10 Commandments of Firearms Safety

Everyone who handles a firearm should remember these 10 Commandments of Firearm Safety:

1. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded. If you become careless with unloaded guns, you will soon become careless with loaded guns

2. Control the direction of the muzzle. You should always know where the firearm is being pointed at all times, and always keep it pointed in a safe direction. This should become a habit when handling a firearm.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

4. Identify your target and what’s beyond it. Never shoot at movement and make sure you know what is behind your target before you shoot. Never shoot a bullet at a flat hard surface or water. Bullets traveling at a high velocity that hit water or a hard surface will bounce off at an uncontrollable angle. This is referred to as a ricochet. An earthen bank is the best backstop. Just remember, once you shoot the bullet, you cannot take it back. 

5. Be sure the barrel and action is clear of obstructions and that you only have ammunition of the proper size for the firearm you are carrying. This means to be very careful to keep dirt and debris out of the barrel. When a cartridge is fired, tremendous pressures are created to push the projectile through and out the barrel. If the channel that the bullet must travel through is not completely clear, then the pressures that are pushing the bullet down the barrel back up and create a very dangerous condition. It is also imperative that you have the correct ammunition for the firearm. The cartridge must fit the chamber precisely or the same dangerous condition will be created. The correct ammunition used in a firearm is normally stamped on the barrel of the firearm. The same information is stamped on the head of the case of the cartridge or shot shell. 

6. Unload firearms when not in use. Leave the action open. Firearms should be carried unloaded and in a case to and from your shooting or hunting area.

7. Never point a firearm at anything you do not intend to shoot. This means no horseplay with a firearm. It also means never use a firearm to threaten a person. 

8. Never climb a fence or tree, or jump a ditch or log, with a loaded firearm. When moving around with a loaded firearm, always control the muzzle. Even if you trip or fall with the firearm, hold on to it firmly and keep it pointed in a safe direction. Never pull a firearm toward you by the muzzle. Never lean a firearm against a tree, fence, wall or automobile.

9. Store firearms and ammunition separately beyond the reach of children and inexperienced adults. You should expand that list to include mentally unstable people. This is a very important responsibility of owning a firearm.

10. Avoid alcoholic beverages or other mood-altering drugs before or while shooting or hunting. No one should drink alcoholic beverages or take drugs while hunting and never go hunting with anyone who does.