Kids & Firearm Safety

While we all know that firearms can be a divisive issue, everyone agrees that we want to keep kids safe.

Kids by their nature are interest and curious.  That said, why would it be any different when it comes to their curiosity about firearms? We all know that kids see guns on TV, movies, and maybe even at their friend’s house and other situations that you are not aware of. It is vital that YOU discuss firearm safety with your kids.  Discussing firearms and their use on TV and video games with children is important as well. Guns are often improperly handled, and most children are not able to tell the difference between being killed on TV and being killed in real life.

If they don't learn about gun safety from you, they will learn it from someone else. Likely other kids, TV and video games. Having this conversation with your kids about gun safety will make your kids, your family, and our community a lot safer.   

I get asked all the time what the appropriate age to start teaching children about gun safety is.  It is my belief that the earlier the better - however it is not about the age as much as it is about YOUR child’s maturity level. I also believe that when discussed, taught, and even handled at an early age, the child is more likely to follow the safety rules you have taught them when you are not around.

The conversation of course needs to be age appropriate, your description about firearm safety will be different for preschool children than it will be for teenagers. For all kids, no matter what age, there are a few things you can do to make this a significant talk for you and your family

Getting Ready:

•        This does not need to be a lecture, but kids need to know that it is a serious topic.

•        If you have other adults in the home, get everyone on the same page. This will ensure that your children are learning the proper lessons from both parents.

•        Find a good time and place where you and your kids won't be distracted. Remember that this is a conversation, not a lecture.

•        Ask questions. Most likely they already have questions, so invite them to ask questions, and have questions to ask them as well.

  

•        Find out what they already know or have heard, clarify the situation, then use example of real life that will help them understand why we have rules about firearm safety.

•        Help them to understand what to do in situations where you will not be there. Have a plan of action. Your discussions on gun safety may be ALL they have to help guide them in those situations.

•        WALK the talk, set an example of proper and safe gun handling of firearms.

•        Reinforce your conversation regularly, adding details and more mature conversation as your kids get older.

•        Repetition is the key, every month or so is not too often.

Preschool Kids:

The NRA has an excellent children's gun safety program for Pre-K through third grade, The Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program.

The purpose for this gun safety program is to provide the protection and safety of our children, our family and our communities

You do not need to be a NRA member and any one can obtain all the material to teach this program.

The program includes:

•        A parent/instructor guide book

•        Activity books

•        A Poster

•        Animated video to explain its four-step safety message.

For more information about the program, visit

www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie 

Or call (800) 231-0752

I suggest starting by watching one of the videos posted below. 
That gets the conversation going.

After watching it together open up with questions to chat about.

•        What did the team find?

•        What was in the backpack?

•        What did they do after they found the backpack.

•        Who was your favorite character and why?

•        What is the song they sing? Can you sing it?

Help them understand a few fundamental rules:

When you see a gun:

•         STOP

•        DON’T Touch it

•        Leave the area

•        Go tell an adult.

Learn about gun safety with Eddie Eagle and the Wind Team

▶ 8:22

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ho36vonT3Rw

Another animated Gun Safety video National Shooting Sports Foundation video on gun safety Let's Watch Unc HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t81jSRMsbEE"le HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t81jSRMsbEE"  HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t81jSRMsbEE"Mcgruff's HYPERLINK "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t81jSRMsbEE" Gun Safety - YouTube ▶ 12:37 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t81jSRMsbEE

Remember REPETITION is key.

TEENS: 

Many kids at this age may want to start by going to the gun range. That is why education and plan of action is so important before they ever encounter a gun.

Even if you don't have a gun at home, they may see them at friend's house.  YOUR instructions on gun safety may be ALL they have to call on in those situations.

For teens, these lessons are very clear:

•        Don’t Touch, pick up or use a gun without an adult's permission/supervision

•        Never ever point a gun a anyone

•        Always assume a gun is loaded and can fire

Watch the video “It’s You Call” (link below) together.

Talk with your teens about situations that could arise, and walk through options of what they would do in different scenarios.

National Shooting Sports Foundations: It's Your Call: Playing It Safe Around Guns (grades 6-9)  View online

PARENTS:

Think your kids are prepared for situation about gun safety when you are not around?  THIS IS A MUST WATCH for ALL parents.

ABC 20/20 Program

What Young Kids Do With Guns When Parents Aren't Around

▶

Whether you and your family want to be involved with shooting sports, or simply want to do all that you can to prevent accidents and unsupervised access to firearms, having a plan in place is necessary.

