(For discussions on politics concerning firearms and gun safety, see Gun politics. This page deals only with non-political aspects of gun safety. For a part of a gun that is called a "safety", see Safety (firearms).) Gun politics fundamentally involves the politics of two related questions: Does a government have valid authority to impose regulations on guns? And, assuming such authority, should a government regulate guns and to what extent?[1] The answer to these questions and the nature of the politics varies and depends on... Close-up shot of a safety of an M16A2 rifle. ...

Gun safety is a collection of rules and recommendations that can be applied when handling firearms. The purpose of gun safety is to eliminate or minimize the risks of unintentional damage, injury and/or death caused by improper handling of firearms. A Glock 22 hand-held firearm with internal laser sight and mounted flashlight, surrounded by hollowpoint ammunition. ...

Gun safety rules and mindset

Example of safe firearm handling. The weapon is pointed at the ground and the handler's finger is off the trigger.

Gun safety training seeks to instill a certain mindset and appropriate habits, or rules. The mindset is that firearms are inherently dangerous and must always be handled with care. Handlers are taught to treat firearms with respect for their destructive capabilities, and strongly discouraged from playing or toying with firearms, a common cause of accidents. Download high resolution version (998x715, 275 KB)Soldier demonstrating gun safety by keeping the fingers off the trigger and the gun pointed in a safe direction even while the gun is safetied. ... Download high resolution version (998x715, 275 KB)Soldier demonstrating gun safety by keeping the fingers off the trigger and the gun pointed in a safe direction even while the gun is safetied. ...

The rules of gun safety follow from this mindset. While there are many variations, the following rules are those most commonly taught during gun safety training:

• Always treat firearms as if they are loaded and ready to fire.
• Always point the muzzle away from anything you do not intend to shoot.
• Always keep your fingers away from the trigger and outside the trigger guard until you are ready to fire.
• Always be sure of your target and of what is beyond it.

The muzzle of a firearm is the end of the barrel from which the projectile will exit. ...

Treat firearms as if they are loaded

This rule is a matter of proper mindset rather than a specific habit. Many firearm accidents result from the handler believing a firearm is emptied, safetied, or otherwise disabled when in fact it is ready to fire. Such misunderstandings can arise from a number of sources.

• Faulty handling of the firearm. A handler may execute the steps of procedures such as loading, firing and emptying in the wrong order or omit steps of the procedures.
• Misunderstandings about a firearm's status. For instance: A handler may think the safety is on when it is not; A round of ammunition may be in the chamber or in the magazine while the handler thinks it is empty; A handler may receive a firearm and assume it is in a certain state without checking whether that assumption is true.
• Mechanical failures. Wear, faulty assembly, damage or faulty design of the firearm can cause it to not function as intended. For instance: A safety may have been worn down to a point where it is no longer functioning. Broken parts may have given the firearm a "hair trigger" (a very sensitive trigger). A dented or bent body of the firearm may cause jams or premature discharge of ammunition. Sensitivity to impact may cause a firearm to discharge if dropped or struck against another object.

If a handler always treats firearms as capable of being fired at any time, the handler is more likely to take precautions to prevent an unintentional discharge and to avoid damage or injury if one does occur. In firearms, the chamber is the part of the barrel in which the cartridge is inserted prior to being fired. ... Gravure of a 30-round STANAG 4179 magazine, originally designed for the AR-15/M16 series of rifles. ...

The phrase "The gun is always loaded" is often used. The purpose is to discourage mental habits such as "I know my gun is empty so (some) unsafe practices are OK." Inexperienced handlers often think this way and accidents can happen as a result. A gun safety instructor can respond to such reasoning by restating the rule: "No, your gun is always loaded".

Point the muzzle away from non-targets

This rule is intended to minimize the damage caused by an unintended discharge. The first rule teaches that a firearm must be assumed to be ready to fire. This rule goes beyond that and says "Since the firearm might fire, assume that it will and make sure no harm occurs when it does".

One technique for maintaining muzzle awareness is referred to as the "lazer rule". The idea being that you constantly remind yourself that anything in a direct line extending from the muzzle is at risk of being shot.

A consequence of this rule is that any kind of playing or "toying" with firearms is prohibited. Playfully pointing firearms at people or other non-targets violates this rule.

