Firearms SafetyDepends On You

National ShootingSports Foundation®

WWW.NSSF.ORG

MAKE NOMAKE NOMISTAKEMISTAKE

ABOUT IT...ABOUT IT...

rom the time you pick up a firearm,

you become part of a system over

which you have complete control. You

are the only part of the system that can

make a gun safe—or unsafe.

LEARN THE 10 RULESOF SAFE GUN HANDLING

1. Always Keep The Muzzle Pointed In A

Safe Direction

2. Firearms Should Be Unloaded When

Not Actually In Use

3. Don’t Rely On Your Gun’s “Safety”

4. Be Sure Of Your Target And What’s

Beyond It

5. Use Correct Ammunition

6. If Your Gun Fails To Fire When The

Trigger Is Pulled, Handle With Care!

7. Always Wear Eye And Ear Protection

When Shooting

8. Be Sure The Barrel Is Clear Of

Obstructions Before Shooting

9. Don’t Alter Or Modify Your Gun, And

Have Guns Serviced Regularly

10. Learn The Mechanical And Handling

Characteristics Of The Firearm You Are

UsingB BA A

S SI IC C

S S O O

F F S SA A

F FE E G G

U UN N

H HA A

N ND D

L LI IN N

G G

Hunting and target shooting are among the safestof all sports. This booklet is intended to makethem even safer by emphasizing the basics of safegun handling and storage and by reminding youthat you are the key to firearms safety.

You can help meet this responsibility by enrollingin hunter safety or shooting safety courses. Youmust constantly stress safety when handlingfirearms, especially to children and non-shooters.Beginners, in particular, must be closelysupervised when handling firearms with whichthey may not be acquainted.

Don’t be timid when itcomes to gun safety. If youobserve anyone violatingany safety precautions, youhave an obligation to insiston safer handling practices,such as those in this booklet.

Please read this bookletcarefully and follow the safety proceduresoutlined. Develop safe shooting habits, andremember, firearms safety is up to you.

MAKE NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT!

ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTEDIN A SAFE DIRECTIONThis is the most basic safety rule. If everyonehandled a firearm so carefully that themuzzle never pointed at something theydidn’t intend to shoot, there would bevirtually no firearms accidents. It’s assimple as that, and it’s up to you.

Never point your gun at anything youdo not intend to shoot. This isparticularly important when loadingor unloading a firearm. In the eventof an accidental discharge, no injury can occuras long as the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction.

A safe direction means a direction in which a bulletcannot possibly strike anyone, taking into accountpossible ricochets and the fact that bullets canpenetrate walls and ceilings. The safe direction maybe “up” on some occasions or “down” on others,but never at anyone or anything not intended as atarget. Even when “dry firing” with an unloaded gun,you should never point the gun at an unsafe target.

Make it a habit to know exactly where the muzzleof your gun is pointing at all times, and be sure thatyou are in control of the direction in which themuzzle is pointing, even if you fall or stumble. Thisis your responsibility, and only you can control it.

FIREARMS SHOULD BE UNLOADED WHENNOT ACTUALLY IN USEFirearms should be loaded only when you are in thefield or on the target range or shooting area, ready toshoot. When not in use, firearms and ammunitionshould be secured in a safe place, separate from eachother. It is your responsibility to prevent children andunauthorized adults from gaining access to firearms orammunition.

Unload your gun as soon as you are finished. Aloaded gun has no place in or near a car, truck orbuilding. Unload your gun immediately when youhave finished shooting, well before you bring it into acar, camp or home.

Whenever you handle a firearm or hand it to some-one, always open the action immediately, and visuallycheck the chamber, receiver and magazine to becertain they do not contain any ammunition. Alwayskeep actions open when not in use. Never assume agun is unloaded—check for yourself! This is considereda mark of an experienced gun handler!

Never cross a fence, climb a tree or perform anyawkward action with a loaded gun. While in the field,there will be times when common sense and the basicrules of firearms safety will require you to unload yourgun for maximum safety. Never pull or push a loadedfirearm toward yourself or another person. There isnever any excuse to carry a loaded gun in a scabbard,a holster not being worn or a gun case. When indoubt, unload your gun!

Never place the safety in between positions, sincehalf-safe is unsafe. Keep the safety “on” until youare absolutelyready to fire.

