A Gun Safety Course for Kids

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Preface
My name is Marc. I am a retired Certified Firearm Instructor. I have been involved in teaching gun safety and education to both kids and adults for about half of my life. I have studied the 2nd Amendment (the right to keep and bear arms for about the last t!enty seven years. I am a membership recruiter for the "ational #ifle Association and at the end of this e$book% I&m going to give you the chance to get a 'unior Membership in the "ational #ifle Association( !ith your parent&s permission of course for only fifteen dollars ()*+.,, . I first got started teaching gun safety and basic gun handling to children !ay back in the early *--,&s. For me( teaching gun safety and basic firearm education is both a hobby and a passion. I put a .eb site online in *--/ called Marcs Gun Safety and Firearm Education Site. I published this .eb site using the free .eb space allotted to me through my Internet service provider. In a fairly short period of time( this .eb site got pretty popular and I 0uickly outgre! the !eb space. In 'anuary 2,,,( I started 1ave2he3uns.com and as of this !riting( if you 4google& the term 4gun safety rules for kids& or the term 4firearm education&( 1ave2he3uns.com gets the top spot in the !orld. As you can see( it is al!ays a !ork in progress( as it should be I suppose. 2his e$book is totally free. I&m not going to charge anyone for do!nloading and reading this e$book. 1ome !ould say that I should charge at least a couple of dollars( but I have found out that thousands and thousands more people !ill do!nload it( read it and pass it around to others if it !as free than if I charged even one dollar ()*.,, for it( so it remains totally free. If you !ould like to make a voluntary donation so that I can continue this effort( it !ould be gladly appreciated and put to good use. http566!!!.1ave2he3uns.com6contributions.htm First I&m going to tell you a story. 2hen !e&re going to go into a little history of gunpo!der and the invention of the gun and then !e&ll tell you !hat to do !hen you find a firearm some!here in an unsupervised situation. 2hen !e&ll move onto a !hole bunch of rules. 2hen !e&ll going into the latest statistics on accidental gun$related deaths( ammunition kno!ledge and little more. 2hen near the end( I !ill give you the opportunity to get a 'unior Membership to the "ational #ifle Association for only )*+.,,. I care deeply about keeping children out of coffins due to the mishandling of a loaded gun. 2oday( the chance of a child dying because of the mishandling of a loaded gun in the 7nited 1tates is about a million to one (*(,,,(,,, to * . 8ut to the family and friends of that one child( this encouraging statistic !on&t be any comfort.

I hope to teach both the child and the parent the truth on this issue. My hope and goal is to 9ust be one gear in the machine that continues to bring accidental gun related death do!n to the lo!est conceivable level and keep it there. .on&t you 9oin my effort? All you have to do is read !hat I have to say and give this e$book to somebody else. If you can give this e$book to ten (*, people chances are good that in a single year !e can keep at least one child out of a coffin. 'oin me and spread the !ord. 8ut first( here&s a story that I&d like you all to read. It&s a bright and sunny 1aturday morning% it&s one of those mornings 9ust after the beginning of the ne! school year and a couple of !eeks before the actual end of summer. :on&t tell the kids that it is still actually summer though. For most school$age children summer ends !hen school begins. 'osh is ten years old and has 9ust begun fifth grade a little more than one !eek ago. 'osh and his family live in a city of about fifty thousand people. 2hey live on the outskirts of this city( in a 0uiet family$oriented neighborhood. 2here had unfortunately been some illegal narcotics dealing( some arrests and domestic violence and general unpleasantness going on closer to the middle of the city( !hich !as really only about a fifteen minute drive a!ay. It seems as if the past couple of years the city !as attracting some residents !ho used to live in a much larger city about forty five minutes a!ay( a city that !as about t!ice the si;e of this one( but !ith more than t!ice the crime( illegal drugs and unfortunately the violence that comes !ith it. About half!ay through the summer of this year( there !as a rash of break$ins in this 0uiet neighborhood. 1ome of the homes had things stolen from their yards( there !ere some loud parties further do!n the street that lasted much later into the night than they should have. 8ut( even more disturbing !as the increasing number of daytime home robberies. <ne day( one of the neighbors across the street had a blue sedan stop out in front of the house. 2he driver got out and !ent to the door and asked to use the phone. =e said he !as having car trouble and his cell phone 9ust died and ran out of battery po!er. 2he resident !as a middle$aged !oman in her early forties. 1he let him in to use her phone because he !as dressed nice and 9ust didn&t look like a trouble$maker. .ell( let&s 9ust say this guy !as a !ell$dressed trouble$maker. =e yanked out a black semi$automatic handgun and held it on the !oman as soon as he !as able to close the door behind him. =e made her go and lock herself in another room( !hile he took valuables from the house. 2he driver of the blue sedan got a!ay !ith some cash and a fe! pieces of family 9e!elry that !ere in the bedroom. .ord very 0uickly got around in the rather tight$knit neighborhood( !ith a pretty good description of the suspect. 2he police

department had no leads( but they kept saying that they !ere !orking on it. 2hen about ten days later( a guy !ith the same car( fitting the same description( !alked right into the yard of an elderly man !ho !as raking his la!n( took out the same handgun and !alked him around the house and forced him to point out the valuables that !ere in the house. After these t!o troubling occurrences many families in the neighborhood began to think a lot about ho! to protect themselves 9ust in case this thug chose their house ne>t time. A handful of families chose to purchase ne! firearms to keep at the ready if this thug decided to use their home to finance his ne>t illegal drug buy. 'osh( the ten year old fifth$grader had 9ust eaten breakfast. =is :ad had cooked some home$made !affles from a ne! batter recipe he found on the Internet and cooked them on his ne! !affle$maker they got. 'osh&s friend Ale> ne>t door called and !anted him to come over and play video games until lunch$time. 'osh loved to play video games and he !as dressed and ready to go out the door in about three minutes. 'osh assured his :ad that he !ould be home for lunch by noon. In a flash( he !as out the front door and over to his friend Ale>&s house for a morning of playing =alo on Ale>&s dad&s ne! ?$8o> @A, game system. Ale>&s dad !as a gun o!ner( but not really a serious one. Ale>&s :ad had a single shot t!enty gauge shotgun in the bedroom closet that !as many years old and kind of rusty inside the barrel. It !as not really a great option for home defense and he didn&t kno! if it !ould fire. 1o he and his !ife decided that it !ould be a good idea to get a ne! handgun for the house( 9ust in case the bad guy in the blue sedan tried to break into their home !hile they !ere there. Ale>&s dad and mom decided to buy a semi$automatic .@/, ACB pistol for home defense. 2he guy at the gun shop said that it !as good enough and reliable enough and !as !ithin their budget( so they bought it and brought it home. 2hey had not really decided !here they !ere going to store the pistol. 2hey didn&t discuss !hether to put a trigger lock on it or not and they didn&t talk about !hether or not they !ere going to keep it loaded. .ell( let&s 9ust say that Ale>&s dad and mom made a lot of mistakes and did not plan very !ell. 2hey decided that if they needed it to protect the home from an intruder( they probably !ouldn&t have the time to load it. 1o they decided to keep it loaded. 2hey came home !ith a trigger lock for it( but they thought it !as difficult to lock and unlock it and they didn&t use it. 2hey 9ust thought it !ould be best to keep it in their bedroom in a dra!er right underneath !here the television and brand ne! ?$8o> game system !as. 2hey sho!ed the ne! pistol to Ale> !hen they brought it home. 8ut instead of seeking good( solid gun safety information and carefully teaching their son about safe gun handling and the rules on ho! to handle a firearm safely( they 9ust told Ale> not to touch it.

