Guns 101

Guns 101 Firearm Safety The safeguarding of your firearm is one of the most critical things you can do. It is a full-time obligation and responsibility. When you own a firearm, you must always keep situational awareness. Your safety, along with the safety of your loved ones, depends on your correctly securing and storing your firearm so that it cannot be accessed by unauthorized individuals. It is crucial that you store your firearms and ammunition separately so that they are not accessible to children or other non-permitted people. You must always keep your firearm unloaded and locked when not in use. Never leave a firearm unattended unless it is unloaded, locked, and secured. Here are the 5 pillars of firearm safety you need to follow: 1\. Treat Every Firearm As If It’s Loaded In our opinion, this is the most important rule, and if you only take away one rule from this article, we hope this is the one you remember. It doesn’t matter if you’re home alone and you absolutely know the firearm doesn’t have a round in the chamber. Stay vigilant and conduct perfect practice. A firearm is a mechanical device, and mechanical devices are prone to failure – which means an accidental discharge, although this is very rare. You should never rely solely on your gun’s safety to prevent accidents. Treat your firearm with the respect it deserves. 2\. Trigger Finger Stays Off The Trigger Until You’re Ready To Shoot A firearm will discharge once the trigger is pulled. So one of the best ways to prevent an accidental shooting is to keep your finger off the trigger until you’re absolutely certain you’re ready to shoot. This rule is important to practice because it prevents random events like muscle spasms, tripping, and even getting spooked by something from causing you to clench down with your hand. If your finger is off the trigger, then that clenching won’t cause an accidental discharge. 3\. Never Point Your Muzzle At Anything You’re Unwilling To Kill Have you ever seen a gunshot wound? It’s not pretty, but hopefully, it gives you a quick glimpse of the power of a firearm. Your muzzle is the portion of the gun where the bullet exits. Going from the first rule, you have to assume that your firearm is loaded, and anywhere your muzzle points at will get killed or destroyed. Think of your muzzle as having a laser, and anywhere that laser touches will instantly die. If you keep that in mind, you’ll stay out of trouble! 4\. Be Certain Of Your Target, Your Line Of Fire, & What Lies Beyond Your Target When a bullet leaves your firearm, it is your responsibility to ensure that it doesn’t harm anyone. You can never retrieve a bullet once it has been fired. Always ensure that you have an adequate backstop and consider the ramifications if you miss your target. If you are unsure, discontinue what you are doing and verify that your shooting location is safe. 5\. Maintain Your Firearm & Body Most instructors will usually stop at the top 4 rules and move on, but we believe this rule is equally important for long-term success. It’s important to regularly clean and maintain your gun. When you discharge ammunition, there’s going to be a lot of gunk that will cause jamming in your firearm unless cleaned out regularly. There’s nothing worse than a jammed gun. Also, make sure to maintain your body. This means using proper eye and ear protection. Did you know that most gunshots will register in the 150-170 decibel range? That’s enough to rupture your eardrums if exposed for too long. Basics Of Bullets Before you can start getting into the details of firearms, you need to ask yourself, what’s the purpose of my gun in the first place? Simple enough… It’s to propel a projectile (at a high speed) toward a target! So how many different projectiles are there? There are 2 basic types of projectiles: 1. Cartridges (a.k.a. bullets) 2. Shotshells (used for shotguns) Cartridges Most new entrants into the firearm space typically confuse the cartridge and the bullet. There are actually 4 different components of a cartridge: 1. Casing 2. Primer 3. Powder 4. Bullet Casing: This is a brass or steel cylinder that holds everything together. Primer: The primer is the piece that is struck by the firing pin and ignites the propellant. Powder (Propellant): The cartridges contain smokeless gun powder. This is an explosive chemical mixture with the only intent of propelling the bullet. Bullet: This is the actual projectile that travels to the target. It comes in a wide variety of types. Shotshells You might have guessed by now, but shotguns don’t play by the same rules as handgun or rifle rounds. They use either a shot or a slug. Shot: Several lead pellets (which range in size based on your intended use). Slug: A single solid projectile fired out of a shotgun barrel. The shot or slug sits next to a wad, gunpowder, and a primer. All these separate items are covered with a shell case. Types Of Firearms There are a lot of firearm types and sub-types. However, for the purpose of knowing the basics, we can bucket the different firearm types into 3 primary buckets: 1. Handguns 2. Rifles 3. Shotguns Handguns Handguns are firearms which usually have a barrel length of 3-8 inches and are normally discharged (fired) with one hand. There are 2 primary types of handguns: 1. Semi-Automatic Pistols – these are handguns which use a magazine to hold ammunition that gets fed into the chamber after the initial discharge. 