The Complete Guide to Gun Safety
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The Ultimate Guide To Gun Safety
Gun safety is the responsibility of every person who owns, carries or shoots a gun. The burden is on you to be responsible and safe with your firearm.
A gun has great destructive potential, and failing to respect that potential is what leads to accidents. Negligence and ignorance are dangerous, and negligence and ignorance with a loaded gun can and does get people killed.
For the complete newbie, it can seem intimidating. However, we're going to give you a comprehensive overview of what you need to know to handle, shoot, and store guns safely.
However, no amount of reading takes the place of instruction from trained professionals. If you are completely new to guns, shooting, concealed carry and otherwise, it is highly recommended that you seek out firearms training from a professional instructor.
Bear in mind that this guide is also for informational purposes only. disclaims and responsibility, liability or otherwise for any errors, omissions or misunderstandings of this article. The reader assumes all risks when handling or shooting firearms.
What Does Gun Safety Even Mean?
Ultimately, gun safety comes down to a couple of key principles.
A person who owns, handles, carries and shoots guns safely doesn't put anyone or anything in jeopardy besides range targets, game animals they are hunting or people that mean them deadly harm.
Gun safety practices, which we're going to cover, are how you keep accidental or negligent discharges from occurring, and from people, animals or things from being injured, destroyed or killed as a result of unsafe handling or shooting.
Good gun safety practices also keep your firearms, be they pistols or long guns, safe when stored.
The good news is that the principles of safe handling and operation of firearms are not complicated. If you learn those principles, and apply them consistently, you'll drastically reduce your chances of having an accident.
Gun Safety Rules
There aren't any gun safety rules that are set in stone or anything, but what you will constantly find mentioned is the "4 rules of gun safety" or "4 laws of gun safety."
Many iterations of these rules exist, but they all add up to the same ideas.
The are often attributed to Jeff Cooper. Cooper was a Lieutenant Colonel in the US Marine Corps, and later become a competitive shooter and firearms instructor.
Among his other accomplishments, Cooper helped lay the foundations of modern handgun techniques, both for defensive shooting as well as competitive shooting. Cooper is a legend in the firearms community.
While he almost certainly wasn't the first to advocate these four rules, he did popularize them.
The 4 Rules of Gun Safety
The 4 Rules of Gun Safety are as follows:
Treat Every Gun As If It's Loaded.
Even if you know a gun is not loaded, act as if it is at all times. Relying on your knowledge that a pistol is unloaded CAN result in accidents being avoided...until you get it wrong. If you don't take chances, then nothing will go wrong.
Never Aim at Something You Don't Intend To Shoot
The muzzle should never be pointed at something that you wouldn't want to be shot, killed or destroyed. Definitely DO NOT aim a firearm at a person unless you are defending yourself or someone else from mortal danger. That's called brandishing, which is a crime.
Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until You Intend To Shoot
Just as with the previous rules, take no chances. A negligent discharge CAN kill. One way a is by actuating the trigger accidentally. Remember: keep your finger away from the trigger until you are ready to fire.
Be Sure Of Your Target And What's Beyond It
Make sure that what you're shooting at is what you want to shoot at. Make sure nothing around the target will be damaged if you miss. If you aren't sure of the target, you probably shouldn't fire.
The preceding rules are the most commonly repeated rules or concepts of gun safety, and for good reason. The idea is to take every precaution to not put anyone or anything in danger, and - if the gun must be fired - to do so responsibly.
Naturally, there's more to firearm safety, but the 4 rules of gun safety listed here are the best starting point.
Other Gun Safety Rules
Besides the classic four gun safety rules, there are a few more to always bear in mind.
Know Your Gun
You should familiarize yourself with your firearm, whether it's a rifle, shotgun, pellet gun, pistol, or whatever it might be. Give the owner's manual a good read. Observe how easily any are engaged or disengaged. Learn how it recoils, how it handles and so forth.
Just like how a person learns how their car handles, a person should learn how their gun handles. The safest operator of a car or a firearm is a person who knows exactly how it works and any of its quirks, foibles and peculiarities.
Don't Rely On The Safety Mechanism
It is a fallacy to believe that a mechanical safety is foolproof.