1o 'osh and Ale> !ent to Ale>&s house to play some games on the ne! ?$bo>. After about t!o hours of playing( Ale> started to get bored. Ale> got the idea that 'osh might !ant to see his parent&s ne! handgun they 9ust bought. Ale> thought it might be under the bed( so they got on the floor and looked. C"ope( not there.D he said. C=o! about in the closet?D said 'osh in a !hisper. It didn&t seem to be in there either. 2hen one by one( they !ere 0uietly opening and closing the dra!ers in the bedside table and bureaus. CAh ha.D said 'osh. CI think this might be it.D It !as in a ne! bo>( !ith a picture of a gun on it. Ale> immediately recogni;ed the bo> and said CEes( !e found itFD 'osh couldn&t !ait to see it and lifted the bo> from the bureau dra! and pulled off the cardboard cover. Ale> !anted to be the one to sho! off his parent&s ne! gun( so he 0uickly took the bo> a!ay from 'osh( ripping it a!ay from his hands. .ithout !asting any time( Ale> lifted the shiny black pistol from the bo>. 'osh commented in a hushed tone ho! a!esome he thought it !as. It !as 9ust like on television or in the movies he thought. .ithout !aiting( 'osh tried to take the pistol from Ale> because he !anted to have a turn to hold it. 8ut Ale> had no intention of letting him have it. Ale> kne! ho! much trouble he !ould get into if his parents found out that he let a neighbor see the gun( let alone hold one. 8ut 'osh !as persistent and tried to grab it from Ale>. =e got a hold of the barrel and pulled on itG Ale> felt the pistol slam into his hand and heard the blast come from the pistol. Ale> couldn&t control it because he !as never sho!n ho! to and he dropped it on the floor. 'osh sa! an orange flash in front of his face for a brief moment and !as shocked by the sound made !hen the gun fired. 'ust as Ale>&s dad came rushing into the bedroom like a bull in a china shop( 'osh noticed that his head hurt. 2he top of his head hurt like he had been !hacked !ith a baseball bat. Ale>&s dad hollered out C.here is the gunFFFD 8ut Ale> !as still surprised by the gun 4going off& and he !as partially deaf from the sound. 2he sound of the handgun discharging left both of their ears ringing. Again( Ale>&s dad shouted and shook him. C.here is the gunF?F?FD 2he 0uestion finally registered !ith Ale>&s brain and he pointed to the floor !here he had dropped it. Ale>&s dad picked it up( put it back in the bo> and put the cover on it. Ale> began to reali;e ho! much trouble he !as in and he started to cry( tears streaming do!n his face. 8y this time( 'osh&s head really started to hurt. 'osh touched the top of his head and it !as all !et. =e looked at his hand and sa! that it !as blood. 'osh let out a sound that !as partly shriek and partly cry. Ale>&s dad&s attention immediately !ent to 'osh and he sa! that he !as hurt. 2here !as too much blood on top of 'osh&s head that he could not see !here it !as coming from. In a fe! seconds of sheer panic( Ale>&s dad had a phone in his hand and !as dialing -** for paramedics to come to the house.

After the -** call( he called 'osh&s parents and they all !ent to the hospital together follo!ing the paramedics in the ambulance. After 'osh !as seen by the emergency room physician( it !as determined that he !as not in serious danger. 2he .@/, ACB bullet !ent through 'osh&s scalp( but never penetrated his skull. After being sutured up and getting an overnight stay in the hospital( 'osh !as on his !ay to getting better. 'osh !as one of the lucky ones.
(The above story is fictional. Any similarities to real events or actual people are merely coincidental. Ho ever! very similar stories happen each year."

"o! after having read this scary story( !hat do you think Ale> did !rong? .hat do you think 'osh did !rong? :id you learn anything from this story? If you ever find a gun in an unsupervised situation !ith no adults( you should stop in your tracks and think. Eou should not pick up the gun( you should not handle the gun and you should not even touch the gun. 2hen you should leave the area !here you found the gun and go tell a trusted adult !hat you found and !here you found it. .hat did Ale> do !rong in the story? Ale> got the bad idea to go looking for a gun that he kne! !as in the house( !ithout any adult supervision from a parent. 2hat !as !rong of Ale> to seek out a gun in the home to handle by himself and it put both himself and his friend 'osh in danger. .hat did 'osh do that !as !rong in the story? 'osh helped Ale> look for the gun( !hich !as !rong. 'osh stayed in the area !here a gun !as found( !hich !as !rong. 'osh argued !ith Ale> and tried to take the gun( !hich !as !rong. 8oth Ale> and 'osh did things that made the situation very dangerous. .hat should Ale> have done? Ale> should have left the gun alone and should not have tried to look for it and sho! it off. .hat should 'osh have done? 'osh should have told Ale> that looking for a gun in the house !as !rong. If Ale> continued to look for the gun( 'osh should have left the home and told his mom or dad that Ale> tried to sho! him his dad&s ne! gun. .ould 'osh have gotten Ale> in trouble? 1ure( it is very likely that Ale> !ould have gotten into trouble !ith his parents. 8ut keeping Ale> safe is more important than keeping him out of trouble. ?

A Message to Parents
2his story could have been much !orse. 'osh could have been killed or he could have been physically or mentally disabled by the bullet. About one (* child per !eek in 7nited 1tates dies as a result of mishandling a loaded firearm in the age five (+ to fourteen (*H year old group.

If you are talking about all children from birth to say nineteen (*- years old( about three (@ or four (H children per !eek die because of the mishandling and6or unsupervised mishandling of a loaded firearm. In the year 2,,*( one hundred eighty t!o (*/2 children aged nineteen and under had to be buried by their families because of this. Many more children suffer a variety of in9uries as !ell. 1ome of them are relatively minor in9uries re0uiring stitches or sutures and pain medication. <ther in9uries can be traumatic and life altering. 2his e$book !as !ritten !ith older kids in mind( perhaps bet!een the ages of nine (- and si>teen (*A . I encourage the parent to read this e$book ith their children. 1ome of the concepts outlined in this e$book may be a little comple> to completely understand for a child as young as -( *, or ** years old. Children from Bre$I through @rd grade should be taught as much of this information as the parent thinks they can handle and absorb. In this e$book( I hope to give you the tools and information you need to avoid this type of in9ury altogether and help prevent parents from having to call a funeral home for their child&s funeral services and burial. I got started teaching gun safety many years ago and I !ant to take this opportunity to thank you for listening to !hat I have to say on this sometimes controversial topic. 2here is a lot of misinformation and bad advice on this topic and my hope is to sort it out for you and tell you the truth. <n the anti$gun side of this argument I hear all kinds of nonsense. I hear that 4guns are bad& and I have heard that guns should never be allo!ed in a home !ith a young child. Most often I hear that all firearms and all ammunition should be locked up in separate containers in different rooms( that all firearms should be disassembled and all kinds of other nonsense alarmist stuff that usually comes from the high pitched voices of anti$gun activists !ho !ouldn&t kno! the mu;;le from the backstrap of a handgun. If you have made the decision to bring a gun into a home !ith a child% or for that matter( if you have decided to bring a child into a home !ith a gun% you have a set of responsibilities that you simply must address. 1afe storage of firearms in the home is something that each family must address if they have chosen to keep a gun in the home. Jach family must decide ho! to store firearms and ammunition in the home. 2here are all kinds of advice out there on the issue. 2here are also a fe! states( such as the Common!ealth of Massachusetts that mandate by la! that each and every firearm in the home must have a trigger lock on it( or it must be locked in an approved gun safe. 2here are a lot of options to choose from as far as firearm and ammunition storage. Jach family has the freedom to decide !hich methods to use( unless of course your o!n 1tate has taken this freedom of choice a!ay from you. 3un

