Every year, more than 27,000 people are admitted to hospitals for unintentional firearm shootings. Injuries and deaths attributed to guns and other weapons are heartbreaking, but they can be prevented.
Guns are dangerous, but only if you don’t know how to keep yourself and others safe in the presence of guns. If people know how to properly handle guns, it’s less likely that will deaths attributed to guns will occur.
To learn some of the best gun safety tips to keep yourself and others safe, keep reading.
1) Treat All Guns As If They are Loaded
One of the biggest gun safety tips is that you should treat every gun you encounter as if it is loaded, whether it actually is or not. If you believe a gun is loaded, you’re more likely to only shoot it if absolutely necessary. Especially with an unfamiliar gun, never assume it came into your possession unloaded.
2) Know Your Gun
Another important safety tip is to know your gun inside and out. You should know how many bullets it holds, how to put on the safety lock, and how strong the recoil is.
One of the best ways to learn about your gun is to take a gun safety class. In a safety class, you’ll learn how to load and unload a gun, how to check to ensure no more bullets are left in it, and ask any other questions you have about guns.
3) Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger
The only time your finger should be on the trigger of your gun is at the exact moment that you plan on shooting. By not putting your finger on it until the moment you need to, you’re preventing yourself from accidentally shooting it.
4) Point Guns in the Right Direction
Never point a gun at yourself or another person. A “safe direction” for a gun is any direction where an accidental discharge of the gun would not cause death or injury.
If you have rifles, rifle mounts can help ensure that you are shooting in one direction without the possibility of dropping the rifle and causing injury. Rifle mounts ensure precision and accuracy, with can be especially helpful for hunting. Rifle mounts also come in different heights so that you can pick the best one depending on what type of shooting you plan on doing.
5) Know Your Surroundings
Along with pointing your gun in the right direction, make sure you know what is beyond your sight in that direction. For example, if you’re hunting in the woods and the area around you isn’t clear, make sure you survey the area far enough to know that you won’t be hitting someone or something you don’t want to be.
6) Proper Gun Storage
One of the best ways to prevent unintentional shootings is to properly store firearms. Children are most likely to get their hands on guns and accidentally pull the trigger, harming themselves or others. In fact, in 2020, guns took over car accidents as the leading cause of death in children, many of those which could have been prevented with proper firearm storage.
The best way to store your gun would be in a safe with a key or keypad. Only give the key or code to the people you absolutely trust and who know how to properly handle a gun.
For More Gun Safety Tips
Guns aren’t always a dangerous thing if people have the proper knowledge about how to use and safely store them. Firearm safety is some of the most beneficial knowledge a person can learn to ensure the prevention of deaths and injuries.
For more on guns and gun safety tips, head on over to our blog.
