Air gun safety is extremely important. You’ve probably been told more than once that BB guns are not toys. And yet, many people still treat them as such. Has anyone seen the unfortunate scene in the movie “A Christmas Story” when Ralphie doesn’t heed the warning “You’ll shoot your eye out?”
Does anyone remember that he actually practically shot his eye out with his official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model air rifle? Of course, if he had followed basic airgun safety rules, he would have been fine. If he had been wearing goggles, instead of just his glasses, he would have been much better off. If I hadn’t been shooting at a surface with such ricochet potential… well, you get the point.
Anyway, movies aside, airgun safety is actually extremely important. Many people don’t realize how easy it is to injure someone (or even potentially kill someone) with a BB gun. The same gun safety rules must be followed when using BB guns as when using any other type of weapon.
This is especially important if you are training your child with a BB gun before allowing him to fire a real gun. Make sure they learn airgun safety, and later basic gun safety, early on.
Here are some of the most important safety rules for air guns:
Treat all weapons as if they are loaded. Never assume a gun is not loaded.
· Never point your airgun at anyone. It doesn’t matter if it’s not loaded!
Check local and federal laws and regulations. Different states have different laws and safety regulations for air guns. Certain weapons are not allowed in certain places.
· Do not shoot at a target unless you know everything around the target. Don’t shoot if there’s a chance someone is behind or to the sides of the target… you might miss!
· Keep your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot.
· As stated above, in the “A Christmas Story” incident, goggles were always worn. Also wear a protective mask.
· Be aware that BBs can ricochet. Be aware of the type of surface you are shooting at. BBs bounce off certain surfaces more easily. Flat surfaces, hard surfaces, and water, all surfaces that BBs can bounce off of. Also make sure the lens is not at an angle.
Start shooting at a shooting range. It’s a good and much safer place to learn how to shoot.
· Do not allow minors (persons under the age of 18) to shoot any type of weapon (including a BB gun) without active adult supervision.
· Now that BB guns become more and more realistic, some people may mistake them for real weapons. This makes them potentially dangerous! If someone (including and especially a police officer) believes that he has a real gun, they may act differently around him. You could put yourself and others in danger. Do not carry your airgun in a public place. Doing so may actually be illegal in your state.
· Do not alter the color of your airgun. If it has a fluorescent orange tip, there’s a reason! Cops have been known to shoot and fire at children who have removed the safety orange color from their guns, because the cops could no longer recognize the guns as anything other than real guns.
It is not recommended that children under the age of 16 operate a high-velocity BB gun. Take a look at the velocity type of your BB gun or air rifle before using. The warning is likely to say, “May be dangerous up to 350 yards,” in addition to other warnings. Be sure to follow all warnings.
Always check that the gun is not loaded. Point the gun away from people and animals and pull the trigger (again, avoid pointing at things that can ricochet.
· Do not carry a loaded air pistol when climbing fences or trees, or even jumping. Doing so could cause the gun to fire.
· Take care of your gun. A damaged or dirty gun is more likely to cause injury.
An all too often overlooked air gun safety rule is that you should always use fresh ammunition in your air gun. It doesn’t matter if it’s expensive. Failing to do so is dangerous and can degrade your weapon more quickly.
Be sure to follow these air gun safety rules. Also, teach airgun safety to anyone you see not following these important rules correctly!