a different Instructable, for a different day. It's not "How to Hunt". It's not a Second Amendment forum. It's just a few precautions on how not to shoot yourself or someone else.
NOTE: This is my first instructable, so if you like it, please rate it accordingly. If you have constructive criticisms, those are appreciated as well. Thanks.
Eighteen years ago, I lost a dear friend in a hunting accident. He and his uncle were going rabbit hunting. They were both experienced outdoorsmen, and may have developed a lax attitude to gun handling. They did not follow all the appropriate safety measures. He recieved a shotgun blast at point-blank range to the upper thigh and torso. Even though he had the top surgeon in the area working on him within 5 minutes (another close friend) he bled to death right there beside his truck. His young wife lost her husband. His 2 year-old son lost his father. I hope his story will encourage others not to take firearm safety lightly.
This instructable is not intended to be the last word on safety, but rather just a start. Good safety habits are developed and maintained over years. It is also not about "How to Shoot/How to Shoot Better". That's a different Instructable, for a different day. It's not "How to Hunt". It's not a Second Amendment forum. It's just a few precautions on how not to shoot yourself or someone else.
NOTE: This is my first instructable, so if you like it, please rate it accordingly. If you have constructive criticisms, those are appreciated as well. Thanks.
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Signing UpStep 1: The Rules of Firearm Safety
There are a few simple but important rules to keep in mind when handling a firearm. If you adhere to these rules, the chances of an accidental shooting are dramatically reduced.
1. Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to kill/destroy.
2. Assume the gun is ALWAYS loaded. You would not believe the number of people killed with "unloaded" firearms.
3. Keep your finger away from the trigger (outside of the trigger-gaurd), and the safety (if your gun is equipped with one)in the "Safe" position until you are ready to fire.
4. Always maintain control of your weapon. When in your posession, it should always be pointed in a safe direction. I usually point mine at an angle towards the ground.
5. When in storage, it should be under lock and key, and separated from the ammunition. There is nothing worse than having your weapon fall into the wrong hands (inexperienced, immature, or criminal). Trigger locks and gun-safes go a long way towards preventing unauthorized use of your weapon.
6. Your gun should always be unloaded and stored properly/securely during transportation.
7. Read the instruction manual for your particular firearm. Different types of guns function differently, and you need to know exactly how to operate the one you will be using. Pay particular attention to the manufacturers' safety features (locks, safeties, etc.)
8. Never handle your firearm while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
9. Always know what is behind/beyond your target. Misses and over-pentration happen. You may hit an unintended target as far away as 3 miles with an ordinary hunting rifle.
1. Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to kill/destroy.
2. Assume the gun is ALWAYS loaded. You would not believe the number of people killed with "unloaded" firearms.
3. Keep your finger away from the trigger (outside of the trigger-gaurd), and the safety (if your gun is equipped with one)in the "Safe" position until you are ready to fire.
4. Always maintain control of your weapon. When in your posession, it should always be pointed in a safe direction. I usually point mine at an angle towards the ground.
5. When in storage, it should be under lock and key, and separated from the ammunition. There is nothing worse than having your weapon fall into the wrong hands (inexperienced, immature, or criminal). Trigger locks and gun-safes go a long way towards preventing unauthorized use of your weapon.
6. Your gun should always be unloaded and stored properly/securely during transportation.
7. Read the instruction manual for your particular firearm. Different types of guns function differently, and you need to know exactly how to operate the one you will be using. Pay particular attention to the manufacturers' safety features (locks, safeties, etc.)
8. Never handle your firearm while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
9. Always know what is behind/beyond your target. Misses and over-pentration happen. You may hit an unintended target as far away as 3 miles with an ordinary hunting rifle.
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ALWAYS CARRY WITH THE MUZZLE DOWN.
Don't climb through fences or up/ down ladders with a loaded firearm.
Don't shoot at hard surfaces which are likely to cause ricochets!
Don't hand a 'closed' firearm to anyone...ensure the action is open - bolt is back or the slide locked open
Rule 1 - All guns are always loaded.
Rule 2 - Never let the muzzle cover anything you're not willing to destroy.
Rule 3 - Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target.
Rule 4 - Always be sure of your target - and beyond.
That's all - no silliness about "always keep the ammo away from the gun", "make sure you read the instruction book" (if you don't, you're a dumbell!), "never handle guns while drunk or on drugs (if you do - you're a moron and you deserve to go to jail!") or any of that other twenty-rule nonsense propogated by the NRA (bless their litigation-minded little hearts) etc.
And as for never keeping ammo with the gun - that only goes so far. For any gun you keep in the safe, you could easily keep the ammo locked up there as well, and certainly when you're dry-firing for practice, you should ALWAYS first double-check for an unloaded magazine and chamber (what you refer to as the barrel in your advice above) and then deliberately place the ammo in another room before you dry fire. And if you keep the weapon in a rack, keeping the ammo in another location is not a bad idea. But for firearms kept for the purposes of self-defense, keeping the ammo separate from the weapon will create some pretty obvious problems!
Instead, keep the gun in a safe place, secure from and out of sight of children and anyone you do not wish to know about it. Never brag or tell anyone about your guns - just family and close like-minded friends. If there is ANY chance that kids will visit - then take whatever extra precautions are necessary to make sure they NEVER will accidentally find your firearms. I've found that a small, quickly-opened one or two-gun safe works well when placed near the bed or in another room - but still far enough away that you must first be fully awake in order to access it. (Some people will disagree with this, and that's their preogative, but the old adage of "keeping the gun under your pillow for speed of access" is for morons and lunatics only!
All in all, I think you did a very good job, and you're obviously a safe and intelligent person. Keep up the good work!
As you were!
Lt. Greg