Firearm Safety Page
General Firearm Safety
I am not a firearm instructor and this is not expert advice, but these
common-sense rules apply to all firearms.
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Firearms are always treated as if they are loaded. For handling
purposes, there is no such thing as an "unloaded firearm." "I didn't know
it was loaded" is no excuse for an accident.
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Never point a firearm at anything you wouldn't want to shoot.
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Always check the bore for obstructions before using a firearm. (An obstructed
bore can cause the breech to burst.)
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Keep your finger off the trigger and out of the trigger guard until you
want to shoot.
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Before shooting at game or targets, make sure there is nothing behind the
target that you wouldn't want to hit.
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When hunting, make sure you identify your target beyond any doubt before
firing. Wear fluorescent orange clothing to identify yourself clearly to
other hunters.
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Never shoot at a noise, or at movement in bushes. You don't know for sure
what it is.
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Do not shoot at targets on water, or into the air.
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Bullets can ricochet off water and keep going. A driver was once killed
by a bullet from a Lee-Enfield rifle that was fired at a target on water
more than a mile away.
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A bullet that goes up will come down with enough force to inflict injury.
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"Celebratory gunfire," especially from rifles, has been known to kill people.
I recall that the PLO celebrated some sort of "treaty" with Israel by firing
AK-47s straight up, which resulted in a few less PLO terrorists (good riddance).
Don't make the same mistake yourself.
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A possible argument against hunting birds with rifles (a practice that
may well be illegal in most places)
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Trigger locking devices: CAUTION. In general, it is UNSAFE to put a trigger
lock on a loaded firearm (one that's wanted for self-defense purposes).
The lock will not necessarily prevent an accidental discharge, and
it can easily let an assailant kill
or hurt you before you can unlock it. Handgun Control Inc.'s own lawyer
Dennis Henigan, and Maryland governor Parris Glendening, proved this in
public demonstrations.
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In general, trigger locks are an additional precaution for unloaded
firearms.
A note on semiautomatics (in general): to unload a semiautomatic firearm,
remove the magazine and then eject the round in the chamber. I read
about an accident in which someone ejected the round in the chamber (which
loaded another from the magazine) and then took out the magazine-- thus
leaving a live round in the chamber, which was fired by accident.
Programs
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The NRA's Eddie
Eagle program
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"Eddie Eagle neither offers nor asks for any value judgment concerning
firearms. Like swimming pools,
electrical outlets, matchbooks and household poisons, they're treated
simply as a fact of everyday life. With firearms found in about half
of all American households, it's a stance that makes sense. Eddie
Eagle is never shown touching a firearm, and he does not promote firearm
ownership or use."
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Why doesn't HCI want Eddie Eagle to teach "Stop. Don't touch. Leave the
area immediately. Tell an adult." ? Maybe the problem is "Not invented
here"- they don't want kids to learn about safety from the NRA, even if
ignorance
kills them.
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Handgun Control Incorporated's interactive
firearm safety game (if you think the NRA is the devil incarnate and
that Eddie Eagle is "Joe Camel with Feathers.") Note that part of the game
is semi-plagiarized
from the Eddie Eagle program. Well, I was going to recommend it, since
its safety message is valid, but: LINK NO LONGER ACTIVE.
Books
To emphasize the public service nature of this page, the following links
do not include my Amazon.com bookstore account; I do not receive a commission
on these sales.
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Ayoob, Masaad. A police firearm instructor with expertise on both the practical
and legal aspects of self-defense.
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The
Truth About Self-Protection, $7.99
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If you own (or plan to own) a firearm for self-defense, or want to
learn about non-firearm security measures, buy this book. You will learn
not only how to shoot when you must (as much as you can learn from a
book, you must practice on a firing range), but when you must NOT shoot.
The book covers gun safety, locks, alarms, and antitheft security methods
too.
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In
the Gravest Extreme, $11.95
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Gun
Proof Your Children!/Massad Ayoob's Handgun Primer/2 Books in 1
Volume, $7.30
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Cooper, Col. Jeff
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Quigly, Paxton