7 Life-threating Mistakes to Avoid Upon Your Introduction to Gun Ownership

Aaron Spuler is a firearms enthusiast and recreational shooter. Follow more or his work at The Weapon Blog

You cannot afford to make many mistakes as a gun owner, or indeed any at all. In fact, mistakes can carry such serious repercussions that it is highly advisable to conduct thorough research and follow as much advice as possible before going down the line of purchasing your first weapon. Professional training, as that offered by one of the nearly 100,000 registered NRA trainers based in various locations throughout the country, is also highly advisable. And yet here are 7 mistakes that you must always seek to avoid:

Check the safety every single time

This must become a rule to live by: check the barrel and the safety of a gun every single time you pick it up. In fact, check it even if the person who has just handed it to you has already checked it. Never assume anything, ever.

Not being careful about where you point a gun

Whether a gun is loaded or not, you should never ever get in the habit of pointing it at someone. Of course, this becomes an even more important rule to follow if the gun is loaded. Irresponsible waving of a gun makes everyone around you nervous, whether you are an experienced owner or not, and will simply foster the belief that you are not responsible enough to own a gun.

Never touch the trigger, until it’s time

This should be another golden rule of gun ownership to always follow: it is known as indexing. Basically, this means do not ever wrap your finger around the trigger, in any circumstances, until the gun is being used at a range and you are pointing directly at the target. This should be the only time you put your finger on the trigger. The rest of the time, the finger should be placed above the trigger so it cannot be pulled accidentally. Again, this rule applies whether the gun is loaded or not.

When shooting, always identify the target

This may seem like an obvious piece of advice to follow, but again mistakes come from simple errors of judgement. Never shoot at a target that has not been positively identified first, and that includes identifying what is behind the target within the gun’s range. Only shooting in strictly regulated ranges is highly recommended.

“The four golden rules of gun ownership are to check whether the gun is loaded, never point the gun at anything that is not a target, identify the target first, and never place your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire. If you live by these basic rules of owning a gun, you are going a long way to being considered a responsible gun owner,” says Wesley Thomson, a lifestyle editor at Eliteassignmenthelp and Stateofwriting.

Not keeping the gun in a secure location

Where you store your gun is vitally important. Not only should it be accessible in a time of need, if the gun is kept for home security purposes, for example, but it should also be kept away from the prying eyes and hands of those who are not mature enough to handle a weapon.

“It is highly advisable to use a safe box for home storage, meaning the gun can only be accessed by the owner. As an alternative option, locks will prevent the gun being fired but will not prevent its theft,” suggests Colin Goodhew, a blogger at Essayroo and Academized.

Consider very carefully where you will store your weapon before you purchase one.

Not learning the essentials of firing a gun

This is where getting instruction from a trained professional can be so vital. It’s not just about becoming a better shooter, it’s also about safety too, which is of paramount importance. The fundamentals can be considered ascertaining the line of sight, controlling your breathing, mastering the trigger pull technique, the grip that you maintain of the gun, the way that you stand when firing the gun (stance), and finally controlling the follow through upon firing. The fundamentals are fundamentals for a reason.

Not educating

As well as yourself, this means every member of the family. The key to safe and proper gun control is education, as it is in so many walks of life. Proper training and information is essential if you are to become a responsible gun owner.

Conclusion

Following these simple steps will set you off on the right foot. But do not underestimate what needs to be known and learnt before taking the big step of purchasing a weapon. Do not take the decision lightly, and ensure that the conditions in the environment you will be keeping and maintaining the gun are suitable for ownership in the first place.

Nora Mork is a writer and journalist at Oxessays and Paper writing help service. She loves reading, hiking, learning new things, and contributing articles to blogs, such as Australian Reviewer.