Not that a mechanical safety does nothing, but it's best to rely on focus on and attention to practical safety than to rely on a mechanical safety net. Viewing a mechanical safety that way can lead to carelessness, which can lead to tragedy.
Part of learning the ins and outs of your firearm is learning the intricacies of the safety features on your gun.
Be Careful With Gun Mods
Gun mods are very popular.
Since so many accessories and upgrades are available for every type of firearm available, a lot of people will get tempted to accessorize or upgrade various parts. Be very careful.
Just like with modifying a car, a lot can go wrong with amateur modifications of working parts such as the trigger, firing or safety mechanisms.
It's not that can't be perfectly functional; they can.
This isn't to say you should give up any ideas of modifying a gun, but that you should be careful about doing so. Unless you know to a certainty that you can perform the modification, have it done by a qualified gunsmith.
Keep Your Gun In Good Working Order
Just like with a car, is a more reliable, safer firearm. Clean regularly, even if you haven't fired it in a while. Regular lubrication will keep a pistol in good working order and will keep rust away.
If you carry a pistol everyday, especially in an IWB holster, rust and holster wear on the gun's finish will happen. Therefore, make sure your gun is cleaned and lubricated every few weeks if you're carrying it.
Gun Safety While Shooting
There are also principles of gun safety to observe while at the range or in the field. Careless shooting can easily result in tragedy, so it behooves anyone and everyone to observe proper shooting safety as well as safe handling.
Be Sure Of Your Target And What's Beyond It
As a corollary to the rule of not covering anything with the muzzle that you don't want destroyed, make sure you know what your target is, and what is behind it.
Part of good shooting safety is taking the consequences of the shot into account. Does the target have adequate backstop? Is there anything behind the target or close to it that could cause a ricochet or any other negative consequences?
Account for these things before pulling the trigger.
Avoid Shooting At Hard, Flat Surfaces
Don't shoot at hard, flat surfaces. These are the most likely to cause a ricochet, which can injure or kill anyone (or any living thing) that a ricocheting projectile strikes. Therefore, avoid shooting at rocks, road surfaces and so on.
A soft backstop is best, such as dirt or sand. Avoid shooting at water, as bullets or shot pellets can skip off the surface, unless shot at a steep downward angle. Naturally, this a corollary to being sure of your target and what's behind it, but it bears further explanation.
Make Sure The Barrel Is Clear Of Obstructions
Before you shoot, make sure that there isn't anything obstructing the barrel. Inspect your gun before going to the range, and if you have time, give it a decent lubing. It will perform better. If any obstructions remain in the barrel, serious injuries or worse can occur.
Use Correct Ammunition
Naturally, a person should ensure they . With centerfire ammunition - the bulk of pistols, shotguns and rifles - this is easily done.
Look at the barrel of the gun - somewhere on the barrel, the caliber that the firearm is chambered for will be engraved or otherwise imprinted on it.
To check your ammunition, look at the back of the cartridge case, and it should be printed on the rim of the cartridge.
If you are unsure of a gun's caliber, take it to a qualified gunsmith to find out. Do NOT take any chances. The least of the consequences can be ruining the firearm; injury or death can also result from using incorrect ammunition.
Are you planning to fire any ammunition that's rated as +P, or +P+? Check to see if your gun is rated for it. Some are, some aren't. If you don't know if your gun is rated for +P or +P+ rounds, don't use it.
Rimfire cartridges, such as the .22 family, require some attention. Almost all guns shooting a .22 caliber bullet are but some can fire both .22 LR and .22 Magnum (or .22 WMR) and some fire only .22 Short, an extremely rare round.
Ensure which your firearm is chambered for and use only that ammunition.
Shotgunners should note the chamber length, especially with older guns. A shell that's too short for a gun's chamber length won't pattern well, and a shell that's too long won't chamber. The most common chamber lengths are 2 3/4-inch, 3-inch, and 3 1/2-inch.
On most modern shotguns, the chamber length will be engraved on the barrel, and you should only use ammunition that will work for that chamber length. Older shotguns may not. If you aren't sure, take it to a gunsmith for inspection.
When Shooting, Eye Protection Is Necessary
When shooting, either at the range or if in the field hunting, eye protection should be worn at all possible times.
