For discussions on politics concerning firearms and gun safety, see Gun politicsGun politics is a set of legal issues surrounding the ownership, use, and regulation of firearms as well as safety issues related to firearms both through their direct use and through legal and criminal use.-International:-National sovereignty:...
. For the part of a gun that is called a "safety" or 'safety catch', see Safety (firearms)In firearms, a safety or safety catch is a mechanism used to help prevent the accidental discharge of a firearm, helping to ensure safer handling....
.
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 death, injury or damage caused by improper handling of firearms.
Gun safety rules and mindset
Gun safety training seeks to instill a certain mindset and appropriate habits by following specific 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.
The rules of gun safety follow from this mindset. While there are many variations, the Four Rules introduced by
Colonel Jeff CooperJohn Dean "Jeff" Cooper was recognized as the father of what is commonly known as "the Modern Technique" of handgun shooting, and was considered by many to be one of the 20th century's foremost international experts on the use and history of small arms.-History:Born John Dean Cooper, but known to...
are those most commonly taught during gun safety training:
The NRA provides a similar set of rules:
The Canadian Firearms Program uses the concept of The Four Firearm ACTS:
Treat firearms as if they are loaded
This rule is a matter of keeping a certain mindset. The purpose is to create safe handling habits, and to discourage reasoning along the lines of, "I know my gun is unloaded so certain unsafe practices are OK." The proposition "the gun is
always loaded" is used as a shorthand, even though it may be assumed—or even positively known—that this is not true of a particular firearm.
Many firearm accidents result from the handler mistakenly
believing a firearm is emptied, safetied, or otherwise disabled when in fact it is ready to be discharged. 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
In firearms, the chamber is that portion of the barrel or firing cylinder in which the cartridge is inserted prior to being fired. Rifles and pistols generally have a single chamber in their barrels, while revolvers have multiple chambers in their cylinder and no chamber in their barrel.The act of...
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 not to 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 discharged 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.
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."
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. To discourage this kind of behavior, the rule is sometimes alternately stated, "Never point a firearm at anything unless you intend to destroy it."
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
ricochetA ricochet is a rebound, bounce or skip off a surface, particularly in the case of a projectile. The possibility of ricochet is one of the reasons for the common firearm's safety rule "Be sure of your target—and of what is beyond it."...
or cause hazardous fragments to be flung at people or objects. 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.
In cases where the firearm is being handled indoors, up and down may not be safe directions. For example, a bullet fired upwards may travel through a ceiling and into an adjacent floor. In indoor areas where firearms will be handled often, a suitably safe direction should be designated. Firing ranges often designate a direction in which it is safe to point a firearm; almost universally this is downrange into a backstop which is designed to contain bullets and eliminate potential ricochets. In armories or other areas where weapons must be handled, a container filled with sand known as a "clearing barrel" or "clearing can" is often used for this purpose.
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: the handler is startled, a lack of full attention on body movements, physiological reasons beyond conscious control such as a spasm, stumbling or falling, or the finger being pushed by something (as when trying to holster a handgun with one's finger on the trigger). Handlers are therefore taught to minimize the harmful effects of such a motion by keeping their finger off the trigger until the muzzle is pointing at the target and the handler wishes to discharge the firearm.
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 firearm of the direction of the muzzle.
In
popular culturePopular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture...
, such as
moviesFilm encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. Films are produced by recording images from the world with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects....
and
TV showsTelevision is a widely used telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images, either monochromatic or color, usually accompanied by sound. "Television" may also refer specifically to a television set, television programming or television transmission...
, this rule is often violated, even by characters who should be trained in gun safety such as
military personnelA soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
or
law enforcement officersA police service is a public force empowered to enforce the law and provide security through the legitimized use of force.The term is most commonly associated with police services of a state that are authorized to exercise the police power of that state within a defined legal or territorial area of...
.
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, if the target is missed, or if the bullet hits something or someone other than the intended target.
Handlers are taught that they must positively identify and verify their target. Additionally, they learn that even when firing at a valid target, unintended targets may still be hit, for three reasons:
- The bullet may miss the intended target and hit a non-target around or beyond the target.
