The Ultimate Guide to Gun Safety

Congratulations! You’ve taken the time to invest in a firearm, and you are looking to know how to use one safely. Safety is paramount with all firearms. Check out some firearm safety tips below.

Proper Use

Always use your firearm for the way it was intended. This means you should only be using a firearm for hunting during hunting trips. A firearm used solely for target practice should never be carried around for self protection. Know your reasons for owning a firearm, and know your limits when handling it.

Aim to Shoot

You must never aim your firearm at anything you don’t intend to shoot. This means a firearm should never be directed at something casually or in jest. Remember, firearms will only damage objects at which they are aimed. Never point a firearm at any living thing unless you fully intend to kill.

Storage

Unless you have a pressing reason to do otherwise, always store your firearms and ammunition, such as 556 ammo, in separate locations. This prevents unwanted people from using your firearms, but it also has another important purpose. Many firearm accidents occur from domestic arguments when people unintentionally use a firearm not knowing it was loaded. Keeping the ammunition and your firearm stored separately prevents this horrific scenario from unfolding.

Children

Firearm safety with children consists of two important ideas. First, firearms should be stored away from children. However, the second idea is more nuanced. Children should be taught about the seriousness of firearms. They should be explicitly told of the dangers. After demonstrating the appropriate maturity, they can begin learning more specifically about the use and maintenance of firearms. This prevents children from accessing firearms out of unsupervised curiosity, a motivation that almost always ends in tragedy.

Mental Health

Always remember that statistics regarding gun violence are often inflated for one reason. Do you know what that reason is? It’s suicide. Unfortunately, firearms are often used in suicides for their devastating effectiveness. This means that firearm owners should always be aware of their own mental health and the mental health of others in the household. If you ever suspect yourself or someone who has access to your firearm has suicidal tendencies, remove access to the firearm as soon as possible. You can reach out to organizations that may be able to help.

Be an Educator

Take the time to educate other people about firearms and firearm safety. Your teaching can help others use their firearms safely, and it can also reduce the unnecessary anxiety some people feel around firearms. When it comes to firearms, let your voice be heard in your community as a voice of peace, reason, and safety.

It’s a great privilege to be able to live in a country where citizens are free to own and purchase firearms. However, this great privilege also comes with a great responsibility. Make sure you follow the above safety rules. Doing so will allow you and others to safely enjoy the right to own a firearm.