Firearms safety is everyone’s responsibility, as it is literally a matter of life and death. We encourage all firearm owners to use the best practices when handling firearms. A cornerstone of MSI's position is the safe and responsible use of firearms.
I. Fundamental Safety Rules
These rules apply everywhere, all the time, without question. New and veteran shooters alike are subject to these common sense safety rules.
1. Treat every firearm as if it were loaded. “Unloaded” firearms kill. Visually inspect your firearms and then touch/feel the chamber to make sure the firearm is clear. Do so every single time a firearm leaves your direct control.
2. Always keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. While accidents certainly happen, responsible firearm owners can mitigate damage to life and property by ensuring proper muzzle control. Whenever handling your firearms, always orient the muzzle in the direction that would cause the least amount of harm in the event of an accidental/negligent discharge. Remember, the ground isn’t always the safest direction. Be mindful of neighbors, pets, composition of your backstop, etc.
3. Know your target and what is beyond it. Even .22LR rounds are capable of surprising penetration through a variety of backstops and flights of great distance. While commerical target ranges have adequate backstops that will reliably stop rounds, you will likely have no such luxuries at home when cleaning your firearm or while hunting. You are responsible for every projectile that leaves your firearm. Remember, you can’t unpull the trigger!
4. Keep your finger off of the trigger until you are ready to fire. This is commonly referred to as “trigger control.” Keep your finger off of the trigger and out of the trigger guard until you are ready to fire.
II. Range Basics
1. Range Rules. In addition to the cardinal safety rules, each target range will have its own rules and regulations. Carefully read all of the rules. Make sure you understand what is required of you before you shoot.
2. Range Safety Officer. Usually abbreviated to RO or RSO, this person might be an employee of a commercial range, a club member volunteering their time, a park ranger who is responsible for publically owned land, etc. While they are responsible for keeping all shooters safe, responsible firearm owners know that safety is everyone’s responsibility! At a range without an automatic target retrieving system, the RSO will generally call for a “cease-fire” at a pre-determined interval of time, or in the event of a safety hazard. When a cease-fire is called, you are to immediately stop shooting, unload your firearm in a safe manner and back away from the firing line. After the RSO has inspected all firearms to ensure that they are clear, he/she will declare the range “cold,” meaning that no firearms are to be handled under any circumstances. At this time, shooters will be allowed to go down range to change targets. Once the RSO has determined that all shooters have returned to the firing line, he/she will declare the range “hot,” meaning that live fire is now permitted.
In the absence of an RSO, the visitors of a public or private range are expected to police themselves. If you see something unsafe you need to speak up. If someone yells at you for violating a safety rule, consider it a learning experience and don't let it discourage you. Ranges are loud so they may have to yell to make sure they are heard. Safety is first!
3. Handling firearms/ammunition at the range. As a general rule, you are expected uncase your firearms at the line as opposed to bringing an uncased firearm up to the line. Orient your case in such a manner that the muzzle will be down range upon uncasing. Under no circumstances are you to handle firearms during a cease-fire or when the range is declared cold. Ranges have varying policies regarding the loading of magazines during a cease-fire/cold range. Know your range’s rules and follow them to the letter.
4. Muzzles are to be pointed in a safe direction at all times. This usually means downrange. As with cases, the use of holsters requires some common sense planning. As you draw a handgun from and return it to the holster, be sure that it never points in an unsafe direction. Cross draw holsters and fast draws are prohibited at some ranges because it is too easy to "sweep the line" meaning you could accidentally point the weapon, even momentarily, at other shooters during your draw. If you're not sure, then ask someone.
5. Always shoot into a backstop. Your targets should always be positioned such that after the bullet passes through your target it will safely hit the backstop. Where will the bullet go if you miss your target? Will it go high, over the backstop? Will it hit short and skip over or around it? Orient your target and your shooting position so that the bullet’s trajectory ends in the backstop. You should not be shooting into the sky or the ceiling. Don't place targets "on the berm"; in other words targets should be in front of the backstop, not on top of it. If you're at an indoor range with mechanical target holders, don't shoot the mechanism or the track on which the target system operates.
7. Don't shoot across lanes. Shoot at the target directly in front of you. Do not shoot on an angle. It's not just polite, it's also safe, as ricochets are a very real and dangerous possibility when rounds impact the backstop at something other than a 90 degree angle.
8. No drugs/alcohol! Firearms and intoxicating substances do not mix, period. Don’t expect a polite, gently-worded reaction from range staff or your fellow shooters if you are caught shooting while under the influence. Firearms deserve respect at all times.
III. Hang fires and Squibs.
1. A hang fire happens when the primer is struck, but the round does not fire immediately. In this instance, there will be no bang and no recoil. If this happens to you, freeze! Keep the firearm pointed downrange for at least 30 seconds. If the round doesn't go off in this time, it is safe to eject it. Examine the problematic cartridge. If the bullet is still crimped into the case then you might have simply had a dud. This is common with rimfire ammunition, like .22LR. Examine the primer for a solid hit from the firing pin/striker. If there is no dent or only a very light indentation in the primer, you may have a mechanical issue with your firearm. Remember to properly dispose of all duds.
However, if the bullet is missing from the extracted case, it may be lodged in the barrel! Stop firing immediately. Unload your firearm and examine the bore for obstructions while observing all safety rules. Never fire a weapon with an obstructed barrel. It may result in an explosion that could damage your firearm and/or cause serious injury or death, which brings us to something called a “squib load.”
2. Squib load. If the powder does not ignite or if the round contained no powder at all, you may have a squib load. A squib load will often have markedly reduced sound and recoil. Other symptoms include unusual sound, reduced or non-existent recoil, failure to cycle some semi-autos, or smoke from the action instead of the barrel. If you experience one of these symptoms, you may have a bullet stuck in the barrel. Cycling and firing another round could cause the weapon to explode, injuring or killing you or someone nearby.
If you suspect this has happened immediately stop shooting, and with the weapon pointed downrange, wait for 30 seconds to be sure you do not have a hang fire, then unload the weapon and examine the bore for obstructions. Also check the ejected case to see if the projectile is present. If there is a bullet stuck in the bore it must be removed before the gun can be fired again. This can usually be done with a cleaning rod. If you are not sure how to safely examine your bore, ask an RSO or someone else knowledgeable in firearm safety for assistance.
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