By Marcie Young | Contributing Writer
The free man is the responsible man. The fundamental civilian liberty in the USA is the right of the people to keep and bear arms, but just like all rights, it requires responsibility.
Owning a firearm is a major, even life-changing event that should be seriously considered to avoid accidentally shooting someone or yourself.
First, firearms are designed to kill; we must, hence, respect them and avoid making safety mistakes that can endanger our loved ones and us.
RELATED RESOURCE: NSSF And Project ChildSafe Encourage Gun Safety During Nat’l Safety Month
You have probably heard about many safety rules ranging from very useful to the silliest advice, but the most essential are four rules written by legendary Jeff Cooper.
- All guns are always loaded
- Always keep the muzzle of barrel in a safe direction
- Place your finger on the trigger only when ready to shoot
- Identify your target and know what is behind it
Considering that, we will make a short guide over these Top Four Gun Safety Mistakes You Can’t Afford to Make – all of which I personally have seen people making when I go hunting in my home state of Arizona or when I visit a shooting range.
We’ve seen it often on the news when a seemingly unloaded gun kills or injures someone. It means you should always treat any firearm that has been loaded and ready to fire. Whenever you pick up a rifle, shotgun or handgun, you have to open the action and check the chamber or magazine to confirm that it is not loaded.
It would help if you made this safety check not only visually; you should also inspect (with fingers) that there is no cartridge in the chamber. After you have verified with both eyes and felt the chamber, your weapon can be considered fully unloaded. This basic safety rule will make you more aware whenever you pick up the gun or hand it to another person.
In addition to this rule, you never have to rely on the firearm’s safety. The “safety” on any gun is just a piece of metal that, like any mechanical device, can fail and become inoperable at a critical moment. Moreover, the safety can be switched “off” by mistake when you think it is “on.”
Careless Muzzle control
The second common error, but also a primary gun safety mistake you can’t afford to make, is pointing a gun carelessly. You have to keep the muzzle of your weapon pointed in a safe direction at all times. That is particularly essential during the loading/unloading process. The barrel of your firearm should be pointed in a neutral direction, such as straight down toward the ground or straight up in the air. In the event of a negligent discharge, this helps to prevent the bullet from injuring other people.
Another violation of this gun safety rule is pointing unloaded firearms at friends as a joke. Without comment, it is obvious how reckless and dangerous this move can be.
This is dangerous even if you think you know that the gun is unloaded!
James A Reddick, writing for Army.Mil mentions how people pointing their gun at him get offended when he asks them to control their muzzle apart from telling him that they know their gun is unloaded. As James mentions, his response is always, “Well, I don’t know if it’s unloaded and I don’t care when you checked it. I control the muzzle of my firearm and expect the same from others!”
Practice Trigger Discipline
Keeping a finger on the trigger can result in accidentally firing the weapon. Position your finger only after your sights are on the target.
Keeping your finger off the trigger can prevent negligent discharge and this practice can be quite challenging as it requires long and exhausting training until your actions become automatic.
The very simple rule about trigger discipline means that you have to keep your finger on the trigger guard or on the portion of the frame above the trigger guard.
That gun safety mistake can be particularly disastrous when combined with a light trigger pull.
Shooting Without Safety Training
Safe shooting habits gradually develop with time, but we always have to use common sense when handling a firearm.
Never shoot at a sound, a silhouette or a shadow.
You should always identify your target and what is behind it. Once a gun is fired, no one can call a shot back. No one trophy deer or hog isn’t so valuable that you cannot look over and beyond it before pulling the trigger.
Remember that fired projectiles can travel very far if you miss the intended target. So, you have to know precisely what your fired shot is going to strike beyond your target.
Range Time a ‘Must’
Finally, before every season, your range time is a must. Visiting a shooting range in advance of the hunt is recommended because your weapon can be knocked out of alignment by hitting and bumping in the woods and in car trunks and backseats.
Visiting a shooting range is mandatory particularly if you have changed the ammo or scope. You need to properly sight-in your rifle because the misalignment could mean the difference between a clean, ethical kill and searching for a wounded animal.
RELATED RESOURCE: Maintaining and Perfecting Shooting Skills [The Gun Mag]
Gun ownership implies responsibility and avoiding the dangerous handling of a firearm. As responsible members of the gun community; we don’t want another reckless gun owner shooting someone by mistake.
Avoid making these four basic gun safety mistakes outlined here, and following the safety procedures mentioned above, you will develop safe shooting habits and have a great shooting experience.
The best way is to get some educational courses for you and everyone in your household.