If you have a firearm in your home, the safety of your children and the children that visit your home is your responsibility. As the adult, it is your duty to understand and follow all laws regarding gun purchases, ownership, storage, and transport. Contact your state police and/or local police for information regarding such laws. (Insert link to law)

It is up to you so get started today.

Resources:

West Coast Armory North

Kid’s Safety Day

National Shooting Sport Foundation ( NSSF)

Project Child Safe

Own it, Respect It and Secure It

NRA:

Youth.nra.org     Youth Programs

Eddieeagle.nre.org  Young Kids

InSights Training Center;

Kids Safety School: 3 hr classes

Questions to Ask at the Gun Store

Gun Handling Etiquette and

Questions to Ask in a Gun Shop

By Ginger Hallberg

So it's your first time in a gun shop, or maybe you've visited once or twice; but you really aren’t sure about the etiquette of handling firearms. Remembering a few of these suggestions will put the staff at ease and help insure you have a positive and informative experience.

First thing is to always follow the Universal Firearm Safety Rules:

1. ALWAYS treat all guns as LOADED.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to shoot.
3. Keep your finger indexed above the trigger guard
     unless your sights are on target and you have decided to fire.
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind and beyond it.

If you have your own firearm and have questions or even concerns about it, make sure it's in a case when you bring it into the shop. (Walking into any business with a gun in your hand is likely to cause unnecessary excitement and is just generally considered rude!) Leave the gun in the case while you talk to the staff and let them know why you brought it in. At that point you can just hand the case to the staff and let them take the gun out, check its status and help you with your inquiry.
   
When asking questions don't be shy, no matter if you feel like it's a silly question. We have all been newbies at one time and we are all still learning everyday. If you're not sure what you want out of a firearm, ask the staff for suggestions. (See article: “Most Popular Handguns For Women”). It helps to know, or have a good idea what you want to use the handgun for. Range practice only? Concealed carry? Have a budget in mind, which includes caliber choice and the price of ammo.    

If you're looking for a concealed carry option, make sure you ask about holsters and for ideas about how best to conceal your handgun. Ask the staff how they carry concealed. (Also see our concealed carry article "Choosing a Holster" - coming soon!)

More Questions to ask:

• What are the differences in firing actions and what does that mean for shooting?
• Can I easily change the sights on the gun if I don't like them?  
• Is it okay for me to dry fire and if so, where? 
• How do I properly grip the firearm?
• Are accessories easy to find for this particular firearm (such as magazines)? 
• How can I secure this gun when I’m not carrying it?
• How do I clean my gun and what should I use to clean it? 
• What kind of options do I have for range bags? 
• What's the best recommendation for good ear-pro? What else do I need?
• Can I try out this gun before I purchase it? 
• Do you offer classes, or can you recommend where to take safety and defensive classes? 

     
There are many firearms to choose from. Your visit to a gun shop will have best results if you come prepared with your questions and a plan for what you want to look for. The staff may ask you questions to help you in the process; but when you have some general ideas in advance, the staff can help you find what best suits you and your shooting interests.

How Much Practice is Enough?

How Much Practice is Enough?

By Martha Holschen

You may have heard it said many times, in many contexts that the path to mastery of anything takes 10,000 hours of practice. What defines practice? If you practice a technique wrong a thousand times, that technique will not magically become right. Then, to change that wrong technique to something more efficient, another two thousand hours. To cut to the chase from the philosophical generalizations, I hope to give you some practical information about developing proficiency with your handgun.

Can your practice prepare you for a life-threatening situation? Imagine yourself a mother of three, at home alone with the children. You hear someone breaking in downstairs. You gather the children as you have practiced and retreat to the safe/bed-room. You have your handgun in your hands. The intruder has come up the stairs and against your warnings, broken into the room through the locked door. Are you prepared for what needs to happen next?

In addition to basic drills for shooting, there are other skills to put on the agenda for making you a functional defensive shooter. A philosophy I have adopted is: Mental Conditioning is the most important skill you can cultivate. Mental conditioning consists of efforts to train and improve your: mindset, awareness, and decision making (specifically decision making relevant to the use of force). Next most important is to learn about the tactics which give you a greater chance of success in any use of force encounter. This includes topics such as; optimized use of cover, pieing to move through buildings, and how to minimize your exposure when entering or leaving your car. Third is to develop the skill-set needed to use the equipment you have at hand (i.e., your handgun) to the full extent of its capabilities. Fourth is to select and purchase good quality equipment. Your equipment does not have to be the most expensive available. It does have to meet your personal needs and criteria. What counts most is that you know where it is, how to use it best and can access it quickly at any given time.


