Misplaced Pages

Revision as of 20:48, 24 April 2021

This article may require cleanup to meet Misplaced Pages's quality standards. The specific problem is: How-to advice, lectures, addressing the reader. Mostly needs to be simply deleted. Keep the facts attributed to a source. Please help improve this article if you can. (February 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Gun safety rules and practice recommendations are intended to avoid accidental discharge or negligent discharge, or the consequences of firearm malfunctions. Their purpose is to eliminate or minimize the risks of unintentional death, injury or property damage caused by improper possession, storage or handling of firearms. There were 47,000 unintentional firearm deaths worldwide in 2013.

Rules and mindset

Gun safety training seeks to instill a certain mindset and appropriate habits by following specific rules. The mindset is that firearms are inherently dangerous and must always be stored carefully and handled with care. Handlers are taught to treat firearms with respect for their destructive capabilities, and strongly discouraged from playing or toying with firearms, a common cause of accidents. The rules of gun safety follow from this mindset.

In 1902, the English politician and game shooting enthusiast Mark Hanbury Beaufoy wrote some much-quoted verses on gun safety, including many salient points. His verses "A Father's Advice" begin with the following:

If a sportsman true you'd be
Listen carefully to me:
Never, never, let your gun
Pointed be at anyone...

Ira L. Revees, in his 1913 book The A B C of Rifle, Revolver and Pistol Shooting, stated the following:

• "The Accident-Proof Rule": "The muzzle of a firearm should never point in a direction in which, if discharged, it would do injury where injury is not meant to be done."
• "the companion rule of the one just given": "All firearms are at all times loaded."
• And he went on to say: "The trigger should never be pulled until the identity of the thing fired at has been established beyond any doubt."

Various versions of the "Ten Commandments of Gun Safety" have been published. This one is from the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia:

1. Treat every gun with the respect due a loaded gun.
2. Carry only empty guns, taken down or with the action open, into your car, camp and home.
3. Always be sure that the barrel and action are clear of obstructions.
4. Always carry your gun so that you can control the direction of the muzzle.
5. Be sure of your target before you pull the trigger.
6. Never point a gun at anything you do not want to shoot.
7. Never leave your gun unattended unless you unload it first.
8. Never climb a tree or a fence with a loaded gun.
9. Never shoot at a flat, hard surface or the surface of water.
10. Do not mix gunpowder and alcohol.

Jeff Cooper, an influential figure in modern firearms training, formalized and popularized "Four Rules" of safe firearm handling. Prior lists of gun safety rules included as few as three basic safety rules or as many as ten rules including gun safety and sporting etiquette rules. In addition to Cooper, other influential teachers of gun safety include Massad Ayoob, Clint Smith, Chuck Taylor, Jim Crews, Bob Munden and Ignatius Piazza.

Jeff Cooper's Four Rules are:

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 and what is beyond it.

The National Rifle Association provides a similar set of rules:

1. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. Always keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. Always keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.

Project Appleseed provides similar rules for their rifle marksmanship clinics:

1. Always keep the muzzle in a safe direction.
2. Do not load until given the load command.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until the sights are on the target.
4. Make sure those around you follow the safety rules.

The Canadian Firearms Program uses the concept of The Four Firearm ACTS:

1. Assume every firearm is loaded.
2. Control the muzzle direction at all times.
3. Trigger finger off trigger and out of trigger guard.
4. See that the firearm is unloaded.

The United States Marine Corps uses the following four weapons safety rules:

1. Treat every weapon as if it were loaded
2. Never point the weapon at anything you do not intend to shoot
3. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you're ready to fire
4. Keep the weapon on safe until you intend to fire

Blank ammunition, which is a primed casing filled with gunpowder, either crimped or covered with a wad, is dangerous up to 15 feet. In the past, people have injured or killed themselves believing that blanks were not dangerous. Therefore, gun safety rules apply even to firearms loaded with blanks.

Treat firearms as if they are loaded

If a handler always treats firearms as capable of being discharged at any time, the handler is more likely to take precautions to prevent an unintentional discharge and to avoid damage or injury if one does occur.

Point the muzzle away from non-targets

Also known as muzzle discipline, this rule is intended to minimize the potential damage caused by an unintended discharge. While the first rule teaches that a firearm must be assumed to be ready to fire, this second rule goes beyond that and says, "Since the firearm might fire, assume that it will and make sure no harm occurs when it does." The rule is sometimes alternately stated as "Never point a firearm at anything unless you intend to destroy it."

