Gun Safety Rules

When it comes to gun safety rules there is a lot of material available to you. I personally lean towards the rules found here. They state simply:

1. ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED
2. NEVER LET THE MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY
3. KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON THE TARGET
4. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET

The NRA has some specific gun safety rules that can be found here. You will notice that they are very similar and a great discussion about why these rules vary slightly can be found here. The most important thing is that we take these rules and understand the wisdom behind them. I had a wise mentor tell me once that "practice does not make perfect", "PERFECT practice makes perfect." As we handle guns we should always be practicing "muzzle awareness" and keeping our trigger finger on the side of the gun until we have determined a target that we are willing to destroy. In my own experience, practicing these safety rules in conjunction with each other has always allowed me to come home safe and with all my fingers and toes.

In regards to teaching gun safety to children I like the Eddie Eagle program that has been put together by the NRA. It is something that is easy for children to understand and is well supported by the NRA. The four fundamentals of the Eddie Eagle program are:

1. STOP
2. DON'T TOUCH
3. LEAVE THE AREA
4. TELL AN ADULT

As with anything these rules create a foundation that we can use to help keep our families safe around guns. If anyone would like more information about these rules or have specific questions, please shoot me an email at info@gunshy.org