2786 Wilmington Pike, Kettering OH 45419
  Open Monday-Friday 11AM-7PM and most Saturdays 10AM-5PM

 Gun Safety

 Learn the Mechanical Characteristics of Your Firearm

  It is important to become thoroughly acquainted with the firearm you intend to use, because not all firearms are the same.   Know its mechanical characteristics as well as the mode of loading, unloading and carrying it safely. For example, depending   on the model, a firearm may or may not have a manual safety. If the firearm does have one, the safety may be "on" when the   switch is placed in an "up" position. On another firearm, it may be "off" in that same position.

  Read the owner's manual for your firearm, and get to know its every detail. Never assume that what applies to one brand or   model is exactly applicable to another. Ask questions about its function from the sales clerk or its previous owner. Take   lessons. If necessary, write the manufacturer for a copy of the manual for your gun.

 Treat Every Firearm As If It Is Loaded

  This is a good way to always remember to be alert around firearms and never relax your attention to the principles of safe   gun handling. If you treat every firearm, even the ones you know are unloaded, with the same degree of care that you would   when it is loaded, you will not only avoid lapsing into bad habits, but you will also set the best example to everyone around   you.

  Also, there is always the chance that you might be mistaken in thinking a particular firearm is indeed unloaded. One common   handling mistake associated with magazine-fed semi-automatic handguns is to assume the gun is unloaded simply because the   magazine has been removed. All too often, a live cartridge is sitting in the chamber because the user failed to open the action   (by pushing the slide to the rear) and visually inspect the chamber.

  Treating a firearm as if it is loaded also avoids potential accidents that might occur if someone, unknown to you, loaded a   cartridge into the chamber when your attention was elsewhere. Another danger is that you picked up someone else's firearm   by mistake.

  In summary, this rule is designed to neutralize the accidental momentary lapse in attention to safety standards. It also protects   against simple human errors that may occur if a loaded firearm is considered "unloaded" or "safe." Always perform safety   checks to visually and physically insure that every firearm is, in fact, unloaded.

 Always Point the Muzzle in a Safe Direction

  This is paramount among the universal rules of gun safety under any circumstance. A "Safe Direction" requires a bit of   common sense. The rule of thumb is that a "Safe Direction" is any direction that will produce no damage or injury should the   firearm discharge. Think in terms of penetration, too. That means that if you consider shooting at something, make certain   that there is no one or nothing you don't intend to damage behind or nearby your target.

  In general, the safest direction for the muzzle or front end of the barrel is pointing toward the ground. Pointing a gun at a   person is dangerous, and could be construed as a criminal threat.

 Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger

  Until you are actually ready to shoot, the safest place for your trigger finger is off the trigger and resting alongside the frame   above the trigger guard. Avoid at all costs the natural tendency to place your finger on the trigger when handling or moving   with a firearm. The trigger has one purpose: to fire the gun.

  If you are moving with your finger on the trigger and happen to stumble, fall, or run into someone, you could accidentally   discharge the gun. Similarly, if you are startled or frightened by a sudden loud noise or movement, your natural tendency to   tighten muscles under stressful situations may also cause you to inadvertently pull the trigger.

 Never Rely on a Mechanical Safety

  Safeties are mechanisms designed to prevent a firearm from firing. Many are designed to prevent accidental discharges when   a firearm is dropped. Long gun safeties, in general, prohibit the trigger from being used. They often don't block the hammer  or firing pin.

  Never use a safety as a substitute for safe handling practices. Certainly safeties should be used. However, like any   mechanical device, a mechanical safety might break or fail.

  Two universally-acknowledged "safe" practices are to unload a firearm and to keep your finger off the trigger. Nevertheless,   even when a firearm is checked and rechecked to insure it is unloaded, and even if your finger is resting solidly on frame the   above the trigger guard, that firearm should be handled as if it was loaded and ready to fire. The same principle of treating   the firearm as if it is ready to fire should be your rule of thumb, even when the safety is on.

 Keep Gun Unloaded and Action Open Until Ready to Shoot top

  The "action" of a firearm is the working mechanism where the process of readying a cartridge for firing, firing, and extracting   the empty cartridge casing takes place. In revolvers, this means swinging open the cylinder and removing the cartridges via   the ejector. In semi-automatic handguns, this means removing the magazine, locking the slide back, and visually inspecting the   chamber.

