Gun Safety Etiquette

Gun Safety Etiquette

This article relates to The Infinite Moment of Us

One of the early scenes in The Infinite Moment of Us, has Wren visiting a shooting range with her best friend Tessa, and P.G., Tessa's new boyfriend. Although Wren doesn't like guns; she "hated their ugliness, and she hated what they did," she has a good time and finds the experience surprisingly thrilling and exciting. This unexpected reaction is part of her developing independence and self-awareness. The understanding of guns and their potential adds to the intensity of the climactic action scene.

P.G. is experienced with firearms and takes care to ensure the girls' safety, but he doesn't insist they take a recommended basic safety class prior to shooting. Seeing the allure and intrigue wrapped up in this experiment, teens—or other first-time shooters—should be aware of gun safety guidelines as well as shooting range etiquette. It is worth adding that these rules are equally applicable wherever guns are handled, both in the range and outside of it.

In order to participate in shooting at a gun range, an individual needs to wear safety glasses and ear protectors—wearing both ear plugs and ear muffs is recommended. In addition, familiarity with the specifics of the weapon is a crucial requirement.

Once on the range, a shooter needs to follow these basic safety rules:

1. Never point the gun at anything you don't intend to shoot. Keep the muzzle pointed downrange (meaning toward target) at all times.
2. Keep finger off the trigger until ready to shoot.
3. Keep weapon unloaded completely—remove the magazine and check the chamber to ensure no ammunition is in the gun—when not in use.
   • Never leave a loaded gun unattended.
   • Unload any time changing target, shooter, or weapon.
4. Be aware of surroundings at all times.
• Never leave equipment in the way of others.
• Never step over others' equipment, always walk around it.
• When "cease-fire" is called, immediately take finger off trigger, keep muzzle pointed downrange and wait for instructions.
5. Be polite and courteous to other participants. Never touch anyone else's weapon or other equipment without permission.

In addition, here is a video demonstrating these rules and what to expect at a shooting range:

Picture of woman at indoor shooting range from Wikipedia.com. Indoor Shooting Range at Sarasota, FL. Taken by Kenn.

Filed under Cultural Curiosities

This "beyond the book article" relates to The Infinite Moment of Us. It originally ran in October 2013 and has been updated for the August 2014 paperback edition. Go to magazine.