safes( !all safes( security cabinets( handgun lockbo>es( trigger locks and cable locks are some common options. For myself( generally speaking( my personal firearms are in a sturdy gun safe that is lag$bolted to both the floor and the !all studs !ith a pick$proof door locking mechanism. 2he more secure the gun safe is( the less the possibility that unauthori;ed hands !ill touch them or steal them. For me( my firearms are either concealed on my person in a holster( or they are in a gun safe. Firearms should not be loaded and left lying around the house. Eou can be assured that if you get an un!elcome visit from a home burglar( they are 0uite familiar !ith the clever hiding place that you might have chosen in your home for a self defense firearm. 8ut I also think and have al!ays believed that it is a far better thing to gun$proof a child( than it is to child$proof a gun. 8ut logic and even some state la!s dictate that a combination of both is best. 2he 2nd Amendment to the 7nited 1tates Constitution !as !ritten in a time !hen all males !ho !ere bet!een the ages of *A and A, years old met regularly for militia e>ercises !hich included gun handling and marksmanship instruction. 1ince the Militia Act of *-,@( that nearly mandatory instruction doesn&t e>ist anymore. .ell before the age of service in the state militia at age *A( children even younger than that !ere out hunting and bringing home !ild game for the family dinner. 2oday of course most young children at age si>teen and under do not receive competent firearm safety and marksmanship instruction from a military body and they are not typically out hunting by themselves at age ten. 2imes have changed indeed. Eou cannot get around these responsibilities easily. 3un safety is more of a lifetime commitment than simply meeting a fe! limited responsibilities and obeying a fe! rules. Firearms and children can indeed be together !ithout incident. Firearms have been around since sometime in the late **,,s to the early to mid$*2,,s. 1ome historians nail the date do!n closest to the year *2@2 in China. Ees( that&s not a typo( that&s the early thirteenth (*@th century. =o!ever( there !as the discovery of a sculpture of a man holding a bombard !ith flame and a pro9ectile emerging from it that has been tentatively dated to the later **,,&s. I !ill speak more about this sub9ect in the 48rief =istory of the 3un& section belo! and again in the 4Common Kuestions and Ans!ers& section near the end of this e$book. 1o( you can very plainly see that the history of firearms( cannons and hand$ cannons is unclear and sub9ect to debate. 8ut generally historians believe that they originated in China( sometime bet!een the late **,,&s and about the year *2@2. 2he inventor is unkno!n.

1ome historians believe that the first use of hand$held cannons to fire a pro9ectile in Jurope !as during the Sie#e of Seville in 1pain in the year *2HL. 8y the time Christopher Columbus sailed to the America&s in *H-2( firearms !ere pretty !ell entrenched in human society. 2here !ere appro>imately t!o hundred forty five (2H+ years of firearm development bet!een the Sie#e of Seville and Christopher Columbus sailing to the Americas. =ere is a photo of a firearm that !as dated to the late fourteenth century (*@L@ A.:. 5

2his is a 4hand cannon& or later a 4handgonne& dated to about *@L@. After si> hundred thirty five (A@+ years of product development bet!een the 4handgonne& above and modern times( !e have this fine specimen( !hich is a 1ig 1auer B22A Jlite 1tainless that !as ne! for 2,,/.

<ver all of the appro>imately eight hundred seventy eight (/L/ years of firearm development from the first Fire $ance to the year 2,*, at this !riting( children of every age have been around firearms of every type. (I !ill speak about Fire $ances a little later. For e>ample( in 1!it;erland( it is practically mandatory for able$bodied males of age eighteen (*/ to be in the military and keep( maintain and properly store a fully automatic machine gun. Jven though machine guns are properly stored in many homes in 1!it;erland( there are still strict rules and military regulations that must be closely follo!ed. 2he 1!iss have shooting ranges in almost every to!n and they&re almost as common as finding a donut and coffee shop in the 7nited 1tates. For them( it&s an aspect of their culture and they&re proud of it( as they should be. 2he latest annual statistics I&ve found indicate that 1!it;erland has only about si>ty eight (A/ murders committed by someone using a firearm in the entire country per year. As a comparison( the City of Chicago( Illinois had +,- murders in 2,,/( !hile in the country of Ira0 in 2,,/% !e had @*H 7.1. 1ervicemen killed in action. 2he City of Chicago( !here guns are very strictly controlled and the 2nd Amendment has been bra;enly infringed upon( is a prime e>ample of the total failure of gun control la!s to affect the criminal mind or the violent felon&s access to firearms.

In 1!it;erland the gun related death rate is five (+ murders committed !ith a firearm for every one million (*(,,,(,,, citi;ens. At 1!it;erland&s gun$related murder rate( the 7.1. !ould only have about H murders per day( instead of the appro>imately @, per day that !e currently have. 1o the country of 1!it;erland !here there is a 4gun culture& that e>ceeds that of the 7nited 1tates( the murder rate is more than seven times ($L? less. If the 7nited 1tates had the same gun$related murder rate as 1!it;erland( !here firearm o!nership is nearly mandatory( the number of murders by people utili;ing a gun !ould drop from more than -(A,,( to 9ust over *(+,, in the 7.1.( but I digress. In the early days of our constitutional republic( every male bet!een the ages of *A and A, !ho !as able$bodied( could carry a firearm and march !ith it( belonged to their o!n state&s militia. Jvery so often( sometimes monthly( these men !ould gather( train( drill and practice their firearm safety( marksmanship and military skills. In most states( these militia drills !ere mandatory as I have already mentioned. As time !ent on and throughout much of the */,,&s !e sa! many decades of relative peace( most of the state militias fell into a state of neglect. 2hey did not meet as often( did not train as often and eventually the state militia system fell into a state of disrepair( mostly through a lack of funding. After the 1panish$ American .ar in */-/( many in the federal government as !ell as in the state militias themselves sa! a need to revive and reform the state militia system. 2hat is !hy the Militia Act of %&'( !as passed. 2his act reorgani;ed the state militia systems as a component of 7nited 1tates military and limited it to men aged *L to H+ years old. 2his act also divided all males in this age range into the )r#ani*ed Militia and the +nor#ani*ed Militia. 2he <rgani;ed Militia consisted of the +nited States Army ,ational Guard and the ,aval Militia. 2he 7norgani;ed militia !as to consist of every other male bet!een the ages of *L and H+ !ho !ere not involved in either of the other t!o organi;ed militia units. 2his 7norgani;ed Militia is not defined any further than that. 2here have been a fe! other acts passed by Congress that further defined the roles of these units. In *-,/( the Militia Act of *-,@ !as amended to allo! the ,ational Guard to be called into military service outside of the continental 7nited 1tates. Although this !as ruled to be unconstitutional( it !as resolved by making members of the <rgani;ed Militia units take a dual oath to both federal service and state service. 1ince these acts in the early *-,,&s( private citi;ens !ho o!ned firearms !ere not re0uired to receive safety( handling( storage and marksmanship instruction and !ere supposed to obtain this information and training on their o!n and !ithin their families and individual communities. About the ,-A.

2he "ational #ifle Association !as incorporated in */L*( 9ust si> years after the end of the Civil .ar to promote basic firearm education( firearm safety and marksmanship instruction. 2he "#A !as formed by 3eneral 3eorge .ingate and Colonel .illiam Church and they sought to promote and improve upon the firearm handling and marksmanship for their troops. #eportedly 3eneral .ingate and Colonel Church !ere unhappy !ith the safety and marksmanship of their troops during the Civil .ar. 2he "#A has gro!n to more than four million members in the past *@- years. 2he "ational #ifle Association is still the largest and most effective group in the !orld for promoting basic firearm education and marksmanship. 2he very first Bresident of the "ational #ifle Association !as 3eneral Ambrose 8urnside. 3eneral 8urnside !as also a 3eneral during the Civil .ar. =ere is a photo of 3eneral 8urnside.

