How to Fire a Gun
Before you shoot learn the four basic safety rules that apply to all firearms., Make sure that your gun is safe to shoot., Choose the correct ammunition for your purposes., Clean and maintain your gun before shooting., Obtain safety equipment for...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Before you shoot learn the four basic safety rules that apply to all firearms.
Guns are powerful, dangerous tools and they produce irreversible consequences
- you cannot "un-shoot" something, least of all yourself.
There are four generally accepted rules of gun safety; no matter where you go, professionals who work with guns will follow some variation upon these rules.
Treat every gun as if it were loaded and ready to fire.
There are no exceptions to this rule, not even empty guns.
It is very easy even for professional marksmen to forget whether or not a gun is ready to fire, and the consequences can be extremely serious.
The best and only way to avoid problems of this type is to treat all guns at all times as if they were loaded and ready to fire.
Do not point the gun at anything you do not want to shoot.
Do not point the gun at your friends, at parts of your body, at household pets, at the walls of your home, or at your TV, even if you think it is unloaded
- remember rule 1! Keep your finger off the trigger and the safety on at all times until your sights are coming up on target and you are ready to shoot.
The trigger can be actuated accidentally with relatively little pressure
- 7 to 8 pounds of pressure for typical military and police weapons, as little as 2 pounds or less for competition weapons.
Train yourself to keep your finger straight and off the trigger every time you pick up a gun and at all times that you are holding it and not shooting it.
Always be aware of your target and what is behind it.
Bullets go through things, missed shots go around things, and you must be responsible for every single projectile you shoot. , Old guns or poorly maintained guns can be very dangerous.
Keep in mind that your gun is essentially a chamber for explosions that go off right by your hand and your head! If necessary, strip down, clean and inspect your gun before shooting.
If you are unsure if your gun is safe to fire, consult a professional gunsmith. , Be very specific about the type of ammunition you are supposed to use in your weapon and do not vary from it.
Some guns have similar sounding calibers that are easily confused.
For instance,
7.62 x 51 NATO,
7.62 x 54R, and
7.62 x 39 are all variously referred to as "7.62".
When you purchase ammunition, make sure you are purchasing the correct type.
Many types of ammunition look very similar but will cause serious damage if fired in the wrong weapon, including destruction of the weapon and serious injury.
For example, .222 Remington, .223 Remington and .556 NATO cartridges are all nearly identical to the naked eye and require a micrometer-scale measuring instrument to tell apart.
Some types of ammunition will fit into the magazines for other types of ammunition by design, as is the case with .300 AAC Blackout and .223 Remington/.556 NATO magazines.
Be sure that you are using the correct caliber of ammunition, particularly if you are shooting more than one type of weapon.
Select the correct type of ammunition for your shooting.
Some ammunition is made for practice shooting at the range; other ammunition is intended for action competition, long-range precision, hunting, or self-defense.
If you are shooting your gun for the first time, it is helpful to bring along a variety of different types of ammunition to get a sense for which type your gun might shoot reliably and accurately. , Even if you are shooting a weapon you already own, it is a good practice to check it over and perform any necessary preventative maintenance and care services before you shoot it.
If you are a new gun owner, you should be aware that manufacturers often pack grease or cosmoline into weapons that is meant to be removed before use.
Some guns may not function well or at all if they are shot before being cleaned. , At a minimum, you will need ear and eye protection.
Even small-caliber guns are easily loud enough to permanently damage your hearing, and they throw off unexpended powder, small particles of carbon and brass casings that can fly into your eyes and cause serious injury.
Many different types of ear protection are available, from simple inexpensive foam earplugs to expensive "active" hearing protection that allows you to hear normally while still damping out noise from gunshots.
At the very least, unless you are shooting a suppressed weapon, you need earplugs.
There are many popular styles of shooting glasses that you can pick; shooting ranges will often have eye protection that you can borrow or rent. , Shooting a firearm anywhere besides a shooting range is a serious crime in many places, in large part because bullets go very far and can easily accidentally injure or kill people.
Remember Rule 4
- be aware of what you are shooting and what is behind it! If you are able to shoot outdoors legally, remember to pick a location with a backstop like a tall hill or the side of a ravine that will absorb your bullets.
Be careful not to point your weapon in any direction aside from towards your backstop.
If you shoot at a shooting range, read their rules carefully before you shoot and be careful to follow the basic safety rules above.
It is very common for novice shooters to break rule 2 (where the gun is pointed) accidentally when removing their guns from cases as well as when turning to show the gun to friends ("Hey, look at this!"). -
Step 2: Make sure that your gun is safe to shoot.
