The following are generally known as “The Four Rules Of Gun Safety”.  They are the first thing I emphasize when teaching a new shooter how to handle a firearm. They are not original with me, but are important to all who desire to enjoy the safe handling of firearms.

1. All guns are always loaded.
2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it.

So there they are – but what do they mean?  Let’s take a look at each one and consider the importance thereof.

1. All guns are always loaded.
This simple rule means that you treat ALL guns as if they are loaded ALL the time. In other words, you don’t “empty” the gun and then treat it as f it were now an impotent hunk of steel. Many things can happen to cause an “unloaded” gun to  “suddenly” be loaded.  For example, many have the misconception that simply removing the magazine/clip from a firearm that it is now inoperable.  But the magazine/clip is there merely to provide a means of supplying new ammunition to the chamber of the weapon.  Simply removing it only removes additional ammunition, there very well may be a cartridge in the chamber. Some weapons are designed with a “magazine safety” which means that they supposedly will not fire if the magazine is removed. These “safties” can be overridden or damaged in various ways, resulting in a malfunction of the system and allowing the weapon to fire.  Another problem is that there can be a mental lapse (NO, not ME says the know it all) in which ammunition is returned to the firearm and it is now loaded.  A cartridge can remain in one of the chambers of a revolver even though the rest fell right out when it was opened.  To sum up – there are a LOT of ways for a cartridge to be present in a weapon that was assumed to be clear and empty.  Thus – ALL firearms are ALWAYS loaded.  Do NOT play with them as if they were not. Samuel L. Clemens wrote and spoke under the pseudonym of Mark Twain.  He came up with a lot of laughs, but also a lot of solid nuggets of truth.  Here’s what he had to say about “old, unloaded firearms”…

Don’t meddle with old unloaded firearms. They are the most deadly and unerring things that have ever been created by man. You don’t have to take any pains at all with them; you don’t have to have a rest, you don’t have to have any sights on the gun, you don’t have to take aim, even. No, you just pick out a relative and bang away, and you are sure to get him. A youth who can’t hit a cathedral at thirty yards with a Gatling gun in three-quarters of an hour, can take up an old empty musket and bag his mother every time at a hundred. Think what Waterloo would have been if one of the armies had been boys armed with old rusty muskets supposed not to be loaded, and the other army had been composed of their female relations. The very thought of it makes me shudder.
Mark Twain – Advice to Youth speech, 4/15/1882

2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy.
This simple rule ensures that if a negligent discharge DOES occur, nothing important will be damaged but one’s nerves, ears and pride.  Purposely pointing a firearm at a loved one, a pet or a valuable piece of property is stupid, idiotic and asinine at best. Even a “toy” such as a 22 LR (commonly called a Twenty Two) or a pellet gun or BB gun can cause death or serious injury.  By keeping the weapon always pointed in a safe direction you can prevent any negligent discharge from causing a tragedy.

3. Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target.
The trigger has been called by some the “happy button”. That is where almost anyone’s trigger finger automatically wants to go. And that is why they call it a “trigger finger”. The problem is, that trigger is what releases the sear and causes the firearm to discharge. By keeping the “trigger finger” straight until the sights are lined up with the target you prevent the firearm from discharging before the weapon is aligned in such a way that the bullet will go where it is intended to go.  Also, IF the weapon is “unloaded” but actually DOES have a cartridge in it, and IF one is negligently pointing the muzzle at something one does NOT wish to destroy – keeping the trigger finger OFF the trigger will often prevent a tragedy.  Obviously, the first two rules should ALWAYS be followed.  But the “Four Rules” are all layers of safety precautions that collectively ensure firearms safety but individually can also help prevent tragedies.

4. Be sure of your target and what is behind it.
This last one is of vital importance. A “rustling sound in the bushes” could be a bear, a deer, a bad guy – or your grandmother, hunting partner, son, dog or neighbor’s cow. That shadow down the hall could be a burglar, serial killer, rapist – OR it could be a family member who is planning a surprise party, getting a drink of water or otherwise is not where you expect them to be.  That is why being sure of your target (target identification) is paramount.  It ensures you’re not about to break rule number 2.  But what about the second part of this rule?  Bullets do not fall harmlessly to the ground merely because you missed your target.  They also do not necessarily stop INSIDE your target. A bullet can easily penetrate a perpetrator or game animal and STILL cause damage to objects and people on the other side of the target. There have been many instances of people killing two game animals with one shot – because they did not think about what would happen if the bullet passed clear through their target.  There have also been many instances where someone missed their target – and caused damage to that which was behind their target.  This is why a shot at an animal on a ridge is a bad idea.  You have NO way of knowing what is beyond your target and can easily cause extreme grief and harm to an innocent person.

The “Four Rules” are taught with a reason – to ensure safe and proper gun handling. Firearms are not in and of themselves dangerous objects.  They areinanimate objects.  They require an active agent to function.  If left alone they will simply lay there until they decompose from the effects of time and oxidation.  If they are improperly handled then they become dangerous – but the danger comes from improper handling.  Every year more people are killed in automobile accidents than with firearms. Yet few people are phobic about automobiles.  Hoplophobia (the fear of weapons) is very common in our culture today due to the ignorance of the masses about the proper handling of firearms.  In our conversation club meetings we have often touched this subject.  And to date I know of at least one incident in which a tragedy was prevented by one of our club members taking the initiative to correct the improper gun handling of a relative (who happened to be a police officer – but had no clue as to proper gun handling).

The only true “gun safety” is the one between your ears.  No button or lever can “make a gun safe”.  Only YOU can prevent firearms accidents by learning the Four Rules of safe gun handling and insisting on their fulfillment by anyone handling a firearm in your presence.


Recently I came across this page on the Weapons Man blog.  It’s called “How Many Safety Rules Are There?” and is well worth a look.