It should be no secret that owning a firearm is a major responsibility. By owning these tools, you are agreeing to manage them correctly and make the right choices to keep yourself and others safe. More importantly, you need to strive to be the best gun owner you can possibly be. To help you accomplish this, here are five easy habits to help you become a better firearm owner.
5 Habits to Becoming a Better Firearm Owner
1. The Four Golden Rules
One of the first things I learned about the firearm community is that safety is no joking matter. This is regardless of whether you have a loaded or unloaded firearm in your hands. As cool and wonderful as firearms are, it is important to never treat them as toys.
If used improperly or without caution, firearms can cause deadly or serious harm to yourself or others. That is something no one wants to deal with.
To avoid potential injuries or death, the firearm community sets certain safety precautions in place that keep everyone safe. These precautions are known as the “Four Rules of Gun Safety” and are as stated below.
Always:
- Point the firearm in a safe direction.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until ready to fire.
- Keep your firearm unloaded until ready to use.
- Treat every firearm as if it is loaded.
These safety rules are simple to understand, easy to practice, and always expected to be followed. By following these rules, you are not just saying, “I value my life, and the lives of other shooters,” you are also saying, “I am a responsible gun owner.”
2. Keep It Safe
Firearms do an excellent job of keeping us safe, but how are you at keeping your firearm safe? Regardless of how you answer, it’s important to understand that you have a personal responsibility to keep your tools safe. Luckily, an effortless way to achieve this is by practicing proper gun storage.
Proper gun storage prevents your firearm from falling into the wrong hands, which keeps you and your community safe. A few ways you can practice proper gun storage are by using a trigger lock, a cable lock, or a gun safe.
For those unaware, a trigger lock is a two-piece lock that fits over the firearm’s trigger and trigger guard. Similarly, a cable lock is a cable that winds through a firearm’s chamber and out the magwell and is locked at the base of the firearm. Both types of locks prevent a firearm from being fired.
Lastly, one of the best options is a gun safe. Gun safes are typically made of steel alloy or iron and carbon and can be locked securely. They can weigh anywhere between 200 and 5,000 pounds (for professional-grade options). A few common locks include the key lock, digital lock, mechanical lock, and biometric lock.
Regardless of how you choose to secure your firearm, it is an important part of being a responsible firearm owner.
3. Research Your Laws
It is important to understand that you are expected to follow certain laws and regulations when owning a firearm. Failure to do so can land you in some serious trouble. Responsible gun ownership includes knowing the laws and regulations in your jurisdiction or jurisdictions you plan to travel to.
So, it is recommended and encouraged that you take the time to learn your local firearm laws. Every state has different laws and regulations, and thankfully, learning them can be quite simple.
Taking a firearm safety course, asking questions at a local gun range, or even using Google are effortless ways to learn the do’s and don’ts of firearm ownership in your area.
4. Keep It Clear
When involved with firearms, it is inevitable that at some point, someone will hand you a gun, or vice versa. Whether at a gun store, looking at a friend’s new gun, or at the range, you will likely be handed a firearm at some point.
Many long-time shooters know how to act or proceed when transferring firearms to different hands. However, unfortunately, I find that many new shooters do not.
The first step when receiving a firearm or handing someone a firearm is clearing it. In the firearm community, clearing your firearm means checking it to ensure it is empty.
To practice proper firearm safety, you should never hand someone a loaded firearm or get one in return. To clear a firearm, release the magazine, pull the slide back until it locks into place, and check the chamber for any ammunition. Both a visual and physical check are recommended. Once you have visually acknowledged there is no ammo, put your finger into the chamber and verify.
Clearing a gun is polite, safe, and an expected step every firearm owner must follow. Even if it is empty, even if you see the person has already checked it, or even if you do not feel like it, clear that firearm. You never know what could happen, and much like the fourth safety rule, always assume that a firearm is loaded.
5. Proper Maintenance
Once you become a firearm owner, you may think that you can just shoot them to your heart’s content and then forget about them until the next time you go to the range. I am here to tell you that this type of thinking is extremely wrong.
In order for your firearm to work the best it can, it needs to be cared for. This means introducing proper maintenance checks into your routine.
Firearm maintenance can be as simple as breaking it down to inspect it, replacing broken or worn-down parts, or regularly taking it to the range. After all, you will not know if your firearm is having a problem unless you use or access it.
However, I find the best time to maintain my firearm is when I am cleaning it. Cleaning allows me to take a good look at my gun and inspect anything that could be wrong.
Nonetheless, if you do not want to do it or need help figuring out a problem, I recommend taking your firearm to a gunsmith. For those unaware, a gunsmith is a person trained to clean, repair, assemble, and disassemble firearms.
I find that you are a better firearm owner the moment you decide to become a responsible one. A responsible firearm owner is someone who follows the four rules of safety, invests in excellent-quality gun storage for their home, educates themselves on their local laws, knows the importance of clearing a firearm, and keeps up on basic firearm maintenance.
Once you achieve each of these steps, you will quickly become the type of gun owner that everyone will appreciate and look up to.