General Ambrose Burnside

As you can plainly see 3eneral Ambrose 8urnside had some seriously impressive sideburns. :id you ever !onder !here !e got the name for sideburns? .ell( stop !ondering. 2hat&s right. 1ideburns !ere named after 3eneral 8urnside( the first Bresident of the "ational #ifle Association. I have been personally involved in this issue for more than half of my lifetime. I can state !ithout a moment of hesitation or regret that teaching your children ho! to properly handle guns( ho! to clean them correctly and getting them involved in the "ational #ifle Association is of the highest importance. If you&re not a current member of the "#A( I encourage you to 9oin no! or rene! your membership here5 http566membership.nrah0.org6default.asp?campaignidM?#,*L/,L 2his special .eb address is my "#A Membership #ecruiter address and using this address can save you )*,.,, off the normal )@+.,, membership fee for a one (* year regular membership. 2hat&s right. <ne year of membership in the "#A

is only )2+.,,. But you must use that address above to get the $10.00 off. If youd like to learn more about the benefits and the costs of membershi in the !ational "ifle Association# lease go here first$ htt $%%&&&'Sa(e)heGuns'com%nra*membershi 'htm My hope is that this e$book entitled A Gun Safety /ourse for 0ids !ill aid you in helping to understand your role as a gun$o!ning parent !ho has young children in the home. Jven if you don&t currently o!n a firearm( statistically speaking( at least one or both of your neighbors do o!n at least one gun. According to the 8ureau of Alcohol( 2obacco( Firearms and J>plosives and the Federal 8ureau of Investigation( it has been estimated that about H+N of each of the nation&s households contains at least one firearm. Americans purchase about H.+ million of the estimated /.+ million of ne! firearms manufactured in the !orld each year( yet accidental firearm related deaths are at their all$time lo!s. I&ll talk more about that later on in the book. Jven if your child6grandchild does not live in a home !ith a firearm( they need to kno! !hat to do if they ever find a gun in an unsupervised situation. Many years ago( the parent of a child !hose son !as unfortunately killed in a firearm accident at a neighbor&s house contacted me by e$mail. =e thanked me for my efforts( but lamented and !as saddened that this information that I provided !as too late for his son. Eou see( his son !as actually killed in a very similar fashion to 'osh in the story I told at the beginning of this e$book. My goal is to make sure that you( the reader( never have to deal !ith that yourself. I have received an e$mail from a young friend of a child !ho !as accidentally killed through the mishandling of a loaded gun as !ell. My hope is that you read my thoughts( take this issue seriously and then pass this message on to others. ?

A Brief +istory of the Gun

2here are do;ens and do;ens of people that I have spoken !ith about firearms and gun safety over the years !ho think that guns are a fairly ne! invention. 2hey seem to have a general idea that guns !ere used in the American -evolutionary 1ar( !hen Americans declared their independence from 3reat 8ritain in *LLA. Most often( these people !ho don&t have any real kno!ledge of the history of the gun are people !ho tend to support gun control la!s. <ver the years( I have had many youngsters log onto my .eb site on the Internet and ask me 0uestions about guns. 2hese 0uestions usually range from the simple

to the very comple>. I&ve had 0uestions submitted to me from children !ho ask CCan you convince my parents to get me a pellet gun for Christmas?D and I&ve had 0uestions like( CAre the guns used in movies really like that?D I&ve had one young lady of about thirteen years old e$mail me and ask me !hat to do because her best friend !as killed in a gun accident ne>t door. 8ut by far( the most common 0uestion I get from kids is C.hen !as the first gun invented and !ho invented it?D .ell( that&s not as easy a 0uestion to ans!er as one might think. Eou see guns are a lot older than you might guess. 3uns are not something that !as invented for the American /ivil 1ar or the American -evolutionary 1ar. 2hey are much( much older. 2he first time a firearm !as recorded as having been used in a battle according to some students of history !as during the Sie#e of Seville in the year *2HL. 2he 1iege of 1eville !as a battle in 1pain bet!een Christians and Muslims under Iing Ferdinand III. According to 8ishop Albertus Magnus (**-@6*2,A$*2/, ( the first use of gunpo!der in Jurope to fire a pro9ectile occurred during this battle. 2!enty years after the Sie#e of Seville in the year *2AL( #oger 8acon !rote do!n the e>act formula for making gunpo!der in his !ork )pus Ma2us. In the year *@HA( the Jnglish Army used cannons against the French Army at the 8attle of Crecy. 8y *@AH( metallic hand cannons !ere being made in Italy. 8y *@L, there !ere many references in various !orks of literature of guns on ships. In the year *@/*( the to!n of Augsburg( 3ermany !as recorded to have supplied thirty men !ith hand cannons. 2he term handgun (handgonne !as first used or at least !ritten do!n( in the year *@//. In the year *H*,( the matchlock musket !as invented. 2he invention of the matchlock musket is !here !e get the term 4firearm&. 2he term 4firearm& came from the shooter&s arm that !as used to hold the match that !as used to set off the hand cannon through a touch$hole at the rear of the matchlock. 2he term firearm !as a variation of the term 4bo!$arm& and 4dra!ing arm& that are still used in archery. 2he oldest surviving gun is a bron;e gun dated to the year *2// that !as found in China in the modern$day Acheng :istrict. 2he earliest depiction of a firearm !as a sculpture found in a cave in the Chinese 1ichuan :istrict dated to some time in the late **,,&s( many historians believe the first gun !as made in China( by an unkno!n individual. 1o you see( the ans!er to !hen the first gun !as invented is not simple at all. 3un po!der !as probably first !ritten about in the 3henyuan miaodao yaol4e( !hich !as a 2aoist te>t tentatively dated to the mid$/,,s. 2aoist monks and alchemists had been searching for a substance that !ould lead to immortality. 2he discovery of gunpo!der !as likely a byproduct of this e>perimentation. :uring the -,,s( the Chinese !ere using gunpo!der in fire!orks to celebrate military victories and other events.

1o the timeline of gunpo!der and guns is still some!hat unclear( but I&ll bet that you 9ust learned something that you !ere not a!are of. 2o briefly recap the history of the gun( !e kno! there !as e>perimentation !ith gunpo!der in China in the mid$/,,s( the apparent sculpture of a gun in the late **,,s( the first recorded use of guns used in battle occurred in the year *2HL. I&ll go into this sub9ect again later in the 4Common Kuestions and Ans!ers& section. 2he invention of the matchlock musket !as in the year *H*,( Oeonardo :a Pinci invented the !heel$lock musket in the year *+,, and the first semi$automatic( metallic cartridge handgun !as invented in the year */-2 in Austria. 2he history of firearms itself is interesting isn&t it? ?

Gun +andling in the Mo(ies and Cartoons

If you !ant to kno! ho! badly one could possibly handle a loaded gun( you really don&t have to look much further than your television. In my opinion( it is both hurtful and negligent to constantly depict the reckless mishandling or firearms in the entertainment industry.

