ten weapon rules to live by

[Phat Mike]

THE TEN COMMANDMENTS OF FIREARMS SAFETY
The "Ten Commandments of Firearms Safety" is an excellent safety checklist that is taught in many hunter education courses and is well worth careful review by everyone who uses firearms:

1. Control the direction of the firearm's muzzle. Keep the safety on and fingers off the trigger at all times until ready to shoot.

2. Identify the target and what is beyond it before shooting. Know the identifying features of the game hunted and be absolutely certain that what you are aiming at is that game.

3. Treat every firearm as if it is fully loaded.

4. Be sure the barrel and action are clear of obstructions and that only the proper size of ammunition is used in the firearm.

5. Always unload a firearm when it is not in use, leave the actions open (and locked if possible), carry empty firearms in a case to and from shooting areas.

6. Never aim a firearm at anything that you do not intend to shoot. Avoid all horseplay with a firearm.

7. Never climb a tree or fence, or jump a ditch or log, with a loaded firearm. Never pull a firearm towards you by the muzzle.

8. Never shoot a bullet at a flat, hard surface or at water. Make sure backstops and berms are adequate during target practice. For example, fire bullets into sand, soft dirt backstops and properly constructed steel bullet catchers.

9. Store firearms and ammunition separately and beyond the reach of children and careless adults.

10. Avoid all alcoholic beverages and drugs before and during shooting.

 

[zoomaster1]

11. You and your firearm should NEVER be loaded at the same time.

 

[Stillhunter]

All true of course. Col. Cooper managed to condense this into the 4 rules of which 2 must be broken at the same time for a tragedy to take place. The following is written on the door to my gunsafe.

1. All guns are always loaded.

It is not enough promise to treat them as if they are. We must believe they are.

2. Never allow the muzzle to point at anything that you are unwilling to destroy.

That means anything that would induce distress should a large hole suddenly appear in it. Including, not limited to parts of your own body, those of your companions, birddogs, and livestock.
This does not prohibit properly executed dry fire practice. You just need to point at something that you don't need that will stop a bullet.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger until the sights are on the target and you made a concious decision to fire.

4. Know your target, as well as what is beyond, inline, and next to your target.

 

[trbii]

When chambering a round in a home defense weapon, I've copied a practice some ex-service men I've talked to said their guard shacks on bases used to do. Rig up a weapons clearing bullet stop somewhere handy. One former Army MP told me they had a barrel almost full of sand next to his guard post in Panama to clear the 1911 pistol into, which stopped a bullet quite well during shift change when one guy forgot he'd chambered a round earlier, ejected the mag and pulled the trigger, pointing the muzzle into the barrel before passing it over to his relief man. I have stacked sand bags and duct taped phone books in a corner of my garage for this.