First, have you had any formal training? That would be a course you paid money for (or given as a gift). Uncle Seth taking you out to the dump to shoot at some tin cans doesn’t count. You may have learned from him. You may have learned some good skills from him. But is he really an expert on defensive use of a firearm? What I want to propose here is, that the training that qualifies has at least these seven criteria:

1) The Instructor(s) have life and occupational experience from which they gained their expertise and passion (passion alone can be an illusion of wisdom) for what they teach. There is no more effective instruction out there, than what you can learn from someone of this description. They also need to have personal skills well above the level they teach. Also, how long have they been teaching? Teaching skills grow over time too.

2) The teaching/learning environment was conducive to your learning new skills. When you feel safe in class and get help when needed, the learning experience stays with you. You also don’t have to worry about someone else there being unsafe.

3) You can recall the skills taught with enough accuracy and be able to at least describe them to someone else. This is a great way to test what you actually learned. Ideally you will end the class with some confidence that you can continue to practice and improve on your own.

4) Do they cover skill sets that address your personal limitations? Do they help you discern what they are?

5) Do they cover legalities for the civilian concealed carry public?

6) Do they teach defensive tactics for civilians? There are instructors with police and military backgrounds who do not teach this. They cannot translate military or SWAT assault techniques into skills that you might find helpful in protecting your home, for instance.

7) Do they have a cohesive doctrine that puts all the pieces together to make everything fit hand in glove? For example, does moving the gun from the ready position to the target reinforce the path of moving the gun from the holstered position to the target, and vice versa.

You will need to shop around for those great instructors and training facilities. Do not rely upon what their devoted followers have to say. There are surprisingly, several cult-like groups around a few of these schools. It may involve a trip to that location. It’s a worthwhile investment! For those of you in the Seattle area, you have the good fortune to have one of the world-class training companies in the area (InSights Training Center.) Other local training companies invite guest trainers of the same caliber to teach in the area each year. If you do not want to fork out large sums of money for two-four day courses, some of the local ranges (like West Coast Armory North) offer classes in three to four hour sessions. We have a Handgun 101 class in which you can sample several different models of handguns and learn what to look for in a defensive handgun. If you already own a handgun and want to focus on fundamental handgun skills, we offer our Handgun 102 course.

Once you have a good quality skill set to build upon, then comes putting in the time for regular practice. The best practice time you can invest in is free! It requires just five to ten minute intervals dispersed over the course of your busy day. There are a few things necessary for this practice to happen. You need a place where you know you won’t be interrupted for those five to ten minutes, that also has a safe backstop to aim at (see Universal Firearms Handling Rules). What you will do for those minutes is the dry-fire practice drills covered in your excellent training. These drills can be found described in many places. I have read about, and heard others tell of how they did nothing but dry-fire practice for several critical weeks/months prior to some important competition and went on to win first place.

(Check out Olympic Gold Medalist Keith Sanderson discussing his dry fire practice here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=620LlSK3Oyo)

This is proof enough for me! But don’t take my word for it… go to the range and shoot a set sequence/drill that you can repeat later (save the target); then go home and do nothing but dry-fire practice for four weeks. Then go back to the range and shoot the sequence/drill you did before and compare your groups. I guarantee you will see an improvement. I can also guarantee that you will gain confidence in your gun handling skills. An additional benefit I have found is akin to taking time for meditation; no kidding. I take a break from whatever is keeping me busy, spend some time doing dry-fire drills; then I can get back to work refreshed and focused. Can’t beat that! OK, you could meditate. However, dry-fire practice accomplishes more.

Next comes actual time at the range doing live-fire practice. This is best done with reservation. This may seem counter-intuitive. The Dry-fire practice should be at least 70% of your total time spent training. Ammo costs also need to be figured into the budget. As you may have read elsewhere on our web site, there are options for getting in practice that you can do in the company of others with like-minded intent. This seems especially appealing for women new to the shooting world. You may find groups that just like to practice defensive shooting drills. Some may want to add some friendly competition to the mix. There are others that set up action shooting drills based on standards from various shooting associations. These drills are variations of what they use for matches, for those who may want to do the drills for fun, but may not necessarily compete. Competitors may even show up for practice. There is usually something for every level of skills. Check with your local range to see what is offered. We have folks willing to travel a bit further to come to events at our range. The point is to put in time effectively building your skills. Putting a target at ten yards and poking holes in it as fast as you can, may be fun, but it does not count as practicing defensive skills. Again, that excellent training will be the resource for those practice drills. There are also many resources online. Warning! Not everything you read is applicable to defensive shooting. Many shooting competitions use specialized guns and skill sets not appropriate for personal defensive tactics. There are also organizations with official sounding names that put out information one could most kindly deem skewed. I will list some reliable references at the end for you to investigate what works best for you.

