To someone new to shooting it can be confusing at times to hear people referring to the different sets of safety rules. Since this is a vital topic and since it crosses many different groups without benefit of translation I will attempt to clarify, or at least provide a bit of a translation guide. While there are special rules that apply to special activities, the most popular "General Rules" are two I will address in this article.
The differing rules are because they come from different sources, or, in some cases, are modifications of another sources' version. Because of these differing origins, some sets of rules have biases related to how that group either uses guns or teaches firearms usage. Some rules are narrow in scope, related to the specific activity in which they are applied, and others are intended as broadly applicable to the handling of all firearms.
Here are some guidelines to use when becoming familiar with a new set of rules:
- If it doesn't make sense then you don't have all the information about the rule
- If it seems dangerous it likely is
- If nobody can explain why then the rule is suspect
- Anyone disrespecting others' safety rules is losing credibility for their own. They may have reasons for preferring their rules but ridiculing those trying to be safe serves no purpose
- Lawyers are involved, this means you need to pay close attention
Jeff Cooper, whom you will hear much about as you learn about handgun use in the modern world, Wrote in 1995: "I have been doing my best as a member of the Education and Training Committee of the National Rifle Association to standardize firearm safety rules worldwide. I have not met with any conspicuous success. Every time I point out that the four general rules of gun safety have been promulgated, observed and proven over the past three decades, I get static from employees who wish to complicate matters in order to justify their salaries. However, the four suffice. They do not need editing, amplification, or complication. Simplicity is what we need. Whether we get it or not remains to be seen." (Cooper's Commentaries, Vol 3)
As of this writing (Nov, 2012) we do not have a world standard and your humble scribe suspects that we likely never will. The four rules that Col. Cooper formulated for use at his school are as follows. (The Art of the Rifle, P. 23-24, 2002 Color edition)
1.
All guns are always loaded. An unloaded gun is useless, and no one should ever assume that any piece [piece=firearm in this usage ed.] he may see or touch is not ready to fire. Would that we would never again hear the plaintive wail, "I didn't know it was loaded!"
Of course, it was loaded. That is why it exists. Treat it so!
2.
Never let the muzzle cover anything that you are not willing to destroy. When you point a weapon, you may not always actually intend to destroy, but you must be emotionally willing to do so. The fact that the piece is not loaded does not alter this. See Rule 1.
3.
Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target. Guns do not "go off" by themselves. Somebody fires them. The competent shooter keeps his finger straight and outside the trigger guard guard until he verifies his sight picture. Violation of Rule 3 is responsible for 80% of firearms mishaps.
4.
Be sure of your target. Never shoot at anything that you have not identified. Never shoot at a shadow or a sound or a silhouette or anything that you cannot see clearly. Also make sure of what is behind and beyond your target that a bullet may penetrate completely.
(End excerpt)
Col. Cooper passed on in 2006 but many use these as the gold standard for safety rules and you often hear them referred to by number here and elsewhere. His rules differ slightly from the NRA rules (which will be covered in a moment) and in the personal opinion of your scribe the reason is simply that Jeff Cooper focused on using guns, not storing them, not liability lawyers, not anything other than the proficient use of guns for the purpose intended. As such, and being a terse person in his writings, he felt no need or purpose served by adding extra rules to confuse or muddle the issue.
The National Rifle Association is probably the most widely known shooting organization in the US, if not the world. They have developed a wide ranging curriculum of courses, books, DVDs, and other media on topics related to shooting. In the course of doing so they have standardized on three rules that differ slightly for Col. Cooper's. The "NRA three" are:
1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
2. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. ALWAYS keep the gun unloaded until ready to use.
The NRA does not print specific expansions or qualifiers with the three rules but they do exist in practice. Obviously, a police officer carries his or her gun loaded as it is "in use" while they are carrying it. By the same token, guns being stored should be unloaded.
While they differ in detail and somewhat in scope, the two sets of rules have something in common that is very important: You have to violate more than one of them before someone would get hurt unintentionally. This layering adds a margin of safety to both sets of rules.
The fact is that no set of rules, however comprehensive, will cover every possible situation. Both sets of rules above will help greatly with gun safety if followed. Neither set can replace responsible good judgement. A gun, like any tool, is simply an extension of the will and intent of the person controlling it. No more, no less. Nothing can absolve you of your responsibility for the actions you take and that means safety is squarely in your own hands.
Since you are responsible for your conduct in regards to safety, it follows that you have all the authority you need to meet that responsibility. Never allow yourself to be bullied or persuaded into actions you feel are unsafe. If someone wishes to require you to do something you believe to be unsafe then you need to find somewhere else to shoot or someone else to shoot with.
Have fun and my best wishes for a long and safe shooting career!
SARGeek
November 2012