- A non-target may pass in front of the target and be hit with a bullet aimed at the target.
- The bullet may pass through the intended target and hit a non-target beyond it, so called "overpenetration".
Therefore, this rule requires a handler to be sure of both the target itself and anything along the avenue of travel to and beyond the target.
This may create situations that present dilemmas for a handler. Such situations are for instance a police officer in a riot, a civilian facing a possible intruder at night, 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 due to hesitation, or the handler violating
rules of engagementIn military or police operations, the rules of engagement determine when, where, and how force shall be used. Such rules are both general and specific, and there have been large variations between cultures throughout history. The rules may be made public, as in a martial law or curfew situation,...
and causing unintended damage.
Training is used to minimize the risk of such outcomes. 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 ballisticsTerminal ballistics, a sub-field of ballistics, is the study of the behavior of a projectile when it hits its target. It is often referred to as stopping power when dealing with human or other living targets. Terminal ballistics is as relevant for both small caliber projectiles as for large caliber...
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 discharge or not, even if given little time and/or put under severe stress.
Ammunition can be chosen to reduce the risk of overpenetration; see
Terminal ballisticsTerminal ballistics, a sub-field of ballistics, is the study of the behavior of a projectile when it hits its target. It is often referred to as stopping power when dealing with human or other living targets. Terminal ballistics is as relevant for both small caliber projectiles as for large caliber...
,
Stopping powerStopping power is a colloquial term used to describe the ability of a firearm or other weapon to cause a penetrating ballistic injury to a target human or animal, sufficient to incapacitate the target where it stands....
, and
Hollow point bulletA hollow point is a bullet that has a pit or hollowed out shape in its tip, generally intended to cause the bullet to expand upon entering a target in order to decrease penetration and disrupt more tissue as it travels through the target. They are also used to control penetration, such as in...
.
Gun safety for firearms not in use
Gun safety for situations where firearms are not in use is intended to prevent access to and subsequent discharge of a firearm. Preventing access to firearms can serve a double purpose in that it can also protect the firearm from theft.
Gun Safes
A
Gun safeA gun safe is a secure and protective storage container for one or more firearms, and/or ammunition. Gun safes are primarily used to prevent access to unauthorized or unqualified parties, for burglary protection, and, in more capable safes, to protect the contents from damage during a flood or fire...
or
gun cabinet is commonly used to physically prevent access to a firearm.
Disassembly
Access to a functioning firearm can be prevented by keeping the firearm disassembled and the parts stored at separate locations. Ammunition may also be stored away from the firearm. Sometimes this rule is codified in law. For example, Swedish law requires owners of firearms to store the firearms either by storing the entire firearm in a safe or lockable gun rack, or by locking up the "vital piece" in a safe place.
Locks
There are several types of locks that serve to make it difficult to discharge a firearm. Such locks are commonly designed so that they cannot be forcibly removed without permanently disabling the firearm. Locks are considered less effective than keeping firearms stored in a lockable safe since locks are more easily defeated than approved safes. In addition, while gun locks may prevent a stolen firearm from being discharged, they cannot prevent the theft itself.
- Trigger lock
A trigger lock is a device designed to prevent a firearm from being discharged while the device is in place. Generally, two pieces come together from either side behind the trigger and are locked in place, which can be unlocked with a key or combination. This physically prevents the trigger from...
s prevent motion of the trigger. However a trigger lock does not guarantee that the firearm cannot be discharged (see above).
- Chamber lock
A chamber lock is a method of securing a firearm against accidental discharge.Chamber locks are used to prevent live ammunition from loading into a firearm by blocking the chamber with a dummy cartridge. The cartridge is sometimes wedged into place with the use of a tool, in essence jamming the gun...
s aim to block ammunition from being chambered, since most firearms typically cannot be discharged unless the ammunition is in the correct position.
- Cable locks disallow the use of the firearm by threading a cable through the chamber.
California effected regulations in 2000 that forced gun locks to be approved by a firearm safety device laboratory via California Penal Code Section 12088. All gun locks under this code must receive extensive tests including saw, pick, pull, and many others testings in order to be approved for the state of California. If a lock passes the requirements then it is said to be
California Department of JusticeThe California Department of Justice is the department in the California executive branch under the leadership of the California Attorney General.-Description:It has 5344 employees and a budget of $791 million...
