The cost of unsafe gun handling and negligence is high in the world of firearms. That’s why every gun owner and even their friends and family must be educated on safe gun handling practices.
The best approach is to take firearm training courses where a person learns gun safety along with the basics of shooting - or if you are a complete beginner you could look into Strikeman Dry-Fire Laser Training, as this will give you an opportunity after a firearms course to use your firearms without the need for ammunition at home, creating a safer environment in which you can become more familiar with your new kit. Before that, you can read expert posts, watch videos and ask your gun-savvy friends questions to gain a better general understanding.
So we asked our friends from this gun store to prepare a guide to safe gun handling as an introduction to firearm safety. Note that it’s universal and doesn’t cover all the details and cases. We strongly recommend you seek help and advice from a professional gun trainer.
You may have heard the 4 rules of gun safety:
These rules are the foundation of firearm safety. A person with a lack of experience may consider them easy to follow. But you must not fall for that feeling because you haven’t yet developed muscle memory.
Say you’ve fired several rounds out of your AR-15. What do you do next? First, you want to make sure it’s in a safe condition, and a safe condition is when the gun is unloaded. Here’s what you must do to unload your AR-15 safely:
Unloading a semi-auto handgun requires virtually the same steps and caution. Don’t work the slide with the pistol pointed at the side.
When using a gun, on the range or in a real-life situation (hunting or defense), you must be confident of your target and its surroundings. Never assume the target by color, shape, shade, or movement. Also, remember that the bullet may zip right through the target or bounce off it. That’s why it’s vital to watch your target’s surroundings.
Now that you’ve learned about universal gun safety, let’s touch on the seven rules for safe firearm handling.
Though the basic working principle of all firearms in a particular group remains the same throughout various models, there will always be differences in handling recommendations, location of knobs and levers, adjustment of mechanisms, presence/absence of particular parts, and so on.
For example, European manufacturers, such as Heckler & Koch, equip their pistols with a paddle mag release instead of the American-style push-button release. Also, semi-auto handguns differ in their safety mechanisms. For instance, Glocks feature an automatic safety system that disengages as the trigger is pulled and re-engages on its release. On the other hand, there is a manual safety (either thumb-style (lever) or grip-style), a half-cock safety notch (mainly featured by older single-action revolvers and lever-action rifles), a decocker used in traditional DA and DA/SA pistols, and other types.
You must know how to safely load and unload your firearm, how to carry it properly, and how to disassemble it.
Every time your gun fires a round, an explosion takes place. And you want to be in control of this explosion by using the correct ammunition. That implies the proper caliber/gauge and generated pressure. To ensure optimal accuracy and reliability, it's important to use high-quality ammunition from reputable manufacturers. You can find reviews and recommendations for different types of ammunition in resources like the guide to buying 9mm Ammo.
For example, if the firearm’s manual says it’s a .22 LR rifle, it means it’s chambered for the .22 Long Rifle cartridge. Lever-action or single-shot rifles can handle its lower-powered cousins - the .22 Short and the .22 Long. However, it’s strongly recommended to use nothing but the .22 ammo in a .22 LR semi-auto rifle.
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The .357 Magnum chamber can handle the lower-powered .38 Special, but obviously, not the opposite way. However, the lower-powered .22 LR cannot be used in the .22 WMR (Magnum) chamber. How’s that? The reason is that the .22 WMR has larger dimensions than the .22 LR, while the .38 Spl and .357 Mag are nearly identical. Furthermore, you have options when it comes to bullet types such as jacketed hollow point bullets and full metal jacket bullets.
Also, don’t use +P ammunition if the manual prohibits it, and consult reputable handloading manuals when reloading your ammo.
Remember that you should treat all guns as if they are loaded and ready to fire. For this reason, you should rely too much on the safety, which may be “off” or out of work. It’s only a supplement to proper firearm handling and must not substitute common sense. Also, don’t place the safety in between the positions.
Ideally, you should do a light cleaning after every shooting session, while a deep cleaning should take place several times a year, depending on how often you shoot. The firearm’s bore must contain no obstructions or gunshot residue because even a tiny bit of mud, small buildup, or excess oil or grease cause dangerously increased pressures.
Failures in operation are irregular, unforeseeable, and can happen at the worst possible moment. Our bodies tend to function better than our minds in high-stress situations. That’s why it’s vital to know how to quickly and safely clear malfunctions and practice this skill until automated.
If you don’t have professional gunsmithing experience, don’t modify your Glock 23 barrel or other gun by yourself because it can make it dangerous or nonfunctional. Besides, alterations usually void any factory warranties. So contact your manufacturer first to ask questions about changes. Also, consult a qualified lawyer on whether the modifications you plan to do are legal in your state. Instead of making modifications to your gun, choose to build your own from scratch. Start with a solid foundation using high-quality 80 lowers available at https://www.80percentarms.
To prevent burglars and children from getting hold of your gun, you need to store it securely. You must never leave your firearm resting on the table or against the wall. Purchase a gun safe with a reliable lock, fit it with an additional safety device (trigger lock or cable lock), and store it in unloaded condition. Also, keep ammo and your firearm separate.
