The consequences of an accident in your classroom can be far-reaching. First, you may be held criminally and civilly liable, depending on the laws of your jurisdiction. Second, your NRA certifications may be compromised depending on the circumstances. Finally, there could be serious and irreparable damage to his reputation as an NRA firearms instructor. Any of these consequences could end his career as a firearms instructor. Only BBs, pellets, cartridges, or projectiles designed for a particular weapon can be safely fired at that gun.
In addition, a firearms instructor must teach you about the legal requirements for concealed carrying and when you have the right to use lethal force to defend yourself, your family, or your property from criminal assault. Practicing muzzle awareness is essential for the safe handling of firearms. When you’re not shooting at a target, the muzzle of your firearm should point in a safe direction so that if the gun were to fire, it wouldn’t cause personal injury or property damage. After purchasing a gun, handling the gun safely is one of the first things a new shooter needs to learn. Failure to comply with gun safety regulations can have tragic and fatal consequences. Colonel Jeff Cooper popularized the four basic rules of gun safety and incorporated them into his modern technique.
At the shooting range, it’s common not to start shooting until everyone nearby has a chance to put on eye and hearing protection. An easy way to remember the rules for safe handling of weapons is to use the MAT keyword. MAT is also useful because that is the order in which the three safety standards should be applied. When wielding a rifle, always start by controlling the muzzle. The last rule is for a child to tell an adult about the gun they saw.
For example, some states require people to undergo safety training before they can get a permit to carry a firearm in public places, presumably for self-defense. Respondents who reported that gun safety training affected their storage behavior reported significantly more safe storage behaviors, although this does not provide good evidence that training causes safer storage. Who were rated as credible messengers by less than half of the respondents. Therefore, credible couriers promoting pistol training safe storage practices are more likely to change the behavior of gun owners than non-credible couriers who promote safe storage. More research is needed to understand the relationship between security training and changes in gun owners’ security behavior, including safe handling, law enforcement, and safe storage. Without such research, it is difficult to determine the effects of firearm safety practices on other relevant outcomes, such as firearm deaths, injuries, and violent crime.
In a self-defense experiment with a firearm simulator, participants with lower levels of firearm training and experience performed worse than those with higher training levels. Many accidentally “shot” innocent bystanders or unarmed people. Gun safety training is also crucial for gun owners who want to carry their weapons in public. In fact, law enforcement experts, firearms trainers and military personnel overwhelmingly agree that people who carry concealed weapons in public should receive firearm training, including live fire training.
In addition, the effects of training on hunting and recreation and on the arms industry remain unknown. According to the results of a 2015 survey, about 61 percent of firearm owners in the United States have received formal training on the safety and use of firearms (Rowhani-Rahbar et al., 2018). Others receive informal training from their friends or family. Proponents of such policies suggest that regulations ensure minimum competence to use weapons safely, just as driver tests are used to determine whether a person can safely drive a car before being allowed to operate one. However, opponents of the laws suggest that such regulations create unjustified costs and barriers to gun ownership and that such possession should not be made dependent on training.
Responsible gun ownership means learning and practicing behaviors that help prevent unnecessary injury, death, and theft. Even if you are familiar with gun safety practices at home, others may benefit from this information. If you lower the gun, your finger should be off the trigger and return while looking up at eye level. In the context of hidden transport, a secure cover shall be fitted with a fully covered trigger protector to ensure consistent compliance with this rule. A safety measure that is often overlooked is proper cleaning and maintenance of your firearm. In addition to helping ensure that your weapon is working properly, frequent cleaning will preserve your weapon for generations to come and prevent dangerous situations such as overpressure and various mechanical failures.
It must be repeated: you are legally responsible for every round you give up your gun. Your safety and the safety of others requires that you always secure and store your firearm in a way that prevents unauthorized access. Never leave a firearm unattended unless it has been unloaded, locked and secured.
When handling a discharged firearm in class for training purposes, I make sure the action is open, hold the gun in a safe direction, and hold my finger off the trigger. “Safe and clear” ad with the open action and the blank camera for the class. I then walk through my class, keep the gun pointed in a safe direction, and have each student visually inspect the firearm I’m wielding.
A safe direction means that the gun is aimed in such a way that even if it were fired, it would not cause injury or damage. The key to this rule is to determine at all times where the muzzle or front of the barrel is pointing. Common sense dictates the safest direction, depending on different circumstances. Securing your firearms should be a priority even if you don’t have children at home. Securing your firearm reduces the likelihood of theft, as firearms are a favorite target of thieves.