Sometimes, we all need a reminder. These are the ten cardinal rules of firearm safety:
- Treat every gun as if it were loaded.
- Make sure that any gun is ALWAYS pointed in a safe direction.
- Never point a gun at anything you do not intend to destroy.
- Be aware of your target, and what lies beyond it.
- When shooting targets, be sure that there is a backstop behind the target high enough and solid enough to stop the projectiles. The backstop should be free of hard objects to avoid ricochets.
- Always ensure your gun is open and unloaded before handing it to anyone.
- While hunting, always open and unload your gun before climbing under or over a fence, log, or stream.
- While hunting, always be able to identify your game before you pull the trigger.
- Never shoot at or over open water with anything other than a shotgun loaded with birdshot. Bullets will glance off water and fly wildly.
- Alcohol and firearms do not mix.
One more: A mechanical safety on a firearm is not foolproof. It is simply a mechanical device that can fail. The shooter is the ultimate "safety."
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