The Four Rules of Gun Safety

March 12, 008
Black Rockalypse

The Four Rules of Gun Safety. Memorize them … or suffer the consequences.

1. ALL GUNS ARE LOADED. ALWAYS.

This HAS TO be your mindset when handling firearms. When someone hands you a gun and tells you it’s not loaded, politely check it anyway. Negligence can be fatal.

2. NEVER COVER ANYTHING WITH THE MUZZLE YOU DO NOT INTEND TO DESTROY.

If you’re not willing to take a human life, never point a gun at a person, whether you think it’s loaded or not. Never point a gun in the direction of your extremities, put it in your pants, gesticulate with it in your hand while at the range, or jokingly take aim at someone’s pet. A gun sitting at rest is safe; a gun in someone’s hands is capable of being discharged.

3. NEVER PUT YOUR FINGER ON THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY READY TO FIRE.

Rule Three is the reason Dragnet shot himself in the shoulder. Getting all gangster, all Scully and Mulder, like he saw on TV. One of my pet peeves in life, seeing someone on TV or in a movie with their finger on the trigger, walking around like the death-bringing object in their hand is a toy… making out with a love interest while pointing a .38 Special at their head, finger ready to go… it gets me flinchier than a horror movie.

In real life, guns make people jumpy (duh), so please, for the love of Dragnet, hold your itchy finger straight against the side of the gun, directly above the trigger, until your sights are on the target and you are ready to fire.

no twirling it like a cowboy, either

4. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET.

Be aware of your surroundings. Never assume anything. Know what it is you are about to destroy, what’s around it, and what’s behind it. Never shoot at anything you haven’t positively identified, and if you don’t know what you’re doing, PUT THE GUN DOWN AND WALK AWAY.