Get a new gun for Christmas? Congratulations! Owning a firearm is a very positive thing, but it comes with the very serious responsibility of safe handling, storage and use.
Handling
A firearm will never discharge without human intervention. This means a loaded gun laying on the table is no threat to anyone, unless a person walks over and begins to handle it. So, the firearms community developed a set of four rules to follow when handling a firearm.
All firearms are always loaded – Always treat a firearm as if is loaded. Even if you just checked it, always assume it is loaded. There are many cases where someone thought the gun was unloaded, and tragedy struck because it was not.
Never point the gun at anything you are not willing to destroy – Don’t point a gun at your friends, wife, husband, dog, TV or anything else that would be hurt, killed or destroyed by a bullet. If you accidentally discharge a firearm that is pointed in a ‘safe’ direction, no one is killed. If you are pointing the gun at a loved one…