Shooting is a wonderful activity for those that enjoy it as a hobby, and is never really wasted. However, residual damage can occur to the shooter as a result, especially to the eyes and ears.
Shooting a gun results in discharge of hot gases and particulate matter, similar to the emissions from a car. You wouldn't want to stand behind the tailpipe, and you don't want that stuff in your eyes. You also don't necessarily know where that hot brass is heading after it ejects!
Therefore, make sure you put a barrier between your eyes and the gun.
Eye protection rating is governed by the American National Standards Institute (a non-governmental body that establishes engineering standards) and is covered under ANSI code Z87.1,
This is the standard adopted by the Occupational Safety and Hazards Administration (OSHA) for eye protection, so any eye protection should meet it. If you wear corrective lenses, poly carbonate lenses actually meet the standard.
Shooting Requires Ear Protection
Besides eye protection, you also need ear protection. Hearing damage not only can occur, but in fact DOES occur every time you shoot without ear protection.
Ever hear a loud noise and then get a ringing in your ear after it happens? That's tinnitus, which means that hearing damage has just occurred.
The typical gunshot produces anywhere from 140 decibels to 165 decibels of sound pressure; instant hearing damage can occur with any sound level of 110 dB or more, and always occurs if subjected to any noise 140 dB or louder.
Look for ear protection that has the highest NRR, or Noise Reduction Rating. The best practice is to wear electronic ear protection, which attenuates noise to 85 dB along with using sound cancellation to block noise louder than 85 dB.
If using passive (meaning non-electronic) ear protection, the best practice is to wear both earplugs AND earmuffs with the highest NRR you can get. Ear plugs should create a tight seal in the ear canal for the best effect.
Remember, human hearing does not grow back. Every bit of damage your hearing takes is permanent. Therefore, protect your ears.
Safety Is Critical When Dealing With Misfires
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Something may go wrong, either as the result of a mechanical malfunction or worse, a misfire. In either case, handle with extreme caution.
, such as a failure to feed or failure to return to battery, are much more common in semi-automatics, such as pistols, shotguns and rifles.
A malfunction occurs when a cartridge fails to chamber, fails to come out of the gun, or the gun fails to detonate the cartridge in the first place. If the primer has been fairly struck, you have a misfire. If you see a defined dimple in the primer, that's a misfire.
What To Do In Case Of A Misfire
A misfire is when the striker or hammer strikes the cartridge, but it doesn't discharge the bullet.
The typical cause is the firing pin not hitting with enough force - due to a worn firing pin spring or a broken tip - or a bad round or batch of ammunition.
If a misfire occurs, keep the gun pointed downrange and wait for about 30 seconds in case of a hangfire. Sometimes ignition is just delayed rather than prevented entirely.
If no hangfire occurs, eject the cartridge, inspect your gun and get back to shooting. If the image repeats, the issue is likely the firing pin or firing pin spring.
Other Ammunition Issues
There are a couple of other ammunition issues that can occur, though they are rare.
First is a squib load, which is when a cartridge ignites but the bullet doesn't have enough pressure behind it to actually exit the barrel. You'll notice either little or no noise, light or no recoil, gas or other debris coming from the ejection port or a failure to cycle in a semi-auto.
A squib has to be pushed out of the barrel. Your range day will be done, and you may have to visit a gunsmith.
Case head separation is another issue known to happen. This happens when the brass of the cartridge case splits near the rim of the cartridge, venting gases through the ejection port or elsewhere.
A case head separation typically only happens with reloaded or hand loaded ammunition that's had too much powder added to the case.
In either case, it's a good idea to have your gun inspected by a gunsmith to check for any structural damage.
Mechanical Malfunctions
Guns are machines, and like any machine there are malfunctions. When this occurs, part of safe operation is to know how to deal with them. The good news is that it's easy.
If a malfunction occurs, keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction at all times until the malfunction is cleared.
Typical semi-auto malfunctions are a failure to feed (the cartridge won't go into the chamber) failure to extract (a fired bullet doesn't eject) and a failure to return to battery, where the slide won't return all the way after firing.
The typical causes are insufficient lubrication, a bad magazine, or a bad extractor, though there are some others.
