(Newswire.net — November 20, 2018) — Exercising your second amendment right to bear arms certainly has its advantages, like being able to protect yourself in cases of emergencies. Unfortunately, if certain precautions aren’t taken then your own gun could become more of a hazard than a helper. Every year, there are thousands of cases of injuries and fatalities caused by improper handling, storage, and usage of guns in America. As a responsible gun owner, you should become familiar with the National Rifle Association’s six recommended gun safety rules.
1. Always Point the Firearm in a Safe Direction
Regardless of whether the safety is engaged or not, never point the gun in the direction of anything that you don’t intend to shoot. This includes pointing it at the floor or roof when you’re in a multi-level structure. The gun should remain holstered in a durable holster, such as those sold at https://www.frontlineholsters.com.
2. Know the Target and the Area Beyond It
Never fire your weapon until you have thoroughly examined the target and the space behind it. Bullets can fly through people and most objects fairly easily, so you don’t want to be firing strays into bystanders and surrounding buildings or vehicles.
3. Learn How to Operate Your Gun Properly
Study your firearm’s owners’ manual from front to back and become familiar with how to load, unload, fire, and engage the safety in a reliable manner. Many people make the mistake of moving too quickly when they’re learning how to use their gun. Don’t try speed loading, racking back the slide rapidly, drawing from the hip, or any other fast motions until you’re confident in your technique and form, and only practice these actions at a gun range.
4. Only Use the Proper Ammunition for Your Firearm
Using the wrong kind of ammunition for your gun can be dangerous because the ammo can explode in the barrel and cause an injury or worse. Using the wrong kind of ammunition can also damage the gun or cause it to fail to fire, which is dangerous if it fails when you’re trying to defend yourself from an attacker. The suggested caliber can be found in your gun’s manual. You should not buy ammunition for the gun until you’re sure of what kind of ammo it takes.
5. Use Protective Gear When Training
Although you might not have time to grab your earplugs, safety glasses, gloves, and other safety gear in a sudden emergency, it’s imperative to use this gear whenever you know you’re going to be firing the gun for training purposes.
6. Practice Safe Gun Storage
Finally, always store your gun in a place where it cannot be accessed by an unauthorized party. This typically means storing it in a locked container or cabinet, which is required by law in many states. Of course, always keep firearms out of reach of children.
Easy Steps to Saving Lives
With the above recommendations being so simple to follow, it’s a wonder that there are so many people hurt and killed each year because of a failure to abide by these rules.