(CADOJ) approved.
Open Bolt Indicator
Shooting ranges may require that guns not in use have the bolt, slide or (in case of revolvers) cylinder locked open to expose the firing chamber as empty. In addition, an open bolt indicator, such as the yellow safety flag distributed by
CMPThe Civilian Marksmanship Program is a U.S. government-chartered program that promotes firearms safety training and rifle practice for all qualified U.S. citizens with special emphasis on youth. Any U.S. citizen who is not legally prohibited from owning a firearm may purchase a military surplus...
may be inserted in the barrel (needed if the firearm design lacks a mechanical hold-open device). This is particularly important when shooters go down range to set up, score or remove targets.
Gun safety from secondary dangers
While a firearm's primary danger lies in the discharge of ammunition, there are other ways a firearm may be detrimental to the health of the handler and bystanders.
Noise
When a firearm is discharged it emits a very loud noise, typically close to the handler's ears. This can cause temporary or permanent hearing damage such as
tinnitusTinnitus is the perception of sound within the human ear in the absence of corresponding external sound....
. Hearing protection is recommended to prevent this.
Hot gases and debris
A firearm emits hot gases, powder, and other debris when discharged. Some weapons, such as
semi-automaticA semi-automatic, or self-loading firearm is a gun that after being fired, ejects the empty round that has been fired, loads a new cartridge, and cocks itself...
and
fully automaticAn automatic firearm is a firearm that fires, automatically extracts the used cartridge case from the barrel and ejects it, then loads a new case into the barrel; generally by harnessing the recoil of the cartridge's explosion...
firearms, typically eject spent cartridge casings at high speed. Casings are also dangerously hot when ejected. Any of these may hurt the handler or bystanders through burning or impact damage. Because eyes are particularly vulnerable to this type of damage, eye protection is recommended to prevent this.
Toxins and pollutants
In recent years the toxic effects of ammunition and firearm cleaning agents have been highlighted.
- Lead bullets can release lead vapour when discharged.
- Lead ammunition left in nature may become mobilized by acid rain.
- Older ammunition may have mercury
Mercury , also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum , is a chemical element with the symbol Hg and atomic number 80...
-based primers.
- Lead accumulates in shooting range backstops, often as a fine powder which is easily inhaled.
Indoor ranges require good ventilation to remove pollutants. Indoor and outdoor ranges typically require extensive decontamination when they are decommissioned.
Lead, copper and other metals will also be released when a firearm is cleaned. Highly aggressive solvents and other agents used to remove lead and powder fouling may also present a hazard to health. Installing good ventilation, washing hands after handling firearms, and cleaning the space where the firearm was handled lessens the risk of unnecessary exposure.
Misfires
Though firearms and their ammunition are made to exacting specifications and tolerances and designed to function reliably, malfunctions of firearms and ammunition do happen.
Ammunition-related malfunctions are colloquially known as "misfires", and include failures to discharge (duds), delayed discharge (hang-fires), and incomplete or insufficient discharge (squibs).
Mechanical malfunctions are generally referred to as "jams", and include failures to feed, extract, or eject a cartridge; failure to fully cycle after firing; and failure to lock back when empty (largely a procedural hazard, as "slide lock" is a visual cue that the gun is empty).
When a misfire or jam occurs, gun safety dictates that the handler should exercise extreme caution, as a cartridge whose primer has been struck in a misfire or which has been deformed in a jam can discharge unexpectedly. The handler should wait two minutes with the firearm pointed in a safe direction, then carefully remove the magazine, extract any misfed or misfired cartridge, and with the breech open carefully check to ensure there is not a bullet or other obstruction lodged in the barrel. If there is, and a subsequent round is fired, the gun can fail explosively resulting in serious injury.
