Firearm safety in America is a huge topic of conversation. The National Rifle Association has the tireless job of spreading knowledge about some of the most dangerous weapons available to the public.
If you choose to have your own firearm, it’s crucial that you know how to safely handle and store it. If you have children, your knowledge becomes even more important. Take a moment now to start learning a bit about firearms, and check out a brief look at a few foundational instructions in firearm safety.
Pay attention to the muzzle
The muzzle of your gun should never be pointed in the direction of another person, unless you intend on shooting that person. When handling your weapon, keep the muzzle pointed towards the ground.
Getting your very first Glock handgun is exciting, but don’t let the excitement create a dangerous situation. Even if you think a gun is not loaded and safe to handle, you should never take the chance of being wrong.
Know how to clear your gun
It’s wise to know exactly how to clear a weapon before you handle it. There could be a bullet in the chamber, even if there is no clip in the gun. You have to know how to tell the difference, and you have to know how to relieve the weapon of ammunition for safe storage.
Storing and cleaning your weapon
Proper storage of your weapon is a life and death activity. You don’t want to store your weapon, loaded, in the wrong place. Understand the proper way to store a weapon. If you feel like you must store a loaded weapon, make sure it is in a secure location.
When cleaning your weapon, you should always make sure to clear the chamber first. Until your gun is disassembled, you should function as if it were a loaded weapon. Keep the muzzle pointed down, and proceed with caution at all times.
Understand what lies beyond your target
Before ever discharging your gun, you should always know what lies around and beyond your target. You don’t want to accidentally injure or kill someone by not taking the time to first gather the whole picture.
If you’re shooting for sport, shoot in a place that is designated for discharge. A firing range is specifically designed to be a safe place for target practice.
Never rely on a weapon’s safety
Your firearm will always have a safety mechanism on it, but you should never operate on the assumption that it works. Of course, it probably will work 99 percent of the time, but you don’t want to take the chance of this time being that one percent.