Firearm Safety

Since we have several threads dealing with firearms, I thought that since we have several members who haven't had much experience with them we should start this thread. This list of safety rules has been around for YEARS and has a number of variations. These rules are the ones I learned an eon ago, and still work well today. I am a certified hunter education instructor, so naturally I highly recommend a hunter education course or NRA firearms course for anyone who has a firearm. Most of us who post about firearms are pretty well experienced with firearms, and it is our duty to share safety advice and educate those who are still learning about them. This would also be a good thread for those stories of accidents or mistakes made (humorous or otherwise).

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF FIREARM SAFETY

1. Treat every firearm with the same respect due a loaded firearm.

2. Control the direction of your firearm's muzzle.

3. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

4. Be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions.

5. Unload firearms when not in use.

6. Never point a firearm at anything you do not want to shoot.

7. Never climb a fence or tree, or jump a ditch or log, with a loaded firearm.

8. Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface or water.

9. Store firearms and ammunition separately.

10. Avoid alcoholic beverages or other mood-altering drugs before or while shooting.

I will expand on each of these as this thread develops, and explain the reasoning behind each. I will start RIGHT NOW with rule #1.

TREAT EVERY FIREARM WITH THE RESPECT DUE A LOADED FIREARM.

In other words, IT'S LOADED! I don't care if your own father hands you a gun and tells you "It isn't loaded," DON'T YOU BELIEVE IT! Always check for yourself. And once you have, go on the principle that you may have made a mistake. If you KNOW a gun is loaded, you don't point it at someone, the dog or cat, the tv, or anything you don't want destroyed. You don't use it for a backscratcher, a hammer, or a Q-tip. My point is, when you know a gun is loaded, you handle it with more caution! Therefore, if you treat every gun as if it were loaded, you will be extra cautious the entire time you handle one. Remember--treat all guns as if they were loaded.

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

Number 2: Control the direction of your firearm's muzzle.

For those who don't know, the muzzle is the end of the barrel where the bullet comes out (this isn't meant to be condescending, there ARE those out there who have no idea). The idea here is to handle a firearm so you always have control over where that muzzle points. There are many different opinions on how best to hold a gun, but basically you want both hands on the gun for best control. You need to always pay attention to where you have that gun pointed, and it's especially difficult to keep it pointing in a safe direction when a) you're with a group, and b) you're walking along a trail that may be rough, muddy, or icy (how many of you have tripped on level ground, let alone a trail?).

From what I've seen over the years, during many a hunting trip or time at the range, it's best to hold the gun in a 'ready' position. In other words both hands on the gun, muzzle pointing UP. In this way, you have the ability to bring the gun to shoulder if a shot presents itself. In addition, if you should trip and fall you will have enough control over the gun to be able to get it pointing away from yourself and others in your group when you fall.

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

Number 3: Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

This applies to hunting and target shooting equally. If hunting, you have to first identify your target (is that a deer or Ol' Man Johnson's Jersey cow?). Legally speaking, if you hunt and your tag says "antlerless only" and you pop a 6-pointer, you might be in trouble. If there is any brush or cover between you and that deer, you're better off finding a way to get a clean line of sight on your prey. Now, once that target is identified, what's beyond it? If you miss or your bullet goes all the way through, where does that bullet go? Into the hillside? Or over a ridge and into someone's home? Into a car moving down a highway a mile away? Line your shot up with a good backstop behind your target--a hillside, a berm, earthen bank. Something that will prevent the bullet from travelling.

When target shooting, make sure you have a good backstop and be responsible enough to realize that even a .22 rifle round can travel over a mile. Make sure your target is safe to shoot at! Shooting at steel or other metals may be dangerous (swinging metal plates are designed to angle a bullet into the dirt, so they're generally safe). BB guns especially! "You'll shoot your eye out!" It can and will happen with the wrong kind of target. WEAR EYE AND EAR PROTECTION---EVERY TIME!

