Manual

have not already done so. You must constantly stress safety when handling firearms, especially to
children and non-shooters. Develop safe shooting habits and remember, firearms safety is up to you.
Make no mistake about it.
ALCOHOL, DRUGS AND GUNS DON‟T MIX
1. ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION
This is the most basic safety rule. If everyone handled a firearm so carefully that the muzzle never
pointed at something they didn‟t intend to shoot, there would be virtually no firearm accidents. It‟s as
simple as that, and it‟s up to you.
Never point your gun at anything you do not intend to shoot. A safe direction means a direction in
which a bullet cannot possibly strike anyone, taking into account possible ricochets and the fact that
bullets can penetrate walls and ceilings. Even when “dry firing” with an unloaded gun, you should
never point the gun at an unintended target.
This is your responsibility, and only you can control it.
2. FIREARMS SHOULD BE UNLOADED WHEN NOT ACTUALLY IN USE
Firearms should be loaded only when you are in the field or on the target range or shooting area,
ready to shoot. When not in use, firearms and ammunition should be secured in a safe place,
separate from each other. It is your responsibility to prevent children and inexperienced adults from
gaining access to firearms or ammunition. A loaded gun has no place in or near a vehicle or building.
Whenever you handle a firearm or hand it to someone, always open the action immediately, and
visually check the chamber, receiver and magazine to be certain they do not contain any ammunition.
Never assume a gun is unloaded – check for yourself! While in the field, there will be times when
common sense and the basic rules of firearms safety will require you to unload your gun for maximum
safety. When in doubt, unload your gun!
3. DON‟T RELY ON YOUR GUN‟S “SAFETY”
Treat every gun as though it can fire at any time, regardless of pressure on the trigger. The “safety”
on any gun is a mechanical device, which, like any such device, can become inoperable at the worst
possible time. The safety serves as a supplement to proper gun handling but cannot possibly serve
as a substitute for common sense.
Never touch the trigger on a firearm until you actually intend to shoot.
Your firearm is a precision instrument. Regardless of the position of the safety, any bump strong
enough to actuate the firing mechanism of a gun can cause it to fire. The only time you can be
absolutely certain that a gun cannot fire is when the action is open and it is completely empty. You
and the safe gun handling procedures you have learned are your gun‟s primary safeties.
4. BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND WHAT‟S BEYOND IT
No one can call a bullet back. Don‟t shoot unless you know exactly what your bullet is going to strike.
Be sure that your bullet will not injure anyone or anything beyond your target. You should keep in
mind how far a bullet will travel if it misses your intended target or ricochets in another direction.
Be aware that even a .22 short bullet can travel over 1¼ miles and a high velocity cartridge, such as a
30-06, can project a bullet more than 3 miles. Shotgun pellets can travel 500 yards, and shotgun
slugs have a range of over a half-mile.
5. USE CORRECT AMMUNITION
You must assume the serious responsibility of using only the correct ammunition for your firearm.
Read and heed all warnings, including those that appear in the gun‟s instruction manual and on the
ammunition boxes. Using improper or incorrect ammunition can destroy a gun and cause serious