Safe Weapons Procedures

There has been a steady report in the news that goes back as far as I can recall. The issue is proper weapons safety, weapons storage and probably a very heated topic, teaching our children about proper weapons safety. As a gun owner and a veteran, I feel an overwhelming sense to reach out and train everyone around me about safety. We are our biggest advocates for our second amendment rights. We need merely to voice our professional opinion.

We have all seen the, left my gun loaded all night, didn't kill anyone memes. While its true that guns do not kill people, it is the person with the gun that kills:

TREAT EVERY WEAPON AS IF IT WHERE LOADED.

I cannot stress this enough. I have seen cases in the military where soldiers carelessly handled their weapons, accidentally shooting another soldier because they did not know the weapon was loaded. As a gun owner you have a responsibility to everyone around you to ensure that you have a positive control on your weapon.

These weapons are capable of producing a violently strong, miniature explosion that propels a small metal projectile at speeds over 2,400 feet per second. That equals over 1,636 miles per hour, just about double the speed of sound which is 343.2 meters a second. Just think about that for a second. All of this in the palm of our hands.

Gun owners should fear that thought slightly. Its not fear, but respect for the fact that this weapon is capable of devastating damage, and I must be responsible and safe in every situation. Be part of the solution, gun safety is everyone's problem. Where do you fit in?

Proper weapons storage is yet another area where people are being killed because someone forgot where they put their firearms. If you need a reason why its important, ill ask that you read the first two paragraphs again. There are a number of methods to secure your weapons that will not lead to degraded performance when faced with an intruder. It merely requires a small amount of practice to familiarize yourself with what you need to do.

I prefer to keep a pistol near the front door, with a magazine in and no round chambered. I keep it in a box with a quick fingerprint reader. Now I know you are yelling right now, angered at the fact that I would keep my weapon in a non loaded status. To me, I can access my gun in under 5 seconds, in that time I have unlocked my case, chambered a round and drawing on the threat. I will only travel with my weapon in a hot status, if I am in immediate danger but cannot identify the threat.

There are a variety of other ways to store your pistol: Inside a locked drawer, inside a gun case, in a closet shelf or the use of trigger locks. Just ensure that they are safely kept out of children's reach. I always teach that if your gun is in eyesight, so should you! Not to mention you are legally obligated when you purchase your firearm to store it properly. You must adhere to local and federal laws.

http://www.cabelas.com/category/Gun-Storage/104730480.uts
https://www.nraila.org/gun-laws/state-gun-laws/

Which brings us into our final point, weapons safety and children. Now, my children where raised from a young age to treat firearms with respect. It started with toy guns, do not stick your finger on the trigger until you are absolutely sure you are ready to fire. Do not point a weapon at anyone or anything you do not intend to shoot.

Around the age of 5, once my children had a good handling with toy guns, I sat them down and explained to them what a gun is, how it works and what it does. I then took my children out to the range to see exactly what a firearm does. Its in a child's nature to be curious, its a parents responsibility to nurture that curiosity and teach them how to be safe.

They must be taught to fear and respect the power that a weapon holds. I also taught my children three fundamental rules when they see a fire arm, and then had them practice it. Those rules are; If you see a gun STOP, DONT TOUCH, TELL AN ADULT. It comes down to mutual trust between the parent and child. Lets start being more productive members of our community and start teaching proper weapons safety. We are the front line on the so called war on gun rights. Education is an invaluable tool to safety, do not disregard either to look or feel cool.

Our marksmanship programs are designed with practical application in mind. What does that mean? Shooting fundamentals expand much further than the range. The biggest applications are hunting, home defense, discipline, attention to detail and confidence.

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