firerm Sfety Stte of Cliforni - Deprtment of Justice - Office of the Attorney Generl Pge 1 of 14 Stte of Cliforni Deprtment of]ustice XAVIER BECERRA Attorney Gener] Serch Trnslte Website Trducir Sitio Web Firerm Sfety Home / Firerms / Firerm Sfety Links to Topics below The Six Bsic Gun Sfety Rules Additionl Sfety Points Guns nd Children--Firerm Owner Responsibilities Rules for Kids Methods of Child proofing your Firerm Firerm Sfety Certificte Study Guide THE SIX BASIC GUN SAFETY RULES https://og.c.gov/firerms/tips 3/8/20 18
Firerm Sfety Stte of Cliforni - Deprtment of Justice - Office of the Attorney Generl Pge 2 of 14 There re six bsic gun sfety rules for gun owners to understnd nd prctice t ll times: 1. Tret even ll guns s if if you think it reson, check to see tht to see if it they re loded. Alwys ssume tht unloded. it unloded, leve it Every unloded. time gun gun hndled for ny loded If you re unble to check gun lone nd seek help from someone more knowledgeble bout guns. 2. Keep the gun pointed in the sfest possible direction. Alwys be wre of where gun dchrge of the gun pointing. will A sfe direction one where n ccidentl not cuse injury or dmge. Only point t n object you intend to shoot. Never point nother person. gun gun towrd yourself or 3. Keep your finger off the trigger until you re redy to shoot. Alwys keep your finger off the trigger nd outside the trigger gurd until you re redy to shoot. Even though it my be comfortble to rest your finger on the trigger, it lso unsfe. If you re moving round with your finger on the trigger nd stumble or pull fll, you could indvertently the trigger. Sudden loud noes or movements cn result ccidentl dchrge becuse there in n nturl tendency to tighten the muscles when strtled. The trigger hndling. for firing nd the hndle for 4. Know your trget, its surroundings nd beyond. Check tht the res in front of nd behind your trget re sfe before shooting. if the bullet mses or completely psses through the trget, strike person or object. Identify the trget nd mke sure you intend to shoot. If you re in doubt, DON T SHOOT! Be wre tht it could it wht Never fire t https://og.c.gov/firerms/tips 3/8/20 12
Firerm Sfety Stte of Cliforni - Deprtment of Justice - Office of the Attorney Generl Pge 3 of 14 trget tht wre of ll only movement, color, sound or unidentifible shpe. the people round you before you shoot. Be 5. Know how to properly operte your gun. It importnt to become thoroughly fmilir with your gun. You should know its mechnicl chrctertics including how to properly lod, unlod nd cler mlfunction from your gun. Obviously, not ll guns re mechniclly the sme. Never ssume tht wht pplies to one mke or model pplicble to nother. You should direct questions regrding the exctly opertion of your gun to your firerms deler, or contct the mnufcturer directly. 6. Store your gun sfely nd securely to prevent unuthorized use. Guns nd mmunition should be stored seprtely. When the gun your hnds, you must still think of sfety. Use firerms sfety device on the gun, such s it cnnot be fired. Store Cliforni-pproved lock it unloded box or loction thn the mmunition. both locking device nd in trigger not Cliforni-pproved lock or cble locked continer, such s gun sfe. Store your gun in in lock, For mximum sfety you should use storge continer. so different BckloTop ADDITIONAL SAFETY POINTS The six bsic sfety rules re the foundtionl rules for gun sfety. However, there re dditionl sfety points tht must not be overlooked. https://og.c.gov/firerms/tips 3/2/20 18
Firerm Sfety I Stte of Cliforni - Deprtment of Justice - Office of the Attorney Generl Pge 4 of 14 Never hndle gun when you re in n emotionl stte such s nger or depression. Your judgment my be impired. Never shoot gun in celebrtion (the Fourth of]uly or New Yer s Eve, for exmple). Not only th unsfe, but it generlly illegl. A bullet fired into the ir will return to the ground with enough speed to cuse injury or deth. Do not shoot t wter, flt or hrd surfces. The bullet cn ricochet nd hit someone or something other thn the trget. Hnd your gun to someone only fter you verify tht it unloded nd the cylinder or ction open. lke gun from someone only fter you verify tht it unloded nd the cylinder or ction open. Guns, lcohol nd drugs don t mix. Alcohol nd drugs cn negtively ffect judgment s well s physicl coordintion. Alcohol nd ny other substnce likely to impir norml mentl or physicl functions should not be used before or while hndling guns. Avoid hndling nd using your gun when you re tking medictions tht cuse drowsiness or include wrning to not operte mchinery while tking th drug. The loud noe from fired gun cn cuse hering dmge, nd the debr nd hot gs tht often emitted cn result in eye injury. Alwys wer er nd eye protection when shooting gun. Bck To Top GUNS AND CHILDREN--FIREARM OWNER RESPONSIBILITIES https://og.c.gov/firerms/tips 3/8/2018
