YSK the four rules of firearm safety
Why YSK: Even if you don't own a gun, there is a chance you can encounter one at the home of a friend or family member. These are the four core rules of gun safety, but the same can be used with airsoft/paintball guns, nerf or even chemical spray bottles!
First, treat every firearm as if it were loaded. Even if it was clear the last time you saw it. If looking at a gun with someone else and they assure you it's not loaded, you can respectfully ask them to clear it in front of you before you handle it yourself.
Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to destroy. Pretend there is a lazer beam coming from the barrel. Don't let that "beam" point at anyone. That is known as "flagging". In nearly all cases keeping the barrel pointing down between your feet is a good move.
Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire. This includes the whole trigger guard area. Most people keep their finger on the frame well above the trigger guard, pointing their finger in the same direction as the barrel. This is known as "trigger discipline".
Finally be sure of your target and what's behind it. Bullets can still travel a long way even after they pass through a target. If you are target shooting make sure there is a solid backstop. If in a real life situation you must positively ID the threat, no shooting at shadows or noises.
Lastly, secure your firearms you uncultured swines that don't.
Not only for your safety, but the safety of your children if you have some. I hate that people don't follow this rule.
Saw an article recently about this 10 year old who shot his dad in the head while the dad slept next to the mother. Kid found the key to the gun storage when searching for the Nintendo Switch his dad took away from him, and he was angry at the dad, found the gun... Now he has no dad. Mom woke up to a loud bang and the sound of liquid pouring on the floor.
Devastating read. Really tragic.
That's horrible! That's why I went for a safe with a fingerprint reader. Easier access for me and harder access for the kids.
This is the way. Store your ammo separately too.
Where I grew up you had to store weapons in two distinct places, like part of the firing mechanism in one.
But I'm not usanian so I don't need to dream about grabbing a GUN and fight off The Bad Guys. I don't even have a firearm.
I am curious as to how you equate safe handling of firearms with fantasies about fighting off bad guys. Because there are many reasons to own firearms.
No there isn't.
But I guess you don't value life.
Does that come with a backup generator in case they cut off electricity?
It doesn't need backup power. It's just a small gun safe for a pistol.
Thieves love those. Just by looking at it, you know there's a gun in there. They're light and small enough you can pick up and steal the whole thing, no problem. Then, you can smash it open when you get somewhere else with no tools required. If you spike it like a football with both hands onto concrete and concentrate the force onto one of the lid's corners, it'll pop right open after a few tries. Most of the hinges can also be easily attacked if you have some basic tools and need to be quiet.
There is no way to deter a determined thief who has enough time. A primary reason to have such a safe is to secure the weapon from children. I don’t care what kind of safe you have, all can be defeated by a determined enough thief with enough time.
Does it have its own battery then? What does the fingerprint reader use to draw power?
It has disposable batteries and a charging port. It's similar to this model.
Boy he'll really regret using an electronic safe when the world runs entirely out of batteries for six straight months
I'm thinking if that happens, there will be enough reason since a while back to already have taken the gun out 😅
They come with keys too, lol.
In hindsight it’s a small miracle neither I, my siblings, or my cousins ever got ourselves or someone else hurt with the guns that were casually left out at my grandparents’ house. It was drilled into me to never touch them without someone watching me first, but what if I’d just not given a fuck, you know? I can’t imagine doing the same with a kid today. Different times.
also the safety of the children and general community what live around you (if they enter into your calculations). when i was growing up, the neighbor was a professor at the prestigious university down the way. they thought it was enough to teach their kid gun safety and store the gun in a safe place in their room and for their house it was. problem was some dipshit who wanted to roll with the norteños across the way. broke into the professor's place, took their gun, shot at some other dipshits and was fortunately a terrible shot. ditched the gun, the police recovered it and brought it back. fortunately we were already paying our bribes so when they came around asking and i told them i didn't know, they believed me (they knew my tells already when i lied: we played poker for halloween candy thursdays after
karatebribe practice and i suuuucked at poker😘)It can be a felony in California to fail to secure your firearms
Average Aussie here.. aside from on the hip of a police officer, the blokes moving money or on video, I haven’t even seen a gun in over 20 years.. good post for those who do hang around guns though
Unfortunately here in the US it’s increasingly pertinent information. It makes me want to pack up my family and leave to somewhere sane (er).
Australia is a great place, except that everything that isn't a gun is also trying to kill you.
New Zealand is like Aus's overly earnest cousin, but has better internet and not even on most maps.
