Every year, there are almost 40,000 Americans killed by guns.
In many cases, these people are intentionally shot and killed during homicides. But there are also some instances in which people are accidentally shot and killed by guns.
If you’re going to own a gun, it’s very important for you to be extra careful with it. There are all sorts of gun safety tips that you should put to good use to ensure that you don’t injure or even kill someone else with your gun.
You should make gun safety a top priority from the second you pick up a gun and take it home with you. If you don’t follow certain gun safety rules, it could prove to be catastrophic in the end.
Here are 12 rules of gun safety that you should keep in the back of your mind at all times when you own a firearm.
Table of Contents
Begin by Buying the Best Gun for Your Specific Purposes
First things first: When you go to buy a gun, you should make sure that the gun you buy is the best option for your specific purposes. Whether you’re buying a gun to provide your home with protection or buying a gun so that you can go hunting, your gun should be equipped to handle your needs.
The last thing you want to do is buy a gun that’s way too powerful for what you plan to use it for. You’re going to struggle to put good gun safety practices into place when you have a firearm in your home that’s larger than it needs to be.
Outfit Your Gun With the Right Accessories
When you buy a gun, you should also buy a bunch of accessories to go along with it. From a holster to a AR 15 stock, there are lots of different accessories that you can invest in for your gun.
Some of the accessories that you buy for your gun are going to make it easier for you to fire it. But others are going to help you stay safe when carrying your gun around and using it. Whatever the case, don’t forget to pick at least a few of these accessories up.
Put the Right Kind of Ammunition Into Your Gun
Are you unsure of what kind of ammunition you’re going to need for the gun that you’re buying? You shouldn’t be afraid to ask the person helping you pick out a gun in the first place.
If you attempt to load a gun with the wrong kind of ammo, it could backfire on you. You could do some serious damage to your gun and possibly injure yourself by taking this approach. It’s why you should be mindful of what kind of ammo you put into your gun and be careful with it.
Always Assume That Your Gun Is Loaded at All Times
When you first buy a gun, you’re going to spend a lot of time with it in your hands. You’ll love showing it off to others and familiarizing yourself with the way that it feels.
While holding your gun, you might be 100% sure that there isn’t any ammo in it. But you should still get into the habit of treating your gun like it’s loaded.
You should keep your gun pointed at the ground whenever possible. You should also avoid pulling the trigger on your gun if you don’t have to do it. It’ll prevent you from accidentally firing a gun that you thought was unloaded.
Avoid Pointing Your Gun at Anyone or Anything Unless You Plan to Use It
This is one of the most important gun safety tips of all, so listen up! You shouldn’t ever, ever, ever point your gun at someone or something if you don’t plan on using it.
You might think that you’re being funny or cute by pointing your gun at someone. But if they happen to misinterpret what you’re doing, it could lead to an accident taking place.
Steer Clear of Putting Your Finger on Your Gun’s Trigger If You’re Not Preparing to Fire It
Putting your finger on your gun’s trigger will give you a sense of power that you’ve never felt before. But it’s not smart to put your finger on your gun’s trigger if you’re not planning to use it.
As we mentioned a moment ago, you should always treat your gun like it’s loaded. And that means not touching the trigger on it at any point unless you’re prepared to deal with the potential consequences.
Even if you keep your gun on safety all the time, you still shouldn’t touch your trigger unless you’re preparing to fire your gun. No good can come of you messing around with your trigger.
Learn How to Properly Aim Your Gun and Shoot It
Do you know how to aim your gun at someone or something and shoot it? If you’re buying a gun for the first time, you might not feel comfortable doing this just yet.
You should take some time to learn how to aim and shoot your gun by enrolling in a gun safety class. It’ll teach you everything you need to know about firing a gun in the safest way possible.
Be Aware of Your Surroundings When Pulling Out Your Gun and Using It
If you find yourself in a situation where you have to pull your gun out and use it, you should focus on more than just whoever or whatever it is that you’re shooting at. You should also be mindful of all the other people, places, and things surrounding it.
If you aren’t aware of your surroundings when you fire your gun, you could accidentally hit someone or something that you weren’t aiming at. It’s important for you to see the bigger picture when firing your gun so that this doesn’t happen.
Take the Right Steps If Your Gun Ever Fails to Fire After You Try to Shoot It
If you ever pull the trigger of your gun and it doesn’t fire, you might be tempted to continue trying to pull the trigger to see if you can get it to shoot. Do not do this!
Instead, give your gun a few seconds to see whether or not it’ll eventually shoot. Then, if it doesn’t, point the gun down towards the ground and slowly unload it so that you can diagnose what went wrong with it.
You need to be very careful about making any sudden movements during the process. You don’t want the gun to eventually go off when you’re least expecting it.
Clean Your Gun on a Regular Basis
Cleaning your gun is something that you’re going to have to get used to doing early and often. Most experts recommend that you clean your gun every single time that you use it.
You should also try to clean your gun every few months, even if you haven’t used it. This will keep the mechanisms inside of your gun clean and ensure that your gun fires properly the next time you go to use it.
Keep Your Gun Locked Up in a Safe When You’re Not Using It
When you’re not using your gun, you shouldn’t leave it in a random desk drawer or out in the open where anyone could come along and find it. You should have a special gun safe in your home where you keep your gun locked up for safekeeping.
You should make sure that you lock this safe every time you put your gun into it. It’ll stop kids from getting their hands on your gun and accidentally firing it when you’re not around.
Teach Those Who Live in Your Home About the Importance of Gun Safety
If you live in a home with other people, you should let them know that you own a gun. You want to make sure that they feel comfortable with the idea of a gun being in your home.
You should also educate them with regards to gun safety, especially if they’re on the younger side. You should talk to them about how there is nothing to worry about when it comes to guns, as long as they are safe with them.
This will help to put everyone’s minds at ease as far as the gun in your home is concerned. It’ll also let people know that it wouldn’t be safe for them to touch your gun under any circumstances.
Put These Gun Safety Tips to the Test to Protect Yourself and Others
It’s your right to buy and own a gun if you want to do it. But if you’re going to take on the responsibility of owning a gun, you need to be sure that you’re careful with it all the time.
You can keep safety at the forefront of your mind by committing the gun safety tips found here to memory. They’ll make it so easy for you to stay safe while you’re in possession of a firearm.
Read the other articles on our blog to get more information on guns and gun safety.
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