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Started By
Message
re: First Time gun owner Help?
Posted on 1/25/13 at 7:06 am to SaintNation
Posted on 1/25/13 at 7:06 am to SaintNation
SAFETY SAFETY SAFETY
The main mistake I see is people become over confident and complacent with their handling of guns. Don't let that happen. Treat it with respect and NEVER assume it is unloaded. Check it at least twice before you do anything with it.
The main mistake I see is people become over confident and complacent with their handling of guns. Don't let that happen. Treat it with respect and NEVER assume it is unloaded. Check it at least twice before you do anything with it.
0
Posted on 1/25/13 at 7:52 am to Nodust
quote:
Act like there is a lazer beam coming out of the barrel. Anything it touches will be cut in half.
Posted on 1/25/13 at 8:03 am to OldSouth
Most importantly:
1. Treat every gun as if it was loaded, do not point your gun at anything you do not wish to kill or destroy... even if you think it's unloaded.
2. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot. Guns were designed to be comfortable with your finger on the trigger. Get in the habit of putting your finger pointing forward just above the trigger. It takes no time to move it to the trigger from this position.
3. Know what your target is and what is beyond it. Just because you're pointing it at an inatimate object, doesn't mean there isn't something or someone behind it. Bullets can travel very far and they can glance off of things, and go through things. Once you pull the trigger you have no control over that bullet anymore.
Shooting:
1. Learn proper sight picture. Get used to it and practice, practice, practice.
2. proper trigger control. You want to squeeze the trigger steadily, not jerky. You may develop a flinch at first. You can help get rid of this by dry-firing (pulling the trigger on an empty chamber) DOWN RANGE in a safe direction.
3. control your breathing. If you're breathing while you're aiming, you're not going to be as steady. Different techniques for this but essentially you're just holding your breath as you squeeze the trigger.
Don't become complacent with firearms. Be aware of where your muzzle is pointed at all times.
1. Treat every gun as if it was loaded, do not point your gun at anything you do not wish to kill or destroy... even if you think it's unloaded.
2. Keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot. Guns were designed to be comfortable with your finger on the trigger. Get in the habit of putting your finger pointing forward just above the trigger. It takes no time to move it to the trigger from this position.
3. Know what your target is and what is beyond it. Just because you're pointing it at an inatimate object, doesn't mean there isn't something or someone behind it. Bullets can travel very far and they can glance off of things, and go through things. Once you pull the trigger you have no control over that bullet anymore.
Shooting:
1. Learn proper sight picture. Get used to it and practice, practice, practice.
2. proper trigger control. You want to squeeze the trigger steadily, not jerky. You may develop a flinch at first. You can help get rid of this by dry-firing (pulling the trigger on an empty chamber) DOWN RANGE in a safe direction.
3. control your breathing. If you're breathing while you're aiming, you're not going to be as steady. Different techniques for this but essentially you're just holding your breath as you squeeze the trigger.
Don't become complacent with firearms. Be aware of where your muzzle is pointed at all times.
Posted on 1/25/13 at 8:11 am to SaintNation
Muzzle awareness and finger off the trigger. Work out from there. With a modern firearm, if you do EVERYTHING wrong, but remember to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction (i.e. not at anyone or something it can penetrate and hit anyone), everyone probably goes home alive (although a richochet always has the possibility of causing unpredictable mayhem).
If you keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction AND finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire, the chances of unpleasant consequences drop to near statistical insignificance. There is always the possibility of malfunction of weapon or ammunition that will cause injury, but, again, these are relatively rare.
Most ADs (accidental discharges) are by children and adults with too much familiarity with weapons, rather than newbies who are much like yourselves, tentative at best. All the stories about "gun discharged while cleaning" are usually not that. They were preparing to clean it, and didn't clear it properly. NO weapon can be considered clear unless you personally cleared it - verified and reverified. The absolute best policy is to secure the weapon where it is stored, remove all magazines right there (unless fixed), open and lock the action (clear, and verify, reverify), LEAVE ALL AMMUNITION THERE, and take it to a separate location to clean and maintain, which you will again, clear, verify and reverify before proceeding. If the weapon is to be reloaded before storage, do that at the storage location.
Function checks are another concern. After reassembly (after you field strip and clean), follow the manufacturer's instructions on your function check - if this requires you to pull the trigger (many do, some don't), you follow your basic rules again - clear, verify, re-verify, no magazines around, no ammunition around, muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
If you will use snap caps for either trigger familiarity or function checks, I strongly recommend you take a spare magazine and paint it red. Only EVER load it with snap caps, and only use it for those purposes. Even when using snap caps for function checks or trigger training - follow your muzzle awareness and general safety rules. Again, if the muzzle remains oriented in a safe direction, even if you do everything else wrong, everyone is likely to go home alive. It is too much familiarity that gets people accidentally shot.
If you keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction AND finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire, the chances of unpleasant consequences drop to near statistical insignificance. There is always the possibility of malfunction of weapon or ammunition that will cause injury, but, again, these are relatively rare.
Most ADs (accidental discharges) are by children and adults with too much familiarity with weapons, rather than newbies who are much like yourselves, tentative at best. All the stories about "gun discharged while cleaning" are usually not that. They were preparing to clean it, and didn't clear it properly. NO weapon can be considered clear unless you personally cleared it - verified and reverified. The absolute best policy is to secure the weapon where it is stored, remove all magazines right there (unless fixed), open and lock the action (clear, and verify, reverify), LEAVE ALL AMMUNITION THERE, and take it to a separate location to clean and maintain, which you will again, clear, verify and reverify before proceeding. If the weapon is to be reloaded before storage, do that at the storage location.
Function checks are another concern. After reassembly (after you field strip and clean), follow the manufacturer's instructions on your function check - if this requires you to pull the trigger (many do, some don't), you follow your basic rules again - clear, verify, re-verify, no magazines around, no ammunition around, muzzle pointed in a safe direction.
If you will use snap caps for either trigger familiarity or function checks, I strongly recommend you take a spare magazine and paint it red. Only EVER load it with snap caps, and only use it for those purposes. Even when using snap caps for function checks or trigger training - follow your muzzle awareness and general safety rules. Again, if the muzzle remains oriented in a safe direction, even if you do everything else wrong, everyone is likely to go home alive. It is too much familiarity that gets people accidentally shot.
This post was edited on 1/25/13 at 8:42 am
Posted on 1/25/13 at 8:26 am to SaintNation
Edit to Quote Ace. 
You might want to get you some Snap Caps to practices with.
quote:
If you will use snap caps for either trigger familiarity or function checks, I strongly recommend you take a spare magazine and paint it red. Only EVER load it with snap caps, and only use it for those purposes. Even when using snap caps for function checks or trigger training - follow your muzzle awareness and general safety rules. Again, if the muzzle remains orientd in a safe direction, even if you do everything else wrong, everyone is likely to go home alive. It is too much familiarity that gets people accidentally shot.
You might want to get you some Snap Caps to practices with.
This post was edited on 1/25/13 at 8:33 am
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