Not true. In Australia, except for the sharks, spiders, snakes, bees, crocodiles, drop bears, mosquitoes, jellyfish, scorpions, ants, bats, fish, snails, dingoes, centipedes, wasps, octopuses, possums, ticks, sea snakes, emus and other birds, there's really not much trying to kill you.
/s (yes, the should not be necessary, but have you met people)
Don't forget that bush that makes you want to die.
Because guns are ubiquitous in the US, I taught our son, and his friends these rules as soon as they were able to understand and remember them, e.g. 10-13 years old. This is because should they encounter guns somewhere they need to immediately know if those firearms are being handled safely. And I told them to immediately leave the area to f they ever come across people handling guns in an unsafe manner.
Guns are still a thing here in Australia. It's just more balanced and reasonable than the USA.
My town has a shooting club, game reserves and is surrounded by farms. Seasonally we wake up to the sound of gunfire in the distance from hunters.
I've known professional people in the heart of our biggest cities who love nothing more than to head out bush and shoot feral animals when they can.
You won't stumble onto a firearm at your kids school for obvious reasons but there could be some under lock and key in a gun safe at your mates house. It's not unreasonable to know some basics.
That sounds exactly what it's like where I live, in the USA!!! Big country, many different laws. I live in New Jersey, which has some of the strictests gun laws in the country, and wouldn't you know it, we also have the least amount of gun violence in the country. Imagine that?
The US isn't a homogenized wild west, there is a lot of nuance, and I don't like where I live being lumped in with some of the less civilized places.
It's an extreme outlier, but you guys did just have a very well-publicized mass shooting there barely over a month ago (fuck man, it feels so much longer than that)
And to boot, a random civilian struggled with and took a gun from one of the attackers.
You probably won't find yourself in that kind of situation, and I certainly hope you never do. But these kinds of things can happen anywhere. I'm quite certain that Ahmed el-Ahmed didn't have "hold a gun" on his to-do list that day, but nonetheless it happened, however briefly.
And if you ever do find yourself in that kind of situation, it's best to know how not to hurt yourself or others with that gun you've unexpectedly come into possession of.
I live in TX. I see more guns going Home Depot than a military parade
Even if you don't like guns or even want to be around firearms, this is incredibly important information to understand. We live in a world of violence and weapons. Understanding how they work is important or at the very least how to not kill someone accidentally because you were ignorant.
If you see someone ignoring these rules, you know to look out, say something, or act. Whichever is the appropriate action. And, God forbid (or whateveryou might believe), you have to use a firearm, you understand the important rules of gun safety. Remember, you have to screw up multiple of the rules to cause a real deadly incident, if the gun goes off because your a dummy and put your finger on the trigger, but you had it pointed to the ground then likely everyone is okay and you are just an idiot. Safety first, always
Some years ago I acted as crew on an ultra-low budget film. We didn't have the budget for simulated firearms so we had to use real ones. Everyone involved in the project agreed that extreme care was warranted. We made certain that there was no live ammunition anywhere near the set. Firearms were locked up unless they were being held by a trained crew member or an actor. The actors were all taught the basics of how their firearms operated and how to check the chambers. The prop handlers and actors checked every firearm every time it changed hands, even when they had just watched the person who handed it to them check the chamber.
With all of that in place, we still insisted on following the other rules as well. Trigger discipline was maintained at all times, including while filming scenes. Camera angles were adjusted so that firearms never had to pointed at anyone or anything that we were not willing to damage. Actors were careful to keep their firearms pointed in the safe directions that had been arranged, even when simulating their use.
It was a fair amount of trouble and it added time to a very tight operation, but there were absolutely no incidents, or near incidents, or concerns that there might be an incident. That is how everyone who handles firearms should treat them in real life. It takes a little time and attention, but it isn't difficult. And following even one of the safety rules makes it impossible for anyone to be hurt accidentally.
Learning and following the safety rules is a cheap investment for the benefit of not accidentally killing someone.
With reading this I'm always amazed that incidents like the rust movie still happen.
If you set things up like this where everyone checks each other as well, it becomes really hard to somehow get a bullet on set, and then in a gun...
We were fortunate to have a producer/director who felt strongly about safety and was willing to spend the extra time necessary. A lot of the time, especially for productions that are running on a shoestring, everyone is pushed very hard to reduce the time and cost to an absolute minimum. The low pay selects for inexperienced armorers and the time constraints means that the armorer is constantly being pressured not to "waste" any time. An armorer who is believed to have "slowed down" a production may be fired and will have trouble finding more work. That is what happens everywhere when money is more important than people.
