Miscellaneous Safety Rules

1. At a range, obey the commands of the range officers, or any individual calling `cease fire,' at once. Read, know and follow any rules peculiar to a particular range which you may be using.

2. Be careful of hot gases and metal shavings ejected at the forcing cone of a revolver.

3. Keep your fingers and other parts of your body away from the muzzle, the rear of the slide, and the ejection area of a semiautomatic pistol.

4. In the event of a misfire, keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction, remove your finger from the trigger, wait ten seconds, then eject the cartridge and dispose of it properly.

5. If you hear an unusual sound upon squeezing the trigger or feel an unusual recoil, stop shooting and investigate. You may have experienced a ``squib'' load (or under-powered cartridge), and it may have caused a bore obstruction. Keep the firearm pointed in a safe direction, remove your finger from the trigger, wait ten seconds, then unload the firearm and safely examine the barrel, checking carefully for any possible obstructions before reloading and resuming shooting.

6. Never ---

* Climb a tree with a loaded firearm,

* Cross a fence with a loaded firearm,

* Jump a ditch or ford a stream with a loaded firearm,

* Scale or descend a steep incline or hill with a loaded firearm,

* Climb a tree, or climb into a hunting stand with a loaded firearm,

* Prop or lean a loaded firearm against a tree or other surface which may allow it to slide, or

* Transport a cased loaded firearm.

7. Always carry your firearms in a way which will allow you to control where the muzzle is pointing, should you stumble or fall.

8. A ballistic vest may substantially improve your chances of surviving an armed encounter on the street.

9. Always wear a thousand square inches or more of blaze orange while in the field during hunting season.

10. Blackpowder (and replica blackpowder) firearms require additional safety precautions not discussed here. Obtain qualified instruction in the safe operation of blackpowder firearms before attempting to load or fire any such firearm.

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