In each of the previous three images( the A.Team( The Terminator and yes( even Tom and 5erry( the characters all have their trigger fingers resting on the trigger of the firearm and they are not ready to fire it. 2hat violates one of the three basic rules of safe gun handling. "ever touch the trigger of the firearm unless you have properly lined up your front and rear sights( you have checked your target and !hat is behind and beyond it and you are actually ready to fire. Blacing the trigger finger on the trigger !hen you&re not ready to fire the gun( is the most common error in safe gun handling. <bviously our entertainment industry is not going to be a big help in trying to turn this situation around. Bosing !ith a firearm( most often handled incorrectly( is a very common !ay to promote a television drama or action movie and it&s not likely to stop anytime soon. "ot !ithout =73J public pressure any!ay. Is it any !onder that the first time someone picks up a gun their trigger finger almost al!ays goes right to the trigger and rests on it? 1ome firearms !ith double set triggers !ill fire the cartridge if the trigger is touched at all. In some rifles !ith double set triggers( one of the triggers is called the set trigger and the other one is often referred to as a 4hair trigger&. 1ome of these 4hair triggers& are so sensitive to the touch( that you could fire the gun by 9ust barely brushing by the trigger. 2his is !here !e got the term 4hair trigger&. I can&t even begin to tell you ho! many violations of the three basic rules of safe gun handling I&ve seen broken on television and in the movies. If I actually get to !atch a television program or movie !here these three rules are all obeyed( it is very surprising and rare. .ith tens of millions of children under age eighteen !ho !atch television and go to the movies each year( I believe that our television and entertainment industry has a huge responsibility to teach proper gun handling procedures that they are sadly ignoring. In any given year( there are about *+, to 2,, children bet!een the ages of birth and eighteen (*/ each year that die because of the mishandling of a loaded firearm. 2hat !orks out to bet!een @ and H children under age nineteen (*- per !eek( !ho have to be buried by their parents and grandparents because of the mishandling of a loaded gun. It is my contention that the entertainment and electronic media industries bear at least part of the responsibility for these unnecessary and very avoidable deaths. Bart of the problem that !e&re attempting to solve is the near constant portrayal of terrible gun handling skills on television and in the movie theater. Jverything from the Three Stoo#es comedy team that started in Paudeville in *-2+( to classic cartoon characters like Tom and 5erry and Elmer Fudd to the latest action$ adventure movie( they almost universally sho! the portrayal of firearm handling incorrectly.

Iids( listen to me closely for a moment. If you !ould like to learn the best !ay and the right !ay of handling a gun( you should listen to me and your parents and do not pay any attention to ho! people on television and in the movies handle their guns. Eou and your parents should seek out proper instruction at a local gun club or through a Certified Firearm Instructor !ho has been certified by the "ational #ifle Association&s 2raining and Jducation :ivision. ?

Kids# &hat if you find a gun some&here?

2here has been a marked increase in the percentage of violent crimes committed by young people in the past fe! decades. 2eens are committing a higher percentage of crimes than they used to. 2his rise in youth violence has obviously increased the possibility that an abandoned firearm could be found in an area !here young people tend to gather( such as parks and playgrounds. Jven though murder rates have fallen( teenagers are responsible for more of them than in the past. Finding an abandoned handgun in a dumpster in your neighborhood( at a playground( at a park or some!here along a roadside can happen and does happen. 2he vast ma9ority of accidental firearm shootings among children happen !hen an unsupervised child finds a loaded gun some!here and then proceeds to mishandle it because of a total lack of kno!ledge and proper gun handling skills. It doesn&t matter if the gun is found outside at a playground or inside a home in a neighbor&s bedroom closet( an attic( or in a bedside table. If you find a gun some!here( you are not allo!ed to touch it. 2he only time you should handle a gun is !hen you&re being taught properly ho! to handle a gun by a parent( or by a gun safety instructor at the firing range. Adults should not handle any unattended firearm that they might find outside either. It could have been used in a violent crime and may have important evidence on it such as fingerprints( blood( human tissue( :"A or other evidence that may be destroyed or contaminated by handling it. It is also 0uite possible that it is loaded and ready to fire as !ell. In addition( the area around !here the firearm !as found might also have important evidence in a criminal case( such as footprints( threads of clothing( hairs( fibers or tire tracks. It&s important not to destroy any evidence that might be in the area. If a gun is found unattended outside( an adult should stay in the general area but not so close as to destroy any evidence and keep everyone a!ay from !here the gun !as found. 2he police or local la! enforcement agency should be notified as soon as possible and a la! enforcement officer should be brought to !here the gun !as found. "JPJ# bring a gun that you found unattended outside to the

police station. A better solution is to bring the police or la! enforcement authority to the gun. All unsupervised children should follo! these simple rules !hen they find a gun either outside or inside a home5 S),P$ 1top !hat you are doing. 'ust stop and thinkFFF -,!) ),.C+ I)$ :o not touch the gun at all. :o not pick it up and bring it to an adult either( 9ust don&t touch it at all. /0A10 )+0 A"0A$ Oeave the area !here the gun !as found. :o not stay and try to take the gun a!ay from another child !ho might have done the !rong thing and picked it up. :on&t stay and try to convince your friend to put it back. 'ust listen to me and leave the area. :on&t argue !ith someone !ho has 9ust picked up a gun and do not try to take it a!ay from them. 'ust leave the area. )0// A! A-./)$ 2ell an adult !here you have been and !hat you sa!. 2ell them !here you !ere and that you found a gun and !alked a!ay. Oet the adult then decide !hat the best course of action is. 2hese H simple rules are part of the "ational #ifle Association&s Jddie Jagle 3un1afe Brogram. Eou can find the "#A&s program right here5 http566!!!.nrah0.org6safety6eddie6 1o there you have it kids. If you find a gun some!here( you stop in your tracks( don&t even touch it( leave the area and then tell an adult !hat you found and !here you found it. If the gun is found outside by an adult( the same thing applies( e>cept that the adult should bring a member of la! enforcement to !here the firearm !as found and make sure nobody goes near it in the meantime. <ne of the most common !ays that a child gets accidentally shot by another child is in a struggle over a loaded gun that they found unattended some!here in an unsupervised situation !ithout adults around. 8ecause of the natural tendency to place their trigger finger on the trigger (thanks in part to the entertainment industry and the tendency to grab and pull on the barrel in a struggle( the gun is usually fired at the person !ho is yanking on the barrel. 2hat is !hy !e&ve told you to not touch it and !alk a!ay. ?

2hat if 3our 4riend Gets +is Parents Gun?

<ne morning many years ago the father of a ten year old boy sent me an e$mail saying that he had been on my .eb site and looked over the gun safety information I have posted and he thanked me for my hard !ork for gun safety. =is ten year old son !as killed in an accidental shooting at a neighbor&s house. It

!as partially his story that !as the inspiration for the beginning of this e$book and the story of Ale> and 'osh. =is son !ent to a neighbor&s house to play for a fe! hours and the parents !ere not home. =is son&s friend took him to his parent&s bedroom and he got out his father&s brand ne! .HH magnum revolver. 2he revolver !as loaded% the barrel !as pointed in the !rong direction and the young boy pulled the trigger on the handgun to 4sho! off& his daddy&s ne! revolver and ho! cool he thought it !as. 2he .HH magnum bullet hit this man&s ten year old boy right in the side of the head and thre! his body into the bedroom closet. In a flash( the youngster fle! out of the house and over to the neighbor&s house !here his friend lived. In a frantic panic he told his friend&s dad !hat 9ust happened. =is friend&s dad rushed ne>t door to find his son bleeding badly from his head. .ithin moments( this youngster !ould die in his father&s arms on the bedroom floor of his neighbor&s house. .hen I spend my time and effort !riting this e$book( relating these stories to you and trying to teach you the right !ay to think about guns and ho! to handle them safely and under proper supervision( I&m doing it because I care about you and your family. Three or four families this ee6 are going to go through the same thing that this dad did. About three or four kids !ill die this !eek because they or someone close to them mishandled a loaded gun. 2hree or four kids this !eek in the 7nited 1tates !ill have their lives cut short because of this. 2hese three or four kids !ill never be able to go on a first date !ith a girlfriend. 2hese three or four kids !ill not graduate high school( or buy their first car( or go onto college( or get married or have kids of their o!n. If you take anything a!ay from reading this and learn anything from this e$book( kno! that there are many people in your life that love you and care for you and don&t !ant to see you get hurt. I care about making sure that you don&t get hurt by mishandling a gun yourself and I care that you don&t get hurt by someone around you !ho is mishandling a loaded gun as !ell. 1o let&s get back to the chapter&s purposeG .hat if your friend goes and gets out his parent&s gun to sho! you? Oet&s do a little role playing shall !e? Oet&s pretend that !e&re both friends and !e !ent over to another friend&s house. 2he three of us play basketball in the drive!ay for a little !hile and !e get thirsty and go inside the house for a drink. <ur friend pours us some iced !ater and then leaves the kitchen for a minute and tells us that he&ll be right back. In a fe! minutes he comes back into the kitchen holding his dad&s brand ne! hunting rifle. =e says C=ey guys look !hat my dad 9ust bought this !eekend?D and he holds out the shiny ne! rifle. .hat do !e do no!? Eou look at me and I look at you. .hat is your decision? .hat do !e do ne>t? I&m looking at you as my friend for guidance. Oet&s pretend

