History UsefulNotes / GunSafety

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%%Before adding any more, stop by the discussion to see if there's a way to lump any additions in with other points so we can keep the list concise. Poor thing has been having trouble staying short and to the point, with various repetition. This page may get pruned for extra tips repetitious. Yes, we should emphasize some points, but this is TV Tropes, not a professional safety course. And remember; the more you write, the less they'll read. Writing a shorter more concise article is more likely to help people than thousands of words of guff.

!!''DISCLAIMER: This page has been provided for informational purposes only. The authors of TV Tropes can take no responsibility for any accidents that may result should you neglect proper training on the assumption that reading this was sufficient.'' [[note]] It's good to read this, but go take a hunter safety course already. It's only $10 or so.[[/note]]

There are many ways to handle a gun. [[IJustShotMarvinInTheFace Most of them are wrong.]] Here are some basic rules for handling firearms safely. Also, go to Website/YouTube and search "gun fail." You'll see lots of examples on how not to shoot a gun/rifle or things to be aware of and NOT to do.

* Blank cartridges are not harmless, even if you are certain that they are blank. Depending on the type of weapon, it is possible for some combination of a jet of flame, particles of propellant, wadding used to seal the gunpowder into the blank cartridge, fragment(s) of brass from the cartridge itself, and/or a foreign body in the barrel to strike a person with enough force or heat to cause severe injury or death. This is what caused [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crow_(1994_film)#Brandon_Lee%27s_death the death of Brandon Lee]] on the set of ''Film/TheCrow'', and [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jon-Erik_Hexum#Death the death of Jon-Erik Hexum]] on the set of ''Cover Up''. Never fire a blank cartridge directly at another person, or in close proximity to them. The probability of these type of accidents is why movie and TV actors today undergo actual firearms training before shooting even ''flash-paper non-guns'' on set.\\

* Obviously firing blanks is a different situation, although you should be aware that discharging a firearm in city limits is often a crime whatever the type of ammunition. If your line of work deals with discharging firearms within an earshot of the public, you ''must'' call your local police department and inform them what you're doing. However blanks are ''not'' guaranteed to be safe, [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blank_(cartridge)#Safety and they can still be lethal at close range]]. There have been numerous cases of individuals being killed by the discharged wadding from a blank cartridge, such as the late actor Jon-Erik Hexum, or [[Film/TheCrow Brandon Lee]]. Treat blanks the way you would a live round.

!!''[[AC:Disclaimer:]] This page has been provided for informational purposes only. The authors of TV Tropes can take no responsibility for any accidents that may result should you neglect proper training on the assumption that reading this was sufficient.'' [[note]] It's good to read this, but go take a hunter safety course already. It's only $10 or so.[[/note]]

'''''Disclaimer''': This page has been provided for informational purposes only. The authors of TV Tropes can take no responsibility for any accidents that may result should you neglect proper training on the assumption that reading this was sufficient.'' [[note]] It's good to read this, but go take a hunter safety course already. It's only $10 or so.[[/note]]

* If you want a case note on this, consider Youtuber Kentucky Ballistics who [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1449kJKxlMQ experienced a catastrophic firearm failure]], seemingly due to a defective round producing more pressure than expected causing the weapon to explode. Element of fortune aside that he "only" had a lacerated jugular instead of it being completely severed, one reason he lived to tell the tale was that his cameraman was able to drive him to meet medical assistance, and even then he was ''very lucky'' to have survived. Having a plan might be the difference between recounting a crazy story, and "so that's why we're going to Bob's funeral this weekend".

# '''''Treat a gun as if it's always loaded''''', especially when it's "not". As a Spanish proverb says: "The devil loads your guns". You'd be surprised how many people were buried after being shot by a gun they or the person who shot them ''knew'' was empty. Even if you are offered a gun that the person claims is not loaded, check it anyway. If you are offered a gun and don't know how to check whether or not it is loaded, learn how ''before'' you handle it. Even if you just took it apart and reassembled it and know that it's 100% unquestionably empty, ''still'' act as if it's loaded. If nothing else, it keeps you in a good habit.

# Treat a gun as if it's always loaded, especially when it's "not". As a Spanish proverb says: "The devil loads your guns". You'd be surprised how many people were buried after being shot by a gun they or the person who shot them ''knew'' was empty. Even if you are offered a gun that the person claims is not loaded, check it anyway. If you are offered a gun and don't know how to check whether or not it is loaded, learn how ''before'' you handle it. Even if you just took it apart and reassembled it and know that it's 100% unquestionably empty, ''still'' act as if it's loaded. If nothing else, it keeps you in a good habit.

