Safety is a fundamental rule as a gun owner. Whether you’re a seasoned shooter or just getting started, there are several important things to keep in mind when going out to the range to make sure no one gets hurt.
Top 15 Safety Tips for Handling a Gun
The following gun safety tips and essential reminders will help ensure that your next trip to the shooting range goes off without a hitch.
Keep the Muzzle Pointed in a Safe Direction
When operating your firearm, always make sure to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Any time you aren’t actively shooting, the muzzle should remain pointed downrange. If there’s an accidental discharge, it will avoid hurting anyone or damaging property.
Additionally, you should keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction when you’re loading and unloading your firearm.
Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger
It’s important to keep your finger off of the trigger until you’re ready to shoot. It helps prevent unintentional or negligent discharges.
Clear Barrel Obstructions Before Loading or Shooting
Check for any potential barrel obstructions before loading or unloading your firearm by looking through the breech end. Doing so could help prevent a dangerous blockage and catastrophic failure of the gun while shooting.
You can do this by pointing the muzzle at an empty target and looking down it with one eye closed while slowly rotating it back and forth. If you find anything suspicious, either clear out the obstruction or simply choose a different gun to use that day.
Don’t Rely Only on Safety Mechanisms
Inspect your firearm’s safety mechanisms regularly. Make sure they’re operating smoothly. If any of them aren’t working properly, you’ll need to get them fixed before using your gun again.
Also, you should always engage the safety when holstering or carrying a loaded gun. Otherwise, it could lead to a negligent discharge while handling the gun.
Understand How Your Ammunition Functions
Before loading and firing your gun, make sure you understand how the ammunition works. Check your caliber or gauge designations on the barrel of your gun. Make sure your ammo matches the barrel stamp designation exactly.
Beginners must pay close attention to this. Most beginners don’t know what common firearm malfunctions look like or sound like. You don’t want to load a cartridge into your gun and then find out it doesn’t match your gun.
Don’t Touch Anything You Aren’t Familiar With
Never touch anything you don’t know about or aren’t familiar with when at a shooting range. This includes firearms owned by other people, ammunition, or targets on walls. When in doubt, ask someone who knows what they’re doing before touching something potentially dangerous or unsafe.
Gain a Clear and Safe Direction to Shoot
It’s important to only shoot at targets in designated shooting areas while on the range. If you want to practice certain types of shots (i.e. headshots), you should only do so in designated shooting areas where it’s safe to shoot at a target’s specific location.
Don’t Shoot Without an Instructor’s Guidance
Don’t shoot until your range instructor permits you. During safety briefings and training sessions, never pull or push the trigger at any other time than when instructed to by a qualified firearms instructor. Doing so could lead to a negligent discharge.
Keep Your Shooting Area Organized
Pay attention to and clear away any ammunition near the shooting area while you’re at the range. This includes your gun and any other guns owned by people nearby.
Doing so will prevent someone from potentially tripping or falling while carrying a loaded firearm.
Know Your Target and What’s Around it Before Shooting
Before you pull the trigger, make sure there aren’t any people or animals in your target area. Check for ricochet (a bullet bouncing off a hard surface) hazards before shooting at anything made out of glass or metal.
Use the Proper Ammunition
When you go to the range, make sure that your ammunition is appropriate for your firearm. Always refer to your gun’s owner manual for the recommended ammunition types.
The dangers of using the incorrect ammunition for your particular firearm include the following.
- Ammunition that’s too powerful can damage your firearm
- Ammunition with the wrong bullet weight or design may not fire properly
Wear Eye and Ear Protection
You should always wear eye protection when you’re shooting. It protects your eyes from ejected shells, ricochet fragments, and other potentially dangerous projectiles. Wearing ear protection will help protect your hearing and the hearing of others around you.
Store Guns Properly
Store all firearms so they’re inaccessible to unauthorized persons. It’s especially important that children can’t access your firearms. For this reason, it’s recommended that you lock your guns in a gun safe at home. Transport them unloaded in a gun case when away from home.
You can get yourself into legal trouble if you violate this important part of gun safety. For example, if a child gets hold of an unsecured gun and accidentally shoots someone, you’re likely to face legal responsibility.
Keep Your Gun Unloaded Until Ready for Use
Always keep your gun unloaded until you’re ready to use it. It’s the safest way to prevent accidents and negligent discharges, as well as protect yourself from any criminal charges after an accident.
Never Let Children Handle Firearms
Never let children handle firearms unsupervised. It takes little time for a child to mishandle or misuse a firearm. In the blink of an eye, a child can cause unintentional harm to themselves or others.
The last thing you want to teach your children is that guns are toys. Failure to abide by this important gun safety tip can permanently and negatively alter your child’s life.
Conclusion
All of these gun safety tips are important to remember when you’re going out to the range. They’ll help ensure that you have an enjoyable time while also ensuring your safety, as well as the safety of others around you.
