GUN SAFETY

Safety is the first page you link for a reason. You need only to watch the local news or read the local newspaper to see that firearm safety is of paramount concern. Whether the story concerns a child obtaining access to a gun and the resultant tragedy or whether the story concerns the misuse and mishandling of a firearm, either scenario points out that firearm safety should be the first and foremost concern for any gun owner. 

Safety really breaks down into two main areas: safe use and handling of a firearm and safe storage. The safe use and handling of a gun requires constant diligence and vigilance in both the maintenance of the firearm and its use in whatever manner you see fit. Keep in mind ownership of a gun may be a right under the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, it is also a huge responsibility. Whether you keep the gun locked in a safe and only use it a few times a year for hunting or shooting sports or whether you carry a gun for your work or protection, safety must be your No. 1 concern. 

Safe use and handling requires first you have an intimate knowledge of your weapon. Does it have a mechanical or other safety or interlock? Most revolvers have no such protection and thus it is even more important to constantly be aware of the state of your firearm. As we have all learned as a first rule, treat each and every gun as if it is loaded until you personally confirm that it is unloaded. This means removing the magazine or other shell carrying chamber, visually inspecting it and then inspecting the actual firing chamber of the firearm to be sure it is clear. Under no circumstances should you point a weapon in anything but a safe direction (and never at a person) until you are sure it is unloaded. If you ever point a weapon at another person, it is my sincere hope that you have only done that as a last resort to protect yourself or others in compliance with the law and further, that you are prepared to use it. Otherwise, those unprepared could suffer drastic consequences including having your own weapon used against them. Again, the safe use and handling of a firearm is a much longer discussion than this web page can allow. As noted, you must be intimately familiar with your weapon, the way it works and how to verify that it is either loaded or unloaded. We have all read multiple stories of guns "going off" while someone was "cleaning" it. In each and every one of those situations, the fundamental lesson of verifying the gun was unloaded was not followed. 

In carrying a firearm, whether through the woods or hunting or as a concealed carry on your person or in your vehicle, you must first be very familiar with the laws of not only your state but in some cases, the county, municipality or even private landowners, particularly in the case of hunting clubs. Florida law in particular provides a laundry list of places where one CANNOT carry a weapon, even if they own a concealed carry permit. Second, you must always be familiar with the location of your weapon and its state. In the case of a revolver, it is always best to carry a revolver with an empty chamber under the hammer. That way, if the gun falls or is dropped, there is no chance that the hammer will strike a loaded chamber thus discharging the firearm. When carrying a semi-automatic, it is best to carry or store the gun without a shell in the chamber. An even safer situation is to carry or store the gun without the magazine being inserted. Insertion of the magazine and chambering a round, once you are familiar with your weapon and are trained to do it, in general takes less than three seconds. That is very little time to sacrifice for your and your family’s safety.

In long guns, the same general rules apply. When carrying or handling the firearm, it is best to do so without a round in the chamber, even if the weapon has a mechanical safety. Very often, manufacturers submit recall on firearms and a large number of those recalls deal with guns firing even when the "safety" is on. If you are unaware of these recalls, you may be carrying a gun you think is "safe" when in reality, you have an enhanced risk of that gun discharging if you are counting on only the safety to protect you. Thus, carrying any weapon without a round in the chamber or under the hammer is your best bet. 

The safe storage of handguns is particular, and all weapons as a whole, is of equal importance. You want to be sure that only those who are supposed to have access to the gun actually have access and that those who are not supposed to have access, including children and others, cannot access the weapon. It is certainly best to store the weapon separate from the ammunition. Moreover, federal law, through the Youth Handgun Safety Act, mandates that any weapon kept in proximity to children be kept in a way that precludes those children from either obtaining the weapon or discharging it. Thus, every new gun sold in the United States comes with a locking restraint or child safety lock. In addition, I would wholeheartedly recommend that weapons be maintained in a gun safe or, if you are more concerned about ready access to the weapon, in one of the vast variety of individualized gun vaults and drawer safes which provide almost immediate access to your gun through the use of either fingerprint identification technology or the entry of a very simple numeric code. 

The first concern expressed by most new gun buyers is having a weapon in the home around children or young adults. This is of course a legitimate concern. However, I have yet to hear of any gun incidents where a child, or anyone for that matter, unintentionally removed a gun form a safe or vault, loaded it and then fired it in an accidental manner. Guns can be kept safely in a home with children. It only takes a few minutes of diligence to ensure the balance between personal protection and safety.

Regardless of what you choose, please keep in mind, and it cannot be emphasized enough, that SAFETY is the No. 1 priority in gun ownership.

Strong Persuader can provide ample training in the handling and use of any gun you buy and can also provide you with the best prices on all available protection and storage devices and train you on their safer use.