Safety First: Essential Tips for Handling Firearms Safely
Safety is the most important aspect when handling firearms. Follow these tips to minimise risks.
Guns can be dangerous. When you use or own a firearm, you must be responsible and safely handle it. Engaging with firearms is fun and rewarding, but only if you have the essential safety considerations in mind. If you're inexperienced in handling guns, here are some tips so that you can confidently and safely operate, store, and use your firearm.
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Handling your firearm
When handling your firearm, you need to be cautious at all times. One of the best ways to do that is to treat your firearm as if it's loaded with ammunition, even if it's not. With this mindset, you'll be more mindful of how you treat and handle your gun.
When handling your firearm, be deliberate and calculated, paying close attention to what you're doing, how you're holding the weapon, and more.
Direction of fire
One of the most important rules when handling a firearm is to never point it in the direction of something you don't intend to shoot. You can avoid accidents by keeping your firearm aimed in a safe direction when not in use. The best direction is to point your gun away from others, with the barrel tilted slightly downwards.
Adopting this position is most important when loading or unloading your gun. When finding a safe direction to point your gun, remember that bullets can ricochet off or penetrate through surfaces.
Keeping your gun unloaded
When your gun is not in use, make sure it's not loaded. Instead, ammunition should be secured in a safe place, separate from the firearm. Your gun should only be loaded when in the field or shooting range, ready to shoot.
When finished shooting, always unload your gun. A loaded gun has no place in civilian areas, and storing a loaded gun at home, in your car, or on your possession is dangerous.
When handing over a firearm or after being handed one, immediately open the action to check the chamber and magazine to be certain that it's unloaded.
Ensure your gun's safety is on
Most firearms are equipped with a safety mechanism. This is a switch that, when engaged, will prevent the firearm from firing, even if the trigger is pulled. Ensuring your safety is on adds an extra layer of protection when handling your gun and can prevent dangerous misfires.
However, you can't always rely on your safety. Wear and tear can cause it to malfunction, the mechanism can fail to work, you may not have a safety or you can forget which setting it's set to. For these reasons, it's always important to check that the safety is on when handling your gun. Get into the habit of checking this while also checking if the gun is loaded.
Storing your firearm
Handing your gun goes beyond when it's in use in the field or firing range. To ensure complete safety, you must know how to properly store your firearm. Improper storage can lead to unauthorised access and theft and increase the risk of accidents.
It's your responsibility to store your firearm appropriately when it's kept at home and in transportation.
Get a good gun safe
To keep your firearm secure and safely stored, you need to keep it in a gun safe. Having one ensures that you meet the British firearm safety standards and that it's hard to access. A password-protected safe ensures that only the gun owner can access and operate the firearm, which helps to deter theives.
Having a dedicated space for your firearm, such as a gun safe, also helps you keep track of it and ensures that you don't misplace or lose it.
Store firearms unloaded and away from ammunition
It's crucial to ensure that your gun is unloaded when you store it. This prevents you from handling a live firearm when you take it from storage. It's also wise to store guns with their actions open (if possible) to prevent any further risk.
Ammunition should be stored in a separate container. Using trigger and cable locks is also wise to secure the firearm and prevent accidental discharge.
Regularly maintain your firearm
To ensure that your firearm is safe to use, you need to provide regular maintenance to prevent damage and wear and tear. A gun that's not properly looked after is more likely to have issues and become more unreliable after some time.
Clean your firearm regularly and inspect it occasionally, getting things professionally repaired if problems are found.
Range etiquette
When using your firearm at a shooting range or any other regulated shooting area, you must follow appropriate etiquette to keep yourself and others safe. By following the rules of the range, you'll ensure an enjoyable session without disrupting others.
Before entering a shooting range, familiarise yourself with the regulations and rules. Ensure your firearm meets their requirements, and always listen to the commands and instructions from staff at all times.
Respect firearm safety zones
Shooting ranges will often have designated areas where firearms are permitted to be handled. There will also be clear firing lines for you to follow. Never handle your firearm beyond these zones or where shooting is prohibited, as this jeopardises the safety of you and everyone around you.
Wear safety equipment
It's best to wear proper equipment, such as eye and ear protection, when at a shooting range. Prolonged exposure to loud noises from firearms can damage your hearing, so wear mufflers. Safety goggles or glasses can also prevent casings or fragments from being ejected into your eyes.
Communicate
Communication is key when shooting at a firing range. Letting everyone else know about your actions and intentions can prevent accidents and keep everyone safe. Be clear with your verbal commands and hand signals to ensure safe practices.
Conclusion
Safely handling your firearm is your responsibility. Gun owners must adopt and implement the key safety tips outlined above to ensure that the sport remains safe and accessible.
By following proper handling techniques, storage, and etiquette, you can maintain that gun ownership and usage are safe and minimise the threat of accidents and issues. Safety should always be the top priority when handling firearms.
With better knowledge of gun safety, you can confidently explore the current listings on Gun Auction UK.