These Are The 5 Common Pistol Shooting Mistakes We See

If there is one thing we here at Great American Outdoors stress more than anything, it’s firearm safety. We all know that accidents happen and even when one takes all the necessary steps to avoid them, as they say…”sh*t happens”. If you “Google” the term “gun safety” you will get hundreds (if not thousands) of suggestions , links and videos. After doing some research on the subject, I found the video below, was probably one of the better ones on the subject.

Now, I’m not saying this video is the final word on the subject, but the young man making the video seems to know his stuff and the video itself has over 900K views and it was posted to YouTube on February 17th of this year, so I’m not just taking it on  faith that it’s alright, it’s a good video and even if you’re like me, at 64 and have been around firearms my whole adult life, one can still learn something new.

Below are some helpful tips on firearm safety.

THE 12 GOLDEN RULES FOR SAFE GUN HANDLING

1. Always treat the gun as loaded.
2. Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
3. Always keep your finger straight and off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
4. Always keep the gun unloaded until you are ready to use it.
5. Never point the gun at anything you don’t intend to destroy.
6. Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.
7. Learn the mechanical and handling characteristics of the gun you are using.
8. Always use proper Ammunition.
9. Be sure the barrel is clear of obstructions before loading and shooting.
10. If your gun fails to fire when the trigger is pulled, hold your shooting position for several seconds; then with the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, carefully unload the gun.
11. Don’t rely on the gun’s safety to keep it from firing.
12. Be aware of your surroundings when handling guns so you don’t trip or lose your balance and accidentally point and/or fire the gun at anyone or anything.

RANGE SAFETY

1. Follow the 12 golden rules.
2. Know and follow all the rules of the Shooting Range.
3. Listen and do what the Range Master tells you to do.
4. Uncase and case your gun at the shooting bench, never behind the safety line.
5. Always keep the barrel pointed down range.
6. Always keep the gun on safe until you intend to shoot.
7. Always wear eye and ear protection when shooting.
8. Never shoot at water or hard surfaces.

Okay, I’ve said my piece, so sit back and enjoy the video.

H/T – washingtongunlaw.com