Gun Safety at Home

Firearms are like any other tool – there is great potential for good and great potential for harm. Gun safety at home is something every gun owner should practice diligently. Some simple precautions can prevent tragic accidents. Here are some recommendations for gun safety at home in common situations.

Cleaning Your Firearms

After heading out to the local indoor or outdoor firing range for practice, cleaning your firearms should be routine. Some careful precautions can prevent accidents while cleaning your gun after returning home.

1. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
2. Handle any firearm safely, pointing it down or in another safe direction.
3. Carefully unload the gun, removing the magazine and clearing the action of any remaining ammunition.
4. Leave the action open and visually confirm the gun is unloaded.
5. Proceed with disassembly and cleaning as recommended by the gun manufacturer.

Storing Your Firearms

Firearm accidents with children most often occur because the gun was not properly secured in safe storage. Storing your firearm safely will prevent inadvertent discovery and use by unauthorized people, including children. Here are some helpful tips for storing your firearms:

• Store all guns away from children.
• A secure storage unit provides a formidable layer of protection.
• Using a cable lock or trigger lock on stored guns adds yet an additional layer of safety.
• Always unload any firearm you place in long-term storage and keep ammunition in a different secure storage location.
• Locking gun cases can offer a portable option while restricting access. They can also be placed in hidden places for easier access.

Home Protection with a Firearm

Aside from firearms designed for hunting, most firearms in the home are meant for personal protection. It makes little sense to unload and lock up a gun you may need to use in a hurry. But you can also take safety precautions with any firearm you keep for home protection.

Keep in mind that the weapon you keep handy for home protection is likely small, like a handgun, which can be more easily secured and hidden while keeping it accessible. Here are some tips for home protection with a firearm:

• However you store your ready use firearm, secure it the same way every time. For example, if your carry firearm is also kept handy at home, go through the same exact procedure to secure it every time you return home and unholster it for storage. This gets you into a good habit for safety.
• High closet shelves or underneath clothing in a drawer are never good places for your ready gun. These are far too accessible to curious children and are the first places an intruder will search for a firearm.
• The best way to keep a loaded ready gun secure but quickly accessible is with a programmable gun safe or lock box. These can be placed anywhere, even unobtrusively, and come with a variety of entry methods, such as touchpads, fingerprint codes or key fob access.

Gun Safety Training is a Must

Anyone who owns a firearm for any type of use should undergo firearm safety training. C2 Tactical offers numerous classes in firearm use and safety. Browse our full line of available classes and dates and book yours today. Be sure to also watch our safety video accessible at the lower left of all our website pages.