Firearm Safety Training

Gun accidents grab newspaper headlines all the time. A teenager sneaks a pistol out of the house to impress his friends, and somebody ends up wounded--or worse. A child finds a loaded pistol in the house and thinks it is a toy. A hunter accidentally shoots a fellow sportsman out in the woods. Nobody can eliminate every danger when it comes to firearms, but safety training can help minimize risks.

  1. Function

    • Many states mandate safety training for concealed handgun permits and hunting licenses, with the goal to make you aware of the risks for every action you take with your firearms. While state requirements differ, you will likely learn about firearm laws in your state, proper storage and transport, how to assess targets and fire your weapon, and your civil liability. Some firearm safety courses teach children what to do if they find a firearm, such as the National Rifle Association's Eddie Eagle program. Some state programs, such as the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, also offer youth firearms safety training.

    Home Safety

    • Whether you want to hunt deer or carry a pistol for personal protection, many states require firearm safety training before you can obtain the necessary license. A large part of firearm safety training focuses on the dangers of guns in the home. Courses teach the proper locking and storage of your guns and proper firearm behaviors. For example, you may learn to never bring a loaded gun into the house, as in the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources firearms safety course. Firearm safety training also teaches proper ammunition storage, such as keeping bullets locked separately from guns. Finally, you may gain crucial knowledge about the leading causes of gun accidents, as in the National Rifle Association's Home Firearm Safety course.

    Safety Outside Home

    • When you take your firearms outside the home--whether for hunting, shooting sports or personal protection--you have safety and legal obligations, and firearm safety training helps you to meet them. If you apply for a concealed handgun permit, your state will likely require firearm safety training that teaches you where, when and how you can transport your gun, as well as your criminal and civil liability, as in the Arkansas Concealed Handgun Carry License Firearm Safety Training course. You will learn proper gun handling, such as never pointing a firearm at someone or something unless you intend to shoot.

      As a hunter, you will learn many of the same basic firearm safety techniques and rules, but you also may learn first aid and survival training, landowner relations and the legal obligations of hunters, as in the Maine Department of Fisheries and Wildlife Firearms Hunter Safety course. You will also learn safe handling of shotguns or rifles.

    Misconceptions

    • Many people believe that playing with unloaded weapons poses no hazard, but you should never goof around with a firearm--even if you think it has no ammunition. This invites accidents, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources website. It also conveys the wrong impression to children, who may believe they can play with the firearms, too.

    Warning

    • Pregnant women who choose to take a firearms safety course may expose the fetus to lead. Hormones can cause pregnant women to absorb lead more rapidly than the general population, according to the Baltimore County, Maryland, website. Lead can pass into the placenta and endanger the fetus. Children may also have greater vulnerability, according to the Maryland, website.