Remember this: once that bullet leaves the muzzle, it's too late to stop it. Make sure you shoot in a safe direction at safe targets.

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

Number 4: Be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions.

If there is any sort of object in the barrel when you fire the gun, it's very likey that the gun barrel will explode. Almost anything can cause this to happen: mud or dirt, snow, an object of any kind.

When you first take that firearm out of the safe, cabinet or case, check the barrel. Maybe the last time it was cleaned a piece of cleaning patch or swab was left behind. If the gun has been on an open rack maybe a mud-dauber or spider has built a nest or egg case.

On any hunt, the chance of plugging a barrel is always there. A simple slip or trip can cause the gun to come into contact with the ground. If you suspect that this may have happened, unload the gun and check the barrel.

Another thing that may happen is what is known as a "squib," or a bullet that doesn't leave the barrel and becomes lodged there. If the powder in the cartridge doesn't ignite or if there just isn't enough powder loaded into the cartridge, the bullet may not leave the barrel. The person firing the gun may not notice the difference in the feel of the shot, or may just think that the shot was a miss. Then they fire the next round. This may cause the barrel to burst, but not always (it's just about guaranteed to put a "ring" or bulge in the barrel).

One other thing I should tell you about. It's generally called a "12/20 blast." When you own more than one type of shotgun, say a 12 gauge and a 20 gauge, make sure that the shells are stored in the original boxes. What can (and has) happened is this: Say a fellow goes out hunting rabbits with his 20 guage one day, comes home, and empties his pockets out into a dresser drawer. Another day he goes grouse hunting with his 12 gauge, and when he gets home he empties his pockets out into the same dresser drawer. After a few seasons, you can imagine what a jumble of shells may be laying in that drawer. Then one day this fellow gets ready to go hunting with his 12 gauge, and he grabs a handfull of loose shells from the dresser drawer and pockets them. When he gets into the field, he loads the gun, maybe not really paying attention because he's distracted by the hunting dogs or his buddies. Without realizing it, he loads a 20 gauge shell into the 12 gauge gun. A 20 gauge shell will slide a little way down the barrel of the gun, away from the chamber. When he tries to fire, he only gets a "CLICK!" When this fellow checks the chamber, he can't see a shell! He thinks to himself, "Hmmm! I could've sworn I loaded one into the chamber!" Of course his buddies are ribbing him, he's embarrassed, and he loads another round into his gun. Now, he has a 12 gauge round loaded into the chamber, and the 20 gauge is down the barrel, between 4 to 6 inches in front of the chamber. The next time he shoots, the 12 gauge fires into the back of the 20 gauge which also fires, AND acts as an obstruction in the barrel. The gun will explode right at the obstruction, generally right where the supporting hand is holding the gun! If the guy survives, at the very least he'll be short a few fingers.

There are a number of ways to get the wrong cartridge into a gun. Many cartridges are very similar in shape and size. I have personally been on the range when a guy loaded a rifle chambered in .300 Winchester magnum with a 7mm Remington magnum cartridge. Luckily, the only damage done was to the neck of the cartridge case, but we all knew something was up when we could see the fireball that came from the barrel and action (semi-automatic rifle). The best thing to do is have ONE firearm out at a time, and ONE caliber of ammuntion. Limit the clutter that's laying on the bench, and keep those cartridges in the original boxes. If you own several similar calibers (for example, a 7mm Rem Mag, a 7mm Mauser, a 7mm Weatherby, etc), be VERY certain of the cartridge you place into the gun!

Always check the barrel before you fire it after it's been in storage, if it's been dropped, or if something odd happens ("click" instead of "bang" for example). Be sure to store ammunition separately (see #9) and in the original box.
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...and now for....

Number 5: Unload firearms when not in use.

