Hunting & Holiday Season Gun Safety
The Fall and Winter hunting and holiday seasons are a great time of the year for getting family together to enjoy the tradition of shooting sports. For the most part, children are home from school, and there are more hunting trips planned during the holidays than any other time of the year. Firearms also make great gifts. For these same reasons and many more, statistics show a spike in accidental shootings during this time of the year. Fortunately, these accidents are preventable and simple firearm safety is the answer.
Remember, along with your Second Amendment Right to keep and
bear arms comes a great responsibility to protect yourself, your family and
everyone else from accidents, which may be caused by your firearms. For most
gun owners, there is an instinct and top of mind safety awareness that is exercised
every time a firearm is handled.
Here in California, a safe handling demonstration is
performed in front of a representative of a licensed FFL dealer before he/she
can complete the sale. A certified instructor will show the consumer how to
perform a chamber check to see if the firearm is loaded, then safely load and
unload the weapon. They will usually take their time and help if the need
arises. If the purchaser cannot demonstrate safe handling of the firearm after
several attempts, they receive a fail and will not be able to take possession
of the firearm thereby stopping the sale. Not all states have similar laws
ensuring the safe handling of a firearm.
It’s not enough to just own a firearm or have one in your
home for protection. Training is a must and safety needs to be exercised every
time a firearm is handled. For any new gun owner, I highly recommend a firearm
safety course at the very least and always remember the Safety Rules of
Firearms:
- Treat your firearm as if it is always loaded!!!
- Keep your firearm pointed in a safe direction.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
- Know what you're shooting at, what’s around it, and what's beyond it.
It is wise to lock your firearms in a safe to keep them out of
reach of children, teens or inexperienced shooters in your home. A proper safe
can also protect your firearms from theft or fire. If you are planning to give
a firearm as a gift, or if you are purchasing your first firearm, consider getting
a safe to accompany it. If you need assistance in choosing the right safe for
your particular situation, give Vault Pro a call and one of our pro’s will be
more than happy to help.
Wishing you a Merry Christmas and a happy and safe holiday season,
Tony Darling
Owner/Vault Pro