Two natural safe directions to point the muzzle are up (at the sky) and down (at the ground). Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Firing at the ground may result in a ricochet or cause hazardous fragments to be flung at people or objects. Aiming upward eliminates this risk but replaces it with the risk that the bullet may cause damage when it comes down to the ground again. A bullet fired straight up only returns at the terminal velocity of the bullet. However, a bullet fired at an angle not perfectly vertical will retain its spin and ballistic stability on the way down and can attain much more lethal speeds. Several accidents have reportedly been caused by discharging firearms into the air; although the evidence in a few such cases has been disputed, a study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found 43 likely cases of injury from falling bullets during 2004 New Year celebrations in Puerto Rico. It is also possible that the muzzle will inadvertently be pointed at a non-target such as someone's head or an aircraft.

In cases where the firearm is being handled indoors, up and down may not be safe directions. For example, a bullet fired upward or downward may travel through the ceiling, floor and plenum between adjacent floors of a multi-story building. In indoor areas where firearms will be handled often, a suitably safe direction should be designated. Firing ranges often designate a direction in which it is safe to point a firearm; almost universally this is downrange into a backstop which is designed to contain bullets and eliminate potential ricochets. In armories or other areas where weapons must be handled, a container filled with sand known as a clearing barrel or clearing can is often used for this purpose; bullets unintentionally discharged into the barrel will be safely stopped and contained by the sand.

Keep fingers off the trigger

Also known as trigger discipline, this rule is intended to prevent an undesired discharge. Normally a firearm is discharged by depressing its trigger. A handler's finger may involuntarily move for any of several reasons: the handler is startled, a lack of full attention on body movements, physiological reasons beyond conscious control such as a spasm, stumbling or falling, or the finger being pushed by something (as when trying to holster a firearm with one's finger on the trigger). Handlers are therefore taught to minimize the harmful effects of such a motion by keeping their finger off and far away from the trigger until the muzzle is pointing at the target and the handler wishes to discharge the firearm.

The trigger guard and the receiver area above the trigger of a firearm presents a natural point for a handler to keep their finger out straight alongside the weapon, so as not to violate this rule. Another recommendation is to keep the trigger finger above the trigger guard, so that there is less chance of the finger involuntarily slipping into the guard when startled. A properly indexed trigger finger also helps remind the person holding the firearm of the direction of the muzzle.

Range safety rules

Ranges and organized shoots may impose additional safety rules on participants. For example, at its marksmanship clinics, Project Appleseed requires that a range safety officer (RSO) uses a weed trimmer line to check each rifle's bore for obstructions prior to its first use for the day. Six steps are then always followed when a round of shooting is complete and the line is ready to go "cold" to allow posting or checking targets also , or when a rifle is ready to be removed from the line: 1) magazine out; 2) bolt back; 3) safety on; 4) chamber flag in; 5) ground the rifle; 6) step back; no one touching the rifle.

Open bolt indicators, or chamber flags, such as the yellow safety flag distributed by the Civilian Marksmanship Program or the green chamber flag distributed by Project Appleseed, may be required to be inserted in the chamber to show the chamber is empty.

Ranges may limit the type of ammunition used, such as prohibiting the use of incendiary, tracer, or armor-piercing rounds, or more powerful rounds than a range is equipped to handle. They may require the use of ear and eye protection. Alcohol is commonly forbidden. Some ranges impose a waiting period for shooters who wish to rent a firearm, or require them to bring a friend, in order to reduce the incidence of suicides. Ranges are advised to designate a range safety officer to enforce these rules.

Ranges must be designed with safety in mind, including the use of proper backstops for the intended type of shooting.

Malfunctions

Firearm malfunctions may be caused by the primer and/or powder, by mechanical failures, or by mishandling.

Storage

Proper storage prevents unauthorized use or theft of firearms and ammunition, or damage to them.

Gun safes

A gun safe or gun cabinet is commonly used to physically prevent access to a firearm. Local laws may require particular standards for the lock, for the strength and burglar resistance of the cabinet, and may even require weapons and ammunition to be stored separately.

