Your firearm safety rules

[muddywings]

I was initially going to title this thread, “what is your 5^th rule of firearm safety?” to spark either insightful or humorous stories. I preemptively Googled ‘firearm safety rules’ out of curiosity and found that the 4 that I have gone by (Cooper’s) maybe are not as universal as I thought. I found lists that ranged from 3 (NRA-that also had several additional caveats) to lists that ranged as high as 10.

So, instead I guess I’ll ask what are your safety rules and hope that at least, 1 is a more personal rule.

As I stated I go by Jeff Cooper’s rules and my 5^th rule comes from this:
I have Ruger LCP in a pocket holster, which I use when I take the dog for a walk around the block. After a walk I put the LCP on the kitchen table for a second (still in holster) but a bit too close to the edge. Then on top of that I bumped into the table trying to get around something on the floor causing the gun to fall. Reaction proceeded cognitive thought process and I went to grab it. Luckily my brain caught up and said ‘screw that let it drop.’ By the time it hit the ground it had slid out of the holster due to the friction of the holster against the table. My brain played out a few unfortunate scenarios if I had grabbed it and got my finger in the trigger guard. So-my 5^th rule is ‘never catch a falling gun.’ (Luckily my rule wasn't painful to learn as many in life are!)

TGIF!

[Chad4000]

Great thread...

I have a couple that I also use. One is, nobody else in the house knows where the gun is. When I was married, my wife had trained with me etc, and obviously she was part of the defense plan. I wanted her to have the same ability to protect our son, herself etc. so I didn't develop this rule until after the divorce. Since the divorce I have spent time back at my mothers house, with roommates and now I live with my sister. those family members and friends hadn't trained with me (or at all for that matter) and never wanted too. Basically I made the decision that, given who I was dealing with, it would be beneficial for all, that nobody has the ability to "hear a noise" and go for my gun. (for clarification, I only keep one ready to go, the rest are in the safe, and this is assuming I wasn't there).

The second, is that I never touch a loaded gun. I know how that sounds, but what I mean is that, once I have placed the weapon (be it in the car, or in the house) it ONLY moves for function tests, cleaning etc. It never leaves that location to "show somebody" (which I have been asked to do lol) or whatever. The idea being that I, 100% know where my shit is, which way it is facing, and what condition it is in etc.

Hopefully I am making sense here lol

[HoneyBadger]

Never appendix carry. I'm paranoid of shooting my balls off.

Also, I have a habit that is probably a good rule: Every time I pick up a handgun (this started with my carry gun), I drop the mag and rack the slide 3 times. Every time. No exceptions.

[hurley842002]

Never appendix carry.

False

[TFOGGER]

5. Don't be a dumbass

[XC700116]

Here's one that may seem a bit obvious, but unfortunately, it's not, or it's just ignored by most gun owners.

KNOW your guns, inside and out, what makes them work, known "issues" if any for that make/model, failure modes, etc. Obviously you aren't going to get out the manual and tear a gun apart that you're shooting that belongs to a friend at the range or something like that. But EVERY gun I own, I've torn completely apart, gone through it, and researched the crap out of before I ever take it to the range.

If/when something goes wrong, you have a much better idea on how to fix it, render it safe, etc if there is a malfunction.

[StagLefty]

When I was an active Instructor we always stressed the NRA 3 basic rules but we also discussed several others during the classes.

[FirstShotSteel]

Whenever any of my weapons are out of my immediate control and not in my hand (including - in a safe, gun case, vehicle, etc..), I drop the mag and check the chamber. This includes out shooting in the forest or the range with anyone who is along on the trip. I always treat every gun like it's loaded, but still check the weapon again if I come back from checking targets etc. I check them before I put them back in a case for transport and I check them again before I put them in the safe. Mostly because I know as every year tics by, relying on good fundamentals is more trustworthy than my memory.