Someone should have told Baldwin
Modification to the first one, at least for me — I don’t care if I literally just watched you check it in front me of me before handing it over, I’m still checking. Always. I would expect others to do the same. First, it is just a reassurance, and second, it shows I actually know how to check it myself.
Finally, I didn’t see it listed, but keep the safety on until you’re ready. This kinda goes with the “keep finger off trigger” rule, in that it offers an extra degree of protection.
Agreed, but I think they meant if you don’t know how to clear it.
When I got my gun, first thing I taught my wife was how to check and clear it. Then we played a game: check, clear, rack, pass. No magazine or rounds involved. So I’d get it from her, lock the slide back, check the magazine well, check the barrel from the top, hold it up to the light (trigger finger on the frame), then rack the slide, and pass it back — muzzle aimed down, as one does.
Oh goddess yes. Handed a revolver (cylinder out to show it was empty) to a friend who is ex-military and was a designated sharpshooter ... back in the 70s ...
He proceeded to play with the cylinder and then flick it closed, because that's how they do it in the movies >:-(
If you don't really know how to handle a gun you should say so, and let the owner walk you through how to handle it ... assuming they actually follow the golden rules.
I agree and I do the same! Like others have said this is for someone who might have just learned the 4 safety rules for the first time and I didn't want to dive into that just yet
Definitely use a safety when present, but some guns intended for everyday carry do not have traditional safety switches. They rely on trigger and/or grip safeties to reduce the chance of negligent discharge.
Don't be discouraged if you look for a safety and can't find it. Just obey the other rules of firearm safety to minimize (because you'll never truly eliminate) the risk of injury.
To be honest, I don’t trust to safeties in general. I just assume all guns are loaded and that pulling the trigger will cause it to fire.
Its been 40 years and still have not come across one after having lived in multiple south american and European countries.
you didn't go through a major train station in London? there's usually armed guards there.
They said EUropean countries, not rope island /j
A bunch of year ago, but I never noticed it. But in the spirit of the post I wouldn't have to worry about knowing how to handle those guns anyway.
Or China, or Russia, or Ukraine, or any 3rd world country, or even some 2nd world countries.
Actually it would probably be easier to name the places you won't see a gun than places you can.
Which country are you from?
I live in Israel, where there's actually valid reasons to own a gun for defense, and I still hardly ever see one except on soldiers or police. I can only recall a single time I saw a civilian's pistol, which they only showed me because we were having a conversation on the topic.
Granted, soldiers with guns is an everyday occurrence on pubic transport, so maybe you have a point. But still, gun safety/violence is not even remotely as big an issue as it is in USA.
Not the person you replied to, but I live in Spain and outside the cities there's plenty of guns around.
Mostly for farmers / hunting / trap competition, but also old heirlooms from the civil war that are still operational ... and target shooting, which is what I do.
Yeah Israelis need guns to murder people and steal their homes
What's the valid reason?
Terror attacks. Every now and then someone tries stabbing people with a knife or running over people with a car. Sometimes they are successful. Most incidents like this end with the terrorist getting shot, usually by a nearby police officer or soldier (on- or off-duty at the time). But occasionally it's a civilian with a weapon.
::: spoiler Political shit Of course, I was talking about terror attacks by arabs against jews, but there's no shortage of terror attacks by jews against arabs. These, "naturally", usually end with no charges. Yeah, this place is fucked.
This asymmetry is obvious enough that it's even brought up and criticized often in mainstream media. But with the current administration it's unlikely anything will change, and who know what the hell is going to happen in the upcoming elections. Cult-followers outnumber sensible people. :::
Maybe stop occupying their land then?
If you're talking about the illegal settlements in the west bank, you're damn right they should stop. It's been a point of contention within Israel since it began, and I think it should be stopped, and should never have started to begin with.
If you're talking about the entire country of Israel, kindly fuck off. This is an old nuanced and complex issue, your reductionism of is only making it impossible to talk about it realistically. No, the entire Jewish population of Israel is not going to just leave the only country they've ever lived in.
I do believe it is possible, in the far future, for us to coexist peacefully here. Sadly everything seems to be going in the opposite direction.
If you see innocent Palestinians /s
Russia has very strict gun controls.
And guns are expensive.
This just happened. Could not ask for better.