Disassembly

Access to a functioning firearm can be prevented by keeping the firearm disassembled and the parts stored at separate locations. Sometimes, this rule is codified in law. For example, Swedish law requires owners of firearms to store the entire firearm in a safe, classified by the authorities, i.e SS3492. The safe must also weigh more than 150 kilos empty. Weighing less, it must be bolted to the floor and/or wall. Wall mounted, lockable gun racks are no longer permitted.

Locks

There are several types of locks that serve to make it difficult to discharge a firearm. Locks are considered less effective than keeping firearms stored in a lockable safe since locks are more easily defeated than approved safes. An unauthorized handler can bypass the locked firearm at their leisure. Some manufacturers, such as Taurus, build locks into the firearm itself.

California effected regulations in 2000 that forced locks to be approved by a firearm safety device laboratory via California Penal Code Section 12088. All locks under this code must receive extensive tests including saw, pick, pull, and many other tests in order to be approved for the state of California. If a lock passes the requirements then it is said to be California Department of Justice (CADOJ) approved.

Trigger lock

Trigger locks prevent trigger manipulation, however they do not guarantee that the firearm absolutely cannot be discharged (see above). Some trigger locks are integrated into the design of the weapon, requiring no external parts besides the key. Generally, two pieces come together from either side behind the trigger and are locked in place, which can be unlocked with a key or combination. This physically prevents the trigger from being depressed to discharge the weapon. Other more commercially common types of trigger locks do not go behind the trigger, but encompass the full area within the trigger guard to making the trigger inaccessible to users. Identilock is an attachment that completely covers and prevents access to the trigger, which makes it different from other trigger locks.

There is controversy surrounding manufacturing standards, usage, and legislation of trigger locks. While supporters of trigger locks argue that they will save children by preventing accidents, critics point to demonstrations that some models can be removed by children with very little force and common household tools. Many firearms can go off if it is dropped. It is important to make sure to look for firearms that fully disengage the hammer when the safety is put on. A former senior product manager at Master Lock, a trigger lock manufacturer, was quoted as saying "If you put a trigger lock on any loaded gun, you are making the gun more dangerous." Critics also point out that a trigger lock will increase the time it takes an owner to respond to a self-defense emergency. In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a Washington, D.C. law that required handguns to be locked or otherwise kept inoperative within the home, saying that this "makes it impossible for citizens to use them for the core lawful purpose of self-defense."

Although there are no universal standards for the design or testing of trigger locks, some jurisdictions, such as the state of California, maintain a list of approved trigger lock devices. In Canada, a trigger lock is one of the methods prescribed by law to secure a firearm during transport or storage.

Chamber locks

Chamber locks aim to block ammunition from being chambered, since most firearms typically cannot be discharged unless the ammunition is in the correct position. They are used to prevent live ammunition from being loaded into a firearm by blocking the chamber with a dummy cartridge or a chamber plug, which is sometimes wedged into place with the use of a tool, in essence jamming the firearm. Another type is one in which a steel rod locked into the safety cartridge with a key. As long as the rod and safety cartridge are engaged, the dummy round cannot eject nor can live ammunition be loaded into the firearm. Chamber locks work with most firearm types including revolvers, pistols, rifles and shotguns. They are available in any caliber and length, and may include such features as unique keying, rapid removal, and rigorous testing and certification by major state departments such as the California Department of Justice.

Some shooting ranges require the handler to insert a temporary chamber plug which often has a brightly colored external tag, to signal the chamber being devoid of ammunition and blocked, whenever the firearm is being unused. These are called empty chamber indicators, or chamber flags.

Cable locks

Cable locks are a popular type of lock that usually threads into the receiver through the ejection port of repeating firearms. These locks physically obstruct the movements of the bolt, thereby preventing the cycling of the action, and deny the return to "battery" and the closure of the breech. In many designs of pistol and rifle, they also thread through the magazine well of the firearm to prevent the proper insertion of a magazine.

Smart gun

Personalized firearms, or smart guns, are intended to prevent unauthorized use with built-in locks that are released by RFID chips or other proximity devices, fingerprint recognition, magnetic rings, or a microchip implant.

Ammunition storage

Some experts recommend storing ammunition in secure locations away from firearms. Ammunition should be kept in cool, dry conditions free from contaminating vapors to prevent deterioration of the propellant and cartridge. Handloaders must take special precautions for storing primers and loose gunpowder.

Secondary dangers

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Gun safety" – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (January 2011) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

While a firearm's primary danger lies in the discharge of ammunition, there are other ways a firearm may be detrimental to the health of the handler and bystanders.

