Alien Gear Holsters' Complete Guide to Gun Safety. We want everyone to concealed carry safely, and encourage fellow CCW'ers to carry safely as well.

1. Alien Gear Holsters
Presents
The Complete Guide to Gun Safety

2. Gun Safety
Rules
Whilst there are no set-in-
stone actual "gun safety
rules," it isn't uncommon to
find mentions of the "4
Rules of Gun Safety," or the
"4 Laws of Gun Safety" or at
least something to that
effect. The rules
enumerated by the oft-
repeated list are by no
means comprehensive, but
are the most widely
repeated.

3. Those seeking instruction should do so
from qualified professionals. This guide
is solely for informational purposes, and
Alien Gear Holsters disclaims any
responsibility, liability or otherwise from
any inadvertent errors contained herein.
The reader assumes all risks when
handling firearms.

4. The 4 Rules of Gun Safety
The rules are the most-oft repeated, and for
good reason. The idea behind each of them
is to take every precaution to not discharge
a gun unless you mean to do it. Naturally,
there are many more things to consider
regarding firearm safety, but the 4 rules of
gun safety listed here are the best starting
point.

5. Treat Every Gun As If It's Loaded
Even if you know a gun is not loaded, act as if it is at all times. Relying
on your knowledge that a pistol is unloaded CAN result in accidents
being avoided...until you get it wrong. If you don't take chances, then
nothing will go wrong.

6. Never Aim at Something
You Don't Intend To
Shoot
• The muzzle should never be
pointed at something that you
wouldn't want to be shot, killed
or destroyed. Definitely DO NOT
aim a firearm at a person unless
you are defending yourself or
someone else from mortal
danger. Doing so outside of
those circumstances, even as a
joke, is a crime known as
brandishing in many
jurisdictions.

7. Keep Your Finger Off The Trigger
Until You Intend To Shoot
Just as with the previous rules, take no
chances. A negligent discharge CAN kill.
One way a negligent discharge can occur
is by actuating the trigger accidentally.
Remember: keep your finger away from
the trigger until you are ready to fire.

8. Be Sure Of Your Target And
What's Beyond It
Make sure that what you're shooting at is
what you want to shoot at. If you aren't
sure of the target, you probably shouldn't
fire to avoid any possible collateral
damage.

9. Other Gun Safety Rules
Besides the classic four gun safety rules, there are a few more to
always bear in mind.

10. Know Your Gun
You should familiarize yourself with your
firearm, whether it's a rifle, shotgun, pellet
gun, pistol, or whatever it might be. The onus
is on you to be safe with a firearm and that
begins with knowing the ins and outs of how
your gun works. Give the owner's manual a
good read. Observe how easily any safety
mechanisms are engaged or disengaged. Learn
how it handles regarding recoil, when being
loaded and so forth.
Just like how a person learns how their car
handles, a person should learn how their gun
handles. The safest operator of a car or a
firearm is a person who knows exactly how it
works and any of its quirks, foibles and
peculiarities.

11. Don’t Rely On The Safety
Mechanism
It is a fallacy to believe that a mechanical safety is foolproof. It
isn't that a mechanical safety does nothing, but it's best to
rely on an active focus on and attention to practical safety
rather than rely on a mechanical safety net. Viewing a
mechanical safety that way can lead to carelessness, which
can lead to tragedy.
As a corollary to learning the ins and outs of your firearm,
learn the intricacies of the mechanical safety features on your
gun as well. Safety mechanisms take a variety of forms, so it
behooves you to know how your gun's safety works.

12. Be Careful With Gun Mods
Gun mods are very popular. Since so many accessories and
upgrades are available for every type of firearm available, a lot
of people will get tempted to accessorize or upgrade various
parts. Be very careful. Just like with modifying a car, a lot can
go wrong with amateur modifications of working parts such as
the trigger, firing or safety mechanisms. Just like with
modifying a car, a dire result can occur if a modification goes
sideways. It's not that gun modifications can't be perfectly
functional; they can.
It's also not that one should just buy a factory model with the
desired upgrades. However, a factory model will, in all
likelihood, work better and do so more often than a modified
model. Just like cars, the quality of the person doing the
upgrade affects the efficacy of the upgrade.