Two natural "safe" directions to point the muzzle are upwards (at the sky) and downwards (at the ground). Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Firing at the ground may result in a ricochet or cause hazardous fragments to be flung at people or material. Aiming upwards eliminates this risk but replaces it with the risk that the bullet may cause damage when it comes down to the ground again. Indeed, several accidents have been caused by discharging firearms into the air. It is also possible that the muzzle will inadvertently be pointed at a non-target such as someone's head or an aircraft.^[1] In a large number of cases amateur users sometimes holster rifles or shotguns facing upwards towards their faces and rest it against themselves while sitting still pointing at their heads. Information in this article or section has not been verified against sources and may not be reliable. ... Look up aircraft in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

When passing a firearm to another person, it should be passed such that the muzzle of the weapon does not point at, or "flag", the recipient or any bystander. If the situation permits it is often considered good practice to show the firearm with the magazine removed, the breech unloaded and locked open before handing it over to the recipient so that the recipient can easily double-check the firearm. It is known as "show clear".

Keep fingers off the trigger

This rule is intended to prevent an undesired discharge. Normally a firearm is discharged by pressing its trigger. A handler's finger may involuntary move for any of several reasons: being startled, not keeping full attention on body movements, or physiological reasons beyond conscious control such as spasms. Handlers are therefore taught to minimize the harmful effects of such a motion, by keeping the finger off the trigger. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A spasm is a sudden, involuntary contraction of a muscle, a group of muscles, or a hollow organ, or a similarly sudden contraction of an orifice. ...

The trigger guard and area above the trigger of a firearm presents a natural point for a handler to keep their finger out straight alongside the weapon, so as not to violate this rule (see picture above). A properly indexed trigger finger also helps remind the person holding the gun of the direction of the muzzle.

In popular culture, such as movies and TV shows, this rule is often violated, even by characters who would be trained in gun safety such as military personnel or law enforcement officers. Popular culture, sometimes called pop culture, consists of widespread cultural elements in any given society. ... “Moving picture” redirects here. ... “TV” redirects here. ... This article is about a military rank. ... For other uses, see Police (disambiguation). ...

Be sure of your target—and of what is beyond it

This rule is intended to eliminate or minimize damage to non-targets when a firearm is intentionally discharged. Unintended damage may occur if a non-target is misidentified as a target, or if the bullet hits something or someone other than the intended target.

Handlers are taught that they must positively identify their target as valid. Additionally, they learn that even when firing at a valid target, unintended targets may still be hit, for two reasons:

• The bullet may miss the intended target and hit a non-target.
• The bullet may pass through the intended target and hit a non-target beyond it, so called "overpenetration".

This may create situations that present dilemmas for a handler. Such situations are for instance a police officer in a riot or a soldier in a situation where civilians are near the enemy. Indecision or misjudgment of the handler's abilities in such a situation may cause undesired outcomes, such as injury to the handler or the handler violating rules of engagement and causing unintended damage. Teamsters, armed with pipes, riot in a clash with riot police in the Minneapolis Teamsters Strike of 1934. ... A civilian is a person who is not a member of a military. ... This article describes the military term of the rules of engagement. ...

To mimimize the risk of such outcomes training is required. Target practice increases the precision with which the handler can discharge the firearm and thus increase the chances that the intended target is hit. Education about terminal ballistics gives the handler knowledge about the characteristics of a bullet after a target is hit. This knowledge coupled with insight into the handler's own capabilities makes it easier for the handler to make appropriate decisions about whether to fire or not, even if given little time and/or put under severe stress. Target practice refers to any exercise (often military) in which projectiles are fired at a specified target, usually to improve the aim of the person or persons firing the weapon. ... Terminal ballistics, a sub-field of ballistics, is the study of the behavior of a projectile when it hits its target. ... In medical terms, stress is the disruption of homeostasis through physical or psychological stimuli. ...

Ammunition can be chosen to reduce the risk of overpenetration; see Terminal ballistics, Stopping power, and Hollow point bullet. Terminal ballistics, a sub-field of ballistics, is the study of the behavior of a projectile when it hits its target. ... It has been suggested that manstopper be merged into this article or section. ... .357 Magnum rounds. ...

