It is important to know these principles for yourself and also to teach your children.

1. Assume every weapon is loaded. No matter what condition you believe firearms to be in, always practice safety by acting as if the gun were loaded.
If you were to assume the gun was loaded would you point it at someone? Would you look down the barrel? It is important that when you are handling a firearm that you always have the assumption that the gun is loaded and ready to fire.

2. Never point a weapon at anything that you do not intend to shoot.
A gun is a powerful tool that is used for a specific use. Just like any other power tool, it must be treated with respect. Would you stick your hand under a running lawnmower? If not, then why would you point a gun at something you did not intend to shoot? Again, you must treat a gun as if it were loaded and ready to fire. Unless you are aiming at something you plan to shoot do not point it at an unintended target.

3. Keep the safety on until the weapon is ready to fire.
Many grave accidents have been recorded because of the lack of attention to this rule. Some have unfortunately shot themselves and others because the safety device of the weapon was not engaged. It is a good rule of thumb to not disengage the safety device on the weapon until you have it actually pointed at the target and are ready to fire.

4. Keep your finger off the trigger until you intend to fire.
Bad habits can lead to bad circumstances. It is important to develop the habit of keeping your finger off the trigger until you are ready to fire the weapon. It has been reported that accidents have happened because people have flinched or clinched their hands when startled and instinctively pulled the trigger. Keep your finger straight and off the trigger to avoid bad circumstances.

5. Never fire a gun in the dark or at a noise.
It is important to not fire a weapon into the darkness or at a noise. Know your target and if you cannot see your target you should not shoot at it.