2. Revolvers – these handguns rotate a cylinder, which holds the ammunition, in preparation for getting struck by the firing hammer. These are the kind of handguns used in old western movies. Rifles A rifle is a firearm with an average barrel length of 20-26 inches. It gets the name rifle because of the special spiraled grooves within the barrel that spin the bullet upon ejection. This spinning helps improve accuracy, flight stability, and distance. Almost all rifles have buttstocks which are placed on the inner portion of your shoulder (actually the pit between your chest and shoulder) and are fired with 2 hands. There are 2 primary types of rifles: 1. Single Shot (or Bolt-Action) Rifles – You must pull a bolt after every discharge to reload a new round. 2. Repeating Rifles (either Semi-Automatic or Fully Automatic) – These are rifles that automatically feed a new bullet into the chamber upon discharge. Semi-Automatic rifles will require a new trigger pull to discharge a bullet, whereas fully automatic rifles can discharge with 1 continuous trigger pull. Shotguns A shotgun is a shoulder-fired firearm with a smooth barrel. These firearms shoot what are called “shot” or “slugs,” which are cylindrical casings that contain small metallic balls or pellets. There are 2 primary types of shotguns: 1. Break Open Shotguns – this type is where you break open the shotgun to insert new shells into the chamber to fire. 2. Pump Action Shotguns – this type requires a pump to occur to enter a new load into the chamber. How Do Firearms Work? Guns are devices that shoot objects at high speed. The first guns were simply tubes filled with explosives and ammunition. Just like people – every gun is different. They have different ways of igniting the primer to burn the gunpowder and ultimately send that bullet to its target. Even among these differences, every gun needs a “firing pin,” or a round metal object with the only goal of striking the primer and kick-starting the process. Once the cartridge has been discharged and the bullet has been ejected, two things need to occur. The empty cartridge has to exit the chamber, and a new cartridge needs to enter the chamber. Each type of firearm has a different loading mechanism. Gun Laws & Important Legal Info For New Firearm Purchases There are many regulations and laws governing the purchase of firearms, and, regrettably, there are so many that we will only focus on federal laws and requirements here (for now). However, there are some key aspects you should know going in. Second Amendment And What It Means To You If you grew up in the U.S., I’m sure you’re aware of what the Second Amendment is. For those of you who might not be in the states, it’s this rule that affords the right to own a firearm. “A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” In theory, this means you’re guaranteed the right to own firearms. However, don’t get it twisted. There are still rules we need to follow, both federally and on the state level. Owning a firearm is a responsibility you can’t take lightly. Key Federal Rules You Need To Know For Purchasing Firearms To sell firearms commercially, you need an FFL (federal firearm license). Your local gun shop will have an FFL. This gives you two options for purchasing a firearm. 1. Go to your local dealer and get what they have in stock. 2. Buy your gun online and have it transferred to your local dealer. Going through the FFL route requires you to complete background checks to take ownership of the gun. Then the gun club will “transfer” the firearm to you. You do have an option to go through a private transaction (as in the seller is offering a used firearm privately, not commercially). There’s no background checks, but the selling party must have no reason to believe you’re prohibited from owning a firearm. Remember, we’re speaking about only the federal regulations. Always double-check with your state rules. Concealed Carry Concealed carrying is keeping a firearm on your person in a concealed manner while in a public setting. You’ll typically keep it in a holster or purse (if you’re smart). The option for concealed carry is determined on the state level, which varies from unrestricted to highly restrictive. Open Carry Open carrying is defined as carrying your firearm in a visible manner. Either your firearm is partially or fully visible to others. Partially is a key word here too. Make sure you know your state’s laws regarding open carry and what “partially” means to them. Constitutional Carry This has been an interesting law, especially in the past couple of years. Constitutional carry is defined technically as the state’s law doesn’t specifically prohibit their citizens from carrying handguns or rifles in an open or concealed way. These states don’t have a form of a permit. There are some states with conditions to this rule, so we highly recommend you go to our state levels. Castle Doctrine This doctrine sets out that your legally occupied area (vehicle, house, etc.) provides you with certain immunities and protections for the use of deadly force in defense of your living space. There’s a lot of gray area here. For example, some states require you to try and retreat to