Gun safety for firearms not in use

Trigger lock fitted to the trigger of a revolver

Gun safety for situations where firearms are not in use are intended to prevent access to and subsequent discharge of a firearm. Preventing access to firearms serves a double purpose in that it also protects the firearm from theft. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 1148 KB) Close-up of a Trigger lock attached to a revolver. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high-resolution version (2272x1704, 1148 KB) Close-up of a Trigger lock attached to a revolver. ... Trigger lock on a revolver Close-up of the trigger lock, showing the warning A trigger lock is a device designed to prevent a firearm from being discharged while the device is in place. ... rEVOLVEr (2004) is the fourth studio album release by Swedish thrash metal band The Haunted. ...

At home

An effective method of preventing access to a functioning firearm is to store it disassembled and to keep the parts separated. If a certain part of a firearm is required for it to fire, the handler may remove that part from the firearm and keep it in a separate location. Ammunition may also be stored away from the firearm. Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ...

Sometimes this rule is codified in law. For example, Swedish law requires owners of firearms to store the firearms either with the "vital piece" locked up in a safe place or put the entire gun in a safe or lockable gun rack.

A lock that prevents motion of the trigger, blocks the chamber or in any other way prevents the firearm from being discharged may be used for additional safety. This also makes the firearm less useful to thieves as the firearm cannot be used unless the lock is removed. Such locks are commonly designed so that they cannot be forcibly removed without permanently disabling the firearm. This method is considered less effective than keeping firearms locked in a safe or a gun cabinet since locks are more easily defeated than approved safes. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Trigger lock on a revolver Close-up of the trigger lock, showing the warning A trigger lock is a device designed to prevent a firearm from being discharged while the device is in place. ... A typical home safe. ...

Most firearm experts do not promote the use of trigger locks. In most cases, the firearm can still be loaded and a round chambered with the lock in place. In some cases, the firearm can even be fired with a trigger lock secured around the trigger guard.

If a firearm is intended to be used for self defense at home, special-purpose locking devices exist that allow the owner to store the fully loaded firearm in a safe manner while still providing quick access to it. However, keeping a firearm in a continuous state of readiness to be fired presents certain operational problems as previously described, especially if children can gain access to the firearm. Therefore the owner should always consider taking further precautions from an early age in addition to the use of locking storage containers, such as teaching children gun safety as described herein from an early age.

Environments requiring standardized protocols for weapons-check at the door

The following environments generally have standardized protocols in place for weapons-check at the door:

• Courthouses
• Jails
• Prisons

For the following environments, it is sensible to develop simple protocols in which a security guard could accept weapons and keep them in a gun safe until pickup:

• Hospital emergency departments
• Outpatient MRI sites^[2]

Protective gear and health issues

When discharged a firearm emits a very loud noise, typically close to the handler's ears. Over time this can cause hearing damage such as tinnitus. Hearing protection is recommended to prevent this. Industrial noise Industrial noise is usually considered mainly from the point of view of environmental health and safety, rather than nuisance, as sustained exposure can cause permanent hearing damage. ... The ear is the sense organ that detects sounds. ... Tinnitus (IPA pronunciation: or ,[1] from the Latin word for ringing[2]) is the perception of sound in the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound(s). ...

Firearms emit hot gases, powder, and other debris when fired. Some weapons, such as semi-automatic and fully automatic firearms, typically eject spent cartridge casings at high speed. Ejected casings are also commonly very hot from the discharge. Any of these may hurt the handler through burning or impact damage. Eyes are particularly vulnerable to this type of damage. Therefore eye protection is recommended. Walther P99, a semiautomatic pistol from the late 1990s A semi-automatic firearm is a gun that requires only a trigger pull for each round that is fired, unlike a single-action revolver, a pump-action firearm, a bolt-action firearm, or a lever-action firearm, which require the shooter... M2 machine gun An automatic firearm is a firearm that will continue to load and fire ammunition as long as the trigger (or other activating device) is pressed or until it runs out of ammunition. ... Rimmed, centerfire . ... For other uses, see Eye (disambiguation). ...

Hearing and eye protection can also be used to protect observers, bystanders, team members or others that may be close to the handler.