[Hound]

Don't assume "they" know what they are doing. I recently had a friend that is looking for a new carry gun. I have known him for years. He owns other guns and has seemed proficient. I showed him a S&W Bodyguard without the mag after being cleared, nobody else around, at home. He liked it but said the grip was "off". I said it is better with the mag because of the pinky addition. This is one of my carry guns with a normally loaded mag. I showed him the loaded mag and told him it was loaded. First thing he does is put in the mag and pull back the slide. That was my fault. I should not have assumed and felt like an ass over it. I calmly got the gun back.
His first words were to the effect of "I know what I am doing".

Lesson learned on my part.

[MarkCO]

The 4 Laws of Gun Safety (Provided by Bill Nottingham, not Cooper) are the most fundamental safety rules for anyone that handles a gun. There are many additional rules for different situations, but these are ones that apply for ALL situations. The more often you handle guns the more likely someday you will have a Negligent Discharge (ND)! It's just a matter of when, where, and under what circumstances. If you are obeying the 4 Laws of Gun Safety when it happens, it will be VERY scary. IF YOU'RE NOT, IT COULD BE VERY TRAGIC! Having investigated numerous "accidental" shootings, many involving death, in each case, the breaking of at least one of the fundamental laws (in most cases two) was THE causal contributor to the firing of the firearm.

The 1^st Law of Gun Safety - The Gun Is Always Loaded!
EVERY TIME you pick up or draw a gun, inspect it in a safe manner, control your muzzle, and always treat it as a loaded gun. You should VISUALLY inspect your gun's chamber every time you pick it up even if you just sat it down moments before. It may seem redundant but establishing good habits may save a tragedy during a moment of "brain-fade". Remove all ammunition and loaded magazines from the immediate area when handling any gun if it will not be fired. Also, if you hand someone your gun, VISUALLY show them the empty chamber and accept no less in return! An experienced gun handler would never feel insulted.
The 2^nd Law of Gun Safety - Never Point A Gun At Something You're Not Prepared To Destroy!
The best way to handle a gun is to imagine the worst case scenario: Assume your "empty" gun is loaded and that it's going to function PERFECTLY! When you press the trigger it will FIRE! Since you are prepared for that, you should only point the gun in a safe direction - never allowing the muzzle to sweep you or someone else. That way, if "brain-fade" does result in a Negligent Discharge (ND), it will be into a safe impact area and there won't be a tragedy.
The 3^rd Law of Gun Safety - Always Be Sure Of Your Target And What Is Behind It!
Bullets can penetrate lots of things, many of which may surprise you. Identify your target before firing - even before dry-firing. If you are not sure, DON'T FIRE! Just as important, make sure there's a safe impact area behind your target. For home dry-fire practice, find and aim only at a BULLET PROOF BACKSTOP. Even though you have checked and double-checked your gun, you should still treat your gun as though it's loaded and functional. Plasterboard walls and outer walls are not bulletproof. A handgun bullet can easily travel through several rooms before stopping. Who is in these rooms? If you're not sure, and you still aimed in that direction, SHAME ON YOU!
The 4^th Law of Gun Safety - Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger Until Your Sights Are On The Target!
KEEP YOUR FINGER OUTSIDE THE TRIGGER GUARD! Almost all Negligent Discharges (ND) are caused by placing the finger on the trigger when you aren't prepared to fire. A finger on the trigger during reloading, during movement, during the draw, holstering, or while clearing a jam have led to several Negligent Discharges (ND). It's difficult to isolate the trigger finger from the muscles required to hold the gun firmly - they all want to contract together. It can be especially difficult under stress and anxiety. Therefore, THE FINGER SHOULD NOT TOUCH THE TRIGGER UNTIL THE INSTANT YOU ARE PREPARED TO FIRE! This holds true even if you find yourself in a legitimate self-defense situation.

There is no fifth. If you do not have full comprehension and adherence to the 4 fundamental laws, then you should not be handling firearms. There is a need (I admit I fall prey to it as well) to add and subtract from the fundamental guns laws, but to do so creates problems, not solutions. These 4 laws are used in almost all action shooting sports and are used by all competent trainers and instructors. Gun Safety is not a place of ego or re-creation of the wheel.