About 42% of American households own at least one gun. Flexing your second amendment rights is fine, but you do have to take the time to ensure that you store your guns safely. Tips on gun safety are easy to follow and can help to keep your family safe.
Any gun owner has a responsibility to make sure that they understand how to store guns and handle them properly. Gun stores have seen an uptick in sales, which means more people than ever own guns. There is a real need for tips on gun safety. The National Shooting Sports Foundation has a program that can help gun owners find tips on gun safety to help keep children safe.
Very Sad Statistics
Irresponsible gun ownership comes with some staggering statistics. During the first half of 2020, 220 children were involved in gun accidents with guns that were either left unsecured in their home or at their friend’s homes.
Of those 220 children, 92 were killed. The COVID 19 pandemic and the stay at home orders have contributed to increased gun accidents in the home.
Accidental gun deaths affect children under the age of 25 more than any other group combined. It is estimated that there are over 4 million children right now that live in a home with an unsecured gun. It is also estimated that child safety gun locks can prevent 31% of accidental gun deaths affecting children.
It is also estimated that with proper storage and child safety gun locks, accidental gun deaths of children would be reduced by an additional 80%. The proper steps would keep our children safe.
The takeaway of these sobering statistics is that accidental gun death can be prevented by responsible gun ownership. Tips for gun safety that are followed by households that have both children and guns can reduce the incidence of these tragedies. Project ChildSafe is a great resource for any gun owner looking for ways to own a gun safely.
Responsible Gun Ownership
There are millions of people in the United States that own at least one gun. Many people own guns for home security purposes, while others own guns because they participate in hunting or sport shooting.
Owning a gun comes with a great deal of responsibility. Most states have very strict laws when it comes to gun ownership. In some states, if someone in your household gains access to your gun and shoots someone, you can be held responsible. You can face jail time, and of course, be sued by a wrongful death lawyer on behalf of the victim’s family.
It can not be stressed enough: if you own a gun, follow tips on gun safety for storage and handling. Every gun owner should be vocal and involved in spreading tips on gun safety. Gun safety is everyone’s responsibility. Project ChildSafe is an organization that is a proponent of gun safety and believes that everyone who owns a gun should understand the level of responsibility that comes with it. This proactive organization can help gun owners take the steps that are necessary to ensure that they take their responsibility seriously.
Project Child Safe
Project ChildSafe has one mission: reducing the incidence of gun accidents involving children to zero percent. This non-profit organization, which falls under the National Shooting Sports Foundation’s umbrella, provides gun safety and safe storage education to firearm owners.
Project Child Safe focuses on helping parents and others learn tips on gun safety to ensure that children and other unauthorized people are kept safe around guns. This organization provides brochures, free gun locks, and more to help people manage gun ownership responsibly.
This charity organization promotes owning guns responsibly through a wealth of education, a pledge, and programs geared at children. The tips on gun safety that they provide are tips that every gun owner should follow. This is a great organization to get involved with. You can become a community safety ambassador, donate to the cause, and spread the word about gun safety.
Here are tips on gun safety from Project ChildSafe that every gun owner should read. Order your gun safety kit (it’s free) and lock today from Project ChildSafe and follow gun safety tips below.
Order a Free Safety Kit
It will be easier to follow the tips on gun safety if the first thing you do when you leave the gun store is to order your free safety kit from Project ChildSafe. The kit comes complete with a lock and clear instructions on how to install the locking device.
A gun lock should be installed on all guns with the key kept separate from the gun. Think of a gun lock as chain link fencing around your pool. It is a layer of safety. The free safety kits from Project ChildSafe include a high-quality lock, education material, and plenty of tips on gun safety.
Learn Safe Handling Techniques
Tips on gun safety from Project ChildSafe cover safe handling. For example, never point a gun at anyone. Always make sure the safety is on, and always treat a gun like it is loaded even when you know it is not.
Getting in the habit of safe handling of your gun will reduce the risk of accidental firing. Safe handling is an important part of gun owner responsibility.
Store Firearms Properly
The Project ChildSafe Safety kit comes with a lock, but that does not mean once the gun is locked and inoperable, you can leave it unsecured. All guns should be stored in a secure location that can be locked. The ammunition should always be stored separately. Tips on gun safety strongly discourage outdoor storage that cannot be monitored.
