Safety Rules: The 5 Most Important Gun Safety Rules

Basic Gun Safety Rules

Safety is always the primary concern when handling and storing a firearm. These two topics are mutually vital for responsible gun owners must always follow.

These rules are taught at the beginning of your Beginner Pistol Shooting class and are always reviewed in other classes.

When handling a firearm, the following gun safety rules must always be observed:

  1. Keep the Firearm Pointed in a Safe Direction at all times. Some training academies will state the number one rule is always to treat the gun as if it is loaded. This is an obvious and unnecessary statement. You are handling the gun as if it is loaded by pointing it in a safe direction.
  2. Always Keep the Firearm Unloaded Until Ready to Use. Your firearm does not need to be loaded if it is not in use. It is best practice to keep your ammunition stored in a separate safe away from your firearm, so the two are never accessible simultaneously. While there are times when the firearm should be loaded, such as carrying for personal protection, the general rule of having it unloaded applies to most circumstances.
  3. Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger Until you are Ready to Shoot. Modern firearms, even older ones, will not discharge a bullet unless the firearm is prepared for firing and the trigger is pressed. By keeping your finger high on the frame while handling a firearm, there is no chance the firearm will discharge itself. Even if it were to discharge, no one and nothing would get damaged because of rule number one.
  4. Know Your Target and Beyond: It is very important to know what’s behind your target, whether at an indoor or outdoor range. Bullets can travel over a mile, others even more. It is your responsibility where that bullet impacts no matter the situation. Be sure your bullet will not hit an innocent person or someone’s property.
  5. No drugs, Alchohol, or cannabis should be consumed before and during firearm handling.

Keep Idaho Firearms Secure At All Times

Gun Safes

You hear it all the time, you see it in the NEWS almost every day – a mass shooting takes place. Blame the guns, and take them away; it’s for everyone’s safety. Only criminals will be armed if we allow the government to confiscate our guns.

It is every gun owner’s responsibility to keep their guns secure. We must demonstrate a reasonable, responsible, and common sense approach to securing our firearms from theft and being used in a crime. This means we must always keep them in a safe, locked, and secured location.