Another problem, highlighted in more recent years, is that of toxic effects from ammunition or cleaning agents. Lead bullets can release lead vapour when fired, and older ammunition may have mercury-based primers. Lead accumulates in shooting range backstops, often as fine powder which is easily inhaled, and ranges must be carefully decontaminated. Indoor ranges require good ventilation to remove pollutants. Ranges always require extensive decontamination if they are to be decommissioned. General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish white Atomic mass 207. ... General Name, Symbol, Number mercury, Hg, 80 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 6, d Appearance silvery Standard atomic weight 200. ... Look up primer in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... An outdoor shooting range with a sheltered shooting stand and several other unsheltered stands. ... Return inlet (left)Supply outlet (right). ...

Lead, copper and other metals will also be released when a firearm is handled and cleaned. Highly aggressive solvents and other agents used to remove lead and powder fouling may present a hazard to health. Good ventilation, washing oneself and cleaning the space where the gun was handled lessens the risk of unnecessary exposure.

Impairment

Since handling a firearm is a complex task, with possible fatal outcomes if done wrong, gun safety dictates that a firearm should never be handled while under the influence of alcohol or drugs, even legal prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Since such substances may affect a person's judgement already after consuming relatively small amounts, zero tolerance is advocated by gun safety teachers. This article does not cite any references or sources. ... An assortment of psychoactive drugs A psychoactive drug or psychotropic substance is a chemical substance that acts primarily upon the central nervous system where it alters brain function, resulting in temporary changes in perception, mood, consciousness and behavior. ... A medical prescription ) is an order (often in written form) by a qualified health care professional to a pharmacist or other therapist for a treatment to be provided to their patient. ... Over-the-counter (OTC) drugs are medicines that may be sold without a prescription, in contrast to prescription drugs. ... It has been suggested that toleration be merged into this article or section. ...

Correct ammunition

The handler must be certain the firearm is loaded only with ammunition that is approved for use with that particular firearm. Using ammunition of wrong caliber, or using an ammunition type for which the firearm is not intended to be used with, may result in the firearm malfunctioning or becoming damaged. This may cause the firearm to explode, resulting in severe or even fatal injury to the handler. The word calibre (British English) or caliber (American English) designates the interior diameter of a tube or the exterior diameter of a wire or rod. ...

Ammunition may be manufactured manually, so called "hand-loading". It may be very difficult for an inexperienced or unskilled handler to discern what is the equivalent ammunition type for hand-loaded ammunition. As such, using hand-loaded ammunition without being experienced in that field presents an elevated risk of a firearm-ammunition mismatch, with possible consequences as mentioned above.

Construction, modification and general condition of firearms

Modifying firearms to better fit their intended purpose is a fairly common practice, but not without its pitfalls. Firearms of any sort operate briefly at enormous pressure during firing, and enormous loads are placed on the pressure-bearing parts. If these parts are weakened by modifications or adaptations (such as drilling to fit telescope mounts, slings etc) there is a real risk of explosion. Similarly, if safety devices or mechanism parts such as sear engagement points, safety catches, de-cockers or trigger interrupters are modified or poorly adapted, great risks become apparent. Semi-automatic rifles may fire from an unlocked breech, allowing a case explosion next to the face of the firer; a handgun may fire unexpectedly or even "burst-fire" like a machine-gun. The potential for harm is obvious, along with the legal implications for those who modify firearms without a great deal of training and expertise.

Even without "metalwork" modifications a gun can still be rendered unsafe. A great deal of design effort goes into making sure a firearm can only be assembled one way, as it was intended to be, but occasionally it is found to be possible to assemble a firearm in such a manner as to render it unsafe. This knowledge is often only brought to light following a tragedy resulting from it. Therefore, anything more than routine field-stripping requires great care and preferably instruction from somebody competent in such practices.

The overall condition of a firearm is equally important. Rusted, heavily fouled or blocked barrels may bulge or explode (especially in shotguns), and mechanisms may fail due to contamination or corrosion. Any firearm should be kept clean and thoroughly checked for proper functionality before live-firing. If there is any doubt as to its condition, it should not be used until it has been properly repaired. For other uses, see Shotgun (disambiguation). ...

In the United Kingdom, firearms must be proofed before sale or use. This takes place at the Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House, where each individual firearm is held in a test mount and fired with a severely overcharged round of ammunition. If it survives, it is inspected for distortion or other damage and if found to be free of such, stamped with the appropriate proof mark. Re-proofing will be required after modification to pressure-bearing parts to ensure continued safety. Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House The Birmingham Gun Barrel Proof House was established in 1813 by an act of Parliament at the request - and expense - of the then prosperous Birmingham Gun Trade. ... Boxes of ammunition clog a warehouse in Baghdad Ammunition is a generic military term meaning (the assembly of) a projectile and its propellant. ... ...

