# If someone asked you the "first rule of gun safety" **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 23, 2014, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438 "2014-06-23T12:45:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/21 "2014-06-23T14:05:48Z")
#2 was always drilled into me as the first rule. Rule #4 should be “identify your target and what’s behind it” ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/22 "2014-06-23T14:37:26Z")
“Always confirm your kill.” (Kidding. It’s no. 2). ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/23 "2014-06-23T14:38:14Z")
> [@Sahirrnee](#): > > Treat it like a rattlesnake > don’t touch it until you know how to handle it. I’ll disagree with this one, but only for the small subset of you find one in an unsafe place; a playground, unsecured in a house with little kids, etc. Pick it up to secure it (whether that means turning it over to PD or putting it on the highest shelf) from some young’un who knows even less getting their hands on it. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/24 "2014-06-23T14:38:56Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Maybe I’m too literal-minded, but that version of the rule makes things like cleaning and dry-firing pretty difficult. 😃 The phrasing was more aimed at people like me who would never be cleaning a gun ever, and the only way I would be ever encountering a gun would be either finding one loose on the street, or having one pointed at me. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/25 "2014-06-23T14:56:11Z")
> [@Inna\_Minnit](#): > > I think they all are a subset of number two. Yeah, I voted #2, and I feel like #1 and #3 follow from #2. ---
**Author:** ![Crotalus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crotalus/32/41_2.png) [@Crotalus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crotalus)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/26 "2014-06-23T15:01:05Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > The phrasing was more aimed at people like me who would never be cleaning a gun ever, and the only way I would be ever encountering a gun would be either finding one loose on the street, or having one pointed at me. 🙂 Yep, that makes sense to me. The way I learned the rules, what I believe is Jeff Cooper’s version, was like this: [QUOTE=Jeff Cooper] 1.All guns are always loaded. Even if they are not, treat them as if they are. 2.Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. (For those who insist that this particular gun is unloaded, see Rule 1.) 3.Keep your finger off the trigger till your sights are on the target. This is the Golden Rule. Its violation is directly responsible for about 60 percent of inadvertent discharges. 4.Identify your target, and what is behind it. Never shoot at anything that you have not positively identified. [/QUOTE] I understand wanting to avoid ifs, ands or buts, but the same man advocated dry-firing to master the trigger. ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/27 "2014-06-23T15:34:23Z")
I voted “Don’t point it at anything unless you want that thing dead.” “finger off of trigger” is good, but if a person was going to follow only one single rule about gun safety, would you rather it be this one, or “don’t point it at anything you don’t want dead”? “Treat every gun as if its loaded, even if you’re sure it’s not” leaves room for a lot of judgment on the part of the handler. How should I treat a loaded (or assumed-loaded) gun? Go back to that first rule: “Don’t point it at anything unless you want that thing dead.” “Make sure you know what’s around your target” is helpful only when you’re actively aiming at a target and preparing to deliberately pull the trigger, which is a small percentage of the time you will actually handle a gun. What about the rest of the time? “Don’t point it at anything unless you want that thing dead.” “Don’t play Russian roulette with an automatic.” I’ll play, but I will insist that my opponent go first. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/28 "2014-06-23T15:42:39Z")
The #1 rule to me is “Don’t point a gun at anything you don’t want to shoot.” To me that supersedes all other rules. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/29 "2014-06-23T16:09:22Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > The #1 rule to me is “Don’t point a gun at anything you don’t want to shoot.” To me that supersedes all other rules. I think the preferred phrasing is “Don’t point a gun at anything you don’t want to kill or destroy completely”. That means assume that anyone who you shoot will die and any object you shoot will be completely non-recoverable. Just saying “don’t want to shoot” allows for people who have the idea that they can give someone “just a flesh wound”. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/30 "2014-06-23T16:11:33Z")
[QUOTE=leahcim;17486931 Just saying “don’t want to shoot” allows for people who have the idea that they can give someone “just a flesh wound”.[/QUOTE] Is it OK if it’s a Black Knight? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/31 "2014-06-23T16:23:53Z")
> [@leahcim](#): > > I think the preferred phrasing is “Don’t point a gun at anything you don’t want to kill or destroy completely”. You must be hell on targets at the range. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/32 "2014-06-23T18:19:26Z")
> [@Crotalus](#): > > Maybe I’m too literal-minded, but that version of the rule makes things like cleaning and dry-firing pretty difficult. 😃 I got into an argument with someone once because they thought the rule about treating a firearm as if it were loaded denoted a certain level of paranoia or magical thinking on my part. To me, the rule is really about basic safety like keeping the firearm pointed in a safe direction and keeping my finger off the trigger. The idea behind it is that if I make safety a habit all the time then it becomes an automatic behavior and I’m less likely to slip up when the firearm is loaded. It’s kind of like putting on my seat belt when I get behind the wheel. It’s an automatic motion and I find myself doing it even when I’m just moving the car from the driveway into the garage. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/33 "2014-06-23T19:18:19Z")
Well, either way, Terry Kath broke both rules… ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/34 "2014-06-23T19:24:41Z")
First rule of Gun **Safety**? - Always treat it as if its loaded - even if you know its not. First rule of Gun **Responsibility** \*? Never point it at something you do not intend to kill. \*responsibility may not be the right word here - its not safety, perse, its about general ownership and things you do/don’t do with a gun ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/35 "2014-06-23T19:35:01Z")
The first rule of gun safety is that you do not talk about gun safety. ---
**Author:** ![casdave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c6cbf5/32.png) [@casdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/casdave)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/36 "2014-06-23T19:40:48Z")
First rule of gun safety is absolutely blindingly obvious - make sure nobody has any guns whatsoever ---
**Author:** ![simster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/simster/32/1047_2.png) [@simster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simster)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/37 "2014-06-23T19:43:48Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > First rule of gun safety is absolutely blindingly obvious - make sure nobody has any guns whatsoever thats not safety - that’s ignorance - which is what leads to most “accidents”. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/38 "2014-06-23T20:59:34Z")
Too easy to start a fight in a thread like this. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/39 "2014-06-23T21:00:35Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I answered ‘something else’, to wit: keep the damned things off the streets. How? You solution that you think will work? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438/40 "2014-06-23T21:01:52Z")
> [@casdave](#): > > First rule of gun safety is absolutely blindingly obvious - make sure nobody has any guns whatsoever How? Do you plan to accomplish this? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-someone-asked-you-the-first-rule-of-gun-safety/691438.md?page=3)