I have seen a lot of scary things on the range, in the field, and ESPECIALLY the Internet. I am by no means an expert but I do have a good amount of experience in firearm handling (see About section if you’re that curious). Don’t expect any tacti-cool guy stuff from this article. Our main purpose here is to break down the Four Universal Firearm Safety Rules and their importance.

I shot my first gun when I was about 10 years old. My old man didn’t teach me any fancy rules. He just drilled it into my head that guns aren’t toys, never look down the barrel, and never point them at anyone (regardless of if they are loaded or not). It wasn’t until I received firearm training in the military that I learned the rules that I am going to present to you today. To be fair they are very similar to what my father taught me. The true value of what I learned is in the conceptualization of the rules. They can be quickly recalled and remembered just by saying; “Treat, Never, Keep, Keep“. 

Make sure when you are reading this that you say it out loud. Its catchy I promise! And that is why I like this set of rules. When you’re on the range I don’t expect you to recall this entire article. I just want you to say “TREAT, NEVER, KEEP, KEEP”. Now all you have to do is know what it actually stands for:

1. TREAT every weapon as if it is loaded.
2. NEVER point your weapon at anything you don’t intend to destroy.
3. KEEP your finger straight and along the receiver until ready to fire
4. KEEP the gun on safe until ready to fire.

NOTE: These are by no means an all-exhaustive list of how to achieve maximum safety when handling firearms. It would be better to think of this as a refresher or geared towards beginners. 

Treat Every Weapon as if it is Loaded

This is arguably the number one rule for a reason. The point of it is to treat every gun with the utmost caution when handling. Even though a gun may be on safe and/or you may not THINK a bullet is in the chamber, accidents can happen. The gun can misfire, or you may have accidently chambered a round without realizing it. Whenever you pick up a gun it is essential to verify if it’s loaded or not. If it is that the safety is on. Then to treat it properly.

Never Point your Weapon at Anything you don’t Intend to Destroy

Guns are not toys. Plain and simple they are weapons designed to maim and destroy. Keep this in mind when you’re handling the weapon. This especially applies to yourself and your friends. We see fails all over the internet of people shooting themselves after looking down their barrel after a hang fire (when you pull the trigger, but nothing happens). Also yeah, don’t try and play quick draw with your friends and some loaded pistols. Misfires and accidents happen.

Keep Your Finger Straight and Along the Receiver

When handling the gun, your finger should be straight and along the receiver. Not like in every Hollywood movie where they run around with their fingers inside the trigger guard. This is a recipe for disaster, especially when you are doing shooting drills that require moving and you trip. Then you fall and shoot your dick off. Please see the picture of my beautiful hand and M&P Shield 9MM for an example of what hand position I mean.