Owning a handgun allows you to protect your home and family if you’re threatened. However, a handgun is incredibly dangerous if it falls into a child’s hands. While you’ll naturally want to take a handgun safety course to make sure you know how to handle your firearm, you also need to take a few precautions at home. Keeping your handgun safe from your children requires a multilayered approach that uses the following strategies, brought to you by the firearms safety education experts from Gun Safety Training Pros, a top-tier provider of gun safety training classes.
Choose a Secure Storage Place
You’ll find there’s a wide range of lockable gun storage safes available for you to buy. Choose the one that works best for your house, and make sure you store your gun there every time you aren’t physically handling it. Making sure your gun stays behind locked doors means your child won’t accidentally come across it. If you choose a key lock, hide the key in an area where you know your child won’t find it without your knowledge.
Store the Ammo Separately
You should always store your gun unloaded. Once you’ve unloaded and stored your gun, make sure to place the ammo in a different location. If you’re worried about being able to access and load your gun quickly in an emergency, practice until you know you can do it well. Keeping your ammo in a separate location further reduces the chances that your child could find the gun and figure out how to use it.
Don’t Allow Young Kids to Shoot the Gun
It’s fun to teach children new things, and it might be tempting to let your child shoot the gun just one time. However, young children often lack the motor skills and awareness they need to handle a firearm even with an adult’s assistance. If your child expresses curiosity, talk to him or her about why shooting is only for adults. Keeping your child’s hands off the firearm also prevents him or her from feeling confident that he or she could shoot it.
Follow Safety Practices with Older Kids & Teens
People tend to worry most about toddlers and preschoolers, who may not recognize the danger a gun represents in the wrong hands. However, there’s also a risk that an older kid or teenager may purposely try to handle your firearm. The child may try to show the gun off to a friend or just admire it. Once your children get older, continue to store your gun in the safe just like you always have.
Talk to Your Kids about What to Do if They See a Handgun
Safe storage practices work for making sure your children don’t come across a firearm in your home. However, there’s always the possibility someone else may leave one out, or your kids might see one in someone else’s house. Tell your children to leave the gun alone and find an adult if this ever happens to them. Explaining that they never know if a gun could be loaded could prevent a negligent discharge.
Every person who owns a firearm should know how to store it safely, and that begins with high-quality training. The experts at Gun Safety Training Pros are committed to providing exceptional training for both new and longtime gun owners. If you’re looking for a premier handgun safety class online, you can rely on the experienced professionals at Gun Safety Training Pros. Contact us today at [email protected].
