Should they really be labeled “accidents”?
Most common “accidents”:
 “I thought the gun was unloaded”
 “I thought the safety was on”
 “I was just cleaning the gun”
“Accident” or “Unsafe Handling”?
Gun “accidents” are typically caused by either:
 Ignorance
▪ Failure to learn or properly understand safe gun handling
procedures
-OR Carelessness
▪ Failure to take the time to properly apply safe gun handling
procedures (shortcutting)
A gun can only shoot a projectile if the trigger
is activated.
Treating guns with proper respect is the key
No matter how many times you have handled
firearms.
Physically – Should be confident while
handling weapon
Mentally – Not overconfident with your
gun handling ability
Overall mindset should be that you are
expecting the gun to fire
What are “Universal
Safety Rules”?
These are safety rules
used by military, law
enforcement, and gun
ranges around the
world for safe training
Universal Firearms Safety Rules:
 All guns are always loaded
 Never point a gun at anything you are not willing to
destroy
 Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are
on the target
 Be sure of your target, backstop, and beyond
Safety rules can
be remembered
with the acronym
S.A.F.E.
S – Suppose
the gun is
loaded
Rule # 1
All guns
are always
loaded
SUPPOSE
Maintaining this
mindset should
prevent a person
from treating a
firearm carelessly
A – Aim the
gun in a safe
direction
Rule # 2
Never
point a
gun at
anything
you are not
willing to
destroy
AIM
A gun can only
fire a projectile in
the direction it is
pointed
F – Finger off
the trigger
Rule # 3
Keep your
finger off
the trigger
until your
sights are
on the
target
FINGER
Activating the
trigger is the only
way to cause a gun
to fire a projectile
E – Everything in
the path of the
bullet accounted
Rule # 4
Be sure of
your
target,
backstop,
and
beyond
EVERYTHING
Remember that
bullets are generally
designed to travel
through things, not
into them
What is the best way to secure a firearm?
 Gun Safe
 Trigger Lock
 Barrel Lock
Goals Of Safe Storage
 Prevent Children From Access
 Prevent Untrained Adults From Access
 Make Theft Of Firearm Difficult
 Keep Firearm Accessible For Your Needs