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As you can see from the pictures above standing in front
of the firearm could mame you pretty bad, also you have to remember at any
given time there are particles of un burnt gunpowder as well as wad parts
and pieces Please remember any fire arm commands respect loaded or not.
The Reenactment
Guild of America has set fourth many safety rules for reenactors to
follow a few of them are as follows.
*
While firing blanks at a fellow performer,
the weapon should be pointed towards but not
directly at a performer and off towards backstage.
*
No cocked, loaded weapon should ever be pointed at another performer within
5'.
*
When firing from sets towards another player who is towards the audience,
30' needs to
be between the viewing audience and the weapon being fired.
NOTE:
If any performer is careless in the use of a weapon, especially firing
towards the
audience for a laugh or any intentional purpose to draw attention to
his/herself, the judges
have the right/obligation to stop the show immediately and discuss
disqualification of
said performer/team for safety purposes from the competition.
*
Safety distances are in effect, (15' for pistols and 25' for shotguns), 180
degrees from
the end of the barrel. No firing next to individuals standing, kneeling or
laying on
the ground within the approved safety distances.
Note: Look folks, the splatter from a gun can cover a large area depending
on the type
of blank you are firing, so a little more room is better than not enough.
General Firearm Safety
GUN SAFETY
An Important Word About Children and Guns Even if
you do not own a gun, there's a good chance that your children will
encounter one someday. Your children's friends might live in homes with
guns, or your children might find one that a criminal has discarded. There
are about 200 million firearms in the U.S., so some sort of encounter is
almost inevitable.
To prepare for this, The Deguello Gunslingers suggests you teach your
children these steps to follow when encountering a gun:
Stop!
Don't touch.
Leave the area.
Tell an adult.
Hundreds of injuries could be avoided if
parents put a limit on children’s access to firearms.
Prevention of Firearm Violence
If you have a gun:
Always keep your gun unloaded and locked up.
Lock and store bullets in a separate location.
Make sure children do not have access to the keys.
Ask police for the advice on safe storage and gun locks.
Talk to your children about the risk of gun injury outside the home and
places where they may visit and play.
Basic Rules of Safe Gun Handling
(1) All
guns are always loaded.
This means you should NEVER relax the amount of care with which you handle a
gun just because it's not loaded. Always handle an empty gun with as much
care as a loaded one.
(2)
Never point a gun at anything you are unwilling to destroy. Although there
are lots of things that you probably don't want to destroy---walls, windows,
furniture, appliances, pets---the most important point is that you shouldn't
aim your gun at people. Don't point your gun in the general direction of
people. Don't point your gun at objects with people in or behind them. Keep
the gun pointed in a safe direction (usually straight up or straight down)
at all times.
(3) Keep your finger off the
trigger until you are ready to fire. The trigger is for firing the gun, not
for resting your trigger finger between shots. You can rest your finger on
the trigger guard or on the body of the gun just above the trigger---this is
known as the "index position." Moving your finger to the trigger is such a
small movement that it won't slow you down no matter how badly you need to
fire.
(4) Know your target.
If you don't know what your bullet will be hitting, don't pull the trigger.
Keep in mind that your bullet may miss or pass through your intended target
and hit another one. Also, watch out for ricochets off of hard, flat
surfaces or even off of the flat surface of a pool of water. (Bullets will
skip off of water just like stones.)
(5) Keep your gun at the minimum
level of readiness. This usually means keeping your gun unloaded when you're
not using it. Obviously, if you expect trouble at any moment, your gun
should be loaded and ready. On the other hand, you shouldn't leave a loaded
gun around the house if it isn't for self defense.
(6)
Always check the load condition of any gun you handle. A gun in your hand is
your responsibility. Never take someone else's word that it's unloaded (or
loaded).
If someone offers you a gun that you are
unfamiliar with, don't be afraid to ask how it works.
(7)
Know how the gun works.
It's hard to use gun safely if you don't know to use it at all. If you don't
know how a particular gun works, read the manual, ask the person you got it
from, write the manufacturer for a manual, or seek the advice of an expert.
(8) Make sure the gun is safe to
operate.
Regular cleaning and proper storage are necessary for safe operation. If you
are unsure about a gun, have it inspected by a gunsmith.
(9) Use
only the correct ammunition.
The wrong type of ammunition can cause all kinds of problems, some of them
fatal. Just because the ammunition fits in the gun doesn't mean it's right
for the gun.
(10)
Wear eye and ear protection.
Gunfire always involves fire and smoke, which can harm the eyes.
(11)
Know how to handle misfires, hangfires, and squib rounds.
If you pull the trigger and the gun doesn't fire, there could be several
reasons.
