It’s our favorite time of the year. Waterfowl season is open and more hunting seasons will soon be open. Remember to enjoy gun safety while you’re hunting.
Sam shares with us the key gun safety reminders we should always keep top of mind when handling firearms and hunting.
Read more about firearm safety from our guest blogger.
Why is Firearm Safety So Important?
We often refer to firearms and guns. Some people even refer to firearms as weapons – there’s a reason for that. A firearm is a tool and like many other tools (knives, chainsaws, hammers, etc), if it’s not used like it’s supposed to be used, outcomes can be bad… very bad. This is why many of us focus on reminding not only ourselves but our friends, family and other loved ones about the safety rules every single time we touch a firearm.
The firearm safety rules are common sense, right? They seem so easy and obvious that sometimes we ignore them more than we should and that’s when accidents can happen. Don’t get complacent. Don’t let your guard down too much. Pay attention to the safety rules and be safe out there.
Rules of Firearm Usage
- Treat every firearm like it’s always loaded.
We’ve all heard the stories. A friend of a friend is cleaning their gun and they forgot to check to make sure the firearm is not loaded so they pull the trigger to disassemble the firearm and BAM! Now we’re having a bad day. It doesn’t matter if your friend just checked the firearm and hands the gun to you – the first thing you’re going to do is to check the firearm to be sure it’s unloaded and even then, you’re still going to treat it like it’s loaded. - Never point the muzzle at anything you are not willing to destroy.
The muzzle is the business end. It’s where the projectile leaves the firearm. If you’re sitting in the blind and your Dad is to the left of you, make sure that muzzle is pointed in a safe direction. Most right handed shooters will naturally point the muzzle to the left. It’s easy to accidentally violate this rule when you’re hunting with partners. Pay attention to where your muzzle is pointed at all times. - Never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
This one is tough. Most firearms are designed for it to feel comfortable to put your finger on the trigger. That’s why it feels so natural for your finger to rest in the trigger guard instead of out of the trigger guard and up on the frame of the firearm. But remember, how do you make the gun go bang? You pull the trigger. If your finger is up on the frame of the firearm, you cannot pull the trigger from there. - Know your intended target and what’s beyond it.
You are responsible for every projectile that leaves your firearm. As you learned in firearm safety when you were 12, if you shoot at an animal that’s up on a hill, that is not a safe. You don’t know where the bullet is headed and what it may impact regardless of if you intended to hit it or not.
Firearm Insurance Coverage
Does your home insurance policy have coverage for your firearms? There are limitations and difference depending on your policy. Give Harmoning Agency a call to discuss more today!