that I&ve never seen a real gun before. 2ell me !hat to do. :o you remember? 12<B( :<"&2 2<7C= I2( OJAPJ 2=J A#JA and 2JOO A" A:7O2. 2hat&s right% !e 0uietly and 0uickly turn around and head right out the front door together( not stopping to say a !ord. .e both go back to your house and you tell your mom !ho is !atching television that our friend 9ust took out his dad&s ne! rifle !hen nobody else !as home and !e left. It&s the right thing to do. Jven if our friend gets in a !hole bunch of trouble for getting out his dad&s ne! rifle( !e kno! that !e did the right thing. 1omeone could have been seriously hurt or killed. .hat did !e 9ust do? .e stopped( !e didn&t touch it( !e left the area and !e told an adult !hat 9ust happened. If one of our other friends !as over there instead and they didn&t !alk a!ay and they didn&t kno! !hat to do( there might have been an accident. I !ant you to take some time to imagine yourself in a bunch of different situations !here you might find and gun or see a gun some!here unattended( !here you decide to do the right thing( by not touching it and going to tell an adult !hat you found. Oet&s look at a fe! of them5

Eou find a handgun under a bush in your front yard near the street. .hat do you do? .ho do you tell? Eou see another student !ith !hat you think is a gun on a school bus. .hat do you do and !ho do you tell? Eou and a couple of friends are playing near a riverbank underneath a bridge and you find a couple of blankets in a pile. <ne of your friends turns over the blankets and there are rifles and a shotgun !rapped up inside of them. .hat do you do? .ho do you tell? Eou go into a public restroom at a pet store and there is a small handgun on the floor ne>t to one of the toilets. .hat do you do? .ho do you go to and tell !hat you found? .hat if one of your friends finds a gun and you don&t !ant to touch it( you !ant to leave the area and go tell your mom or dad. 8ut your friends tease you and make fun of you for not !anting to touch the gun? <nce again( the same four rules apply here as !ell. :on&t pay any attention to them. Eou kno! the right thing to do. 1top and think. :on&t touch them( leave the area !here the gun !as found and seek out a trusted adult.

In all of these situations above( the same rules apply. 1top !hat you&re doing( leave the area and get your friends to leave the area. 3et to the nearest and most trusted adult and tell them !hat you found. It&s not a good idea to go to a total stranger and tell them !hat you found is it? 2hat&s because you don&t kno! if you can trust them. Eou should seek out a parent( a teacher( a trusted neighbor( a police officer( a bus driver or someone else you trust.

2he truth is that any guns in the house that are not specifically for immediate use for self defense purposes and are under the direct control of an adult should be locked up !here unsupervised children and irresponsible adults cannot get at them. 3uns should not be left 9ust lying around the house. 3uns found outside the house are even M<#J important not to touch because they !ere probably used in a crime or stolen from someone and then abandoned. Oet&s spend a minute !ith the follo!ing drill. I !ant you to repeat the four rules concerning !hat to do if you find a gun some!here. #epeat them !ith me at least seven (L times. 12<B5 :<"&2 2<7C= I25 OJAPJ 2=J A#JA5 2JOO A" A:7O2 .=A2 .A1 F<7":5 (#epeat them !ith me seven times( I&ll !ait for you. 1o no! if your friend gets out his parent&s gun and there&s nobody else around e>cept other kids( you kno! !hat to do. "e>t !e&ll talk about handling a gun in a different situation altogether. In this ne>t section( !e&ll talk about ho! to actually handle a real gun !hen you have the permission and supervision of a trusted adult and you are in a safe environment to do so. Oet&s start learning the correct !ay to handle a real gun under supervision. "e>t( !e talk about the Three -ules of Safe Gun Handlin#. ?

)he )hree "ules of Safe Gun +andling

.hat is safety? .hat does safety mean? It means to take actions to avoid getting hurt or killed. .hat are some of the things you do all of the time to keep safe?

Eou put on your seatbelt !hen you get into a car. Eou never talk to strangers. Adults !ho you don&t kno! !ill not ask for directions. Adults that you do not kno! !ill not ask if you !ant to see his puppy and they !ill not offer you candy( outside of =allo!een that is. Eou al!ays look both !ays before you cross the street. Eou never chase a ball or a Frisbee into the street. Eou al!ays !ear a bicycle helmet !hen riding a bike. Eou stop( drop and roll around on the ground if your clothes ever catch on fire. And you "JPJ# handle guns !ithout supervision until you kno! !hat you are doing and you are totally familiar !ith the rules of safe gun handling.

2here are many gun safety rules out there. In fact there are do;ens of rules and tips concerning gun safety that I&ve come up !ith over the years. At last count I think I&ve probably come up !ith close to fifty (+, of them. 8ut !e&re not talking about all the gun safety rules 9ust yet. In this section I&m going to speak about the three basic rules of actually handling a gun safely. 1ome of the rules in this section and the ne>t section re0uire that you kno! something about the basic parts of a gun. .hen !e are talking about handguns for instance( there are three ma9or parts of a handgun. 2hey are the F#AMJ( the 3#IB and the 8A##JO.

2he frame is the main structure of the handgun. 2he #rip is attached to the frame or in most cases is actually part of the frame itself. 2he grip is the part of the handgun that you hold onto !hen you are handling the gun safely. 2he barrel is the third basic part. 2he barrel is a hollo! metal tube. .hen the ammunition cartridge fires( the bullet !ill move do!n the barrel and e>it the barrel very 0uickly. =ere is the same picture of the handgun sho!n above( but no! !e see a mostly different set of parts that you need to kno!.

In this picture( the hammer( rear sight( slide( front sight( mu;;le( trigger guard and trigger have been added. 2he mu;;le is 9ust another name for the area at the end of the barrel.

<kay( let&s set up this situation shall !e? 2his time things are different. Eour dad( your uncle and your grandpa are planning to go out and do some target shooting at their local gun club or at the sand pit !here your dad goes shooting !ith your uncle. 2hey ask you if you&re interested in learning ho! to shoot. If you&re not interested in learning ho! to properly handle a gun and safely shoot a gun( then please don&t feel pressured to do so. 'ust politely tell them that you&re not interested in learning ho! to shoot yet and that you !ould rather do something else instead. 2here&s no shame in not !anting to go shooting if that&s not !hat you !ant to do. 8ut even if you really don&t !ant to go shooting( I think it&s important to kno! ho! to properly handle a firearm. Jven if you never go shooting or hunting( there are more than t!o hundred forty million (2H,(,,,(,,, guns in the 7nited 1tates( more than H+N of all homes in the 7nited 1tates have at least one of them inside and they&ve been around for hundreds and hundreds of years( about LL/ years in fact and they&re not going any!here. 1o you should still kno! ho! to handle one safely( even if you never ever !ant to shoot one. 2here are only three (@ basic gun handling rules. I&m going to ask you to repeat them a fe! times !ith me and then look a!ay from the computer screen and see if you can remember all three of them. Jach and every time you handle a gun for the rest of your lives you must obey all three of these rules to completely avoid the possibility of an accident !ith a gun.

