Guns need to be handled well and education around firearms are an essential part of ensuring safe and responsible gun ownership.
Whether you’ve no real history of using a gun or are about to take a comprehensive concealed carry class – these tips will help you.
So, be guns safe and read our 13 essential tips on gun safety you need to always remember.
Page Contents
- 1). Store Your Gun When It Is Unloaded
- 2). Always Handle It As If It Is Loaded
- 3). Point Your Gun When You Want To Shoot
- 4). Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger If You Are Not Firing
- 5). Keep The Barrel Free From Obstructions
- 6). Understand Your Target
- 7). Avoid Depending On Your Gun’s Safety
- 8). Wear Eye and Ear Protection
- 9). Become Familiar With Your Gun
- 10). Clean Your Gun Regularly
- 11). Use Recommended Ammunition
- 12). Ensure The Ammunition Isn’t Expired
- 13). Exercise Caution When Reloading Your Ammunition
- How should you pick your gun?
1). Store Your Gun When It Is Unloaded
It is best to keep your gun unloaded when storing it, but you can opt not to unload it if you keep it in a safe. Also, ensure the ammunition is close enough to allow you to load the gun during emergencies such as a break-in – a speed loader might come in handy if your piece is a revolver. Never leave your gun in your dresser drawer on or on the top to avoid ugly scenarios.
2). Always Handle It As If It Is Loaded
You might religiously unload your gun before storing it, but you also should handle it as though it is loaded. Accidents can happen when you are confident the firearm is not loaded, and you might handle another’s gun using the same assumption. Mistakes can happen, especially in survival situations. Thus, it is best to be safe than sorry.
3). Point Your Gun When You Want To Shoot
Exercise caution whenever handling your gun, even if you think it is unloaded. Avoid pointing it at things or anyone. Experts recommend keeping the firearm’s barrel pointed to a neutral aim, like the ground, and lifted to aim at something only when intending to shoot.
4). Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger If You Are Not Firing
It is best to keep your finger off the trigger unless you are ready to fight your gun. Also, avoid running with your finger on the trigger, though you can if you are aiming as you run. The objective is to you do not want a round going off because you clenched your finger due to being distracted by something.
5). Keep The Barrel Free From Obstructions
Never fire your gun without inspecting the barrel, especially after dropping it to the ground. You never know if dirt got into the barrel. Moreover, do not point the firearm at your head as you check the barrel for obstructions.
If you wade through water and your piece gets wet, ensure the barrel is drained of the water before you fire the gun. Also, consider protecting your firearm if you will be wading through water. You can improvise using an unlubricated condom, wrapping it over the barrel to ensure it stays dry.
6). Understand Your Target
Never shoot at something before identifying it, and be confident you want to fire. It is a principle upheld at shooting practice, hunting and crucial in a real firefight. First, it keeps you from injuring another person by shooting at them accidentally. Secondly, it ensures you understand the nature (type of material) your bullet will hit. Some hard surfaces are tough, and bullets ricochet off them, and they are not advisable when doing target practice.
7). Avoid Depending On Your Gun’s Safety
Safety mechanisms are essential components of firearms, but you should not rely on them entirely. For instance, you should never dry-fire a gun that might be loaded because you switch on the safety mechanism. Again, remember your firearm should be unloaded if not in use.
8). Wear Eye and Ear Protection
Firing a round from your gun entails a controlled explosion, which is a risk you must contend with every time you shoot. Therefore, it is best to protect your hearing and sight when aiming and firing. Ear and eye protection might not be available in a survival scenario, but try your best to have the gear with you.
A suppressor and subsonic rounds are a worthwhile investment if you have the time to prepare adequately. It is an option that will safeguard your hearing if you are unexpectedly forced to use your weapon.
9). Become Familiar With Your Gun
Acquaint yourself with your firearm the best you can. Learn how to disassemble and reassemble the gun even with your eyes closed. Also, identify the parts prone to malfunction, the ammunition to use, its range, and capabilities.
10). Clean Your Gun Regularly
Clean the firearm before storing it; it is best to do this after use to ensure it retains its optimal firing condition. Neglecting this maintenance can result in your gun becoming a hazardous weapon.
11). Use Recommended Ammunition
Never use ammunition that is not meant for your gun. Some firearms can fire different rounds without any issues. For instance, a 5.56 ammunition rifle can also handle .223 rounds. However, a .223 ammunition rifle cannot fire 5.56 rounds.
12). Ensure The Ammunition Isn’t Expired
Most ammunitions are built with a long shelf life. But some storage conditions can impact them, causing them to expire sooner than expected. You might find yourself in a survival situation where all that is available is old ammunition. Storing your ammunition in a cool, dry area, such as a sealed container, can preserve them for an extended period.
13). Exercise Caution When Reloading Your Ammunition
You might find yourself in situations where you must reload your ammunition; thus, the need to learn how to do so safely. It is best to store your powder and primer separately. Also, inspect the shells for damage before reloading them and avoid putting in excess powder.