And now, for the obligatory drivel:
I live in one of the countries where more guns are owned and kept by civilians in Europe and the times I've seen one, it was on a police officer belt or on a museum.
Portugal (I was surprised when I learned this) has a lot of guns in civilian hands, mostly small handguns and hunting rifles, mostly shotguns and carabines.
The average hunter - I live in a somewhat rural area - stores guns empty, with trigger locks in place. And having more than one gun requires a gun safe, that is routinely inspected by police. Handguns have to be stored in lock boxes or safes unloaded. Ammunition must be stored separately and outside a minimal range of the guns.
Secret storage compartments are forbidden. Open carry is forbidden. Concealed carry is mostly standard here but manifesting it, with no reason, is a serious crime.
Gun violence is not rampant here, regardless what sensationalist news outlets and social networks desinformation campaigns try to do.
Most people never see a gun their entire life and if confronted with one will instantly call the police for safe removal.
So... I appreciate this kind of topic but it always strikes me as unnecessary for the average reality.
Ehhh, you probably could if you weren't extremely close and it was the right firearm.
There's a lot of variation between different guns when it comes to volume- even the same caliber can be dramatically quieter out of a long barrel. I own a .22lr rifle that's entirely fine to shoot without ear protection, and a .22lr revolver that's definitely not fine to shoot without ear protection.
What I'm getting at is 12ga is fucking loud, even by gun standards. In an enclosed space? I bet you had tinnitus for awhile.
Do you know how many dB that 22lr is actually producing? I would bet it's actually just inside the danger zone with most ammo.
No clue. It wouldn't surprise me if it was technically outside of hearing safe, but it's not actively uncomfortable to shoot. It's a single shot bolt action so I'm not gonna do long term hearing damage fast lol.
Honest question: Why is open carry forbidden, but concealed carry can be okay in certain contexts? The idea of being coy about whether or not one has a gun seems more alarming than somebody unquestionably having a gun that everyone can see. Not brandishing it, but rather just being honest and open with everyone about the idea that you're carrying a gun seems less upsetting to me than the unanswered question of who might possibly have a hidden gun on them if they had that special kind of feeling when they woke up this morning.
A visible weapon generates discomfort. Unless on a police agent, nobody likes to see a gun here. It's a threat. Hence the default for concealed carry.
Knowing that concealed guns are out there keeps the bad guys guessing, open carry scares normal people are makes it easier for the bad guys to get the drop on lawful carriers
For the vast majority of people that conceal carry a gun, the goal is still to be peaceful and avoid trouble. They want to live life as they normally would just with that extra training and capability. Some do it for personal reasons (stalkers, violent exes and so on) or because their area is generally sketchy. Sometimes it's just a preference. You usually don't hear about them because on average they are responsible.
Open carry has a place, like on hikes in the woods for example. But people who open carry in public areas like restaurants are trying to make a statement. To everyone around them the vibe is "don't mess with me...or else". It draws tons of attention. People may take photos or alert security/police. And any bad actor knows exactly who to surprise and take out first. That's why it is generally deemed as a bad idea and counterproductive
Treat the barrel of a gun like it has an infinite length death laser pointing out of it at all times.
No, it doesn't matter if you just unloaded it, or saw someone else unload it. The barrel stays pointing down range and away from people.
Yeah, if it's never ok to do you'll never do it willingly and will treat any errors as grave. If it's ok sometimes you'll occasionally make mistakes about which time it is
Another rule - If you're actually firing a gun and never have, only load one bullet. I've seen plenty of videos where someone fires a second accidental shot because they weren't ready for the recoil. More of an issue with bigger caliber guns but firearm negligence can be fatal so don't fuck about.
That's why clay pigeon shooters only load one cartridge at the time and only once it's their turn.
That would unironically be a major point in break-action's favor; unless you're dealing with multi-barrel, eg. like a double-barreled or triple-barreled shotgun, you can only load one round at a time with break-action, ditto for single-round bolt-action weapons (as in the type where you manually load one round at a time).
Doesn't even need to be single shot
I'm sure that theoretically you could be so surprised by the recoil that you'd somehow cycle the bolt and pull the trigger to fire a second shot, but trying to imagine how that could actually happen only conjures up some pretty wild Rube Goldberg scenarios for me.
So I guess if it's your first time shooting, don't do it with any kind of repeating firearm in a room full of mouse traps, ball bearings, umbrellas, boxing gloves, etc.
don't you make me dream. i still prefer bolt action myself
Those (triple-barreled shotguns) actually exist in the form of the Chiappa Triple Crown and Triple Threat.