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, or legal
prescriptionA prescription is a health-care program implemented by a physician or other medical practitioner in the form of instructions that govern the plan of care for an individual patient. Prescriptions may include orders to be performed by a patient, caretaker, nurse, pharmacist or other therapist....
or
over-the-counterOver-the-counter drugs are medicines that may be sold to a customer without a prescription from a health care professional, as compared to prescription drugs, which may only be sold to customers possessing a valid prescription...
drugs. Since such substances may affect a person's judgment even after consuming relatively small amounts, zero tolerance is advocated by gun safety teachers. This is codified in many states' penal codes as a crime of "carrying under the influence", with penalties similar to
DWIDWI is an acronym which means:* Driving while intoxicated, see Driving under the influence* Driving while impaired* Driving Without Insurance* Dance With Intensity * Danish West Indies* Diffusion-weighted imaging* Direct water injection...
/
DUIDUI is a three letter acronym that may stand for:* Driving under the influence * Democratic Union for Integration — the largest ethnic Albanian party in the Republic of Macedonia* Data Use Identifier* D.U.I...
.
Exhaustion can also constitute a form of impairment, as reaction time, cognitive processing and sensory perception are all impaired by sleep deprivation and/or physical exhaustion. Gun safety therefore discourages using firearms when exhausted.
Gun safety for children
Children who are generally considered too young to be allowed to handle firearms at all can be taught a different set of rules:
- 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 EagleThe Eddie Eagle program and its namesake character were developed by the National Rifle Association for children who are generally considered too young to be allowed to handle firearms...
program developed by the
National Rifle AssociationThe National Rifle Association of America, or NRA, is an American non-partisan, non-profit organization which lists as its goals the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the...
for preschoolers through 6th graders.
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:
- 4H Shooting Sports Programs
- Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over four million youth members in its age-related divisions...
- Americans for Gun Safety Foundation
The Americans for Gun Safety Foundation was an organization whose stated purpose is to promote gun safety training; promote responsible gun laws; respect gun rights; and reduce gun crime...
- National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America, or NRA, is an American non-partisan, non-profit organization which lists as its goals the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the...
- Civilian Marksmanship Program
The Civilian Marksmanship Program is a U.S. government-chartered program that promotes firearms safety training and rifle practice for all qualified U.S. citizens with special emphasis on youth. Any U.S. citizen who is not legally prohibited from owning a firearm may purchase a military surplus...
History and teachers of gun safety
While gun safety in different forms has existed since the creation of firearms,
Jeff CooperJohn Dean "Jeff" Cooper was recognized as the father of what is commonly known as "the Modern Technique" of handgun shooting, and was considered by many to be one of the 20th century's foremost international experts on the use and history of small arms.-History:Born John Dean Cooper, but known to...
(1920-2006), an influential figure in modern firearms training, formalised and popularized the above-listed "Four Rules" of safe gun handling. Prior lists of gun safety rules included as few as three basic safety rules or as many as ten rules incuding gun safety and sporting etiquette rules.
In 1902, the English politician and
gameGame is any animal hunted for food or not normally domesticated. Game animals are also hunted for sport.The type and range of animals hunted for food varies in different parts of the world. This will be influenced by climate, animal diversity, local taste and locally accepted view about what can or...
shooting enthusiast
Mark Hanbury BeaufoyMark Hanbury Beaufoy JP was an English vinegar manufacturer and Liberal member of parliament. He wrote A Father's Advice, a famous piece of verse about gun safety.-Background and early life:...
wrote some much-quoted verses on gun safety, including many salient points. His verses "A Father's Advice" begin with the following:
- "If a sportsman true you'd be
- Listen carefully to me:
- Never, never, let your gun
- Pointed be at anyone..."
Other influential teachers of gun safety include
Massad AyoobMassad F. Ayoob is an internationally-known firearms and self-defense instructor. He is the Director of the Lethal Force Institute in Concord, New Hampshire, has taught police techniques and civilian self-defense to both law enforcement officers and private citizens in numerous venues since 1974,...
, Clint Smith, Chuck Taylor, Jim Crews and
Ignatius PiazzaDr. Ignatius "Naish" Piazza is the founder and director of the Front Sight Firearms Training Institute in Pahrump, Nevada. He lives near Santa Cruz, California.-Biography:...
.
External links
Movie clips of firearm accidents