If you have a gun stored in the home--whether in a safe, cabinet, or gun rack--unload it to prevent an accident. If the gun is accidentally dropped or knocked over, it could fire if loaded. This is especially important when there are children present, and doubly so if your kids ever bring their friends over. My dad taught me early on to leave his guns alone (he kept them unloaded) or get a good switching. Not all kids (or adults for that matter) are taught to respect firearms and to leave them alone. There are plenty of people who would simply ASSUME that a gun would be unloaded (refer to rule #1), and would pick up a firearm and never think to check.

It's also best to keep firearms unloaded while transporting them to or from the range or the field. I know of a couple of accidents here in Kentucky that would have been prevented if the firearms involved had been unloaded: One: THis happened to a high schooler who had a loaded .30-30 rifle in the gun rack of his truck. It was deer season, and this was back in the days a rifle in a truck on school property would only cause the principal to say, "What, you haven't gotten a deer yet?" The boy had an accident on the way to school, rolled the truck over, and the rifle went off. It blew his head apart. Two: An elderly man did several things wrong. He kept a loaded single-shot shotgun behind the seat of the truck. He was trying to get the loaded shotgun out from behind the seat by pulling on the barrel (this means the gun was pointing at him). The hammer snagged on the seat, and then fell forward, firing the shotgun directly into his chest.

If it isn't in use, make sure you unload it. If hunting, load in the field. At the range, load when you are ready to fire at the target. Otherwise, unload it and keep it secured.

Defensive weaponry is another topic, and I'll only say that "you pays yer money, and you takes yer chances." If you keep a loaded defensive firearm, you must be resonsible about it: caution and vigilance!

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

Last edited by Kentucky Bob on Wed Feb 13, 2008 12:26 pm; edited 1 time in total

Number 6: Never point a firearm at anything you do not want to shoot.

Now, this sounds like common sense, right? But you'd be surprised at some of the stunts people pull off. Lots of tv's have died early deaths because someone has pointed an "unloaded" gun at something on the screen. You may have seen people aim a rifle, shotgun or pistol at something like a pet, livestock, or what have you while they try the gun for fit or feel. You will probably notice another thing most people seem to do when they pick up a gun: That finger goes directly to the trigger! What does the trigger do? It fires the gun! But most inexperienced people seem to forget this when they handle a gun. "But the safety is on!" HOGWASH! A safety is a mechanical device that is designed to prevent the gun from firing when the trigger is pulled. Mechanical devices do have a habit of breaking at the worst time possible, say when a knot-head has Bubba's rifle pointed at Ol' Man Johnson's Jersey. Keep yer grubby, booger-encrusted finger off'n that trigger until you want the gun to go BANG!

Another issue: telescopic sights, or "scopes." A scope is an optical sight to help aid in aiming at a target. It is NOT a spotting scope or pair of binoculars! Some people have a habit of searching for game with a scope mounted on their rifle. "Hey! What's that moving over there? Oh, that's just Ol' Man Johnson!" Now if that scope is pointed at Ol' Man Johnson, the rifle is pointed at Ol' Man Johnson. STUPID!!! Use a pair of binoculars to search with, use the scope to aim at the target you have already identified.

Don't ever point a gun at anything you don't want destroyed.

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

Number 7: Never climb a fence or tree, or jump a ditch or log, with a loaded firearm.

This has to do with negotiating obstacles that could cause you to fall with your firearm. Juggling a loaded gun while trying to cross an obstacle like a fence is a good recipe for disaster.

Sometimes when hunting, you may need to cross a fenceline, say while grouse hunting. Grouse won't wait for you to load a gun, so you walk with it loaded and ready for a shot (same for rabbits, squirrels, etc). If you are hunting with a buddy, unload the gun, hand it to him/her, cross the fence, then take your gun and his/her UNloaded gun to let them cross. If by yourself, unload the gun, lay it UNDER the fence (don't prop it against a fence post--it may fall over), cross and then get the gun--check for debris/obstructions when you pick it up.