How should you pick your gun?
If this is the first time you’re buying a gun, you should know how to pick the best for your needs. Always be careful and stay safe when using your weapon. Please go over the following aspects when selecting your gun.
Purpose
When you select your gun, you probably have a particular goal in mind, and purpose is a crucial factor to consider. Whether you buy your gun for hunting, personal defense, or shooting range, you should have a clear purpose. If it’s a combination of reasons, you want a versatile gun in all activities.
You will narrow down your options when you know why you buy the gun. Do due diligence and learn a few things about guns and their particular uses. You will know what to look for when walking into the gun store.
Experience
Choose a gun according to your level of experience with using guns. If this is the first time you buy a gun, you should get one effortless and straightforward to use. Select a gun that matches your level of expertise. It’s not only for precision reasons but also for safety.
Look for a gun that is easy to control and with minimal recoil. You will need to practice until you master using the gun, so give yourself time. If you’ve owned a gun before, you should know what you can and cannot handle. Even if you buy a less familiar gun, you will know what type of guns you can easily handle.
Type of gun
The most popular guns in us are handguns, shotguns, and rifles. People use handguns and shotguns for self-defense and rifles for hunting. Some details come next.
Handguns
You can buy a semi-automatic or revolver handgun. Handguns are affordable and widely available, unlike shotguns and rifles.
The semi-automatic handgun has self-loads, a fast fire rate, an excellent cartridge capacity, and easy concealment. Unlike the revolver, the semi-automatic is rather complex to handle and use. You will need a lot of practice to use a semi-automatic, mainly because it’s dangerous when not handled properly.
The revolver is an excellent choice for entry-level shooters and it’s highly dependable. When referring to the power level for ammunition, the revolver has a broader range than the semi-automatic.
Shot-guns
The shotguns can be break action, pump-action, and semi-automatic. The break-action shotgun can be single or double-barreled; it’s also the most user-friendly type. Even if it’s easy to use, reloading the shotguns takes time and it’s limited.
The shotguns with pump-action/slide action can hold more rounds than the break-action type. It’s highly dependable and widely used, even if you can only fire as fast as you pump.
As for the semi-automatic shotguns, they are complex and fire rounds faster than the other types. They also have less recoil but have a significant risk of jamming and require regular maintenance.
We recommend buying shotguns with break-action if you’re new to using guns.
Rifles
Rifles are the top choice when hunting and are made to fire from the shoulder to achieve a steady recoil when firing. There are several rifles to choose from: lever action, bolt action, and semi-automatic. The lever and bolt action resemble that because you need to load the new cartridges manually. They’re easier to use than the semi-automatic but require more time for firing.
Riles are the biggest and the most powerful guns to buy. They’re excellent but require complex maintenance, careful handling, and a lot of training.
Caliber
The caliber represents the cartridge fired from the gun and impacts the gun’s level of recoil and efficiency. 9mm are the number 1 calibers for handguns because they give excellent capacity and less recoil. It also has high speed and breaks through barriers easier than the .45acp.
The .22 caliber is the most popular for rifles, whereas .12 or the .20 gauge is the most common for shotguns. Using the gun is the central aspect when selecting the caliber.
Level of comfort
What feels comfortable in your hand might feel weird in another man’s hands. It depends on the size of your hand how a specific pistol grip or recessed magazine will feel. Such factors will make the gun feel more or less stable in your hand and give you more or less confidence when shooting it.
You should answer yourself questions such as:
- Can you effortlessly remove the magazine/reach the magazine?
- Can you hold the gun without losing control?
- Does the support alter your aim?
- Is it difficult for you to shoot?
Firepower is also essential. Do you feel comfortable with a weaker gun but easier to handle and carry? Would you rather have a more powerful gun that requires storing in a heavy case locked in a safe place?
If you don’t know which gun feels comfortable, we encourage you to spend a day at the shooting range and try several options. After shooting some guns, you will discover which type matches your skills, preferences, and hands.
Ease of maintenance
Let us get this straight: all guns require maintenance. However, some will require more complex maintenance than others. You want to take good care of your gun not to lose its efficiency or get jammed when you need it the most. With some guns, you have to follow specific steps with maintenance to ensure the best performance.
A lubricated and well-cleaned gun will perform better and be more reliable than one that hasn’t been adequately maintained. If you don’t have the time and patience for complex maintenance, we recommend you choose a gun with low care, such as handguns. They are easier to keep in great shape than rifles and shotguns. Rifles sit on the opposite end, as they require specific gun oil and gun bluing kit for cleaning and maintenance.
Regardless of the type of gun you buy, you need to clean it regularly. We recommend you learn about the gun parts for effortless maintenance. If you know how to put together pistols, you should purchase a pistol instead of learning about cleaning rifles or long guns.