What you do to address them is a procedure called Tap, Rack, Bang.
You tap the magazine to ensure it's fully seated, rack the slide and - if the slide returns to battery - commence firing again. Sometimes a malfunction can happen due to a variety of factors and never repeat...and sometimes it's due to an issue that needs to be fixed.
If it continues to happen, get your gun to a gunsmith.
Gun Safety While Carrying
Gun safety is, of course, critical while carrying as you have a loaded gun on your person and you're out and about in the world. There's no safety net, so to speak; there's no safe to put the gun in, so it has to be carried safely, all the time.
As a result, that means more elements that have to be accounted for in order to safely carry a firearm. Whether one is or , there are some safety considerations to bear in mind.
Some people insist that the safest way to carry is to not have . This is true from a certain perspective, but the downside is having to chamber a round as the gun comes out of the holster.
Not only does that require more fine motor movements under stress, it also requires time you might not have, as well as a lot (and we mean A LOT) of practice to get proficient with. Put simply, it's more likely to get you killed in a fight than it is to prevent an accident from happening.
So how do you carry safely?
You Need A Holster
No matter what, if you're going to carry a gun...you need a holster. Period, no exceptions.
People who put loaded pistols in their pocket get themselves or other people shot...or killed.
People who put a loaded pistol in their waistband get themselves or other people shot...or killed.
People who put a loaded gun in a backpack or purse get themselves or other people shot...or killed.
A holster is a critical piece of safety equipment. It secures the pistol to your person, and - if the holster is made correctly - will protect the trigger guard and retains the pistol inside the holster, whether it's an , or an .
So if you're going to carry, get a holster.
What Every Holster Should Have
Whether you're getting a holster for open carry, concealed carry or just for range use, there are certain things that a holster has to have, certain things it has to do or else it's useless...or worse, dangerous.
A holster should be made for the firearm that will be put in it. That can be a custom-molded on something like a , a leather holster or what have you. Failing that, it should be at minimum made for the size class of pistol, such as for single-stack subcompact like a S&W Shield, so the fit is as precise as possible.
The holster should cover the trigger guard. The trigger guard must also be protected; you shouldn't be able to feel the trigger through the holster.
The holster should make a solid connection to the belt, the waistband or whatever it is it attaches to, in case you're carrying a drop leg, shoulder or other non-waistband holster. The holster needs to be a stable platform to draw from.
The holster should also be comfortable enough to carry on a regular basis without issue. If your holster isn't comfortable enough for you to carry all day, every day, then you will find excuses not to carry it.
If you're going to carry, you also need a strong belt to support the gun and holster. The standard belt from a department store is not enough; you need to get an actual gun belt.
Practice Carrying, And Put In The Work At Concealed Carry Practice
Before you hit the street, you should make sure your gun and gear are going to work with some concealed carry practice.
Start by wearing your gun and holster around the house. Do a few things while carrying it. Cook a few meals, mow the yard, take out the trash and get a feel for it.
You should also do some at the range.
Practice from the holster and shooting the target.
This is also how you test your holster, to see if it's going to carry the gun safely and effectively, as well as facilitate a clean draw and reholstering.
The idea is you want to make sure that your holster is going to work BEFORE you start carrying every day; you want to discover any issues with it when there's less downside.
Safe Gun Storage
Another aspect of gun safety is . Firearms should be properly stored in the home, though some disagree on just what that entails. In any case, there are certain universals of gun storage that should be observed.
First, firearms should be kept safe from moisture. Whether loaded or unloaded, moisture can cause rust, which can and will ruin an afflicted gun if left untreated.
Second, they should not be accessible by everyone.
Ammo Storage
Some prefer ammo storage and gun storage to be in the same location, some prefer to keep the two locked up in separate locations.
The latter approach concentrates firearms and their ammunition in one location. Provided sufficient security, such as a gun safe or strong box with access limited to very few people, this approach can be perfectly safe.
However, many subscribe to the notion that separate (locked) ammo storage and gun storage is preferable and in truth is more secure as more layers of security decrease the odds of a tragedy occurring.
Many with children in the home will store ammunition separately from their guns, ensuring that even if they can somehow access the one, they cannot access the other.