  The same can be said of rifles and shotguns. Hinged or Break-action long guns such as over-and-under and side-by-side   shotguns should opened to expose empty chambers. Semi-automatic or autoloading shotguns should have the operating   handle pulled and locked to the rear so the chamber is visible. Slide or pump action shotguns should have the slide pulled   rearward, exposing the chamber. Bolt action and lever action rifles, too, should be kept in a state where their chambers can   be seen as clearly empty.

  A firearm should always be kept unloaded until it is being used, whether at the range or prior to taking to the field in pursuit   of wild game. Under no circumstance is it necessary to keep a firearm loaded before a hunt begins, after a hunt ends, or on   the range when not actually engaged in controlled shooting.

 Know Your Target and What's Beyond It

  Whether on the range, in the field, or in the midst of a life-threatening situation, you must be absolutely certain of your target   and the background beyond. If you don't know what your bullet will strike, don't shoot.

  You must always be aware of certain characteristics of a bullet's trajectory or flight. Bullets can travel amazing distances.   When fired from a rifle, the low-power .22 short can travel for more than a mile and a quarter, and three miles is the   conservative distance a rifle using the 30-06 cartridge can send its bullet. Shotgun slugs have a range of more than half a mile,   while pellets can fly some 500 yards.

  If you are "plinking," that is engaging in informal recreational shooting, make certain that the background against which you   are shooting will not cause ricochets that direct the bullet back toward you or towards areas you don't want struck. If the   background beyond your target is solid rock or metal that is not angled towards the ground, there is a good chance that the   bullet will pass through a paper target, hit the background, and ricochet back at you. Or, it may pass through the intended   target and strike an unintended person or object beyond the target.

  Do not shoot if buildings or populated areas lie along your bullet's flight path, as you will endanger people and property. Even   shooting over a calm body of water is a very dangerous proposition. Calm water, like a smooth hard surface (such as a stone   floor, street, or concrete wall) will cause a bullet to deflect and travel a few inches above and parallel to that surface for quite   some distance.

  When hunting, do not shoot at a sound or movement. Be absolutely certain of your target. That sound of rustling leaves may   be a deer, or it well may be another hunter, camper, or hiker.

 Use Only the Correct Ammunition for Your Firearm

  Mixing ammunition of different calibers or gauges, or using ammunition that is loaded to pressures too extreme for safe use in   your firearm, is a formula for an accident that may destroy your firearm. Even worse, you could cause an accident that could   injure you or someone else.

  All firearms are built and "proof tested" to standards based on factory-loaded ammunition. Using hand loaded, reloaded, or   higher than normal pressure ammunition may result in pressures that are too powerful for a particular model firearm. For   example, .38 Special handgun ammunition marked "+P" or "+P+" may be the correct numerical caliber for your firearm, but   unless your particular model is designed to withstand the pressures equivalent to a "magnum" load, chambering and firing   such ammunition may result in your firearm literally blowing up in your face.

  Another equally dangerous scenario involves loading a sub-size cartridge in your firearm. The smaller cartridge may slide   from the chamber to the barrel and cause an obstruction in the barrel. If the correct cartridge is then chambered in the gun   and fired, the gun could explode.

  Always be sure the ammunition you are carrying is correct for the firearm you intend to use. Never store different ammunition   together. Discard ammunition that has been soaked in water.

  Never carry more than one kind of ammunition, unless they are so different that they could not possibly be mistaken for each   other. For example, .22 long rifle ammunition and 12 gauge shotgun shells are quite safe to carry together. But .40 S&W and   9mm are not. Neither are 12 gauge and 16 gauge shot shells.

 Know What to Do in the Event of a Misfire

  Understanding your firearm does not stop with normal functioning. Get familiar with worst-case scenarios such as what to do   when the trigger is pulled and instead of the familiar loud "bang" of the shot being fired, a mild "pop" or no sound at all is   heard.

  If nothing happens when the trigger is pulled, any number of factors might be at work. The firearm might not be loaded, the   chambered cartridge might have a defective primer, or the firing pin may be broken. Whatever the reason, you must   determine what caused the misfire before continuing to shoot.

  One approach, used by law enforcement officers when a semi-automatic firearm misfires, is the "rack and tap" method. That   means to firmly grasp the slide and "rack" it to the rear to clear the chambered round and feed a new round. The "tap" is a   slap with the palm of the non-firing hand to the bottom of the magazine to insure that the magazine is seated correctly.