Gun safety for children

Children who are generally considered too young to be allowed to handle firearms at all have a different set of rules which can be taught to them:

• Stop.
• Don't touch.
• Leave the area.
• Tell an adult.

The purpose of these rules is to prevent children from inadvertently handling firearms. These rules are part of the Eddie Eagle program developed by the National Rifle Association for preschoolers through 6th graders. If a child discovers a firearm, they should seek an adult to remove access to it as soon as possible. This may include turning it over to an appropriate law enforcement agency. The Eddie Eagle program was developed by the National Rifle Association for children who are generally considered too young to be allowed to handle firearms. ... This article concerns the National Rifle Association of the USA. For the UK organisation, see National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit group for the promotion of marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection of hunting and personal protection firearm rights...

Older youth (age may vary per program) may take part in a program for safe rifle handling, such as the ones promoted by these organizations:

• Boy Scouts of America
• Americans for Gun Safety Foundation
• National Rifle Association
• Civilian Marksmanship Program

For the Boy Scouting program within the BSA, see Boy Scouting (Boy Scouts of America). ... The Americans for Gun Safety Foundation is an organization which claims to 1) promote gun safety training and 2) advocate responsible gun laws.[1] The Americans for Gun Safety Foundation is a project of the Tides Center, and a Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. ... This article concerns the National Rifle Association of the USA. For the UK organisation, see National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit group for the promotion of marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection of hunting and personal protection firearm rights... The Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP)is a U.S. government program that promotes firearms safety training and rifle practice for all qualified U.S. citizens with special emphasis on youth. ...

History and teachers of gun safety

While gun safety in different forms has existed since the creation of firearms, modern gun safety is often credited to Jeff Cooper. Being influential in the modern handling of firearms, he formalised the above mentioned rules of gun safety. Colonel Jeff Cooper John Dean Jeff Cooper (10 May 1920 - 25 September 2006) was recognized as the father of what is commonly known as The Modern Technique of handgun shooting, and was considered by many to be the worlds foremost expert on the use and history of small arms. ...

Other teachers of gun safety include Massad Ayoob, Clint Smith, Chuck Taylor, Jim Crews and Ignatius Piazza. Massad F. Ayoob (b. ... Dr. Ignatius Piazza is the founder of the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute in Pahrump, Nevada. ...

One widely known firearms safety program in the United States is the Eddie Eagle program developed by the National Rifle Association. The Eddie Eagle program was developed by the National Rifle Association for children who are generally considered too young to be allowed to handle firearms. ... This article concerns the National Rifle Association of the USA. For the UK organisation, see National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit group for the promotion of marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection of hunting and personal protection firearm rights...

References

1. ^ http://aviation-safety.net/news/newsitem.php?id=1361
2. ^ Beitia, Anton Oscar; Steven P. Meyers, Emanuel Kanal and William Bartell (2002). "Spontaneous Discharge of a Firearm in an MR Imaging Environment". American Journal of Roentgenology 178: 1092-1094. 

External links

• LOK-IT-UP A public awareness program encouraging the safe storage of firearms.
• Controversy over exact choice of rules for gun safety (specifically whether or not "the gun is always loaded" is an intelligent rule).
• NRA Gun Safety Rules. Also deals with issues such as eye and ear protection.
• Eddie Eagle, an NRA program to teach gun safety to children as described above.
• Project ChildSafe
• Canadian page about firearms safety
• Page about storing firearms in Canada

This article concerns the National Rifle Association of the USA. For the UK organisation, see National Rifle Association of the United Kingdom The National Rifle Association, or NRA, is a non-profit group for the promotion of marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection of hunting and personal protection firearm rights...

Movie clips of firearm accidents

• DEA agent accidentally discharges a weapon and wounds himself during gun safety demonstration^[3]
• Finger on a trigger and a negligent attitude results in two accidental discharges
• Toying with a firearm results in accidental discharge (Possibly staged)
• Failure to use a proper holster and keep finger off trigger results in accidental discharge and injury (Possibly staged)