Firearm Safety In Your Home

Every time you pick up a firearm, you pick up a responsibility. Safe storage of your firearms is also YOUR responsibility.

The rules of home firearms safety are few in number and easy to follow. It is extremely important that these rules be strictly obeyed. Equally important is the development of the proper attitude toward firearms. An attitude of respect and seriousness should always be encouraged and maintained when dealing with guns. In the beginning, this may require a conscious effort, but as time passes it becomes automatic and safety becomes instinctive.

• Unload all firearms before taking them into the home. Simple reason dictates that firearms should be loaded only when in the field or on the range. At all other times, during travel and especially in the home, they should be kept unloaded.
• Never handle or show guns without first carefully checking to be sure they are unloaded. Open the action and keep it open until the gun is again ready for storage. Never assume that a firearm is unloaded, even if it was checked only a few minutes earlier. And don't trust the safety to compensate for unsafe gun handling -- like all mechanical devices, safeties can malfunction, and in any case, they are only intended to supplement human care and intelligence.

  Among experienced gun handlers there is a kind of ritual that is repeated whenever a firearm is shown or examined. The person picking up the gun opens the action and checks to make sure it is not loaded. When the gun is handed over to the second person, he goes through the entire procedure again. This is not an insult to the original handler. In fact, most shooting veterans take it as a sign of gun-savvy and competence, because there is just no way to be overcautious about firearms safety.

• Long arms, such as rifles and shotguns, should be stowed securely in racks or cabinets, preferably locked. Handguns should be stored in a locked cabinet or drawer. Locked storage is particularly important if there are children in the home. Standing a shotgun in the closet corner or keeping a pistol in the desk does not do the job. If the proper storage facilities are not available, trigger locks should be purchased. Different types are available for use on all kinds of guns, including revolvers and pistols, and they prevent even a fully loaded gun from being fired.

  On the practical side, guns should be stored in a reasonably dry environment but away from exposure to heat. Dampness causes rust and heat can bake the wood of stocks and grips to the point of cracking or splitting.

• All ammunition should be kept under lock and in a location separate from firearms for complete safety. Again, this is especially important if there are children in the home. An extra measure of safety can be had by storing ammunition in another room or on a different floor level. The objective is to create a situation in which conscious effort is required to bring firearms and ammunition together. Obviously the keys to all storage areas must be kept away from children.
• When handling firearms, always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Avoid horseplay at all times -- guns are not toys and they must be handled with respect. Common sense must be used in choosing the safest direction to point the muzzle. "Down" is not always the safest direction and neither is "up."

Firearm Education

Safety in general is largely a matter of education and home firearms safety is certainly no exception. The head of the house must teach safe gun handling to all family members. Without proper education, preventive measures are nearly useless.

Children are never too young to begin the lessons of safety. Teaching can begin long before the child is old enough to understand detailed instruction. Start by setting a proper and consistent example. If parents treat guns with care and respect, children will likely follow their lead.

The second stage is more difficult, but well worth the effort. It involves convincing the child that firearms are not toys. Having noticed adult interest in guns, children will naturally develop a healthy curiosity about their use and operation. In addition, children tend to have an entirely unrealistic idea of what guns are all about because of exposure to modern realistic toys and to the fantasies of television. The quickest and surest way to show youngsters the power of firearms is by demonstration. Take them to the local range, fire a few rounds of high velocity ammunition at closed gallon cans of water, and show them the results.

It is a serious mistake to assume that keeping children ignorant will prevent accidents. Nothing could be further from the truth. Where firearms are concerned, there is no such thing as blissful ignorance. Keeping youngsters in the dark only insures that they will not understand the potential danger and increases the likelihood that they will seek to satisfy their curiosity without proper supervision. Also, the hazards that the parent wishes to eliminate are greatly increased if the child does not know how firearms function.

A good rule for children is: "Hands Off" until they are old enough to be taught safe gun handling, and then only in the presence of an adult -- NEVER while playing with other children.

As soon as a child is old enough, he or she should be enrolled in one of the many firearms safety classes sponsored by sportsmen's groups across the country. These courses provide excellent training and serve to reinforce the lessons learned at home.