I have never once seen this in a controlled range environment.
These are good practices for anything that shoots projectiles, not just weapons. I replaced some baseboard trim in the house a few months ago, and was extremely careful regarding where I pointed the air nailer, particularly when it was under pressure.
Would you have a good video of what that looks like? I don't think someone should be handling a gun if they're that unsure, but it still might be helpful to someone
I don't have a specific video recommendation handy, but I'm sure if you punch "how to safely clear a [pistol/revolver/rifle/shotgun]" into YouTube you'll get 10,000 good results.
As a general overview though (and bear in mind that there's countless models of firearms out there, so there's bound to be some outliers that don't quite fit into this.)
Step 0. Make sure you are keeping the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and your finger off the trigger at all times.
Step 1. If there's a removable magazine, remove it.
Step 2. Pull back the slide/cocking handle/bolt/pump/lever, if there's a round in the chamber, this should eject it. There's an important reason to do this after removing the magazine, because releasing that mechanism will load the next round from the magazine there is one in there.
Step 3. Repeat that at least 1 more time to make extra sure that another round didn't get loaded. Keep going until no round ejects. For some guns where the magazine isn't removable, like some pump action shotguns, it can sometimes be quicker or more convenient to do that repeatedly than to remove the rounds manually.
Step 4. Lock open the action of the firearm and visually confirm that there is no round in the chamber and nothing in the magazine well.
Step 1R. (if you are clearing a Revolver.) Release the cylinder
Step 2R. Press the ejector rod to eject the rounds.
Step 3R. Visually confirm that all of the rounds have ejected.
You would "clear it" by "opening" the action. A firearm cannot be fired with the action open. What that looks like depends on the type of action.
Edit: It's a good firearm safety protocol to open the action before handing a weapon to someone. Always, always, always assume that it's loaded.
Between my buddies, whenever we are looking at each other's guns we'll pick it up. Check that it's unloaded, hand it to the other person and they will also check it again that it's empty.
We don't care if we literally watched each other clear it right before handing it to us. We always do it.
Remove the magazine (or cartridges)
Open the action and confirm no cartridge is present
The exact steps will depend on the action (pump, bolt, break, semi-auto, etc.) and the particular model of firearm, but it's essentially the loading process performed in reverse
….. And don’t go out in the woods during deer season because there’s always someone treating a deadly weapon all too casually and don’t think those rules apply to them
Rule 0: Don’t fucking handle with guns in the first place, if you don’t know the basic rules.
Gotta start somewhere, we were all inexperienced once. But yeah this is a case where you should take your time and learn what you're doing
I'd offer this as well: if you don't have to pick up a gun, don't pick one up.
So just leave it there for some kid to find?
That's an example of when the gun needs to be picked up and secured. Also the kid may have the proper firearms training.
What if the kid needs it?
good point
Then it's the kids problem
Maintenance should probably be in there too: A poorly maintained firearm is potentially dangerous to the user.
Doing proper maintenance is more applicable to someone who owns or is responsible for firearms. I think the rule for the casual finder would be adding something like "assume moving any part of the gun may cause something inside to explode".
The rule for a casual finder would be to not touch it at all: If you find a random firearm, leave it the hell alone and report it to the authorities. It could be a weapon used in a crime and it's probably not a great idea to get your fingerprints on it.
I really wish trigger discipline was a public service announcement. You know those commercials they used to put on the tv all the time about stop, drop, and roll for fire safety. I wish there was one for trigger discipline.
If you practice trigger discipline, it takes care of most the other rules. In a high stress or excitable situation, if you go into fight or flight mode, the first thing you do is make a fist without even realizing it. You don't want your finger to be hovering over the trigger when this happens.
I wonder how many lives would be saved if this was repeated enough to be made common knowledge.
Considering all of the times a child has accidentally discharged a firearm and killed someone, I don't think it's as many as the other rules.
In other words :
(This is meant to make the rules easy to remember, not to make fun of them)
For sure all this, one note, rule 0 is
If you don't know what to do (RE: these other four rules and how to operate that specific firearm) or are nervous, don't goddamn touch it unless you have to. If it's a safe situation and not something out of the ordinary like kids or burglars are around and the owner is dead, go get the owner of the gun or someone who is experienced enough to handle them safely.
Yeah. I used to work in a destination outdoors store that sold sometimes hundreds of guns in a day. Once every few years we would find an unattended firearm in the store - usually in the bathroom. People would have a gun in a holster, and when the belt came off and slid down they'd lose retention and slide behind the toilet.
