General Safety Tips
- Keep your gun locked up
- In a cabinet, preferably hidden within a larger storage area. This prevents curious children, houseguests or even burglars from accidentally mishandling your gun.
- Never put a loaded firearm or shotgun away in your cabinet.
- Never trust a safety catch. Treat it only as a second line of defence because it could be faulty. No-one was ever shot by an open, empty gun.
- Never allow unsupervised or unsuitable persons, especially children, access to your firearm or shotgun.
- Never leave a firearm or shotgun, even unloaded, unattended.
- Always keep your firearm or shotgun in its case or cover whilst transporting it.
- Never transport a loaded firearm or shotgun.
Always
- Carry your firearm or shotgun in such a manner that it never points at anybody.
- Have the safety catch on until you are ready to fire at your target.
- Unload your firearm or shotgun before passing it to someone else.
- Pass your unloaded firearm or shotgun stock first.
- Unload your firearm or shotgun before traversing difficult terrain or obstacles.
- Carry your firearm or shotgun "broken" and empty when travelling in close company.
- Point the barrels in a safe direction when reloading.
- Carry a hammer gun uncocked until ready to fire.
- Point the barrels straight up while cocking the hammers.
- Open a hammer gun, pointing the barrels toward the ground, and remove the cartridges before uncocking it.
- Lift the stock to the barrels when closing your firearm or shotgun.
Never
- Lift the barrels to the stock when closing your shotgun.
- Uncock hammers onto loaded chambers.
- Load a firearm or shotgun until you are ready to fire it.
- Fire your firearm or shotgun until you have positively identified your quarry.
- Fire your firearm or shotgun until you are absolutely positive it is safe to do so.
- Put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to fire.
- Put a loaded firearm or shotgun down or leave it unattended.
- Lean a loaded firearm or shotgun against or on anything, including any vehicle.
- Attempt to fire unless you are in a comfortable and well-balanced position.
- Fire a firearm or shotgun whilst having a dog on lead under your control.
- Attempt to climb over an obstacle or traverse a stream with a loaded firearm or shotgun.
- Use a firearm or shotgun that is in an unsafe condition, poor repair or out of proof.
- Use the wrong type/calibre of ammunition in respect to your firearm or shotgun and quarry.
- Use a firearm or shotgun whilst under the influence of alcohol.