Owning Firearms

The ownership of firearms is unique in our country, it  is guaranteed by our constitution.  Owning a firearm is not only a right and an obligation, but a responsibility.  Firearms require responsible ownership, handling, and storage. Before I get into choosing and training with firearms I need to cover the safe handling of them.

I'll start with the basics. The late Col. Jeff Cooper developed the four universal firearms safety rules.

1. ALL GUNS ARE ALWAYS LOADED. When some is accidentally shot you often hear words to the effect of the shooter didn't know the gun was loaded. Even when a firearm is known to be unloaded it should be handled with the same care and respect as if it were loaded.

2. NEVER LET YOUR MUZZLE COVER ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.  The purpose of a firearm is to kill or destroy, so it should make sense that we don't want to point it anything that we don't killed or destroyed. 

3. KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE ON TARGET, AND YOU HAVE MADE THE DECISION TO FIRE. For a firearm to be discharged it requires the trigger to be pulled. By keeping you finger off the trigger until you have made a conscious decision to fire prevents the problem of unwanted discharge.

4. ALWAYS BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET. Shooting at your target without identifying it, knowing what is beyond it, around it, or between you and the target is a recipe for failure.

Beyond the basics you need to have a means to store your firearms. If you have children in your house, especially young children you need to have a way to secure your firearms.  In addition you have an obligation to keep your firearms out of the hands of criminals.  The type and quantity of firearms you own will dictate how much storage you will need. If you are going to spend the money for a firearm then you need to spend the money to secure it.  Security for your firearms can range from a simple locking cabinet for less than two hundred dollars to safes costing several thousand dollars. What you chose will be a matter of preference and budget, but  you need to have something.

Understanding how to safely handle firearms, and preventing unauthorized access to them is your obligation as a responsible citizen.