  Another possibility is that the "failure" to fire is a "hangfire," where a cartridge fires very slowly. This is more common when   shooting black powder muzzle loaders. Regardless of the type of firearm, keep the muzzle pointed down range at the target   for at least thirty seconds. Looking down the barrel or covering the muzzle with your hand during a "hangfire" is a dangerous   proposition. After the 30 seconds have elapsed, begin to examine the firearm in a prudent manner.

  If you heard a muffled pop after pulling the trigger, it usually means that the chambered round had a faulty or missing powder   charge. Only the primer detonated. This is called a "squib" round. If that is the case, be very careful. The bullet might have   traveled out of its cartridge case and lodged a few inches down the barrel's bore. If that is the case, the bullet must be   removed to avoid a potential tragedy due to the obstructed barrel.

  When a cartridge fails to fire, for whatever reason, remember to keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction and never put   your face close to the breech. Carefully open the action, unload the firearm and dispose of the faulty cartridge in a safe   manner.

  Wear Protective Ear and Eye Equipment

  Eye protection, in the form of prescription or non-prescription safety glasses, is essential. This is true whether you are   shooting in a confined indoor range or in the field. Back splatter (tiny pieces of metal sent flying from the bullet's impact with   the back stop) and flecks of unburned powder are only two examples of debris that can make their way back toward your   eyes.

  Plinking at a quarry or on a farm could send rock or wood splinters propelled back toward you. When shooting or standing   near someone else shooting a semi-automatic firearm, spent and ejected cartridge cases can fly into your eye. They are   heavy, they are tossed from the firearm's action with considerable force, and they are very hot. Serious shooters often wear   large brimmed hats to keep flying "brass" out of their eyes.

  Another safety concern is that the report, or sound, of a fired cartridge can cause serious hearing damage. Continual   exposure to gunfire can cause cumulative nerve damage that, before the days of hearing protectors, often led to deafness.

  You can purchase hearing protection in the form of plugs or "ear muffs" that cost anywhere from one dollar to nearly $200.   Molded earplugs, custom fit to your individual ear, are especially effective. Some shooters prefer earmuff-style protectors   over inexpensive plugs. Whatever your preference, get the best quality protectors you can afford, and wear them. Be sure   everyone you bring to the range has both ear and eye protection, whether they participate in shooting or not.

 Keep Firearm Free from Obstructions and Well Maintained

  Regular cleaning and proper storage are essential to safe operation. Failure to properly maintain a firearm is not only   irresponsible, it could endanger you, your family, a friend, or wildlife.

  Always open the action and check to insure that no ammunition is in the chamber or magazine, and that nothing is obstructing   the barrel bore. Even small amounts of oil, grease, mud, dirt, or snow can cause extreme and dangerous pressures to build   that can cause an injury to you or a companion.

  A good habit prior to shooting is to run a cleaning rod and cloth patch down the bore to insure that it is free of any unwanted   substance. Equally important is having a qualified gunsmith or armorer check the firearm to insure that all parts are functioning   properly. Because a firearm is a mechanical device and is subject to wear, it is highly recommended that you have your   firearm checked by a professional. Have it inspected for worn or broken parts, as well as needed adjustments.

 Don't Modify Your Firearm

  Tampering with a firearm may cause it to malfunction. Altering it from its original design may not only void its warrantee, but   it may be illegal. Do not jeopardize your safety, your firearm's functional integrity, or your freedom by deliberately or   inadvertently altering or modifying it from its original design. If you require modifications to your firearm for specific   applications, always take it to a qualified, certified armorer to have those modifications performed.

  It is a federal offense, punishable by time in prison, to do any of the following:

 Do not Mix Guns with Alcohol, Drugs, or Fatigue

  Whether you are competing on the range, plinking, or hunting in the field, remember two extremely important safeguards. The   first is that firearms combined with alcohol and illicit drug use is a dangerous and deadly mix. The second is beware of   fatigue, particularly when hunting. Alcohol, drugs and fatigue impair your judgment and your behavior, and they exponentially   increase the likelihood of an accident. Combining guns with any one of these compromises your safety, and the safety of   those around you.

  Material assembled by the Americans for Gun Safety Foundation and corrected by Peabody Sports.