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Tandemkross

Author Topic: The Four Laws of Gun Safety  (Read 10628 times)

Offline GunLink

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The Four Laws of Gun Safety
« on: June 22, 2011, 03:08:05 PM »
The 4 Laws of Gun Safety

The 1st Law - Consider every firearm loaded at all times and treat it accordingly.  

It doesn't matter if you just checked the chamber seconds ago, always assume that it is loaded.  (Note that NRA has decided not to teach this rule in their safety courses and brochures).

The 2nd Law - Never Point The Gun At Something You Are Not Prepared To Destroy!  Always keep firearms pointed in a safe direction.

A safe direction means that the gun is pointed so that even if it were to go off it would not cause injury or damage. The key to this rule is to control where the muzzle is pointed at all times.  This rule directly correlates to the first rule; pretend that every firearm is loaded and that it will go off.  Pay attention to where your muzzle is pointed; don't go waving it around.  Keep it pointed in a safe direction even when checking out the sights or dry-fire practicing.

The 3rd Law - Always Be Sure Of Your Target And What Is Behind It!

This means don't shoot at things your bullet could bounce off of (ricochet) and hurt someone or something that you don't intend to shoot.  It also means don't rely on your target to stop the projectile; be sure that if your bullet passes completely through your target that it will not continue on and hurt someone or something that you don't intend to shoot.  It also means being sure that if you miss your target your bullet will not continue on its path and hit something or someone you don't intend to shoot.

Be sure you have a good, bulletproof backstop.  If you can't be sure of your projectile's trajectory from the time it leaves your firearm until it comes safely to rest, DON"T SHOOT!

The 4th Law - Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until You Are Ready to Fire!

The best way I've heard this put is "Keep your booger hook off the bang switch!"  When holding a firearm, rest your finger on the trigger guard or along the side of the gun. Until you are actually ready to fire, do not touch the trigger.  You don't want a muscle twitch, a sneeze or a light trigger causing your firearm to go off and end in tragedy.



These rules won't protect you from all firearm mishaps, accidental discharges (ADs) or negligent discharges (NDs) but, when combined with common sense (e.g. don't use drugs or alcohol when handling firearms, know how to correctly operate the firearms you are handling), they will put you well on your way to being a safe shooter.





11/19/12
Also posted on the GunLink Blog.

Tacking this thread to the top.
« Last Edit: November 19, 2012, 07:27:12 PM by GunLink »

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The Four Laws of Gun Safety
« on: June 22, 2011, 03:08:05 PM »

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Offline Uncle Buck

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Re: The Four Laws of Gun Safety
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2011, 09:42:55 PM »
I agree 100% with the above Laws of Gun Safety.  (I wonder why NRA does not teach #1 anymore?  Maybe I misread your post.)

Numbers 3 and 4 are the ones I see violated so often it scares me.

#3  Know your backstop!  What would have happened if you missed?  (I didn't, so don't worry about it.  >:()
  I had a guy who used to shoot squirrels and rabbits here on my property.  He would shoot the dang things on the wooden bring going across our creek.  He got the rabbit and I got the repair bills.  Found a bullet hole in my gate the other day.  I do know who the culprit is and he is going to find a way to repair it or come up with $300 to replace it.

#4  Of all the accidental discharges I have seen, this is the number one cause.  If you had kept your booger hook of the trigger (Bang Switch) it would not have happened.


Offline small

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Re: The Four Laws of Gun Safety
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2011, 11:35:19 PM »
Follow those rules and accidents won't happen.

My daughter and I may pass the same rifle back and forth throughout the night and each and every time we receive it from the other we check the chamber. My brother (former Marine) saw that one time and thought it was over kill. Well I hope he never has kids.

Offline i_love_my_guns_do_you

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Re: The Four Laws of Gun Safety
« Reply #3 on: February 10, 2013, 11:48:39 AM »
The 4 Laws of Gun Safety

The 1st Law - Consider every firearm loaded at all times and treat it accordingly.  

It doesn't matter if you just checked the chamber seconds ago, always assume that it is loaded.  (Note that NRA has decided not to teach this rule in their safety courses and brochures).

The 2nd Law - Never Point The Gun At Something You Are Not Prepared To Destroy!  Always keep firearms pointed in a safe direction.

A safe direction means that the gun is pointed so that even if it were to go off it would not cause injury or damage. The key to this rule is to control where the muzzle is pointed at all times.  This rule directly correlates to the first rule; pretend that every firearm is loaded and that it will go off.  Pay attention to where your muzzle is pointed; don't go waving it around.  Keep it pointed in a safe direction even when checking out the sights or dry-fire practicing.

The 3rd Law - Always Be Sure Of Your Target And What Is Behind It!

This means don't shoot at things your bullet could bounce off of (ricochet) and hurt someone or something that you don't intend to shoot.  It also means don't rely on your target to stop the projectile; be sure that if your bullet passes completely through your target that it will not continue on and hurt someone or something that you don't intend to shoot.  It also means being sure that if you miss your target your bullet will not continue on its path and hit something or someone you don't intend to shoot.

Be sure you have a good, bulletproof backstop.  If you can't be sure of your projectile's trajectory from the time it leaves your firearm until it comes safely to rest, DON"T SHOOT!

The 4th Law - Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until You Are Ready to Fire!

The best way I've heard this put is "Keep your booger hook off the bang switch!"  When holding a firearm, rest your finger on the trigger guard or along the side of the gun. Until you are actually ready to fire, do not touch the trigger.  You don't want a muscle twitch, a sneeze or a light trigger causing your firearm to go off and end in tragedy.



These rules won't protect you from all firearm mishaps, accidental discharges (ADs) or negligent discharges (NDs) but, when combined with common sense (e.g. don't use drugs or alcohol when handling firearms, know how to correctly operate the firearms you are handling), they will put you well on your way to being a safe shooter.





11/19/12
Also posted on the GunLink Blog.

Tacking this thread to the top.

The man that did our CCW class stressed the #1 rule all thru the class. Even when he was having us show that we knew how to load and unload a firearm. (We used dummy rounds in the classroom.)

Offline CiLH

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Re: The Four Laws of Gun Safety
« Reply #4 on: February 12, 2013, 10:39:54 AM »
I prefer to think "Worst case" especially on number 1.

"What's the worst thing that can happen?" usually its a firearm that is considered to be unloaded but is live, but in a SHTF situation, an unloaded firearm can be just as fatal.

Just saying...

Offline JamesCollins

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Re: The Four Laws of Gun Safety
« Reply #5 on: August 27, 2019, 12:48:24 PM »
Best rundown of gun laws I’ve found. Can you post this on every gun forum, blog, website anywhere that talks guns!?!?

Offline TheHarleyB

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Re: The Four Laws of Gun Safety
« Reply #6 on: August 29, 2019, 02:23:55 PM »
Best rundown of gun laws I’ve found. Can you post this on every gun forum, blog, website anywhere that talks guns!?!?

They should be! Follow these rules and you'll never have an AD/ND and reduce chances of other accidents to almost zero. Why is this so hard for some? They should be "common sense" but I guess they just need drilled into people's heads. Then again I've been around guns since I was a kid, took hunters ed classes, etc.

Offline JamesCollins

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Re: The Four Laws of Gun Safety
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2020, 12:23:23 PM »
These rules are legit and should always be followed thanks for posting these