avoid violence if possible. But when you’re in your home, you’ve pretty much retreated as well as possible, thus giving you some protection for defensive homicide. Handling Your Firearm & Shooting Fundamentals Okay. Okay. There’s a lot that can be said about proper firearm handling. For the purpose of this article, we’re going to walk through the basics. Stance No matter how good your sight alignment, breath control, and other shooting skills are, your shot accuracy will suffer if your stance does not provide a stable shooting platform. Here are the 2 primary options to try: 1. Weaver Stance: Personally, this is our preferred stance. It’s now the standard taught for most new shooters. To stabilize the weapon, you put your firing side foot back and turn your supporting side towards the target, keeping his support arm bent. Your strong, or firing arm, is extended, and your support arm is bent at the elbow. The push-pull technique is utilized to stabilize the weapon. You push with your firing arm and pull with your support arm to keep it stable. 2. Isosceles Stance: Shoulders square to the target with feet shoulder width apart. Your knees are slightly bent, and you’re slightly leaning forward. Grip Have you ever watched Bourne Identity? You know, this guy. Matt Damon - Jason Bourne. Yea… Don’t hold your gun like that. Ever. That’s called the teacup method, and if you hold your handgun like that, you get this. Instead, you want your grip to be like this. See the difference? There’s much more to be said, so make sure to check out our grip articles! Eye Dominance Have you ever closed one of your eyes and noticed that the field of vision looks slightly different? What you were experiencing was the difference between your dominant and non-dominant eyes. Almost all people have a dominant eye, and if you want to shoot well, you need to figure out which eye is the dominant one for you. Here’s a quick test to determine your eye dominance: 1. Find a distant object. Look for something about 15-30 feet away from you. 2. Create a triangle using your hands (connect your thumbs and fingers to form the triangle) and then extend your arms out so the object is in the center of your triangle. Make sure to do this with both eyes open. 3. Close one of your eyes. 4. If your object stays centered with the eye open, then that’s your dominant eye. If it moves out of the frame, then that’s your non-dominant eye. Trigger Pull Trigger pull is a bit of a heated topic in the firearm community. The high level of trigger pull follows along these lines: “Pull the trigger slowly with the last portion of your index finger until it releases. You want to be surprised when your round goes off.” Now, there’s a school of thought that this is impractical to learn because during a fight or flight situation, you won’t have the mental capacity to pull the trigger slowly. Instead, you’ll be slapping the trigger. We think there’s some truth to this. However, if you’re just starting out, we highly recommend you pull your trigger slowly and methodically. Get your groupings tight first before changing things up. Important Gear, Tools, & Other Accessories So, you’ve got the basics down, and you’ve got your new firearm. Now it’s time to stock up on some essential gear. Ammo You’re going to need ammo for the range. We highly recommend buying online so you avoid a 20%+ markup by the shooting range. Safety When you’re not using your firearm, you need to keep it stored in a safe place. Consider using these firearm safe recommendations! Essential Gear Holsters, range bags, optics, and so much more! Check out our articles for the best accessories to keep your firearms clean and shooting straight for a long time. Conclusion Understanding the basics of firearms and firearm safety is crucial for anyone looking to own or handle firearms. Remember, firearms are powerful tools that demand respect and responsibility. Following the 5 pillars of firearm safety and knowing the types of firearms and how they work will set you on the path to becoming a responsible and knowledgeable firearm owner. Always prioritize safety, and never hesitate to seek further education and training. Stay safe and happy shooting! FAQs 1\. How often should I clean my firearm? Regularly clean and maintain your firearm, especially after each use. This will prevent gunk buildup and ensure its optimal performance. 2\. Can I carry a firearm in my car for self-defense? Carrying a firearm in your car depends on state laws. Some states allow it, while others have strict regulations. Be sure to check your state's specific laws. 3\. What is the difference between semi-automatic and fully automatic rifles? Semi-automatic rifles require a new trigger pull for each shot, while fully automatic rifles can fire continuously with one trigger pull until the magazine is empty. 4\. Can I open carry a firearm in all states? No, open carry laws vary from state to state, and some states may have restrictions or requirements for open carry. 5\. Do I need a background check to buy a firearm from a private seller? For private transactions, federal law generally does not require a background check. However, some states may have additional regulations regarding private gun sales. Always check your state's laws before purchasing a firearm from a private seller.