By Heidi Lyn Rao

3 MISTAKES PARENTS MAKE WHEN KEEPING FIREARMS IN THE HOME

Gun ownership in the United States has greatly increased in the past couple of years. A lot of this comes from concerned citizens and the current societal conditions. Regardless of the reason, care and caution should always be taken to ensure that unauthorized persons cannot gain access to firearms.

When you decide to keep a gun in the home for protection and there are children present, extra caution must be taken. Firearms are safe to keep in the home if you follow the NRA Gun Safety Rules:

1. ALWAYS Keep the Gun Pointed in a Safe Direction,
2. ALWAYS Keep Your Finger off the Trigger Until Ready to Shoot, and
3. ALWAYS Keep the Gun Unloaded Until Ready to Use.

Even though parents or other responsible adults may strictly follow these three rules, accidents can still happen. There are three mistakes parents make when they have firearms in the home with children. These mistakes are failing to educate themselves on firearms, failing to educate their children on firearms, and failing to secure their firearms when they are not in direct control of them.

Failing to Educate Themselves

Gun ownership is a big responsibility. Firearms are not like other items you purchase at a general store, home improvement outlet, or other location. You just cannot bring a firearm home and treat it like any other item brought into the home. A firearm cannot just be set on the counter or table waiting for you to “get around to it” to put away.

Responsible gun ownership includes becoming educated in the safe and proper use of your firearm. This means that every gun owner must have the “knowledge, skills, and attitude” (KSAs) to safely operate, store, and in some cases carry their firearm of choice. The best place to turn to learn the knowledge, skills, and attitude is NRA Certified Instructors. There are excellent NRA basic courses offered in rifle, pistol, and shotgun available to the public.

The first place to look to for information about your firearm is the manufacturer of your particular gun. First, you should completely read the owner’s manual. The manual should explain how to safely load and unload your firearm. It should also explain how to field strip your firearm for cleaning and the steps to re-assemble the gun. Additionally, always register your firearm with the manufacturer. This is important because in case of a safety recall on any components, you can be contacted and told where and how to get your gun repaired. Lastly, if you still have questions about your firearm, call the company.

Every manufacturer in the U.S. has a toll-free customer service number. If the customer service agent is unable to help you, they will quickly get you to the right person in the company, such as technical support or from the sales team.

Another big part of education is frequent live fire practice at the range. The more you use your firearm the more proficient and safer you will become. Going to the range also has more advantages than just shooting. There are other like-minded people there and most of them are willing to help each other. This is especially true if you live in the South. Shooting in Texas is like a social event. I have made many friends by way of the range and gathered great shooting tips from other shooters.

Failing to Educate Children

Many parents take the position that they should shield their children from the knowledge that there is a firearm in the home. This is no different from choosing to tell them to avoid anything in the house that could injure them or cause death. For example, every house has a breaker box (fuse panel), natural gas lines and valves, or drawers with knives or other sharp objects. Parents routinely teach their children to avoid these potentially dangerous locations and items. A firearm should be no different.

Parents need to show their children the firearms in their home, so they know what the gun in their living space looks like. Afterall, if they need to know what the rules are

and if the rules are “Do Not Touch” they need to know what it is they are not to touch! Children are naturally curious. If they find something they think is a gun but are not sure, they will pick it up. If you tell someone to NOT touch that red button…what is the only thing going through their mind? More than likely, to touch that red button! In other words, remove the curiosity associated with firearms.

We already discussed taking an NRA Basic Rifle, Pistol, or Shotgun Course to become a responsible gun owner. Parents should go one step further when signing up for a class and take their child or children to the NRA course with them. This way the kids associate responsible gun ownership and shooting as a family activity. They also become aware and learn that any time a firearm is in their presence or in their proximity, a parent or other trained adult should always be present.

There is no minimum age for a child to attend a firearms safety class, within reason. As long as the child is mature enough to understand safety, can stay focused for an 8– 10-hour course, and not become a distraction to others, they are welcome. If your child is under thirteen, it is advisable to ask the instructor if it is alright for a young child to attend. You want an instructor that can “talk” to young students because some instructors are better with kids than others.

Since 1871, the NRA’s firearm training programs have been the gold standard for the safe and proper use of firearms. While NRA Certified Instructors must be at least 21 years old, younger enthusiasts are eligible to become Apprentice Instructors (ages 13- 17) and Assistant Instructors (ages 18-20), working under the guidance of a 21+ year old Instructor. Apprentice and Assistant Instructors are required to undergo the same strict training and qualification as Certified Instructors, except the two lower ratings can score 85% to pass the written exam, while Certified candidates must have at least 90%. If the young man or woman has been helping teach a discipline, they can become a Certified NRA Instructor at 21 years of age with a letter form an active instructor who has been acting as their mentor.

Failing to Secure

The most important thing to remember is the act of “hiding” something is not “securing” something! Failing to properly secure a firearm is the reason the majority of accidents occur. The rule of thumb is if you are not in direct control of a firearm, it should be unloaded and secured so no unauthorized individual can gain access to it. There is no good reason a firearm should not be secured when it is not in your direct control, especially if children are in the house.

Every new firearm that is sold must be accompanied by a gun lock. The most common type is a cable lock. This is a type of lock with a cable that runs through the

barrel, breach and magazine well, or the cylinder of a revolver. Other locks include trigger locks that cover the trigger and trigger guard, and chamber locks used in break action firearms.

There are also small gun boxes or safes. These are usually used next to the bed or other strategic location that is large enough for one or two handguns. Some of these boxes are operated by combination, key, or biometrics. These are designed to be readily accessible when needed but keep unauthorized persons for gaining access to the firearm.

The best type of security for your firearms is a gun safe. Safes are heavy and can be bolted to the floor or wall studs. Many safes are even rated to protect the contents in case of a fire. These safes have a protection rating for a specific amount of time in case of a fire. Safes are operated by a combination, key, or biometrics to open and grant access to contents within.

Nobody expects an accident or especially a tragedy to happen, but they seem to happen more than we would like to admit. Parents can take steps to minimize the risk of the “unthinkable” from happening. It starts by following the NRA Gun Safety Rules, educating both the parent and child, and securing unattended firearms.

Firearm safety starts at home. If a parent does their part and begins teaching their young ones the importance of firearm safety and being a responsible gun owner, then their children will have that safety knowledge engrained in them and will carry it with them when they leave the home. This is important because even though you may do everything right at your home, your children may end up at a friend’s house where gun safety is not observed. By doing your part, your children will be prepared to be safe inside and outside of your home!