Firearms Safety!!!! - ALERT ALERT ALERT!!!!!

For the last 40 minutes or so I'm listening to my scanner and listening to the aftermath of either an IDIOT with a gun or an untrained person with a gun.

Long Story Short from what I can get over the scanner.  Guy either heard something and grabbed gun to go investigate or he was playing with it and wound up shooting himself in the leg.

So please if you have a Blog or are on Facebook, post the FOUR RULES on your blog or timeline.

Rule #1: ALL FIREARMS ARE ALWAYS LOADED.  Even if you just cleared and checked it, treat it as if it has a live round up the spout.  Firearms ARE NOT toys, they are tools which can be just as dangerous as a chainsaw or a power saw in wounding, maiming or killing, YOU or SOMEONE ELSE.

Rule #2: NEVER POINT A FIREARM AT ANYTHING YOU ARE NOT WILLING TO DESTROY.  A firearm can do more than discharge a bullet.  It can destroy LIVES and FAMILIES.  Each and EVERY BULLET that comes out of the muzzle end of a firearm has a POTENTIAL LAWSUIT attached to it.  Wrongful death, personal injury, negligence, not to mention possible CRIMINAL CHARGES.  So be sure there is no horseplay

Rule #3: BE SURE OF YOUR TARGET AND WHAT IS BEYOND IT.  What if you miss?  What if your bullet over penetrates?  (WHAT IS YOUR BACKSTOP)  Will it go through the person/wild animal/target you are shooting to go through a wall or over the hill and hit a child?  Hit a member of your own family?  What about if you miss and hit someone OTHER than who you were aiming at?  Do YOU want that to be on your conscious?  And refer to Rule #2 about LAWSUITS.

Rule #4:  KEEP YOUR FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER UNTIL YOUR SIGHTS ARE LINED UP AND YOU ARE READY TO FIRE.  Keep your BOOGERHOOK OFF the trigger until you are PREPARED and READY to FIRE.

Rule #5: NEVER TRY TO CATCH A DROPPED FIREARM. Doing so is more likely to result in an ND than it just hitting the ground. You can no longer guarantee you wont violate one of the first 4 while catching it. At most let it land and roll off your foot. (Rule #5 by Chance Ballew)

And my Personal Rule:

Rule #6: Carnegie Hall -  PRACTICE - PRACTICE - PRACTICE  Practice with your firearm so you CAN hit what you are aiming at.  Get as MUCH practice as you can, so if you HAVE to use your firearm, you hit ONLY what you aim at and no one or nothing else.  Also be sure that you are practiced at properly drawing your firearm from your holster and you can properly REholster it without shooting yourself or having an AD/ND.

Please post the rules on your Blog or your Facebook timeline.