4 rules

Lets talk about the 4 rules of safe gun handling. These rules keep you alive. Show me any Negligent Discharge, and I can guarantee that they violated at least 2 of these rules.

1. All guns are always loaded: I don't care if the clerk at the gun counter just cleared the weapon for you and handed it across, you still need to clear it. Drop the magazine, rack the slide, visually and physically inspect the chamber. Once its clear you STILL treat it as if it was loaded.

2. Never point the muzzle at anything your not willing to destroy: These are tools. They can do a lot of good, but mistreat them and they are deadly. This means keeping the muzzle pointed downrange while racking the slide or clearing a jam. Also pay close attention when in multi-story houses. Don't go pointing it up towards the second story.


3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your ready to shoot: This does not mean put your finger on the trigger guard. If you flinch, your finger may slip off, and onto the trigger. Rather, you should put your finger along the slide of the gun. Your reflexes will still put it on the trigger just as fast.

4. Be sure of your target and what's behind it: Identify, identify, identify. Were told this constantly in training. Don't pump fluffy full of lead. Bullets tend to fly at very fast speeds, and strike with enormous  amounts of energy. When you hit your target, perfect, its down. When you miss, that bullet's going to continue on until something stops it. Make sure that something isn't something your not willing to destroy.

These rules should be common sense. Unfortunately they aren't. Practice these rules and I guarantee when you have your first ND, it will be a safe one.