Even though every employee from the janitor to the cashier to the finance people were required to be trained on how to safely handle a firearm, we had a small list of managers that were allowed to handle guns that had been left unattended.
Out of 200 employees there were 8 of us allowed to secure a weapon.
The worst case of abandoned guns we had was someone who bought a concealed-carry purse, decided they didn't like it and returned it. 2 weeks later they came by to ask if they'd left their gun in it.
I found it in the purse on the sales floor. The customer service team got a very stern lecture on another reason why we always inspect returns.
sigh the number of coworkers who I've had talk about their couch guns…
I've never so much as touched a gun and I know all of this. I suppose I've just absorbed it through constant contact in my peripheral. Recent movies are getting trigger discipline better, but TV shows still get it wrong.
Does every gun store have a jar for rounds they found in guns that have been handed to them?
No. That would require too many jars, and seems like a waste of ammo.
Also, couldn't most of this also apply to things like industrial paint guns or grease guns given the very real possibility for a horrible death by high-pressure injection with those?
I practice safe handling with the handheld barcode scanners at the hardware store checkout.
Do not point the scanner at anything you do not intend to scan.
Keep your finger away from the trigger until you're ready to scan.
Be aware of your surroundings including what is behind your target.
I would extend it to any gunlike, or vaguely gun shaped object, even those that cannot cause harm. Don't become complacent with safety practices even when it doesn't matter.
#AllGunsMatter
"High pressure injection" made me think of some gruesome deaths from paint and grease that I'm certainly sure can't be what you mean 😬 vivid picture though.
There is a good Hydraulic press video of high-pressure injections into clear ballistic gel, and it's fuckin wild. You can have something that looks like a little dribble of water coming out of a flexible line. Grab the line to remove it and bam, you just had a bunch of hydraulic fluid shot into your bloodstream, which will create an oil embolism and kill you.
That'd have to be at close range though, to create some sort of a temporary seal, right (as far as my physics intuition says)? Otherwise it should behave roughly similar to water in an open environment, where it would have to be the speed of the jet hitting you that does the raw damage.
Yeah, you pretty much need surface to surface contact.
Holmatro does as well, specifically with that injury being simulated using a ballistic gel arm with fake bones in it, at 750 bar/10.4k psi. The oil from that simulated 10.4k psi leak blew right through that fake hand.
I kinda don't wanna imagine how terrible that would be to happen to someone in the real world if they touched an actual leaky hose at those pressures in the field. Also...
Hard pass on that Jesus.
Basically, if pressure from a stream of liquid is high enough, 100psi/6.8bar is enough to hurt a person, it'll break your skin and there's your injection; this is why for, say, anyone working in the diesel mech field, for example, never touching a leaking fuel line is rule #1 because of the immense pressures those are typically under, which will result in a hydraulic injection injury if ever touched, basically as Bytemeister already pointed out.
Industrial paint guns or grease guns also operate under high enough pressures to cause an injection injury.
TIL that's a big no thanks from me. I'll stay far and away from any leaking fuel lines.
So all guns then...?
Before I ever got a firearm, or before that paintball gun, I had this driven into me regarding power tools. I hold a drill the same way I hold a gun which I’ve been made fun of for, but I’ve never caught my clothes in a drill bit, or cut myself with a hole cutter like others I know. I also always put the safety on.
Lazer
Light amplification through ztimulated emission of radiation.
Let me summarise it in just one: never touch the gun
That's actually not a good one. For example if you are at a playground and you see someone left their gun you definatley want to move it somewhere where kids aren't going to get it. Its up to you if you call the cops.
I found a tazer at a bus stop once and I callled the police. It wasn't until they got there that I learned it was a tazer (I didn't want to open the holster it was in for fear of getting my fingerprints on a murder weapon). If I knew it was a tazer I would have just put it in my backpack and owned a tazer.
And if you must touch the gun, please consider: instead maybe don't
cough Join SRA cough
The most important rule of firearms safety is to keep away from the US.
Yeah, I love these posts by Americans. I once tried to explain to them, that I don't need to know how to handle a gun as I never saw one in my life and probably never will. They couldn't comprehend.
YSK not everyone lives in a unstable country.
YSK that there are guns in every country
YSK nearly every stable country have reasonable gun restrictions so that it is not easily accessible for someone to fool around. Or they are unstable countries like Afghanistan, Sudan.