As part of its”S.A.F.E. Summer” effort to focus attention on the importance of responsible and safe firearm handling and storage, the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) today announced its”Top Ten” list of security tips firearm owners should recall helping ensure they are taking responsible precautions with guns in their home.

“Anyone who is going to own a firearm should respect it and secure it when not in use to help prevent firearm accidents and misuse.”

NSSF’s Top Ten Safety Tips include:

  • Always keep the firearm’s muzzle pointed in a safe direction. “safe management” means that the gun is pointed so that even when an unintentional release happened, it wouldn’t lead to injury.
  • Always keep your finger off the trigger until you truly intend to shoot. When handling a gun, rest your finger away from the trigger guard or along the side of the rifle. Don’t touch the trigger until you are ready to fire.
  • Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use. At any time you get a gun, like when removing it from or returning it to the storage, don’t forget to point it in a safe direction and earn certain it’s unloaded.
  • Make sure to know how your firearm works: read the guide on your firearm, understand how to safely open and close the action of the firearm and understand how to safely remove any ammunition in the firearm and its magazine.
  • Shop your firearms in a locked cupboard, safe, gun vault or storage case when not in use, making sure that they are able inaccessible by children and cannot be managed by anyone without your permission.
  • Store your ammunition in a locked location separate from guns. A gun lock ought to be utilized as an added security precaution rather than as a replacement for secure storage.
  • Make sure young folks in your house are aware of and understand the security guidelines concerning firearms. Have them sign the Project ChildSafe Pledge for young folks –a reminder that if they find an unattended firearm in their home or a neighbor to not touch it, and tell an adult.
  • Always unload, clean and put your guns in their secure storage location instantly after returning from a hunting trip or a day at the range.
  • Teach everyone on your family about firearms safety. Visit the Project ChildSafe website for safety information and to find out where to get a free firearm safety kit locally.

The”SAFE” in”S.A.F.E. Summer” serves as an acronym for Secure your guns when not in use; Be Aware of those around you who should not have unauthorized access to firearms; Focus in your responsibility as a firearm owner, and Educate yourself and others about safe firearm handling and storage. The S.A.F.E. Summer campaign focuses on forcing gun owners to take responsible action to help keep their families and communities safer, especially while children are home from school and more likely to be unattended.

These suggestions and other tools and data about safe and responsible firearm storage can be found at www.projectchildsafe.org.

NSSF launched Project ChildSafe in 1998 (before 2003 that the program was called Project HomeSafe) as a nationwide initiative to promote firearms obligation and supply safety education to all gun owners.

While children are a focus, Project ChildSafe is intended to help young people and adults practice greater firearm safety in the home. The program has provided more than 36 million free firearm safety kits to gun owners in all 50 states and five U.S. territories. That’s in addition to the more than 60 million free locking apparatus manufacturers have included with new firearms sold since 1998 and continue to do so now.

Project ChildSafe was initially supported by national grants supplied from the U.S. Department of Justice. Like 2008, when this funding was cut, the firearms manufacturing industry has completely funded the Project ChildSafe program by the members of NSSF.