* There are three kinds of misfires: hangfire, dud, and squib.
** Hangfire means the cartridge has a delay before firing. This is anywhere from the time you pulled the trigger to about 60 seconds.

** There is a fourth type specifically for pre-cartridge era (so-called "ball and cap") revolvers called a chain fire. This is when firing a round causes one or more loaded chambers to fire. For this reason, if you plan on shooting something like a [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colt%27s_New_Model_Revolving_rifle Colt Revolving Rifle]] you ''must'' have your support hand behind the revolver cylinder, lest it chain fires and you lose your arm.

** If a cartridge does not fire, keep the gun pointed in a safe direction for 60 seconds in case of a hangfire. Then eject the magazine, pull the slide/bolt back to eject the cartridge, look at it to see that all of the bullet is still attached, store it in a steel container, and dispose of it properly at a later time. Dud cartridges should be treated as a live, and care should be taken when handling them. (Firing ranges should always have safe receptacles for these. If a prospective range does not, choose another.)

# Treat a gun as if it's always loaded, especially when it's "not". As a Spanish proverb says: "The devil loads your guns". You'd be surprised how many people were buried after being shot by a gun they or the person who shot them ''knew'' was empty. Even if you are offered a gun that the person claims is not loaded, check it anyway. If you are offered a gun and don't know how to check whether or not it is loaded, learn how ''before'' you handle it. Even if you just took it apart and reassembled it and know that it's 100% unquestionably empty, ''still'' act as if it's loaded. If nothing else, it keeps you in a good habit. \\\
In (way too many) gun stores they have a large closed pickle jar on the counter with pieces of ammunition inside. No, these are not free samples. They are the rounds that are found in guns brought in for maintenance, whose owners ''assured the clerks that the guns were empty.''.

# Treat a gun as if it's always loaded, especially when it's "not". As a Spanish proverb says: "The devil loads your guns". You'd be surprised how many people were buried after being shot by a gun they or the person who shot them ''knew'' was empty. Even if you just took it apart and reassembled it and know that it's 100% unquestionably empty, it's loaded. If nothing else, it keeps you in a good habit.\\\

** If you are scared of wounding or killing others with firearms, or feel too inexperienced to use them, you shouldn't use them.

*** While there is such a thing as AcceptableTargets in fiction, the concept doesn't apply to violence in the real world. While hating Neo-Nazis and other hate groups is encouraged in society, going on a shooting spree against these people is not defensible, and you as a gun broker should take steps to prevent this from happening. While it is expected (and generally a positive sign) to hear anti-racist speech, be careful of people who make jokes like "man, if only I had a bullet for every Nazi in the world," or seem unusually focused on racism or other injustices in society. These people may be working themselves up into becoming a vigilante or worse. And lastly remember that anyone can be a racist against another group even they are themselves a minority. If you hear a potential customer make prejudiced comments against any group of people you should at the very least press them about the issue to find out if it's a deep seated grudge or not and take appropriate action.

# Be aware of who or what your target is and what is around and behind such. Do not fire if there is anyone or anything ''anywhere'' near your line of sight that you are not willing to hit/destroy.

Finally, in accordance with all the above rules, remember, human life is precious. Guns ''weren't'' invented to shoot the lock off a door, [[VideoGame/Receiver2 destroy the cameras of hostile robots]], frighten people, or show off tricks. '''They're meant to kill human beings''', and the better the gun, the better it is at killing people. If you buy a gun, any destruction it causes is directly down to you, even in the case of the most tragic of accidents. A family member, a friend, a burglar, an attacker, a jerk... no matter who they are or what they're doing, do you think you can take responsibility for ending their life? If you own a gun, you ''cannot'' do so with the knowledge that it will not one day end a life. Think about what you ''really'' need that gun for, and remember - if you don't own a gun, it can't be misused. End of story.

In (way too many) gun stores they have a large closed pickle jar on the counter with pieces of ammunition inside. No, these are not free samples. They are the rounds that are discovered in guns that people bring in to sell or have maintenance or repairs on that the weapon's owner ''assured the sales clerk they checked the weapon and it was empty''.