AO.AE1 B<I"2 2=J 8A##JO I" A 1AFJ :I#JC2I<"5 "JPJ# 2<7C= 2=J 2#I33J# 7"2IO E<7 A#J #JA:E 2< 1=<<25 IJJB 2=J 37" 7"O<A:J: 7"2IO E<7 A#J #JA:E 2< 71J I25

#epeat these three rules a fe! times and then turn a!ay from the computer screen and see if you can remember all three of them. Oet&s spend some time talking about these three rules. 2he first one is the most important gun safety rule of all. 2here are many variations of this rule( but I kind of like my version( because it is easy to remember and covers all the bases. A/2A3S P,I!) )+0 BA""0/ I! A SA40 -I"0C)I,! Bointing the barrel in a safe direction at all times is called The Golden -ule of Gun Safety. It is called the Golden -ule of Gun Safety for a good reason. Jven if all other gun safety rules are totally ignored and the gun fires !hen you don&t !ant it to( the bullet !ill land in a safe area. 2here are other variations of this 43olden #ule& that I have heard from other firearm safety e>perts. <ne of these is do not point your gun at anything that you are not !illing to destroy. Another !ay to say it is to not point the barrel at

anything you !ould never shoot at. Any!ay you !ould like to say it% the foundation of all gun safety is to point the barrel of the gun in a safe direction. Bointing a gun in a safe direction means to point it in such a !ay that if it !as to be fired( nobody !ould get hurt and there !ould be no other serious damage done if the gun !as to be fired. 7sually( the safest direction to point a gun is at the ground or at the floor in front of you. 8ut do not point it straight do!n( because your feet are there. Boint it at the ground or floor and slightly to your side. 2he second rule of safe gun handling is !010" ),.C+ )+0 )"IGG0" .!)I/ 3,. A"0 "0A-3 ), S+,,)' 2his is the second most important rule of safe gun handling. "o gun !ill fire all by itself !ithout a person making it fire. A gun is fired by pulling the trigger on a loaded gun. 2here is a natural tendency to put your finger inside the trigger guard !hen the gun is picked up. 2he television and movies constantly sho! people handling guns !ith their fingers on the trigger as I have already mentioned. 2here is a huge danger in automatically putting your finger on the trigger of a gun !hen you pick it up. Eou have to condition yourself to automatically place your trigger finger alongside the gun !henever you handle one. 2here is "JPJ# any e>cuse for handling any gun !ith your finger on the trigger if you&re not actually ready to fire it at a target.

In this photo( you can see that as I am handling the gun( my finger al!ays remains alongside the gun and it is resting on the frame and "<2 on the trigger. 2he last of the three basic rules of safe gun handling is to K00P )+0 G.! .!/,A-0- .!)I/ 3,. A"0 "0A-3 ), .S0 I)' Ieeping guns loaded and fully accessible in the home to children and unauthori;ed adults is very simply tempting fate. 1ooner or later( it is likely that someone at some time !ill find that loaded gun in the home and it may very !ell be someone that is not authori;ed or 0ualified to handle it.

<bviously keeping a gun unloaded and inaccessible in a home !ill prevent that gun from being used in an emergency situation( such as an unla!ful and violent home invasion. A family !ith young children or a household !here grandchildren may visit and the apartment of an unmarried police officer !ill have different levels of concern as far as keeping loaded guns accessible and ready in a home environment. 2his third and last of the rules of safe gun handling is the most controversial. Eou !ill hear of many firearm enthusiasts !ho !ill assert that every gun in the home should be loaded and ready to use at all times. <n the other hand( you !ill hear of many advocates of strict adherence to gun safety rules !ho assert that no gun in the home should be either accessible or loaded. 2he truth behind this issue is that each and every household has to make the decision on ho! and !here to store firearms. Jvery family has to determine the best method of firearm storage and be able to live at peace !ith the decisions that they make. <ften there are compromises made. In some homes( all of the guns that are not intended to be used in cases of self defense are securely locked in a gun safe or sturdy security cabinet and are unloaded. .hile a gun that is intended for home defense is left loaded and accessible to authori;ed adults only. 2here are !ays to keep a handgun or shotgun reasonably ready for home defense( !hile still storing them safely( such as a 0uick$open !all safe that reads fingerprints or utili;es a 0uick four digit opening code. 1peaking solely for myself( my defensive firearm is usually in a holster and ready to use. All of my other guns are locked up in a pick$proof gun safe. .hichever !ay the parents decide is the best !ay to store firearms in the home( the third rule of safe gun handling still remains. Ieep the gun unloaded until you&re ready to use it. All children in a home !here a gun is stored have to kno! that it is "<2 <IAE to seek out those guns !hen nobody else is around. 2hat is perhaps one of the most important sentences in this entire gun safety course for kids( so I !ill take a moment to repeat it and I !ill even type it in capital letters and highlight it in yello!. I) IS !,) ,KA3 ), S00K ,.) A!- )"3 ), 4I!- G.!S )+A) A"0 S),"0- I! )+0 +,M0 2+0! !,B,-3 0/S0 IS A",.!-' 1o let&s 0uickly revie! the last three parts of the course. If you ever find a gun some!here( be it in a closet( under a bed( behind a bureau( in a bureau dra!( do!n cellar( in an attic( outside( at a playground( on the side of the road( in the trash or in the !oods( you should% 12<B5 :<"&2 2<7C= I25

OJAPJ 2=J A#JA5 2JOO A" A:7O2 .=A2 .A1 F<7":5 (#epeat them !ith me seven times( I&ll !ait for you. 2he reasons for these rules are many. 2he gun could be loaded and ready to fire by 9ust pulling the trigger. 2he gun could have been used in a violent crime and it&s generally not a good idea to get your fingerprints on a gun that !as used to murder someone. Children should obey these rules most of all( because of the dangers of mishandling a loaded gun. If a friend( brother( sister( neighbor or anyone else you kno! goes into a bedroom( closet( cellar( attic or !herever and brings out a gun( you are "<2 to stay there and argue !ith them and you should "<2 try to take the gun a!ay. Eou are to 12<B( :<"&2 2<7C= I2( OJAPJ 2=J A#JA A": 2JOO A" A:7O2. 2he most common !ay a child gets accidentally killed through the mishandling of a loaded gun( it&s !hen one child tries to take the gun a!ay from another child. A struggle over a loaded gun found by t!o or more children is J?2#JMJOE :A"3J#<71. If I even came upon that situation( I might even find myself running out of the house( even as a firearm training professional. 2hat&s ho! dangerous it is. If you are safely among adults or a parent and6or you&re at a gun club or firing range( there are three basic rules of safe gun handling. AO.AE1 B<I"2 2=J 8A##JO I" A 1AFJ :I#JC2I<"5 "JPJ# 2<7C= 2=J 2#I33J# 7"2IO E<7 A#J #JA:E 2< 1=<<25 IJJB 2=J 37" 7"O<A:J: 7"2IO E<7 A#J #JA:E 2< 71J I25 ?

More Gun Safety "ules

=ere are some more important gun safety rules for you to keep in mind. Oet&s first revie! the most important ones. First and most important is to al!ays point the gun in a safe direction. 1econdly( keep your finger off of the trigger( third is to keep the gun unloaded unless you are ready and prepared to use it. =ere are some of the other more important gun safety rules. <ver the years( I have been able to come up !ith about fifty (+, of them( but I !on&t list them all here. 2his is 9ust a listing of some of the more common rules. I !ill list them and briefly e>pand on each one before !e move onto the ne>t section.

