Being in possession of a gun and ammunition comes with the responsibility of securing them for safety purposes. Its access by children or unauthorized persons can cause intended or unintended risk. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that you have safe and separate storage for the gun and ammunition. You may also require to carry your weapon with you on several occasions, and ensuring that you do not leave it unattended can save you from unforeseen troubles. The following tips for gun owners can help you identify common mistakes that can cause gun accidents and avoid them.
Unload Your Gun When Not in Use
Unloading your gun when storing it is a top safety rule. It would help keep the ammunition separately to avoid unauthorized persons from loading and using the weapon. This rule should be strictly observed, especially in homes with children, because they are always curious and playful. You can store the gun in an easily accessible safe just in case you need to use it urgently.
Always Handle the Gun as If Its Loaded
It is not unusual to forget that you probably loaded the gun when running your errands. It is vital to handle the gun cautiously to avoid accidents if there is ammunition remaining in the chamber. Regardless of your good record in unloading the gun, remember that survival situations lead to unintended actions. Pointing the gun in a safe direction can also prevent accidents in case the gun is loaded. Do not point it to yourself or any other person.
Be Certain of Your Target
A survival situation leaves you with an unclear choice of firing or not firing. It is essential to form a habit of first checking your target, line of fire, and what lies beyond the target during practice. The pattern can come in handy when you have to use the firearm urgently because you will have minimum misfires that can cause damages or deaths. It is also advisable to ensure that you always have your trigger finger away from the guard and far from the trigger unless you are ready to fire.
Wear Appropriate Eye and Ear Protection
Your ears have soft tissues that can be affected when you are shooting. A clear vision is also essential to get the right target. All gun owners should own protective hearing protectors and shooting glasses. You should always carry the two along every time you carry your gun along. Holding a gun is meant to improve your security, and safeguarding your essential body parts guarantees you achieve self-safety.