Noise

When a firearm is discharged it emits a very loud noise, typically close to the handler's ears. This can cause temporary or permanent hearing damage such as tinnitus. Hearing protection such as earplugs, or earmuffs, or both, can reduce the risk of hearing damage. Some earmuffs or headphones made for shooting and similar loud situations use active noise control. Firearms may also have silencers which reduce the sound intensity from the barrel.

Hot gases and debris

A firearm emits hot gases, powder, and other debris when discharged. Some firearms, such as semi-automatic and fully automatic firearms, typically eject spent cartridge casings at high speed. Casings are also dangerously hot when ejected. Revolvers store spent casings in the chamber, but may emit a stream of hot gases and possible fine particulate debris laterally from the interface between the revolving chamber and the barrel. Any of these may hurt the handler or bystanders through burning or impact damage. Because eyes are particularly vulnerable to this type of damage, eye protection should be worn to reduce the risk of injury. Prescription lenses and various tints to suit different light conditions are available. Some eye protection products are rated to withstand impact from birdshot loads, which offers protection against irresponsible firearms use by other game bird shooters.

Toxins and pollutants

In recent years the toxic effects of ammunition and firearm cleaning agents have been highlighted.

• Lead ammunition left in nature may become mobilized by acid rain.
• Older ammunition may have mercury-based primers.
• Lead accumulates in shooting range backstops.

Indoor ranges require good ventilation to remove pollutants such as powder, smoke, and lead dust from the air around the shooters. Indoor and outdoor ranges typically require extensive decontamination when they are decommissioned to remove all traces of lead, copper, and powder residues from the area.

Lead, copper and other metals will also be released when a firearm is cleaned. Highly aggressive solvents and other agents used to remove lead and powder fouling may also present a hazard to health. Installing good ventilation, washing hands after handling firearms, and cleaning the space where the firearm was handled lessens the risk of unnecessary exposure.

Unsafe users

Impaired users

Firearms should never be handled by persons who are under the influence of alcohol or any drugs which may affect their judgment. Gun safety teachers advocate zero tolerance of their use. In the United States, this recommendation is codified in many states' penal codes as a crime of "carrying under the influence", with penalties similar to DWI/DUI. Other sources of temporary impairment include exhaustion, dehydration, and emotional stress. These can affect reaction time, cognitive processing, sensory perception, and judgment.

Many jurisdictions prohibit the possession of firearms by people deemed generally incapable of using them safely, such as the mentally ill or convicted felons.

Children

The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. You may improve this section, discuss the issue on the talk page, or create a new section, as appropriate. (January 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message)

Children who are generally considered too young to be allowed to handle firearms at all can be taught a different set of rules:

• Stop.
• Don't touch.
• Leave the area.
• Tell an adult.

The purpose of these rules is to prevent children from inadvertently handling firearms. These rules are part of the Eddie Eagle program developed by the National Rifle Association for preschoolers through 6th graders.

Whether programs like Eddie Eagle are effective has not been conclusively determined. Some studies published in peer-reviewed journals have shown that it is very difficult for young children to control their curiosity even when they have been taught not to touch firearms. Gun access is also a major risk factor for youth suicide. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises that keeping a gun in the home, especially a handgun increases the risk of injury and death for children and youth in the home. If families do keep a gun in the home, the AAP advises keeping it unloaded and locked up, with the ammunition locked in a separate location, and the keys to the locked boxes hidden.

Older youth (age may vary per program, such as 12–18 year olds) may take part in a program for safe rifle handling, such as the ones promoted by these organizations:

• 4H Shooting Sports Programs
• Boy Scouts of America
• Civilian Marksmanship Program
• National Rifle Association
• Project Appleseed

