To buy a gun, learn to shoot, take lessons on safety & responsibility, and to regularly practice at the range or someplace, are all activities that have significant advantages. Owning and using a gun is a good investment if you follow the safety rules and use it for the right purposes. Many aren’t aware that owning and being able to use a gun has many other advantages besides defense and security. Also, lots of people are unaware of the many safety rules on firearms.

Some Advantages of Firearms

Owning a gun will teach you to be responsible or risk serious legal consequences. Knowing the dangers of mishandling a firearm incentivizes you to be always present and accountable for the gun. Once there is a gun in your hands, there is no room for a “mental vacation.”

Being absent-minded while carrying a gun can lead to accidental discharge that causes bodily or material damage to you or somebody else. That’s why responsible gun-owners who know the safety rules and risks are always mentally present while carrying a gun. And that’s a good brain exercise.

Another benefit of learning to shoot a gun is the self-confidence you get from knowing that you have acquired a vital skill. Shooting well is a self-defense skill, and just like all self-defense skills, it boosts your confidence. There are many other benefits of owning and learning to shoot a gun, but that isn’t the main focus of this article. So we’ll go straight to the safety rules for gun ownership in Mexico.

1. Control Access to the Gun

As soon as you own a gun, it is your sole responsibility to make sure no unauthorized persons can access it. Store and lock it up in a secure place. Carelessly storing your weapon increases the risk of someone finding and using it without your permission. Secure storage is particularly important if you have kids around.

There have been many accidents where kids access guns their parents stored carelessly, thereby causing harm to people or damaging properties. It’s also essential to keep the ammunition and gun separately. Doing so mitigates the risk of use by anyone who accesses it. Allow access to your firearm for responsible persons only.

2. Your Gun Muzzle Should Always Point in a Safe Direction

Don’t point a gun towards anything you have no intention of shooting. Accidental discharge can occur. By wrongly aiming your weapon, you increase the risk of damage to persons or property due to accidental discharge. Neglecting this simple rule can lead to someone’s death, as many cases of unintentional discharge happen every year.

The risk of accidental discharge is higher when you’re loading or unloading a gun. Always point the muzzle of your rifle up towards the sky, or down towards the ground. Do this anytime, even when you’re only “dry firing.” Pointing your gun wrongly just because you’re “dry firing” makes you learn that habit subconsciously, which you’ll find difficult to control with a loaded gun.

3.  Know What’s Behind, Besides, or in Front of Your Target

It’s essential to know what your bullet is likely to hit if you miss the target, like due to recoil or something. You can minimize recoil by using the proper mechanism, so you don’t have to hide the shot because of an accident, for fear of legal consequences.

But no matter what you do to prevent missing targets, sometimes you just got to miss. And if you aren’t aware of what lays ahead of your goal, you might wound someone or damage property once the bullet misses. A shot out of a gun is beyond your control.

4.  Don’t Rely Fully on The Safety Mechanism of Your Gun

Like all mechanical systems, your gun’s safety can fail at the worst moment, causing accidental discharge. Always assume that as long as a weapon is loaded, it can shoot. Therefore, you need to keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.

Sometimes when you pull the trigger, a gun might not shoot. In such cases, you need to unload the arm while pointing the muzzle upwards or downwards and remove the affected cartridge. Not doing so can lead to accidental discharge later. Never lean a gun against anything. If it slides to the floor with considerable impact, it can fire.

Always lay the gun, pointing in a safe direction when temporarily not in use. Never assume your gun’s safety is on. If in doubt, double-check. The same goes for assumptions about storage and whether a gun is loaded.

5.  Know What Not to Do When Holding a Gun

Do not perform specific actions while holding a gun, or you must pay special care when doing such. It includes all actions that put your body in an awkward position, like climbing a tree, wall, jumping, etc. Make sure you can always control the direction of your gun even if you stumble or fall.

Conclusion

We’ve described the most important rules of gun-use to help you prevent accidents. Many other rules apply in certain circumstances, but these are very important and a must-know for every gun-owner.

Following the rules is your responsibility, which no one but you can fulfill. As a piece of final advice, always follow the instructions in the owner’s manual regarding ammo, handling, servicing, and more. You can read further about gun laws and other Mexican constituency concerns to understand the rules better.