Types Of Gun Storage
There are a number of different options one has for gun storage, and tossing a pistol in a dresser or nightstand drawer is not the best among them.
The most basic is a simple lockbox, as they are widely available and cheap. Many are little more than a metal box with a simple lock and key, though models are available with combination locks and even some featuring biometric (thumbprint) locks as well.
If one wants to keep one or two pistols by the bed, they are a decent option. If you want a separate storage container for ammunition, they are also a good choice.
The best lockboxes are also mountable, as many feature bolt holes through which one can mount it to a surface such as a dresser, nightstand or shelf of some kind. This prevents the box from being moved.
Some models can even be mounted to a wall - just make sure those are mounted to a stud.
Be wary of electronic locks, as fresh batteries must be maintained for the lockbox to work.
There are also gun cases.
Many firearms come with a case at the point of purchase (it's mandatory for pistol purchases in many U.S. states) and most gun cases either feature locking latches or can be locked using a cable or padlock.
Provided solid construction and a good lock, these are perfectly viable methods of storage. Metal cases will often be the most durable, though many plastic cases are just as strongly built if not more so. Look for gun cases that are rated for airline use; these will the most solidly built.
A gun cabinet is exactly what it sounds like - a cabinet for guns. Most have a simple lock on the doors, so make sure to not lose the key once locked. These are the classiest and most elegant, but can be the easiest to break into as many have simple glass doors.
Therefore, you may want to consider purchasing a model that does not have glass doors, as a metal or totally wooden cabinet will not have this weakness.
However, a number of gun cabinets are no longer just simple uprights. Many gun cabinets and lock boxes are taking alternate shapes, as full-on gun storage furniture is becoming proliferate. Many take the shape of common household furniture, such as ottomans, wall shelving, even entire bed frames.
Gun safes are, naturally, the most safe. A gun safe provides the greatest degree of security, as access the most impeded. Additionally, many are fireproof, so your firearms and any other valuables stored in a gun safe can easily survive a fire in your home.
Gun safes range in size, so one need not dedicate an entire closet to it. Small safes are very popular for pistols, and many gun owners install one on a nightstand or in a nightstand drawer.
However, long gun safes do require the requisite space for upright or horizontal storage.
Using a Gun Lock
Some prefer to not only lock their firearms away, but employ a gun lock as well. There are different types of gun lock, and each works a little differently.
A cable lock is a type of padlock, but the part of the lock that's inserted into the main lock housing (the shackle) is on a cable instead of being a piece of solid metal like the padlocks many are used to. Everything else is the same though; insert the shackle, turn the key and it's locked.
Cable locks can be threaded through a gun's action and thereby render a gun unfireable, including pistols and many long guns. For those who want to keep a gun locked and inert while in storage, this method can be employed for very little cash and is very effective.
Trigger locks are one of the more popular types of gun lock. They may even be required in some jurisdictions. They are very simple, as trigger locks have two halves - one side with a shackle and one side with a lock cylinder.
The shackle goes through the trigger guard, into the lock cylinder. Push the halves together until the lock "clicks." Just like a cable lock, open with a key.
However, trigger locks are known for a particular defect, in that the lock shackle sits on top of the trigger.
A loaded pistol can be discharged if the trigger lock has sufficient travel. Therefore, if you are going to use one, do NOT employ a trigger lock on gun that's loaded.
Rifles of AR-15 designs (and similar semi-automatic rifles) also can use magazine well locks, which range in design to a simple plastic block to mechanical locks.
Cable and trigger locks are the most common, but there are other gun lock designs though they are less common.
Some pistols are manufactured with a locking system that the owner can actuate with a special key, often an Allen wrench (or hex key) or something like it, and there are other evolving gun lock designs. However, cable locks and trigger locks are currently the most prevalent.
Best Practices For Ammunition Safety
The gun itself is not dangerous; what creates any danger is technically the ammunition. The ammunition ignites, sending a bullet out of the barrel.
Things that explode, as it turns out, are inherently dangerous!
Therefore, take steps to store and use ammunition in a safe manner. Here's the basics of what that entails.
Use Correct Ammunition
You should only use the correct ammunition for your gun. Some chamberings allow for use of multiple calibers, which we'll cover in a moment, but outside of those exceptions you must take care not to use the wrong ammunition in any firearm.