See also

• Safety area

References

1. GBD 2013 Mortality and Causes of Death, Collaborators (17 December 2014). "Global, regional, and national age-sex specific all-cause and cause-specific mortality for 240 causes of death, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013". Lancet. 385 (9963): 117–71. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(14)61682-2. PMC 4340604. PMID 25530442. {{cite journal}}: |first1= has generic name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
2. Rose, R. N. (November 22, 1956). The BEAUFOY VERSES, in The Field. Archived from the original on August 1, 2009. Retrieved 2008-06-29.
3. Beaufoy, Gwendolyn (1930). Leaves from a Beech Tree.
4. Reeves, Ira L. (1913). The A B C of Rifle, Revolver and Pistol Shooting. Kansas City, Missouri: Franklin Hudson Publishing Company. p. 10.
5. "The Ten Commandments of Safety". Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia. Archived from the original on 8 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
6. Morrison, Gregory Boyce (1991). Cooper, Jeff (ed.). The Modern Technique of the Pistol. Paulden, Arizona, USA: Gunsite Press. ISBN 978-0-9621342-3-4. LCCN 91072644.
7. "NRA Gun Safety Rules". The National Rifle Association of America. 2018. Retrieved 2018-06-07.
8. Ayoob, Massad (May–June 2010). "The Appleseed Project". No. 123. Backwoods Home Magazine.
9. "The Vital Four ACTS of Firearm Safety". Royal Canadian Mounted Police. 2004-01-23. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
10. "DIV 24 Pistol Weapons Handling" (PDF). United States Marine Corps.
11. Bryce M. Towsley, Gunsmithing Made Easy, p. 91
12. ^ "Can a bullet fired into the air kill someone when it comes down?". The Straight Dope. 1995-04-14.
13. "Episode 50: Bullets Fired Up". Mythbusters. 2006-04-19.
14. "New Year's Eve Injuries Caused by Celebratory Gunfire — Puerto Rico, 2003". Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 2004-12-24.
15. "The Aviation Safety Network Website". Aviation Safety Network. 2005-01-12. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
16. Ayoob, Massad (January–February 2007). "The subtleties of safe firearms handling". Backwoods Home Magazine. Retrieved December 22, 2015.
17. "Range Safety Rules". Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
18. ^ Whiting, Richard C. (1990). "Shooting Range Safety". National Shooting Sports Foundation. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
19. Keegan, Kyle (January 23, 2014). "Suicidal customers see a way out at gun ranges". Orange County Register. Retrieved 12 December 2014.
20. Gibbons, Lauren (August 23, 2014). "Gun-range suicides infrequent but a concern". The Columbus Dispatch.
21. ^ Carolee Boyles. "Safety sells - safety devices for gun owners and their firearms". Shooting Industry. Archived from the original on 2004-10-30. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
22. "Aroner-Scott-Hayden Firearms Safety Act of 1999". State of California. 1999. Archived from the original on 2009-07-04. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
23. "Pro-Lok: Professional Quality Tools - CADOJ REGULATIONS". PRO-LOK. 2007–2009. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
24. Slater, Eric (February 16, 1999). "Hype Over Trigger Locks Provokes Fear of Firearm Accidents". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
25. Egelco, Bob (June 27, 2008). "RULING'S RICOCHET - A right to own guns: Supreme Court defines 2nd Amendment - gun lobby expected to challenge S.F. ban on handgun possession in public housing". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-03-03.
26. California DOJ Bureau of Firearms (2008-05-06). "Approved Firearms Safety Devices Compability Chart" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-07-09. Retrieved 2008-05-16.
27. Royal Canadian Mounted Police. "Storing, Transporting, and Displaying Firearms". Retrieved 2008-05-16.
28. "No Chip in Arm, No Shot From Gun". Wired. 14 April 2004. Retrieved 2012-08-04.
29. GAO (1991). Accidental Shootings: Many Deaths and Injuries Caused by Firearms Could Be Prevented. p. 35. ISBN 9781568065533.
30. Roy Huntington. "Gun safety & safety products". Shooting Industry. Archived from the original on 2012-07-08.
31. "Gun Safety Rules; Save a life by reading this page and give it to a friend". www.SaveTheGuns.com. 2000–2009. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
32. "MSP - Carrying Under the Influence". State of Michigan. 2001–2009. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
33. "Eddie Eagle Safety Program". The National Rifle Association of America. 2009. Retrieved 2009-05-18.
34. "Gun Safety for Kids and Youth - What if I've taught my kids not to touch a gun if they find one?". University of Michigan Health System. 2010. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
35. "Suicide-Proof Your Home". The Center to Prevent Youth Violence. 2011. Archived from the original on 2012-02-21. Retrieved 2012-01-13.
36. ^ "Gun Safety: Keeping Children Safe". The American Academy of Pediatrics. 2012. Retrieved 2012-01-13.

External links

• A Review of Gun Safety Technologies—National Institute of Justice

• Firearm safety
• Firearm training
• Safety practices