All said and done, making this part of your lifestyle is the bottom line to being as prepared as you can for personal defense measures. Many women come to our classes because they have been the victim of an assault or were threatened. They refuse to be victims (again). My hat is off to them. I just recently saw a video through Facebook of a woman who survived two terrible assaults. She now carries with confidence. She was willing to share her story to the world to empower more women to make this choice. For every one of those kinds of stories, there are 100 or more of women who were not so fortunate. I hope what you have read here makes this process seem more doable for you. Yes, it involves a commitment. You will find more and more women willing to take those first steps. We can team together to keep the process going, so you too can carry with confidence. I pray every day to never have to draw my handgun in self-defense. My first choice is to not be where there is a problem. I can say with confidence that I can run if I need to; having recovered from serious leg injuries. Whatever your level of fitness now, can you include exercise to your skill-set acquisition? Not every woman has the option to run; all the more reason to have the best possible plan for your situation.


Resources:
https://us.glock.com/confidence/university
http://www.tacticalmoment.com
http://www.insightstraining.com/catalog.asp
http://www.westcoastarmorynorth.com/#!classes/cfvg


Books:
“In The Gravest Extreme: The Role of the Firearm in Personal Protection”
By Massad Ayoob

“The Gift of Fear and Other Survival Signals that Protect Us From Violence”
By Gavin de Becker

“Strong On Defense”
By Sanford Strong

Range Etiquette

Range Etiquette

By Jana Kurrle

1.  Follow the Gun Safety Rules

> Always treat all guns as loaded.

> Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to shoot.

> Keep your trigger finger indexed above the trigger guard, unless your sights are on target and you have decided to fire.

>  Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

2. Entering the range

> Make sure your firearm (pistol or rifle) is in a case or holster (walking into a range or store with a weapon in your hand is likely to cause unnecessary excitement and is just generally not polite.)

> Never take a firearm out of its case or holster unless you are at the firing line. *If you want/need your firearm looked at, give it in the case (or unholster where directed,) to a Range Safety Officer for them to clear and inspect.

3. First Time Shooters

> It is preferable that you bring an experienced shooter with you or get training before coming to the range. The Range Staff is there to insure general safety but does not have the ability to give you the one on one time & attention you will need as a new shooter.

> When you come in let the Range Staff know if this is your first time, or if you are a newer shooter, so that they can (as time allows) give you a bit of extra attention and answer any questions you may have.

> Pay close attention to the Range Rules – not just the Safety Rules, but range specific rules. For example: Rules about what calibers you can shoot, if you are allowed to draw from a holster, or if there are limits on rates of fire.

4. Listen to the Range Officer & Follow the Range Safety Rules

> The Range Safety Officer is present to make sure everyone is safe by enforcing the Range Safety Rules.

> Do not handle your firearms behind the firing line or while anyone is in front of firing line.

> Keep your firearm pointed directly down range (toward the berm) at all times.

> Insure that your angle of fire will cause all bullets to impact directly into the berm (not the walls, floor or ceiling.)

> Safety is everyone’s responsibility- anyone can and should call a cease-fire if they see an unsafe act. Report anything that you think may be unsafe to the Range Safety Officer.

5. If Someone Calls a Cease Fire

> Immediately stop firing.

> Put your weapon on safe and place it on the shelf in your booth.

> Step back, out of your firing booth leaving the firearm in place.

> Do not step back into your booth or touch your firearm for any reason.

> Await further instructions from the Range Safety Officer.

> Anyone can call a cease fire should they feel the need to. 

6. Follow the Range’s Specific Rules

> Many ranges do not allow steel/aluminum cased ammunition, or non-jacketed lead bullets. Check with the Range Staff prior to using your ammunition.

>  Some ranges have rules on caliber limits on firearms, or only allow single shots to be loaded at a time. Be courteous and follow the rules for each range you visit.

7. Don’t Interrupt Active Target Shooters

> If someone is actively shooting, don’t tap them on the shoulder or try to talk to them.

> The only exception to this rule: If you see that they (or someone else) could be in immediate danger, such as a malfunction you should call “Cease Fire” loud enough to be heard.