-
Step 3: Choose the correct ammunition for your purposes.
-
Step 4: Clean and maintain your gun before shooting.
-
Step 5: Obtain safety equipment for shooting.
-
Step 6: Pick a safe place to shoot.
Detailed Guide
Guns are powerful, dangerous tools and they produce irreversible consequences
- you cannot "un-shoot" something, least of all yourself.
There are four generally accepted rules of gun safety; no matter where you go, professionals who work with guns will follow some variation upon these rules.
Treat every gun as if it were loaded and ready to fire.
There are no exceptions to this rule, not even empty guns.
It is very easy even for professional marksmen to forget whether or not a gun is ready to fire, and the consequences can be extremely serious.
The best and only way to avoid problems of this type is to treat all guns at all times as if they were loaded and ready to fire.
Do not point the gun at anything you do not want to shoot.
Do not point the gun at your friends, at parts of your body, at household pets, at the walls of your home, or at your TV, even if you think it is unloaded
- remember rule 1! Keep your finger off the trigger and the safety on at all times until your sights are coming up on target and you are ready to shoot.
The trigger can be actuated accidentally with relatively little pressure
- 7 to 8 pounds of pressure for typical military and police weapons, as little as 2 pounds or less for competition weapons.
Train yourself to keep your finger straight and off the trigger every time you pick up a gun and at all times that you are holding it and not shooting it.
Always be aware of your target and what is behind it.
Bullets go through things, missed shots go around things, and you must be responsible for every single projectile you shoot. , Old guns or poorly maintained guns can be very dangerous.
Keep in mind that your gun is essentially a chamber for explosions that go off right by your hand and your head! If necessary, strip down, clean and inspect your gun before shooting.
If you are unsure if your gun is safe to fire, consult a professional gunsmith. , Be very specific about the type of ammunition you are supposed to use in your weapon and do not vary from it.
Some guns have similar sounding calibers that are easily confused.
For instance,
7.62 x 51 NATO,
7.62 x 54R, and
7.62 x 39 are all variously referred to as "7.62".
When you purchase ammunition, make sure you are purchasing the correct type.
Many types of ammunition look very similar but will cause serious damage if fired in the wrong weapon, including destruction of the weapon and serious injury.
For example, .222 Remington, .223 Remington and .556 NATO cartridges are all nearly identical to the naked eye and require a micrometer-scale measuring instrument to tell apart.
Some types of ammunition will fit into the magazines for other types of ammunition by design, as is the case with .300 AAC Blackout and .223 Remington/.556 NATO magazines.
Be sure that you are using the correct caliber of ammunition, particularly if you are shooting more than one type of weapon.
Select the correct type of ammunition for your shooting.
Some ammunition is made for practice shooting at the range; other ammunition is intended for action competition, long-range precision, hunting, or self-defense.
If you are shooting your gun for the first time, it is helpful to bring along a variety of different types of ammunition to get a sense for which type your gun might shoot reliably and accurately. , Even if you are shooting a weapon you already own, it is a good practice to check it over and perform any necessary preventative maintenance and care services before you shoot it.
If you are a new gun owner, you should be aware that manufacturers often pack grease or cosmoline into weapons that is meant to be removed before use.
Some guns may not function well or at all if they are shot before being cleaned. , At a minimum, you will need ear and eye protection.
Even small-caliber guns are easily loud enough to permanently damage your hearing, and they throw off unexpended powder, small particles of carbon and brass casings that can fly into your eyes and cause serious injury.
Many different types of ear protection are available, from simple inexpensive foam earplugs to expensive "active" hearing protection that allows you to hear normally while still damping out noise from gunshots.
At the very least, unless you are shooting a suppressed weapon, you need earplugs.
There are many popular styles of shooting glasses that you can pick; shooting ranges will often have eye protection that you can borrow or rent. , Shooting a firearm anywhere besides a shooting range is a serious crime in many places, in large part because bullets go very far and can easily accidentally injure or kill people.
Remember Rule 4
- be aware of what you are shooting and what is behind it! If you are able to shoot outdoors legally, remember to pick a location with a backstop like a tall hill or the side of a ravine that will absorb your bullets.
Be careful not to point your weapon in any direction aside from towards your backstop.
If you shoot at a shooting range, read their rules carefully before you shoot and be careful to follow the basic safety rules above.
It is very common for novice shooters to break rule 2 (where the gun is pointed) accidentally when removing their guns from cases as well as when turning to show the gun to friends ("Hey, look at this!").
About the Author
Kayla Garcia
Brings years of experience writing about home improvement and related subjects.
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