13. Gun Safety While Shooting
There are also principles of gun safety to
observe while at the range or in the field.
Careless shooting can easily result in
tragedy, so it behooves anyone and
everyone to observe proper shooting safety
as well as safe handling.

14. Avoid Shooting At Hard, Flat Surfaces
Don't shoot at hard, flat surfaces. These
are the most likely to cause a ricochet,
which can injure or kill anyone (or any
living thing) that a ricocheting projectile
strikes. Therefore, avoid shooting at
rocks, road surfaces and so on. A soft
backstop is best, such as dirt or sand.
Avoid shooting at water, as bullets or
shot pellets can skip off the surface,
unless shot at a steep downward angle.
Naturally, this a corollary to being sure
of your target and what's behind it, but
it bears further explanation.

15. Make Sure the Barrel Is Clear Of Obstructions
Before you shoot, make sure that there isn't anything obstructing the
barrel. Inspect your gun before going to the range, and if you have
time, give it a decent lubing. It will perform better. If any obstructions
remain in the barrel, serious injuries or worse can occur.
There are a few ways to check for obstructions, and all are very easy to
perform. First, ensure that the firearm is not loaded. Once you know
that all ammunition is removed, if possible, open the action. Some
firearms will allow this, such as most semi-auto pistols and long guns,
but revolvers do not. One way is to shine an adequate light through the
barrel to see if there are any obstructions. A penlight may be sufficient,
though you may need a stronger light source.
The other method, and in truth is not the most highly recommended, is
to stick something down the barrel. Once you see object emerge into
the action, you know there aren't any obstructions. A pencil is sufficient
for most pistols; you'll need something different for long guns.
If you find an obstruction, DO NOT attempt to dislodge it. Bullets are
close to exactly the same diameter as the barrel, if not slightly larger by
a few thousandths of an inch. This is so the barrel's rifling scores the
bullet as it travels down the barrel and causes it to spin. Take your gun
to a gunsmith and have them remove the obstruction.

16. Handle Misfires or Malfunctions With
Extreme Care
Something may go wrong, either as the result of a mechanical malfunction or
worse, a misfire. In either case, handle with extreme caution.
Mechanical handgun malfunctions, such as a failure to feed or failure to return to
battery, are much more common in semi-automatics, such as pistols, shotguns and
rifles. As with any mechanical system, more parts means more complexity and
therefore more that can go wrong. Do NOT attempt to force the gun to return to
battery.
The best method of dealing with these issues is to completely unload the gun, then
safely reload. See if the issue repeats. Insufficient lubrication is the most common
cause; apply lubrication before you take the gun to the range next time. Magazines
are another common culprit; clean and lubricate to see if that is the issue. If
multiple instances occur, take the gun to a gunsmith, as it may need servicing.
If a misfire occurs, be extremely cautious. Clear the gun of any misfired rounds and
walk away. Do NOT attempt to pick up or take away any rounds that were struck
but didn't fire.

17. Mechanical Malfunctions
The most common mechanical malfunctions in
firearms are a failure to feed, failure to return
to battery and a failure to eject. Each has their
own causes. Additionally, every design of
firearm - such as pump action, lever action,
bolt action, revolver or semi-automatic - is
uniquely prone to one or all as a result of their
mechanical design.
The most common cause of mechanical
malfunctions is insufficient lubrication. Guns
are, after all, machines, and the moving parts
require lubrication to function smoothly.
However, there can be mechanical defects or
poor shooting technique(s) that can cause a
mechanical malfunction.

18. Gun Safety While Carrying
Gun safety while at the range is one thing, but gun
safety while carrying is something else entirely.
That introduces a whole new set of guidelines and
rules to follow, as a firearm must be kept securely
in place...until it has to be used.
As a result, that means more elements that have to
be accounted for in order to safely carry a firearm.
Whether one is open carrying or concealed
carrying, there are some safety considerations to
bear in mind.

