Your firearm safety rules

[UncleDave]

I have a little different rule in my house. All guns are locked and loaded (no kids in the house), with the exception of shotguns and long guns. They are loaded empty chambers. I let everyone know that any gun in my house is loaded. You always treat them like they are anyway, so they should be in my opinion. That way there are no surprises.

[Holger Danske]

I do the 4 rules plus. Carry guns always loaded for me and wifey. Also, I always carry at home (no need to run to the safe if needed). regularly clean the lint out of my carry gun. CBIs at the range, esp when the jr operators are shooting. Range rod in the muzzleloader barrel when not loaded.

[Duman]

Personally, I use three rules. Some habits, not rules, are:
1. Drop the mag, rack slide 3-times, stick my finger up the chamber...sounds kinky, now that I've written it down
2. All guns loaded, unless under maintenance
3. Be alert and aware of where your guns are
4. Don't be stupid, or a "viral video candidate"

[asmo]

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

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.

I teach a very tiny modification to this rule. Specifically: "Always treat the gun as if it was loaded". Which I believe is a little more to the point. The gun is "always" loaded mantra has always rubbed me slightly wrong. If I just unloaded and cleared the gun is it loaded - No. But should I treat it as if it was - Yes. Dunno. Maybe I am way too pedantic, but its just me.

[ZERO THEORY]

Not sure if it's a rule but just something I've always done. (Some of you aren't going to agree with this, I'm sure.)

No loaded firearms in the house. Nothing in the safe is loaded or has a loaded magazine in it. Anything that happens to be out of the safe for whatever reason (usually because I'm tinkering with it or cleaning it or just admiring it) won't be loaded either. That way I don't have to try to remember which ones are loaded and which ones aren't. And if I pull something out of the safe to show someone there isn't a chance for any kind of "oops". And even though I know nothing in the house is loaded I still check them to make doubly sure they are clear any time I handle one.

I do the same with the exception of my carry gun. When I get home and am done for the day, I'll take it off my belt, but leave it in the holster near me (in the event of a break-in or knock at the door at 10:00 PM).

I never want to have to load a mag or rack the slide in a high-stress, sudden scenario. God forbid my back door gets kicked in while I'm poking around on here or something and I've got to feed a mag, rack the slide, etc. while the perp is doing God-knows-what in my house.