Thousands of people in the United States have a gun or two in their house. During special occasions like Christmas, thousands more get firearms or 80 percent lower build kits. It may seem to some people like gun selling these days has become a relaxed industry.
Unfortunately, we all hear of the troubles and accidents caused by reckless gun handling. Remember a kid who accidentally shot his brother, thinking that it was just a toy? Or the newbie who injured a guest during a birthday celebration when he fired his gun while intoxicated? All these cases and more spell the need for properly handling a firearm.
So if you own a gun, here are some gun safety tips you should know.
1. Unload your Gun when Not in Use
If you don’t have a safe to keep your gun, better unload it when not in use. Keep your ammunition close enough so when a thief breaks into your house, you can easily and quickly load your gun. You can even avail of a speed loader if you have a revolver. But again, never leave a loaded gun hanging around your room, the kitchen, or the dresser and drawer.
Imagine if your kid sees it and plays along. That’s an accident waiting to happen. Or when you throw a tantrum and point your loaded gun to your wife? At such an unstable emotional state, you could harm or kill someone even if that person is wearing a ballistic armor. So, it’s always best to keep your gun unloaded.
But of course, all that may be impractical in a survival situation. The good thing is, you can always adjust the rule so that you're prepared if the need arises.
2. Handle your gun like it’s Loaded
You may be swift when it comes to unloading your firearm before keeping it, but always handle it like it’s loaded. No matter how careful you are, accidents can still happen. For example, when you accidentally slip and pull the trigger or when a dog comes chasing you while unloading your gun. After all, we all make mistakes, and that does not exempt so-called experts. That holds particularly true in survival situations.
If you’ve been watching the news, even soldiers on the battlefield or cops chasing criminals accidentally shot their colleagues. In most cases, these were results of reckless handling.
3. Never Point your Gun to Anyone or Anything when not Needed
This is of prime importance when handling your gun. Even if you think or know your gun is unloaded, never point it to someone or something you don’t want to land a deadly hole into. Also if you are practicing with a wooden replica, refrain from pointing it to a friend because you might end up doing so when holding an actual gun.
It is best to have your gun pointed somewhere neutral like the ground except of course if you are actually aiming to shoot. But then again, always be careful. You could end up shooting a fellow trainee and cause him to harm even if he’s wearing a ballistic armor.
4. Finger’s Off the Trigger when you’re not Firing
If you’re not intent or ready to shoot barrels, never put your finger on the trigger. More importantly, never run with your finger on the trigger. Anytime, something or someone will distract and make you clench your finger, eventually, letting you lose a deadly shot.
Here is another thing you should avoid. Never look at the hole of your gun while you’re holding the trigger. Even if it’s unloaded, you could be doing the same when it has bullets in it already. You don’t like what’s going to happen next.
5. Free the Barrel From Obstructions
Guns are prone to obstructions, and usually, it’s because of continuous and long usage or when you dropped your weapon on the dusty path. There’s a high chance that dirt entered into your gun. In safety terms, don’t fire your gun without checking its barrel for obstructions. Again, never point the gun at your head when looking through the barrel.
Now, let’s say you are to wade through water or muddy swamp as you chase vigilant on the wilderness. Make sure you drain the water and dirt out of the barrel before shooting. If possible, you can make use of an unlubricated condom over the barrel to protect your gun and keep water out.
6. Before shooting, know what you’re aiming at
One time, two hunters went to the forest at night, hoping to bring home a deer for dinner. They trailed in opposite directions and went deeper into the woods. At a distance, one of the hunters saw a gleam fixed on him. Thinking it was the eye of a dear, he fired his gun, only to find out that it was his fellow hunter.
What’s the lesson of the story?
Do not ever shoot at something you haven’t completely identified. That applies for target practice, and most notably, a firefight. This advice is essential for two reasons; the first one was mentioned earlier- to avoid shooting the wrong target/person.
The second is you’ll identify the type of material your bullet will hit. You never know. You might shoot hard surfaces, and the bullets ricochet off, hurting you or somebody else.
7. Protect your Sight and Hearing
Shooting guns entails employing a controlled explosion, and soft tissues do generally not tolerate outbursts. That is why it’s essential to protect your sight and hearing in all cases if possible. Though the convenience of an eye and ear protection may not seem viable or available in a survival situation, do your best still.
As much as possible, find time to acquire a suppressor and subsonic rounds for all your guns. That will help protect your hearing when you have to use your firearm at unexpected turnouts.
8. Familiarize Yourself with your Gun
You can only learn to handle your weapon if you know it well correctly. A lot of people recklessly fires their gun because they pressed on the wrong button, thinking it was for another usage. But since you’re holding a gun, make sure you know the fundamentals such as how to disassemble and reassemble it.
You should also identify which parts are most likely to malfunction and know how your gun is sighted in. Determine which kinds of ammunition it can safely fire. Identify its range and its capabilities, regardless of the type of gun.