Deer hunting from a tree stand is common. Imagine trying to climb a tree with the gun, not to mention trying to climb a tree with a LOADED gun! If you drop the gun it may go off, and maybe you break the gun, maybe you get shot. Tie a rope to the gun, leave the gun on the ground, UNloaded, while you climb the tree, haul it up into the tree when you're settled into the stand. When you've brought the gun up, check it for obstructions, then you can load and get ready for Bambi.

Ditches and streams are great places to fall down. You don't want to fall down and go "BOOM!" Muddy banks, rocks, weeds and vines will make it very easy for a slip or trip to occur. Unload the gun and cross as carefully as you can.

Other obstacles will present themselves as you go, whether a log, a rocky slope, or a tangle of honeysuckle or kudzu vines (we had a 14 year old boy killed last season here in the county when he tripped in kudzu vines). Any time you have to negotiate obstacles or really rough terrain, unload your gun until you get clear of those obstacles.

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

Number 8: Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface or water.

It's a good way of causing a ricochet. You can prevent a ricochet by placing your shot into an earthen bank, stopping it from traveling any farther. If you shoot into rocks, you have no control over where that shot is going after it ricochets. When you hunt or target shoot, try your best to choose an area clear of surfaces that will cause ricochet.

Water can also cause a ricochet if a shot is fired at the right angle. You can skip rocks, right? To make a rock skip, you have to throw it fast at the right angle and spin it. A fast moving spinning bullet can skip in the same way, and even a .22 can travel over a mile.

This goes back to rule number 3: Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

Number 9: Store firearms and ammunition separately.

If you remember the story about the 12/20 blast (under rule #4), you already know about storing ammo in it's original boxes. I also spoke of keeping a firearm unloaded (rule #5). When you store your guns and ammo, do you put them both in the same place? If you have a gun cabinet, it may have a drawer or shelves for storage. There are a couple of scenarios that we should look at.

Kids are smart. Given time they can figure things out, and with the tv and internet to teach them, they will figure out how to insert a cartridge into a gun. Sometimes we forget and leave keys laying out. If a child (or adult, for that matter) finds those keys and decides to do a little "exploring," they may gain access to both guns and ammo if it's all stored together. It's best to store ammo away from the firearms under it's own lock and key (I used to lock ammo up in a file cabinet in another room).

Worse yet, what if someone breaks into your home? Don't make the shopping any easier by leaving them the means to load your guns. A gun cabinet refers to one of the wood and glass cabinets and are more like furniture than a security device. They just sort of keep the guns secure from the kids and stray relatives. You can find all sorts of different models, some with plexiglass instead of glass.

A metal cabinet is better, they have no glass to break out and can be bolted to a wall stud. They are lightweight though, and if it isn't bolted down it's easy to carry away. Usually, a crow bar will eventually get one open.

The best security is a good gun safe. There are plenty of types out there, but a safe is much heavier, can be bolted to a wall or floor, are just about impossible to pry open, and you can even get one that's fire-resistant. You can find them new starting around $599.99 (Wal Mart has a nice fire-resistant one for that price), which is a real bargain when you consider how much money may be tied up in a gun collection. Cheap insurance for a family with lots of firearms!

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

And finally,

Number 10: Avoid alcoholic beverages or other mood-altering drugs before or while shooting.

Again, you would think that this would be common sense. However, all too often there are those who can't seem to do anything without a drink or ten. You wouldn't want to give a drunk the keys to the car, so you can imagine the consquences of a drunk having the keys to the gun cabinet. It's just about impossible to get these folks to change their ways, too. You can lecture, cajole, plead or bargain with them, but usually to no avail. If you go out on a hunt with them and they pull out the hooch, LEAVE. Let them know you'll have no part of any sort of mixture of gun powder and alcohol. It's YOUR hide on the line. If they become a danger to others, call the state Dept of Fish & Wildlife/game warden. And I will personally have NOTHING to do with anyone who takes drugs. Period.