Since you can't tell without examining the
round, and since a hangfire going off while you're looking at it would be
dangerous, it's best to just hold the gun pointing at the target for at
least 30 seconds. If it doesn't go off, you can begin to investigate. You
should immediately unload the gun and inspect the barrel and firing
chamber(s) for a stuck bullet. You may want to have a gunsmith examine the
gun before you begin firing again.
(12) Always store the gun and
ammunition separately, and where unauthorized persons---especially
children---cannot get at it.
(13) To unload, remove the
magazine, then cycle the action. A magazine-fed pistol, rifle, or shotgun
loads the firing chamber from the magazine every time the bolt, slide or
pump mechanism is operated.
(14) Drinking and shooting is as
bad as drinking and driving. 'nuff said.
(15) Use the safety, but don't
rely on it.
A "safety" is a mechanism on a gun designed to prevent the gun from firing.
a safety is a mechanical device
and any mechanical device can fail.
(16) Non-firearm safety is
important too.
Air guns, paint guns, and dart guns aren't firearms, but that doesn't mean
you shouldn't follow the safety rules with them too.
Children and Guns
If
you're thinking of mixing children and guns in the same household, there are
a few things you should know.
Some Ineffective Ideas to Avoid.
Hiding your gun is a good idea, but not good enough.
Kids like to explore and find new things, so hiding your gun is of limited
benefit. A child may very well go through all of the drawers and cabinets in
the house. Putting the gun out of reach only works until your kid learns to
climb or use a ladder or stepping-stool. (Don't think your kids don't climb
on the furniture just because you've never seen 'em do it.)
Don't make the mistake of thinking your child is too weak to use the gun.
Large auto loading pistols will have strong slide springs that even many
adults find difficult to work, so you may be tempted to leave the chamber of
a gun empty on the assumption that your child won't be able to load it.
Also, there are gun locks that use a strong spring or rubber band to hold
the gun, on the theory that only adults will be strong enough to release the
gun. Both these methods are insecure against any child larger than an
infant. Your child can probably find some way to put his entire weight on
the slide or the lock, usually by carrying it to a stair step and standing
on it.
Basically, if your child-proofing mechanism depends on your child's lack of
height, strength, or intellect and your child is beyond infancy, it's not
good enough. Children spend many years being small and weak, and they learn
lots of ways to compensate. They also have a lot of spare time to figure
things out. Your children can probably defeat any mechanism you can. Thus,
the only effective child-proofing methods are those that also work against
unauthorized adults. You need real security.
Keeping Your Children Safe From
Accidents With Other People's Guns.
One weakness in this whole approach is that it only keeps your children from
mishandling your guns. If your child finds a gun on the street, or discovers
one at a friends house, all of your gun locks won't help. A different
approach must be used. You need to "gun-proof" your child.
The idea is similar to the approach many parents use when they are concerned
about their children's exposure to sex, AIDS, drugs, or any other issue with
an important moral dimension. Children have a better chance of getting it
right if their parents teach them than if they learn from television or from
their peers. You need to talk to your children about what's important, about
your values.
When your children are young, teach them what to do when they encounter a
gun: Stop! Don't touch. Leave the area. Tell an adult.
If your children play with toy guns, begin teaching them the safety rules
right from the start. If they learn to handle the toys safely, they'll be
less likely to do something disastrous when they get their hands on the real
thing. Help them form good gun safety habits.
When your children get a little older, they may become curious about real
guns, especially if they've seen you with one. Answer your child's questions
about guns. When you're watching television, point out unsafe gun handling
and other mistakes.
It would be best if you satisfied their curiosity before they try to satisfy
it themselves. Unload the gun and let them handle it. Remind them of the
safety rules. Show them how it works. (If you think you can get away with
it, teach them to clean it for you.) Just make it clear that they're not to
touch the guns without your supervision.
Try taking them shooting. Even a very young child can shoot safely if you
are always standing right behind him or her. It's not too unusual to see
7-year-old children shooting with their parents. Again, make sure they
follow the rules and show them proper shooting behavior. You might want to
find a place where you can shoot up a few melons or gallon water jugs. It's
fun, and it's a graphic illustration of why guns are not toys.
There's always the chance that shooting will turn into a fun family hobby.
Chances are, however, that your children---especially if young---will find
shooting to be loud and scary, or more likely, loud and boring. Oh well, at
least you've got a child who knows about gun safety, who isn't dangerously
curious about guns, and who isn't likely to do something stupid.
If you don't feel comfortable training your own kids to shoot, there are
plenty of instructors available. Contact the NRA for a list of instructors
in your area, or call a local gun club or gun shop.
REMEMBER GUNS DO NOT KILL PEOPLE
UNINFORMED STUPID PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE
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