> If it isn’t serious enough to call a cease-fire you should wait until the shooter has finished their string of fire to talk with them.

8.  Don’t Hover Behind Shooters

> If you are observing, give some distance between yourself and the shooter.  It can be annoying having someone right behind you as you are shooting, not to mention it could pose a safety risk.

9. Never Touch Someone Else’s Firearm/Equipment Without Permission

> If you receive permission to pick up someone else’s firearm, make sure the first thing you do is clear the weapon, prior to handling it in any other way (always keeping the muzzle pointing down range, of course).

10.  Malfunctioning Firearm

> If you have a malfunctioning firearm, and are not comfortable clearing the malfunction; place the firearm on safe if possible, then set it on the shooting bench at the firing line, pointed down range and go ask a Range Safety Officer for assistance.  

11. Clean up After Yourself

> When you’re done shooting; take your target down, sweep your brass and pick up anything else left behind before you leave. Loose brass on the floor can be a safety issue. Each range has its own policy about what to do with brass. Ask if they do not tell you first. Do not throw empty ammo boxes down range. Place empty ammo boxes and used targets in designated receptacles.

12.  Shooting a new gun?

> If you have a gun you are firing for the first time let the Range Officers know.  They may be able to help out with any questions or issues you may have.

Finding a Local Range

Finding a Local Range

By Felicia Sinclair

     There are a few obvious points we’ll get out of the way right now- YES, we love West Coast Armory North as our range, and YES you will need to use the all-mighty Google. With that out of the way, let’s get down to the main point of this article: What to looking for when Picking a Range.

Step 1 – Find a Range near you!
     If you’re local to the Seattle area, we would love to have you come to our range. We work hard here at West Coast Armory North to make women of all walks of life feel comfortable. If you aren’t local to us, get on that Google machine and search for “shooting ranges near me” (or “near <insert your city here>”).

Step 2 – Look at ALL the reviews.
     And we mean ALL of them. Don’t just look on Yelp, Google+ or Facebook exclusively; you want to look at the overall ratings, and what specifically people have to say regarding their experience. You’ll see bad reviews because someone wasn’t happy they had to listen to a safety brief on their first visit to the range (no, I’m not kidding). Look for legitimate reasons to stay away from the range, or to give them a try. Reviews about being safe, having friendly staff, and the overall cost are things you want to be looking for. Make your experience a good one.

Step 3 – Check out their Website for Details
     First of all, if they don’t have a website with any detail, that’s a huge “no” for us. A business that is looking to educate and be a resource for their customers will have at least a bare bones website, with prices, location, contact information, and will be easy to navigate. We specifically recommend looking to see if they have events listed on their site somewhere; it might be under training/classes, or just a general range tab. Seeing ahead of time that they have a “Ladies Day” or “Women Only Classes” is a huge indication that as a woman, you’ll be welcome there and have a great experience.

Step 4 – Go in and check them out!
      Once you’ve vetted them online, the next logical step is to physically visit the range (try and narrow your choices to 2-3 locations). Some ranges are membership only; so either find someone that’s already a member that can get you in as a guest, see if the range has a Day Pass, or just go to see how the range operates from a viewing standpoint. If they are connected to a store, we think that’s even better – being able to have friendly staff under one room to help you with both training & purchasing helps you from having to drive around finding multiple places to get your self-defense needs met.

Step 5 – Join in! Get involved and make friends.
     We’ve already said, if they have “Women Only Classes” or a “Ladies Day”, that it’s a great sign. What we then advise is that you go in on Ladies Day, and make some friends! Shooting is always fun with a friend, and it’s never a bad idea to surround yourself with like-minded friends when you’re trying to learn how to best defend yourself. Take classes, always learn more – and meet more people there, too. Is there a Ladies League, or a Ladies Club that meets? Get involved! The biggest obstacle for most women in the shooting industry is that they feel excluded, or intimidated, because female shooters are still a minority. But we’re adding numbers to our “ranks” every day, and we would LOVE to have you join us.

Bonus “Step” – For the Locals:
     Here at West Coast Armory North (home to the NW Women’s Shooting Network), we are THE RANGE in the Seattle area for female shooters. Whether you’re just wanting to get more information on firearms, are ready to purchase your first firearm, or have been actively shooting for years, we are the place to come! We have at least one female on staff (either in the Pro Shop, or the Range) every single day of the week for you to talk to (our male staff are extremely helpful, too, of course!). Every Thursday we have our Ladies Day on the Range, where you can come and rent either a lane, or rent a new firearm, for FREE. We also hold our Ladies Shooting Club monthly on Thursday evenings, and our Ladies League as well. Our classes are so popular here, that we’ve started Women-Only versions of them as well. No matter where you’re at, you’ll find a community here waiting to welcome you. Join us! Call, or stop by today to get started.

