The most important thing about owning a gun is to understand how to operate and handle the gun safely. It is important to use a little common sense and understand the basic fundamentals for gun safety. alte handfeuerwaffe When you go to buy or use a firearm there are many gun shops. Gun shop owners that have information you can obtain in regards to gun and hunter safety. Some states will not allow you to purchase or own a firearm without taking a gun safety course. There are five basic principals to gun and firearm safety. It is important to know these principals for yourself and also to teach your children.

Assume every weapon is loaded. No matter what condition you believe firearms to be in, always practice safety by acting as if the gun were loaded. If you were to assume the gun was loaded would you point it at someone? Would you look down the barrel? It is important that when you are handling a firearm that you always have the assumption that the gun is loaded and ready to fire.

Never point a weapon at anything that you do not intend to shoot. A firearm is used to blast holes in things. A gun is a powerful tool that is used for a specific use. Just like any other power tool it must be treated with respect. Would you stick your hand under a running lawn mower? If not, then why would you point a gun at something you did not intend to shoot? Again, you must treat a gun as if it were loaded and ready to fire. Unless you are aiming at something to blast holes into do not point it at an unintended target.

Keep the safety on until the weapon is ready to fire. Many grave accidents have been recorded because of the lack of attention of the weapon holder to this rule. Some have unfortunately shot themselves and others because the safety device of the weapon was not engaged. It is a good rule of thumb to not disengage the safety device on the weapon until you have it actually pointed at the target and are ready to fire.

Keep your finger off the trigger until you intend to fire. Bad habits can lead to bad circumstances. It is important to develop the habit of keeping your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire the weapon. It has been reported that accidents have happened because people have flinched or clinched their hands when startled and instinctively pulled the trigger. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger to avoid bad circumstances.

Never fire a gun in the dark or at a noise. It is important to not fire a weapon into the darkness or at a noise. Know your target and if you cannot see your target you should not shoot at it.

Many of these and other safety issues can be obtained by visiting a local gun shop. Gun shop owners are very happy to help people understand gun safety and are happy to train in the use of firearms.