Children are naturally curious. Your goal should be to make it as difficult as possible for them to locate guns, break into gun storage, and ultimately handle guns without adult supervision. The right gun storage is a must in a household with children or people who are unauthorized to handle guns.
The laws are very clear when it comes to storing your guns. Let’s say you decide to store your gun in the garage, and you know that you need garage door repairs because your garage doors do not lock. Let’s say a neighborhood kid and your son get into the garage and find the gun. They accidentally shoot another kid while playing with the weapon. You will need to call the bail bondsman because you are likely going to be arrested and charged.
The law says in almost every state that your gun has to be secured in a “reasonable” manner to prevent access by a child or any other unauthorized handler. If you know the garage door is broken, then you were irresponsible under the law.
Driving With Your Gun
There are times that you will need to drive with your gun and your kids in the car. Tips on gun safety from Project ChildSafe can help you transport both safely. When your gun has to be in your vehicle, make sure that it is unloaded. Keep the ammunition separate.
Do not store the gun where it can be seen if you have to leave the gun in the car. Make sure it is housed in a securely locked box. You do not want a thief to break into the car, get a hold of your gun, and go out and commit a crime.
Of course, you do not want the children to see where the gun is either. An auto repair shop can outfit a small gun safe in your car under the driver’s seat. Taking a few extra precautions when you are traveling with your gun ensures that you are taking being a responsible gun owner seriously.
Talk About Gun Safety
One of the key tips on gun safety is to talk about it. Talk to your children about gun safety and make sure they understand that a gun is never a toy. Talk to them about when they visit their friend’s houses and how they should never stick around if their friends have a gun they took from their parents.
Project ChildSafe is a great resource for tips on gun safety and talking to your children. These are important conversations that you and your children should have, but they are never a substitute for following the rest of the tips on gun safety.
Mental Health and Youth
Project ChildSafe has taken on the topic of mental health and guns. Tips on gun safety when you live with someone at risk of suicide add a new urgency to safe storage. If you live with someone suffering from mental health problems, you may want to consider disassembling your gun before you lock it away.
It may sound like an extreme measure to take your gun apart to store it, but what would you do to save your child? You can learn more about youth mental health, warning signs, and how to manage gun safety by visiting the Project ChildSafe website.
Tips On Gun Safety When Strangers Are In the House
Let’s say you have roof repairs or some other work around the house done, which requires people to be in and out of the house frequently. If you typically keep your gun in a portable lockbox on your dresser, you may want to move it temporarily to a more secure location.
This is not to say that workers cannot be trusted. You should do the same thing if your kids are having a sleepover. Locked boxes can be very intriguing. Keeping them out of sight out of an overabundance of caution is simply the best way to ensure no problems.
Always Be a Role Model
Tips on gun safety need to address how important it is that you are a role model as a gun owner. Your children are watching and learning from you. Proper safe handling, safe storage, and moving with caution around guns will teach your children to do the same.
Modeling good gun owner behavior is one of the best ways to teach children proper handling. Being a gun owner role model is a great way to help reduce the risk of accidents.
Spread the Word
Get involved with spreading tips on gun safety. Talk to other gun owners about gun safety. Talk to kids about tips on gun safety. Spread the word about the importance of gun safety. You can make a difference by sharing tips on gun safety and encouraging gun owners to order a safety kit from Project ChildSafe.
Never Assume
Never assume that your child is “not that kind of kid”. If you are going to assume anything, assume that if your child finds your gun and it is unlocked and loaded there will be a tragedy. Gun safety is far too important to assume that your child is different and will not touch the gun.
Coin dealers and other collectors would never assume that their valuable possessions are safe from their children, not because their children are “bad” but because children are children. They are curious, and they get into things they should not. Assume that given the opportunity, your kid would do the same.
If you Own A Gun, Get a Safety Kit
You can be a part of the solution by getting a gun safety kit from Project ChildSafe and following the tips for gun safety. It is a simple step to ensure that you keep your children safe and are a responsible gun owner. You should not give up your guns, but you should make sure that you reduce the risk of firearm accidents.
