Ownership Responsibilities
Parents must provide gun safety rules to children. Even if firearms are not in your household, your children may be exposed. Recent studies show firearms are in one-third of U.S. households. The NRA Safety Programs for Children are especially helpful.
If you are a new shooter, it is best to seek complete and thorough instruction on the safe and proper use of firearms. There are many choices, including the NRA, depending on the style of shooting you intend to do. See your local law enforcement agency, local gun shop or a local shooting club.
Initially, perform dry firing only with an unloaded firearm. Do not have a magazine or ammunition in the same room. You must still only point the firearm in a safe direction. Practice until you are smooth and familiar with all of your firearm's features and safeties. Once confident with your firearm, practice live firing only at a shooting range. Again, start very slowly and concentrate on all safety procedures. Remember, practice makes perfect!
You are responsible for the correct maintenance of your firearms. Even the best gun, like all precision machines, requires periodic maintenance and review. While you may use lubricants liberally on moving parts in your firearm, avoid any lubricants or aerosols on cartridges. ALWAYS empty a firearm before cleaning. Remove the magazine, check the chamber and NEVER look down the barrel. Every time you pick up a firearm, even if you just laid it down, verify it is unloaded and clear.
Basic Gun Safety Rules - Anyone who touches a firearm should know these by heart.
1. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
2. Never allow the muzzle to point at anything you are not willing to see destroyed.
3. Be sure of your target and know what lies behind it.
4. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are aligned on target.
5. Be sure your guns are never accessible to unauthorized or untrained individuals.