Thousands of gun-related deaths happen every year. The sad part is that most of them could have been prevented. All it takes is being responsible.
There are several rules of gun safety you should familiarize yourself with before buying your first firearm.
When you’re not using your gun, it needs to be stored in a safe location. You’ve got to use the right ammo for your firearm, and never point it at anything you don’t intend to shoot.
Want to learn more about keeping yourself and everyone around you safe while you’re using your gun? Check out this handy owner’s guide.
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Don’t Point It at Someone
Whenever you’re doing anything with your firearm, you should keep it pointed away from innocent people. Accidents happen.
The gun could discharge while you’re loading it or unloading it and hurt someone. Even if you stumble while your gun is in your hand, you should be in complete control over where the muzzle is facing.
No matter if you’re hunting or part of a competition, keep constant surveillance of everything around you. If taking the shot means pointing the gun anywhere near another person, don’t do it.
Treat Your Gun Like It’s Loaded
While you’re holding hunting guns, the general rule of thumb is to always assume they’re loaded. Don’t treat them as if they’re not until you confirm it for yourself.
Speaking of bullets, your firearm should always be unloaded while you’re not using it. This way, if a child were to get their hands on it, they won’t be able to fire it.
The Safety Isn’t Always Reliable
The safety on your gun is the same as any other part on it in that it can fail on you.
It could be off when you think that it’s still on, and vice versa. To this end, keep your fingers far away from the trigger when you’re not using the gun to shoot something.
Use the Right Ammo
When purchasing a gun, you’ll most likely buy ammo along with it. If you don’t know what kind to get, consult the shop owner.
If you try to guess, you could end up getting the wrong bullets. That will end in disaster for yourself and your firearm. For more information on buying guns, you can learn more here.
Store Your Gun in a Safe Place
The last tip we have for you is to store your gun away after every use. You don’t want it to be easily accessible by children, criminals, or a random houseguest who happened to stop by.
To keep your gun in peak condition, clean it before you put it away and remove the ammo.
General Rules of Gun Safety to Follow
No matter if you buy a firearm for self-defense or hunting, there’s a level of responsibility you take on.
You’ve got to follow the rules of gun safety to prevent yourself or anyone else from getting hurt. Keep your firearm stored away, remove the ammo when you’re not using it, know that the safety isn’t always reliable, and don’t point it at anyone.
For more gun owner tips and tricks, visit the lifestyle section of our blog.