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The decision to own any type of firearm, assumes you are prepared to undertake fulltime responsibility, AND
liability, for the weapon’s safety and security.
If you own a firearm, you must personally assume full responsibility for its safe handling and use, making sure you
know how it works and how to maintain it. You must also be aware of the circumstances in which you may legally use
a firearm for self-defense. You must protect yourself and your family members against misuse of the weapon by anyone
who is either incompetent or unqualified to handle such items. In particular, you must secure the weapon from theft
and misuse by children.
STORAGE
As a gun owner, safe and secure storage is one of the most important responsibilities that you have. It should not
be within sight or reach of children, or assessable by burglars.
Safety Tips:
- Store the weapon unloaded in a securely locked container.
- Store the weapon and ammunition in separate locations.
- Do not store it among your valuables, such as jewelry or silver.
- Do not store it in a bedside table or under a mattress or pillow.
- Childproof you weapon by placing some type of gunlock on the weapon, preventing it from being loaded.
LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
Laws regulating firearms are often complex and vary greatly among the states. If you are a gun owner, it is your
responsibility to learn about all relevant aspects of Federal, State and local firearm laws.
Specifically, you should know:
- Legal requirements pertaining to a purchasing a firearm, transfer, possession, licensing and registration.
- Legal requirements regulating carrying and transportation of the weapon.
- Legal requirements defining the appropriate use of deadly force by citizens. In some states, for instance,
deadly force can only be used after all other defensive remedies have been tried and the armed citizen believes
he or she is in imminent danger of the use of deadly force against them.
- Law requires storage out of reach of children.
GENERAL FIREARM HANDLING SAFETY TIPS
- Treat every firearm as if it were loaded.
- Keep the muzzle (barrel) pointed in a safe direction (best direction- DOWN)
- Keep fingers off the trigger. Do not rely on your weapon’s "safety" device
- Keep the firearm unloaded when not in use.
Additional Resources Online:
Project HomeSafe - http://www.projectchildsafe.org/
State of Florida - Gun Laws - http://www.stateofflorida.com/
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