The Universal Firearm Handling Rules

Universal Firearms Handling Rules 

By Stephanie Kerns

     They are called the Universal Rules because they cover us at ALL times, in ALL Places and with EVERY kind of gun.

     If you look at the mistakes that people make, what they all have in common is the attitude the people have about guns. As a result they have two different kinds of guns in their world -- loaded guns and unloaded guns, with two different sets of handling skills. But could you ever accidentally access the wrong skills for the wrong gun? Could you ever be mistaken about the condition of a gun?

     So we are going to simplify our lives when it comes to handling guns. And we are going to follow a handling system that will not only make it nearly impossible to make a mistake; but will cover us at all times, in all places, with every kind of gun. They're called the "Universal Firearms Handling Rules".

Rule 1 "Always treat all guns as loaded".
     Any and All guns must be treated as if they are loaded. Every time I handle a gun, I check its condition of readiness, even if I just set it down a moment ago. If someone hands me a gun and says “Don’t worry it isn’t loaded”, I ALWAYS check for myself. Whenever you transfer a gun to another person, make sure you take the magazine out, lock the slide to the rear and CHECK for yourself. If it is a revolver open the cylinder and remove any rounds. I am never going to do anything with an unloaded gun that I wouldn't do with a loaded gun. Which means I can never get my handling skills mixed up or be confused about the condition of my gun. My attitude is always the same -- all guns are dangerous -- I will treat all guns as loaded guns.

Rule 2 "Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to shoot."
     Whether at the range, in a class or my daily carry, I need to be constantly aware of where my gun is pointed and what is in front of it.  This is called muzzle awareness. You could also call it the "laser rule" and imagine there is an industrial strength laser beam coming out the front of your gun at all times and whatever comes in front of the gun gets cut by that laser. To put it another way, if you don't want to shoot yourself or your buddy in the hand, foot, or buttocks, don't point your gun at you or your buddy's hand, foot, or buttocks. It is up to us to revise it, if someone or thing comes in front of where we currently perceive to be the safest direction. We are always going to keep our muzzle pointed in the safest direction available to us.

Rule 3 "Keep your finger indexed above the trigger guard, unless your sights are on target and you have decided to fire."
     I know we have been pre-programmed by the watching movies: finger on the trigger for those action shots are more exciting. However, since our hand naturally tries to work as a unit, as in gripping or clenching, separating our trigger finger from the rest of the grip on the gun takes effort.

     We have a few reflexes, that if our finger is on the trigger, the gun will go off. The first is human startle reflex: loud noises or being touched unexpectedly will cause you to clench your hand with enough pressure to squeeze the trigger and have the gun go off.  Second is losing your balance. When you trip, your hands will close on whatever they can to help you keep your balance. If your finger is on the trigger when this happens, you will fire the gun. Lastly, sympathetic contraction means that when you are under stress, the action in one hand will occur in the opposite hand up to about 30%. Pulling, grabbing, yanking under stress with your finger on the trigger will cause you to fire the gun. A mantra that can help, you say to yourself : On Target…..On trigger, OFF target….OFF trigger.

     So we need to have a master grip: When handling, picking up or drawing your gun up, place your trigger finger (your index finger) straight, elevated and touching the side of the gun well above the trigger.  I only touch the trigger when my sights are on the target and I am ready to shoot.


Rule 4 "Be sure of your target and what is behind and beyond it."
     Bottom line, when a bullet leaves your gun, you are responsible for where the bullet goes. When we are at the range, we don’t have to think of what is beyond our target, we know there is a backstop. We never shoot at anything we can’t positively identify. In many cases the bullet does not stop with your target and can pass through doors and walls. Know your target, what is in line with it and what is behind and beyond. That doesn't mean we can only shoot when we have a perfect backstop; we also need to be aware of what our backstop is before we shoot.


     These four rules are redundant, so that we are covered in case we have to break one. If I break one rule, I have a bad day because I’m embarrassed. If I break two rules, I have a catastrophe that changes the rest of my life and/or someone else’s. Memorize them, so you will remember them under stress. They will allow us to handle all guns, at all times, and in all places.

     Remember, it all starts with the attitude that there is no such thing as a safe gun. Once I accept that, I can learn to handle them safely.