Firerm Sfety Stte of Cliforni - Deprtment of Justice - Office of the Attorney Generl Pge 5 of 14 Summry of Sfe Storge Lws Regrding Children You my be guilty of mdemenor or felony if you keep loded firerm within ny premes tht re under your custody or control nd child under 18 yers of ge obtins nd uses it, resulting in injury or deth, or crries it to public plce, unless you stored the firerm in locked continer or locked the firerm with locking device to temporrily keep it from functioning. You Cnnot Be Too Creful with Children nd Guns There no such thing s being too creful with children nd guns. Never ssume tht simply becuse toddler my lck finger strength, they cn t pull the trigger. A child s thumb hs twice the strength of the other fingers. When toddler s thumb pushes ginst trigger, invribly the brrel of the gun pointing directly t the child s fce. NEVER leve firerm lying round the house. Child sfety precutions still pply even if you hve no children or if your children hve grown to dulthood nd left home. A nephew, niece, neighbor s child or grndchild my come to vit. Prctice gun sfety t ll times. To prevent injury or deth cused by improper storge of guns in home where children re likely to be present, you should store ll guns unloded, lock them with firerms sfety device nd store them in locked continer. Ammunition should be stored in loction seprte from the gun. https://og.c.gov/firerms/tips 3/8/2018
firerm Sfety I Stte of Cliforni - Deprtment of Justice - Office of the Attorney Generl Pge 6 of 14 Tlking to Children About Guns Children re nturlly curious bout things they don t know bout or think re forbidden. When child sks questions or begins to ct out gun ply, you my wnt to ddress h or her curiosity by nswering the questions s honestly nd openly s possible. Th will remove the mystery nd reduce the nturl curiosity. Also, it importnt to remember to tlk to children in mnner they cn relte to nd understnd. Th very importnt, especilly when teching children bout the difference between rel nd mkebelieve. Let children know tht, even though they my look the sme, rel guns re very different thn toy guns. A rel gun will hurt or kill someone who shot. Instill Mind Set of Sfety nd Responsibility The Americn Acdemy of Peditrics reports tht dolescence highly vulnerble stge in life for teengers struggling to develop trits of identity, independence nd utonomy. Children, of course, re both nturlly curious nd innocently unwre of mny dngers round them. Thus, dolescents s well s children my not be sufficiently sfegurded by cutionry words, however frequent. Contrry ctions cn completely undermine good dvice. A Do s dngerous. I sy nd not s I do pproch to gun sfety both irresponsible nd Remember tht ctions spek louder thn words. Children lern most by observing the dults round them. By prcticing sfe conduct you will lso be teching sfe conduct. https://og.c.gov/firerms/tips 3/8/2018
firerm Sfety I Stte of Cliforni - Deprtment of Justice - Office of the Attorney Generl Pge 7 of 14 BckTolop Sfety nd Storge Devices If you decide to keep firerm in your home you must consider the sue of how to store the firerm in sfe nd secure mnner. Cliforni recognizes the importnce of sfe storge by requiring tht ll firerms sold in Cliforni be ccompnied by DOJ-pproved firerms sfety device or proof tht the purchser owns gun sfe tht meets regultory stndrds estblhed by the Deprtment. The current lt of DO]-pproved firerms sfety devices nd the gun sfe stndrds cn be viewed by viting http://og.c.gov/fi re rms/fsdcertl i st. There re vriety of sfety nd storge devices currently vilble to the public in wide rnge of prices. Some devices