Gun safety is the study and practice of managing risk when using, handling, transporting, storing and disposing of firearms, air guns, and ammunition in order to avoid injury, illness, or death. Gun safety includes the training of users, the design of firearms, as well as the formal and informal regulation of gun production, distribution, and usage. This includes mishaps like accidental discharge, negligent discharge, and firearm malfunctions, as well as secondary risks like hearing loss, lead poisoning from bullets, and pollution from other hazardous materials in propellants and cartridges.
History
Accidental explosions of stored gunpowder date to the 13th century in Yangzhou, China. Early handheld muskets using matchlock or wheel lock mechanisms were limited by poor reliability and the risk of accidental discharge, which was improved somewhat by the introduction of the flintlock, though unintentional firing continued to be a serious drawback. Percussion caps, introduced in the 1820s, were more reliable, and by 1830 security pins had been designed to prevent accidental discharges. Trigger guards, grip safeties and integrated trigger safety represent further iterations on the various safeties built into modern firearms to prevent discharge from dropping, or without positive and deliberate manipulation of the trigger. As mechanical reliability improved, human error became a more significant cause of harm. In 1902, the English politician and game shooting enthusiast Mark Hanbury Beaufoy wrote some much-quoted verses on gun safety, known as "A Father's Advice" or "The Beaufoy Verses" meant to instill safe practices in his son. Various similar sayings have since been popularized. There were 47,000 unintentional firearm deaths worldwide in 2013.
Overview
Most firearm safety relates to management of human factors. This includes training to mitigate unsafe handling, as well as restricting physical access to firearms by untrained or unfit persons (such as unsupervised children). Handling practices and doctrines necessarily vary between use cases with additional mechanical and procedural mitigations implemented as required. Environmental hazards such as lead exposure and noise pollution are managed via shooting range design, maintenance procedures, and the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Firearm safety practices are built around the Swiss cheese model, such that potential harm caused by a malfunction or a lapse in handling is mitigated (or prevented entirely) by other safety practices. For instance, use of an unloading facility ensures that if a procedural error is made during unloading and a round remains chambered, the resulting discharge when the handler eases springs is captured by a safe backstop.
Training A leading cause of accidents with firearms results from unsafe handling due to ignorance or negligence. Role-specific training varies in nature, although a few common principles underpin most doctrines including:
Trigger discipline Muzzle discipline Separation of firearm and ammunition whenever the firearm is not directly in use Where firearms must be carried loaded (such as by law enforcement and military personnel), training and periodic re-qualification is particularly important as a control against unintentional discharge. Emphasis is often placed on loading and unloading practices as well as mechanical considerations such as holster design, and integrated trigger safety catches. Jeff Cooper, an influential figure in US firearms training, formalized and popularized "Four Rules" of safe firearm handling. Other lists of gun safety rules include as few as three basic safety rules or as many as ten rules including broader range safety and sporting etiquette rules. Such rulesets often include activity-specific best practice for niches including defensive use, hunting, and range or target shooting. Many organisations provide similar sets of rules. While universal rules provide a foundation, localized safety manuals for civilians often integrate these with practical maintenance and tactical awareness guidelines to ensure safe handling in diverse environments. In addition to basic safe handling practices, training includes identification and immediate actions to handle faults such as misfires and squib rounds that could lead to dangerous mishaps such as a barrel failure or breech explosion.
Storage Proper storage prevents both damage and the unauthorized use or theft of firearms and ammunition. Where a full cabinet is not practicable, locks may be used to prevent the firearm being loaded or discharged.
Gun cabinets A gun safe or gun cabinet is commonly used to physically prevent access to firearms, magazines, and ammunition. Various standards like the British Standard BS 7558:1992 or the California DOJ criteria define minimum requirements to qualify a container as a firearm storage device. Local laws may mandate or simply recommend use of a cabinet for storage, and may require that cabinets meet a particular standard. Some jurisdictions require that ammunition is stored separately to the firearm. Some jurisdictions may require that main components of the firearm such as the bolt, is stored separately to the firearm, effectively deactivating it. Many small safes sold as suitable for handguns have been found not to meet standards by independent researchers and professional hackers. Locking mechanism plays an important role in overall safety of the small safe. Handloaders must take special precautions for storing primers and powders.
Locks There are several types of locks that serve to make it difficult to discharge a firearm. Locks are considered less effective than keeping firearms in a safe since locks typically do not prevent the removal or theft of the firearm, after which the handler can bypass the lock at their leisure. Some manufacturers, such as Taurus, build locks into the firearm itself. Some jurisdictions such as the US state of California require that locks be tested by a laboratory and receive approval for sale.
Trigger lock
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