Regardless of theposition of thesafety, any blowor jar strongenough toactuate the firingmechanism of agun can causeit to fire. Thiscan happeneven if thetrigger is not

touched,such as when a gun isdropped. Never rest a loaded gun against anyobject because there is always the possibilitythat it will be jarred or slide from its positionand fall with sufficient force to discharge. Theonly time you can be absolutely certain that agun cannot fire is when the action is openand it is completely empty. Again, never relyon your gun’s safety. You and the safe gunhandling procedures you have learned are

your gun’s primary safeties.

DON’T RELY ON YOUR GUN’S “SAFETY”Treat every gun as though it can fire at anytime. The “safety” on any gun is a mechanicaldevice which, like any such device, can becomeinoperable at the worst possible time. Besides, bymistake, the safety may be “off” when you think itis “on.” The safety serves as a supplement to prop-er gun handling but cannot possibly serve as a sub-stitute for common sense. You should never han-dle a gun carelessly and assume that the gun won’tfire just because the “safety is on.”

Never touch the trigger on a firearm until youactually intend to shoot. Keep your fingers awayfrom the trigger while loading or unloading.Never pull the trigger on any firearm with thesafety on the “safe” position oranywhere inbetween “safe”and “fire.” It ispossible that thegun can fire atany time, or evenlater when yourelease the safety,without your evertouching thetrigger again.

BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET ANDWHAT’S BEYOND ITNo one can call a shot back. Once a gun fires, youhave given up all control over where the shot willgo or what it will strike. Don’t shoot unless youknow exactly what your shot is going to strike. Besure that your bullet will not injure anyone oranything beyond your target. Firing at a movementor a noise without being absolutely certain of whatyou are shooting at constitutes disregard for thesafety of others. No target is so important thatyou cannot take the time before you pull thetrigger to be absolutely certain of your target andwhere your shot will stop.

Be aware that even a 22 short bullet can travelover 11⁄4 miles and a high velocity cartridge, such asa 30-06, can send its bulletmore than 3 miles. Shotgunpellets can travel 500 yards,and shotgun slugs have arange of over half a mile.

You should keep in mindhow far a bullet willtravel if it misses yourintended target orricochets in another direction.

guns and serious injury to the shooter. Do not useimproper reloads or ammunition made ofunknown components.

Ammunition that has become very wet or hasbeen submerged in water should be discarded in asafe manner. Do not spray oil or solvents onammunition or place ammunition in excessivelylubricated firearms. Poor ignition, unsatisfactoryperformance or damage to your firearm and harmto yourself or others could result from using suchammunition.

Form the habit of examining every cartridge you putinto your gun. Never use damaged or substandardammunition—the money you save is not worth therisk of possible injury or a ruined gun.

USE CORRECT AMMUNITIONYou must assume the serious responsibility of usingonly the correct ammunitionfor your firearm. Read andheed all warnings, includingthose that appear in the gun’sinstruction manual and on theammunition boxes.

Using improper or incorrectammunition can destroy a gunand cause serious personal injury.It only takes one cartridge of improper caliber orgauge to wreck your gun, and only a second tocheck each one as you load it. Be absolutely certainthat the ammunition you are using matches thespecifications that are contained within the gun’sinstruction manual and the manufacturer’s markingson the firearm.

Firearms are designed, manufactured and prooftested to standards based upon those of factoryloaded ammunition. Handloaded or reloadedammunition deviating from pressures generated byfactory loads or from component recommenda-tions specified in reputable handloading manualscan be dangerous, and can cause severe damage to

IF YOUR GUN FAILS TO FIRE WHEN THETRIGGER IS PULLED, HANDLE WITH CARE!Occasionally, a cartridge may not fire when thetrigger is pulled. If this occurs, keep the muzzlepointed in a safe direction. Keep your face awayfrom the breech. Then, carefully open the action,unload the firearm and dispose of the cartridge ina safe way.

Any time there is a cartridge in the chamber, yourgun is loaded and ready to fire even if you’ve tried to shoot and it did not gooff. It could go off at anytime, so you must alwaysremember Rule #1 andwatch that muzzle!

Discharging firearms inpoorly ventilated areas,cleaning firearms orhandling ammunitionmay result in exposureto lead and othersubstances known tocause birth defects, reproductiveharm and other serious physical injury. Haveadequate ventilation at all times. Wash handsthoroughly after exposure.

ALWAYS WEAR EYE AND EARPROTECTION WHEN SHOOTINGAll shooters should wear protective shootingglasses and some form of hearing protectors whileshooting. Exposure to shooting noise can damagehearing, and adequate vision protection is essential.Shooting glasses guard against twigs, falling shot,clay target chips and the rare ruptured case orfirearm malfunction. Wearing eye protection whendisassembling and cleaning any gun will also helpprevent the possibility of springs, spring tensionparts, solvents or other agents from contactingyour eyes. There is a widevariety of eye andear protectorsavailable. Notarget shooter,plinker or huntershould ever bewithout them.