19. Safe Gun Storage
Another aspect of gun safety is safe gun storage.
Firearms should be properly stored in the home,
though some disagree on just what that entails.
In any case, there are certain universals of gun
storage that should be observed.
First, firearms should be kept safe from
moisture. Whether loaded or unloaded,
moisture can cause rust, which can and will ruin
an afflicted gun if left untreated.
Second, they should not be accessible by
everyone.

20. Best Practices For Ammunition
Safety
Ammunition safety is likewise important, as proper storage
and use is paramount. A gun, in and of itself, is an inert
machine; basically a gun is little more than a dead weight
until it's loaded. Ammunition is what poses the actual
proximate danger, as bullets fly very fast and do a lot of
damage once they enter tissue. A bullet is basically a tiny
bomb that sends a piece of metal flying, so it behooves a
person to use it safely and give it the respect it deserves.

21. Children And Gun Safety
One of the highest risk groups for serious injuries or fatalities due to accidental discharges is children, which is why gun
safety is of paramount importance if one has children in the home or they are present while handling firearms.
Safety concerns regarding children and firearms is a sensitive topic. Some people refuse to have guns in their home for this
reason, or refuse to allow anyone who carries in their home. Keeping guns away from children was the genesis of the Gun
Free School Zone Act of 1990, which has remained a source of controversy. Likewise, many businesses that cater to children
and parents refuse to allow people to carry there when legally permitted, and so on.
Granted, automobiles, heights and water are equally dangerous. Accidents, according to the Centers for Disease Control
(see the National Vital Statistics Report and this page on child health and mortality) are the leading cause of death for those
aged 0 to 14 years and motor vehicle accidents, falls and drowning are the most frequent types of fatal accidents.
However, according to the Brady Campaign (PDF), 2,703 children died as the result of injuries from firearms in 2011.
Suicides by firearm accounted for 61 percent (1,651), 32 percent (850) were due to homicide by firearm, and 5 percent
(140) were due to unintentional injury. An additional 16,700 were injured.
Most people have seen horrific news reports of what can happen when children gain access to firearms.
Shooting incidents involving children takes several forms. One is where children shoot people - such as a playmate, sibling or
parent - unintentionally, believing the gun wasn't real or something to that effect or not knowing what they were doing.
Another common occurrence is when improper handling leads to a discharge that strikes a child. Yet another is when a child
uses a firearm to commit suicide, and then there are homicides by firearms.
The latter two are most common among teenagers. Teens are more likely to commit suicide by firearm than any other age
group from birth to 18 years of age. They are also more likely to commit murder with a firearm, including that of another
teen, or conversely be murdered with a firearm than any other age group of people under age 18.
Often enough, the most effective act of gun safety regarding children is merely to store them properly.

22. Summary of Gun Safety
Remember the 4 Rules of Gun Safety:
Rule 1: Treat Every Gun as If It's Loaded
Rule 2: Never Aim at Something You Don't Want to Shoot
Rule 3: Keep Your Finger Off the Trigger Until You Intend to Shoot
Rule 4: Be Sure of Your Target and What's Beyond It
Remember to practice only safe shooting.
Remember to use correct ammunition.
Know how your gun works and handle with an abundance of care, as there is no
adequate substitution for safe handling.
Only carry in a holster with adequate retention and trigger guard coverage.
Tedder Industries, LLC d/b/a Alien Gear Holsters ('Alien Gear') offers this guide
solely for informational purposes and makes no warranty as to the accuracy of
the content or information contained herein. All firearms users should obtain
training regarding firearm use and safety from certified, professional firearms
safety experts, and this guide is not a substitute for such training. Firearms users
are required to comply with all applicable legal requirements that come with
firearm use and ownership and Alien Gear makes no representations as to those
requirements. Alien Gear does not manufacture or sell firearms, and Alien Gear's
products are not designed as, nor are they intended to be used as, firearm safety
devices. The owner and user assume all responsibility for firearm safety.