THEBASICRULESOFSAFEFIREARMSHANDLING
1LEARN
THEMECHANICALANDHANDLINGCHARACTERISTICSOFTHE
FiREARM
YOUAREUSING.Notallfirearmsarethesame.Themethodofcarryingandhandlingfirearmsvariesinaccordancewiththemechanicalprovisionsforavoidingaccidentaldischargeandthevariousproperproceduresforloadingandunloading.Nopersonshouldhandleanyfirearmwithoutfirsthavingthoroughlyfamiliarizedhimselfwiththeparticulartypeoffirearmheisusing,andwithsafegunhandlingingeneral.2ALWAYSKEEPTHEMUZZLEPOINTEDINASAFEDIRECTION.Besureofthebulletstopbehind
yourtarget,evenwhendry-firing.Neverletthemuzzle
fa
firearmpoint
at
anypartofyourbodyoratanotherperson.Thisisparticularlyimportantwhenloadingorunloadingafirearm.Intheeventofanaccidentaldischarge,noinjurycanoccuraslongasthemuzzleispointinginasafedirection.Asafedirectionmeansadirectionwhichwillnotpermitadischargedbullettostrikeaperson,ortostrikeanobjectfromwhichthebulletmayricochet.Asafedirectionmusttakeintoaccountthefactthatabulletmaypenetrateawall,ceiling,floor,window,etc.,andstrikeapersonordamageproperty.Makeitahabittoknowexactlywherethemuzzleofyourgunispointingwheneveryouhandleit,andbesurethatyouarealwaysincontrolofthedirectioninwhichthemuzzleispointing,evenifyoufallor
stumble.
3FIREARMSSHOULDBEUNLOADEDWHENNOTINUSE.Firearmsshouldbeloadedonlywhenyouareinthefieldoronthetargetrangeorshootingarea,readytoshoot.Firearmsandammunitionshouldbesecurelylockedinracksorcabinetswhennotinuse.Ammunitionshouldbesafelystoredseparatefromfirearms.Storeyourfirearmsoutofsightofvisitorsandchildren.Itisthegunowner'sresponsibilitytobecertainthatchildren
andpersonsunfamiliarwithfirearmscannotgainaccesstofirearmsorammunition.
4BESURETHEBARRELISCLEAROFOBSTRUCTIONSBEFORESHOOTING.
Evenabitofmud,snoworexcesslubricatingoilorgreaseintheboremaycausetheba
tobulge,orevenburstonfiring,andcancauseinjurytotheshooterandbystanders.Besurethatyouareusingammunitionofthepropercaliberandloadingforthegunyouareusing.Ifthereportorrecoilonfiringseemsweak,ordoesn'tseemquiteright,CEASEFIRINGIMMEDIATELYandcheckto-besurethatnoobstructionhas
become
lodgedinthe
barrel.5BESUREOFYOURTARGETBEFOREYOUSHOOT.Don'tshootunlessyouk
eiactlywhereyourbulletisgoingtostrike.Besureofthebulletstopbehindyourtarget,evenwhendry-firingwithanunloadedgun.Ifyouareinthefieldhunting,donotfireatamovementornoise.Takethetimetobeabsolutelycertainofyourtargetbeforeyoupullthe
trigger.6WEAR'SHOOTINGGLASSESANDHEARINGPROTECTORSWHENYOUSHO
Ailshootersshouldwearprotectiveshootingglassesandsomeformofhearingprotectorswhenshooting.Exposuretoshootingnoisecandamagehearing.Adequatevision
protectionwhenshootingisessential.7NEVERCLIMBATREEORFENCEWITHALOADEDFIREARM.Putthefire
downcarefullybeforeclimbingafence,andunloaditbeforeclimbingordescendingatreeorjUmpingoveraditchorotherobstruction.Neverpullorpushaloadedfirearmtoward
yourseloranotherperson.Whenindoubt,unloadyourgun!
8DON'T
SHOOTATAHARDSURFACE,ORATWATER.
Bulletscanricochetoffiany
surfaceslikerocksorthesurfaceofwaterandtravelinunpredictabledirectionswiconsiderablevelocity.9NEVERTRANSPORTALOADEDFIREARM.Firearmsshouldalwaysbeunloabeforebeingplacedinavehicle.Asuitablecarryingcaseorscabbkdshouldbeusedcarryafirearmtoandfromtheshootingareas.
10.AVOIDALCOHOLICBEVERAGESWHEN
SHOOTiNG.
Handlingfirearms
while
undertheinfluenceofalcohol,medication
or
mind-alteringsubstanceinanyform
constitutesacriminaldisreagrdforthesafetY,ofothers.