The 4 Rules of Gun Safety
The 4 Rules of Gun Safety
1. Treat All Firearms As If They Are Always Loaded
This rule exists to build safe habits that hold up under pressure. Never assume a firearm has been cleared, and never take someone else's word for it — a firearm is always to be treated as loaded and ready to fire until you have personally and physically checked it yourself. Even if it's only been out of your sight for a moment, or sitting in a locked safe at home, treat it as loaded until you've confirmed otherwise with your own hands.
2. Never Point Your Firearm At Anything You Are Not Willing To Destroy
Situational awareness is central to firearm safety. Before handling a firearm, take a moment to consider your surroundings and establish a safe direction — accounting for the risk of ricochet when deciding what's genuinely safe. Never point a firearm at another living creature or person unless you are willing to kill them.
This rule follows directly from Rule 1: if every firearm can fire, it needs to be pointed somewhere that keeps everyone safe if it does. That's what protects others in the event of an accidental discharge.
Accidental Discharge — the unintentional firing of a shot that isn't caused by improper handling, but results instead from mechanical failure or equipment malfunction.
3. Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until You Are Ready To Fire
An unintended shot happens one of two ways: an accidental discharge, or a negligent discharge. We've covered accidental discharge above.
A negligent discharge is the unintentional firing of a shot caused by breaking this rule — the fault sits entirely with the person holding the firearm, and it's the easier of the two to prevent, simply by keeping your finger off the trigger until you're actually ready to fire.
An easy way to spot a disciplined shooter: watch their trigger finger. Indexed along the frame, not resting on the trigger — that's a habit built properly.
From the moment your hands make contact with a firearm, your trigger finger stays straight, resting along the side of the frame, away from the trigger — moving to it only once you've decided to fire.
4. Be Certain Of Your Target, Your Line Of Fire, And What Lies Beyond It
As the shooter, you're responsible for everything your bullet makes contact with — not just your intended target. Always factor in your target's height and the angle you're shooting from. Never fire at anything you can't positively identify, or where there's a real risk your shot could stray, ricochet, or pass through and beyond. There should always be a backstop — somewhere you know your bullet will end up if you miss, and somewhere you're confident is safe.