Most rules of shootingsafety are intended toprotect you and othersaround you, but this ruleis for your protection alone. Furthermore, havingyour hearing and eyes protected will make yourshooting easier and will help improve your enjoy-ment of the shooting sports.

BE SURE THE BARREL IS CLEAR OFOBSTRUCTIONS BEFORE SHOOTINGBefore you load your firearm, open the actionand be certain that no ammunition is in thechamber or magazine. Be sure the barrel is clearof any obstruction. Even a small bit of mud,snow, excess lubricating oil or grease in the borecan cause dangerously increased pressures,causing the barrel to bulge or even burst onfiring, which can cause injury to the shooter andbystanders. Make it a habit to clean the bore andcheck for obstructions with a cleaning rodimmediately before you shoot it. If the noise orrecoil on firing seems weak or doesn’t seemquite “right,” cease firing immediately and besure to check that no obstruction or projectilehas become lodged in the barrel.

Placing a smaller gauge or caliber cartridge into agun (such as a 20 gauge shell in a 12 gaugeshotgun) can result in the smaller cartridgefalling into the barrel and acting as a boreobstruction when a cartridge of proper size isfired. This can cause a burst barrel or worse.This is really a case where “haste makes waste.”You can easily avoid this type of accident bypaying close attention to each cartridge youinsert into your firearm.

DON’T ALTER OR MODIFY YOUR GUN, ANDHAVE GUNS SERVICED REGULARYFirearms are complicated mechanisms that aredesigned by experts to function properly in theiroriginal condition. Any alteration or change madeto a firearm after manufacture can make the gundangerous and will usually void any factorywarranties. Do not jeopardize your safety or thesafety of others by altering the trigger, safety orother mechanism of any firearm or allowingunqualified persons to repair or modify a gun.You’ll usually ruin an expensive gun. Don’t do it!

Your gun is a mechanical device that will not lastforever and is subject to wear. As such, it requiresperiodic inspection, adjustment and service. Checkwith the manufacturer of your firearm forrecommended servicing.

LEARN THE MECHANICAL AND HANDLINGCHARACTERISTICS OF THE FIREARM YOUARE USINGNot all firearms are the same. The method ofcarrying and handling firearms varies in accordancewith the mechanical characteristics of each gun.Since guns can be so different, never handle anyfirearm without first having thoroughly familiarizedyourself with the particular type of firearm you areusing, the safe gun handling rules for loading,unloading, carrying and handling that firearm, andthe rules of safe gun handling in general.

For example, many handgun manufacturersrecommend that their handguns always be carriedwith the hammer down on an empty chamber. Thisis particularly true for older single-action revolvers,but applies equally to some double-action revolversor semiautomatic pistols. You should always readand refer to the instruction manual you receivedwith your gun, or if you have misplaced the manual,simply contact the manufacturer for a free copy.

Having a gun in your possession is a full-time job.You cannot guess; you cannot forget. You mustknow how to use, handle and store your firearmsafely. Do not use any firearm without having acomplete understanding of its particularcharacteristics and safe use. There is no suchthing as a foolproof gun.

Essential information for all gun owners, theFirearms Safety Depends On YouSM video

provides a comprehensive overview of the basicrules of firearms safety and is a visual companion

to this booklet. Available on DVD, or view itonline at www.nssf.org. DVD also containsMcGruff the Crime Dog on Gun Safety for

children in grades K-6 and It’s Your Call:Playing It Safe Around Guns for grades 6-9.

Order online at www.nssf.org

For additional information about safe firearmshandling and storage visit:www.projectchildsafe.org

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF)

directs a variety of outreach programs that

emphasize firearm safety awareness. You can learn

more about these programs at www.nssf.org.

Or contact:

NSSF’s Safety & Education Services Department11 Mile Hill Road, Newtown, CT 06470T: 203.426.1320 • F: 203.426.1087

E-mail: literature@nssf.org

11 Mile Hill RoadNewtown, CT 06470-2359

T: 203.426.1320F: 203.426.1087

www.nssf.org©2009 National Shooting Sports Foundation, Inc. All Rights Reserved. This brochure may be reproduced for

legitimate educational purposes provided 1.) the pamphlet is reprinted in its entirety, including this paragraph,

and 2.) no fee is charged.

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