Most modern firearms have the caliber marked on the barrel or receiver. Check to make sure; do not load or fire the gun if you aren't sure.
If shooting a shotgun, also make sure you check the chamber length. A modern 12-gauge shotgun, for instance, will have either a 3-inch or 3- 1/2" chamber; older shotguns may have only a 2- 3/4" chamber.
Centerfire ammunition will have the caliber imprinted on the rim. Rimfire ammunition often will not, so make sure know what caliber it is by keeping it in its box.
Take care to store different calibers separately. This is absolutely critical for people who own AR-platform rifles of multiple calibers. A .300 Blackout cartridge will chamber and headspace in a 5.56mm rifle, and the rifle will detonate if you pull the trigger.
Therefore, make sure that all ammunition is stored separately, and in clearly labeled containers.
Multi-Caliber Firearms
A few firearms have the capability to fire multiple calibers through the same barrel as the projectile is the same size.
For instance, .357 Magnum revolvers can also fire .38 Special, as the projectile itself is the exact same; the difference is a .357 Magnum case is longer and holds more powder. Some .357 Magnum revolvers have a special cylinder that can also use 9mm with use of a moon clip.
This is also true for .44 Magnum revolvers, which can also fire .44 Special. .454 Casull revolvers can also fire .45 Colt. Some .45 Colt revolvers have a special cylinder that can use moon clips, and therefore fire .45 ACP ammunition.
There are also revolvers made for use with .45 Colt and short .410 Gauge shotshells.
The 5.56mm NATO cartridge uses the same projectile as .223 Remington, but is loaded to a higher pressure and has a slightly different shoulder. This means that any rifle chambered for 5.56mm NATO can safely fire .223 Remington, but not the reverse.
The same is true for .308 Winchester and 7.62x51mm NATO; the latter is loaded to higher pressures. You can shoot .308 from a 7.62mm rifle, but not the reverse.
Likewise, many .22 Magnum firearms can also fire .22 Long Rifle.
With that said, if using any multi-caliber firearm, make sure that any ammunition you use is of an appropriate pressure level and of the right projectile size.
Overpressure Ammunition, aka +P Ammo
Overpressure, or "+P ammo," is loaded to a higher chamber pressure than the standard loading by adding additional gun powder.
The reason why is that creating more pressure behind the bullet sends it out of the barrel at a higher velocity. Remember, a bullet is a little bit of lead and copper being squeezed out of a tube by an explosion that takes place behind it. Increase the pressure, the bullet travels faster.
+P ammo, however, puts more mechanical stress on the gun, as the action of semi-automatics cycles harder and the chamber is subjected to higher pressures.
Make sure that your firearm is rated for +P use before using any. Factory +P ammunition will be marked "+P" on the headstamp, except for NATO loads such as 9mm NATO, a 124-gr 9mm+P loading. However, NATO ammunition is still overpressure, so take care before using it.
Unless the manufacturer clearly states that your firearm is rated for +P, don't use any.
Safe Ammo Storage
For safe ammo storage, you should stow it somewhere that is relatively temperature controlled and dry. It isn't necessary to invest in a humidor like you would get for cigars, but merely store where it can't easily get wet.
People who live in humid areas should find some sort of enclosed storage. A stout lockbox or safe should suffice.
Likewise, total temperature control isn't necessary, as normal temperature levels in the typical home are perfectly tolerable. So long as a cartridge isn't subjected to wild temperature fluctuations and moisture, it can be stored for decades without issue.
However, unused rounds from a hunting trip or range day can get wet due to inclement weather or other sources of moisture. Therefore, take care to dry ammunition prior to returning them to storage, else corrosion will occur and the rounds will deactivate.
Take care to keep ammunition from suffering sharp knocks and dropping, so store it in a location where it isn't likely to be knocked over and preferably well out of the reach of children.
A fireproof storage container is also recommended, as the last thing you'll want to worry about in the event of a house fire is dodging bullets.
Mechanical Safety Features: What They Are, And How To Use Them
Every gun has some sort of mechanical safety feature if not multiple mechanical safety features. Part of safe operation and carrying of a firearm is to understand their function and their use.
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