Cardinal Rules of Firearms Safety
The Cardinal Rules are the industry standard for safe handling of firearms regardless of type. Adherence to these principles will hold you in good stead whereas failing to follow them will likely result in dire consequences.
- Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. If you follow this rule you will likely have no problems. Never assume that a weapon is empty, clear, or safe. Always visually and physically check the condition of a firearm that you have taken possession of.
- Never allow the muzzle to cover anything that you are not willing to accept responsibility for destroying. If you are not justified in shooting an item, don’t point the weapon at it.
- Keep your finger off of the trigger until you are ready to shoot. If you have decided to shoot a target but haven’t acquired a sight picture then you have no business touching the trigger.
- Be mindful of your target and what is around it. Depending on your situation you must take into consideration your environment. If You start shooting at the range while someone is down range things are likely to get tense. If you are engaging a threat that is standing in front of a propane tank or crowd of people, you might want to check your angles and distances…
While each of these rules are important and inviolate, rule 1 is the most important because the others tend to directly relate to it. Would you intentionally put your finger on a loaded weapon or point a loaded weapon at something you didn’t intend to shoot? If you follow rule 1 as a default, you aren’t likely to violate rules 2 or 3.