The Importance of Gun Safety
By Erin C.
As soon as you turn eighteen or twenty one, the first question you always ask yourself is, what can I do differently now? Or what can I buy that I wasn’t able to buy before? Purchasing a firearm is one of those things that you are granted the freedom to do once you turn eighteen. There is a catch though, you can only purchase a long gun at the age of eighteen and you have to wait until you turn twenty one to buy a handgun. The reasoning is because rifles were often used for hunting, while pistols were used in the majority of firearm-related crimes when the gun control act was passed in 1968. So, what should you know about firearm safety so you can be a responsible gun owner?
When looking into purchasing a firearm, the first step you should take is educating yourself on gun safety. My grandpa says, “It isn’t necessary for every gun owner to go through a training procedure. I think that if you have someone in your life that knows about firearms and how to handle them safely you can just learn from them. That’s how I started out. My father taught me everything I know, I taught my son everything he knows, and he taught you and your sister everything you kids know. If someone were to not have this type of knowledge in their family I think that training could be offered, but I don’t believe in having to go through a specific training or having to get a permit just to get some dinner once a year or to keep my family safe.”
The most important rules to follow for safe gun handling are keeping the gun pointed in a safe direction, keeping your finger off and away from the trigger and trigger guard until you are ready to fire, and always keeping the gun unloaded until ready to shoot. My father, Mike Cournyer, has always told me since I was a little girl to “Always treat every gun as if it were loaded.” Another key thing to know to keep yourself and others around you safe while shooting a gun is always knowing your target and what is beyond it. You also need to use the correct ammunition for your gun, wear the appropriate eye protection and ear protection, and never operate a firearm while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
When loading and unloading a firearm, it is crucial that you know how to properly insert and eject the ammunition. When loading you need to be sure that you always point the muzzle in a safe direction, put the safety on, keep your finger off the trigger, open the action and make sure that the chamber is clear, load the correct ammunition, and make sure that you put the safety on after the gun is loaded.
Unloading a firearm is similar to loading one. You start out with pointing the muzzle in a safe direction, putting the safety on, keeping your finger off and away the trigger guard, removing the magazine, opening the action, ejecting the cartridge or shells if that’s the only way to remove them, make sure that the firearm is empty physically and visually, and put the safety on if it’s not already.
Keeping your guns in safes is the best option because it can not only be safe from fire, but it will prevent firearms from getting into the hand that they shouldn’t be in.
When it comes to putting your gun away for the day, it is so important to make sure that you have a secure place for it, especially if there are kids around. When it comes to having your guns locked up and secure, but also easily accessible in case of emergency, is not an easy thing to achieve. Fortunately, over the years there have been many options made for safely storing a gun. The most common way of storing a firearm is in a safe. Today, they build gun safes that are fireproof and theft proof. Keeping your guns in safes is the best option because it can not only be safe from fire, but it will prevent firearms from getting into the hand that they shouldn’t be in. For example, burglars or children. Another good option for firearm storage are hollowed out areas like hanging clocks, picture frames, or furniture. I asked my father what he thought was the best place to store firearms in our home and he responded with, “Gun safes are the way to go. I think that you can’t go wrong with a nice, well built safe. Hiding firearms around the house in plain sight could be a good option, but I never wanted to take the chance when you girls were growing up.”
One of the most important things you need to know about firearms is how to clean them. After every use of your gun, it is crucial to either field strip, or do a complete disassembly cleaning. Doing this will keep your firearms in the best condition and make them last longer. The five steps to field strip cleaning of a handgun include completely unloading the handgun, cleaning it, lubricating where necessary, wiping down all the components, and then reassembling and checking for any irregularities. My grandpa said, “After cleaning, always remember to wipe down your hands and work surfaces to remove lead and other metal residues.”
Overall, being able to handle a firearm is an essential skill to have. Knowing just the basics like gun safety rules, how to clean, handle, store, load and unload is all you need to know to be safe around guns. The biggest thing to worry about when handling a firearm when you are fully educated is who you are handling them around and where you’re storing them.
Gun Owners for Safety | GIFFORDS
Create to Learn 
Amazing, beautiul, creative, and everything we need in this world!! ❤
LikeLike