One thing some may not think of: cold remedies. A cold or allergies may mean you need a strong cold medicine. If it can cause drowsiness it would be best not to take a chance and go hunting with it in your system. That goes for any medicine that has a warning label like "Do not drive or operate machinery." Take a shot of cold medicine while in a deer stand, and you may take a chance of falling out of it, too. Use your best judgement and avoid any situation where you may be impaired. You need to be at your sharpest when you handle a firearm.

Well, there you have it. The Ten Commandments of Gun Safety. Follow these rules and you have a good start. If you can, get into a Hunter Education course or NRA course. Not only will you have the opportunity to learn a few new tricks, but you'll have the chance to meet other hunters and shooters. We all have to set an example for others and take our responsibility as gun owners seriously. A gun is like any other tool. For instance, a chainsaw sitting there by itself isn't hazardous. If handled foolishly, it can cause serious harm. Firearms are only as dangerous as those who handle them.

Good Hunting!

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

Great post, Kentucky Bob! VERY important!

eric

Holy Carp !! Good job Kentucky Bob Cool

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A Knifeless Man is a Lifeless Man
Canadian To The Core
We are Known By The Tracks we Leave Behind
Carry Less by Knowing More
Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Last edited by Drummer Dave on Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:01 pm; edited 1 time in total

I am going to sticky this post, clearly you have puta lot of work into it and its very good info. I dont use guns, and I didnt know a lot of what you wrote, its good to know. I am not finished reading it but I am going to read it off by the end of the night.

Really Really good post, thank you!

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"There dosen't look like there's much shelter over in those mountains, but that's the only choice I got right now, this is gonna be a long week" - Les Stroud Arctic

Thanks guys. I was watching a tv show called "Kentucky Afield" produced by the Ky Dept Of Fish & Wildlife, and one guy had his shotgun over his shoulder, the muzzle pointing back towards some other people in his hunting party. It got me to thinking about hunter safety.

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

Thank you for posting this, Bob. Not everybody knows this. Thankfully my dad taught me these rules at a very young age.

Whenever I handle a gun, to me it is always "loaded". Even if it is a revolver that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt has no bullets in it, it's still loaded! And it should always be treated that way. Back to the rules, don't point it at anything you don't intend to shoot. Even if you know it is unloaded. It doesn't matter, it's loaded! Do you get what I'm saying?

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Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend. - Prov. 27:17

flashlightfreak9 wrote:

Thank you for posting this, Bob. Not everybody knows this. Thankfully my dad taught me these rules at a very young age.

Whenever I handle a gun, to me it is always "loaded". Even if it is a revolver that I know beyond a shadow of a doubt has no bullets in it, it's still loaded! And it should always be treated that way. Back to the rules, don't point it at anything you don't intend to shoot. Even if you know it is unloaded. It doesn't matter, it's loaded! Do you get what I'm saying?

Absolutely! You've got it exactly right.

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."

Great thread, Bob!

Yep, it's good that Max stickied, and it should be required reading for anyone handling a firearm.

Very Happy

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"Asinus sæculæ maximus."

Excellent information!

I remember I went hunting with a buddy of mine, we were on opposite sides of an area we called "the ampetheater". Well, we both agreed what our fields of fire would be so that we would not endanger eachother. Make a long story short, he took a shot almost as the deer were directly in between us. After telling him what I thought of his hunting skills, I walked out of the woods. I never went hunting with him again, as a matter of fact, I never spoke to him again after that incedent... Rolling Eyes

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The liver is evil, it must be punished!!!

Yeah, it's the sort of thing that will leave you questioning someone's common sense...and ancestry... Rolling Eyes

That's the sort of comment I'm looking for, CedroneS. An example like that is a way to teach or give an example of the type of situation that someone may find him/herself in. Hopefully, if someone else finds that they are in the same sort of situation (from either perspective), that person will know what the right thing to do is.

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"....Searchin' for my lost shaker of salt..."