re locking mechnms designed to keep the firerm from being loded or fired, but don t prevent the firerm from being hndled or stolen. There re lso locking storge continers tht hold the firerm out of sight. For mximum sfety you should use both firerm sfety device nd locking storge continer to store your unloded firerm. Two of the most common locking mechnms re trigger locks nd cble locks. Trigger locks re typiclly two-piece devices tht fit round the trigger nd trigger gurd to prevent ccess to the trigger. One side hs post tht fits into hole in the other side. They re locked by key or combintion locking mechnm. Cble locks typiclly work by looping strong steel cble through https ://og.c.gov/firerms/tips 3/8/2018
Firerm Sfety I Stte of Cliforni - Deprtment of Justice - Office of the Attorney Generl Pge $ of 14 the ction of the firerm to block the firerm s opertion nd prevent ccidentl firing. However, neither trigger locks nor cble locks re designed to prevent ccess to the firerm. Smller lock boxes nd lrger gun sfes re two of the most common types of locking storge continers. One dvntge of lock boxes nd gun sfes tht they re designed to completely prevent unintended hndling nd removl of firerm. Lock boxes re generlly constructed of sturdy, high-grde metl opened by either key or combintion lock. Gun sfes re quite hevy, usully weighing t lest 50 pounds. While gun sfes re typiclly the most expensive firerm storge devices, they re generlly more relible nd secure. Remember: Sfety nd storge devices re only s secure s the precutions you tke to protect the key or combintion to the lock. Bcklolop RULES FOR KIDS Adults should be wre tht child could dcover gun when prent or nother dult not present. Th could hppen in the child s own home; the home of neighbor, friend or reltive; or in public plce such s school or prk. If th should hppen, child should know the following rules nd be tught to prctice them. https://og.c.gov/firerms/tips 3/8/2018
firerm Sfety I Stte of Cliforni - Deprtment of Justice - Office of the Attorney Generl Pge 9 of 14 1. Stop The first rule for child to follow if he/she finds or sees gun to stop wht he/she doing. 2. Don t Touch! The second rule for child not to touch gun he/she finds or sees. A child my think the best thing to do if he/she finds gun to pick it up nd tke it to n dult. A child needs to know he/she should NEVER touch gun he/she my find or see. 3. Leve the Are The third rule to immeditely leve the re. Th would include never tking gun wy from nother child or trying to stop someone from using gun. 4. TellnAdult The lst rule for child to tell n dult bout the gun he/she hs seen. Th includes times when other kids re plying with or shooting gun. Plese note tht, while there no better dvice t th time for children or dolescents who encounter gun by hppenstnce, the Cliforni Chpter of the Americn College of Emergency Physicins reports tht such wrnings lone my be insufficient ccident prevention mesures with children nd dolescents. BckToTop METHODS OF CHILDPROOFING YOUR Fl REARM https://og.c.gov/firerms/tips 3/8/2018
Firerm Sfety I Stte of Cliforni - Deprtment of Justice - Office of the Attorney Ge... Pge 10 of 14 As responsible hndgun owner, you must recognize the need nd be wre of the methods of childproofing your hndgun, whether or not you hve children. Whenever children could be round, whether your own, or friend s, reltive s or neighbor s, dditionl sfety steps should be tken when storing firerms nd mmunition in your home. Alwys store your firerm unloded. Use firerms sfety device AND store the firerm in locked continer. Store the mmunition seprtely in locked continer. Alwys storing your firerm securely the best method of childproofing your firerm; however, your choice of storge plce cn dd nother element of sfety. Crefully choose the storge plce in your home especilly if children my be round. Do not store your firerm where it vible. Do not store your firerm in bedside tble, under your mttress or pillow, or on closet shelf. Do not store your firerm mong your vlubles (such s jewelry or cmers) unless it locked in secure continer. Consider storing firerms not possessed for self-defense in sfe nd secure mnner wy from the home. Bck To Top https ://og.c.gov/firerms/tips 3/8/2018