2reat every gun you are authori;ed to handle as if they !ere loaded( even though you kno! that they are not loaded. Jven though the gun may be empty( al!ays treat it as if it !as loaded. Kee your finger off of the trigger'

8e absolutely certain of !hat your target is and !hat is behind it and beyond it. 1ome bullets can fly three miles or more if they are discharged !hile pointed up in the air. If you&re shooting at a target and there is a house behind the target( someone could get hurt. Also do not shoot at 9unked cars( refrigerators or abandoned propane tanks( because you 9ust don&t kno! !here the bullet could end up. Check to see if a gun is loaded each time you pick it up( even if you 9ust checked it. .hen handling a gun( it is essential to kno! !hether or not it&s actually loaded. Al!ays !ear eye protection and ear protection such as shooting glasses and ear plugs or ear muffs. It&s very important to protect your eyes and ears !hile shooting. "JPJ# try to take a gun a!ay from someone by pulling on the barrel. Bolice officers have to train intensively and very often to master firearm disarmament techni0ues. :on&t try to take a gun a!ay from anyone !ithout proper training. "JPJ# allo! horseplay or fooling around !ith a gun. "JPJ# fool around !ith a real gun or pretend to play 4co!boys and indians& !ith one. "o horseplay( ever. AO.AE1 avoid the natural tendency to place your trigger finger inside the trigger guard of a gun. A misplaced finger on a trigger is probably the most common cause of an accident. :o not rely on the gun&s mechanical safety catch. 2he mechanical safeties on firearms are not foolproof. Eou should use them if they&re available( but do not mishandle a gun( 9ust because the safety s!itch is on. Mechanical safeties can and do fail to !ork. Make absolutely sure that you&re using the correct ammunition for the gun !hen you go shooting. 1hooting a gun !ith the !rong ammunition cartridges in it can be very dangerous. 8e certain that the barrel is clear of obstructions before shooting it. 1tuck bullets( gun cleaning patches and other 9unk that could be stuck in a barrel can be dangerous if a cartridge is fired into them. :o not alter or modify your gun unless you really kno! !hat you&re doing. Incorrectly modified guns can be very dangerous to both shooters and bystanders. Oearn everything you can about the gun you are about to use. Ino! the mechanical and safety aspects of each gun you handle and kno! e>actly ho! to load and unload it before attempting to do so.

For one of the most complete listings of gun safety rules found any!here in the !orld( go here to my .eb site5 http566!!!.savetheguns.com6safetyQrules.htm ?

Shooting at the Gun Club or Shooting "ange

At some point( most everyone !ho is even slightly interested in the sub9ect of firearms( !ill get an opportunity to shoot a gun at a gun club( real shooting range or even in a sandpit. .hat should you e>pect at a gun club? .hat are the rules? .ho do you listen to? .hat is shooting a gun like? .ill I get hurt? I !ill try to ans!er these 0uestions as best I can for you. .hen you arrive at a gun club or shooting range( there !ill probably be a list of rules posted there for everyone to see. 2he sign may say something like 4#ange #ules& or something similar. Eou should read these rules to make sure you don&t disobey any of them and get removed from being able to shoot there by the #ange 1afety <fficer. Many times there !ill be one person( likely a senior member of the club there !ho is in charge of seeing that all safety rules are being observed and follo!ed. =ere some rules that are typical for many firing ranges5

Ino! and obey all range commands. Ino! !here others are at all times. 1hoot only at authori;ed targets. 3round level targets are not authori;ed !ithout a proper backstop. 1ee e>ceptions for 1mallbore #ifle( =igh$po!er and 1mallbore 1ilhouette. Maintain the proper target height to ensure that the fired pro9ectile( after passing through the target( hits the desired portion of the backstop. 2his !ill reduce the possibility of ricochets and pro9ectiles escaping the range safety fan or property. :esignate a range officer !hen none is present or assigned. 7nload( open the action( remove the maga;ine and ground and6or bench all firearms during a ceasefire. :o "<2 handle any firearm or stand at the firing line !here firearms are present !hile others are do!n range.

Al!ays keep the mu;;le pointed at the backstop or bullet trap. "ever allo! the mu;;le to point in any direction !hereby an inadvertent discharge !ould allo! the escape of a pro9ectile into an outer area.

3enerally speaking here are some common range commands for both adults and children to kno!. 5Ceasefire6 Ceasefire means to stop shooting immediately. "ot !hen your gun is empty( but right then. 1top shooting and take your finger off the trigger.

5.nload6 2he unload command means to remove the maga;ine and unload the chamber or cylinder. 5, en All Actions6 2he open all actions command means to lock open the slide( cylinder or bolt. 2he action is all of the moving parts of a firearm that help you to load and unload the gun. 5Bench All 4irearms -o&nrange6 2hat simply means to lay the gun do!n on the shooting bench( keep the barrel pointed at the target and step a!ay from it. 5Check# Change or ut u targets or Mo(e ,ut6 2hat means that the range has been declared as being safe and you are authori;ed by the #ange 1afety <fficer to be able to move do!n onto the firing range. :uring this target change period( nobody is to touch their guns in any !ay. 5Is the /ine Clear?6 2his is a command usually from the #ange 1afety <fficer asking everyone to look and ackno!ledge that everyone in their group is behind the firing line and that nobody is do!nrange !here the targets are. 5Commence 4iring6 2his is the command that says it&s okay to reload your gun and begin firing again.

2hose are the generally accepted range commands and are pretty commonly used. 2here could be variations of these rules or additional rules and it&s the shooter&s responsibility to kno! them and follo! them. Blease be a!are that anyone can call out these range commands( but if someone is designated as the #ange 1afety <fficer( it&s probably best to ask for a Csafe rangeD from him or her. 8ut also be a!are that anyone can call a CCeasefireD especially is someone is doing something dangerous. I !as at a gun club&s indoor shooting range one time !hile shooting and someone yelled out a 4ceasefire& command because someone&s young child started !alking do!nrange to look at his target. If you see a safety violation like this( it is not only okay to yell out a 4ceasefire&( it is your duty( even if you are a young child yourself.

Eou are not allo ed to !alk do!nrange to look closely at your target !hile other people are shooting !ithout calling for a safe range first. Firing ranges and gun clubs are very strict concerning gun safety and follo!ing the rules of the range. Jven very e>perienced shooters are sometimes caught doing something considered unsafe by the #ange 1afety <fficer. Blease do not feel attacked or insulted if a #ange 1afety <fficer corrects you or admonishes you or someone you are !ith. It is the 9ob of the #ange 1afety <fficer to guarantee the safety of everyone involved. 1hooting at gun club shooting ranges are among the safest sports in the 7nited 1tates. 1hooting at a gun club is many( many times safer than riding a bike or playing a sport like football( baseball( soccer( hockey or others. 2here are rules that must be obeyed. I !ant you to have fun and be safe in this sport of shooting and follo!ing the rules is not an option or a choice you can make. Eou must AO.AE1 follo! the rules. ?

Accidental -eaths &ith Guns

Accidental gun$related deaths involving the mishandling of a loaded gun is one of the most successful stories of all time( especially so in the 7nited 1tates. I find it very strange that this phenomenal success story is not better kno!n. 2his story must be told( but on the ma9or ne!s net!orks( you almost never hear anything on this sub9ect unless it is an unfortunate tragedy !here a child is accidentally killed. Oet me tell you about three different years. First is the year *-,H( ne>t is *-@, and finally I&d like to address the year 2,,A. In the year *-,H( there !as an accidental gun related death rate of @.H per *,,(,,, or rather @H per million. 1ince there !as /2(*AA(,,, Americans in the year *-,H( that means that about 2(L-H Americans died in the year *-,H due to the mishandling of a loaded gun. 2hat is about L.A+ deaths per day. "e>t I !ould like to address the year *-@,. In the year *-@,( the accidental death rate involving guns fell to 2.- per *,,(,,, or 2- per million. 8ut the 7nited 1tates population rose to *22(LL+(,HA. 2hat means that in the year *-@,( the number of Americans !ho died due to the mishandling of a loaded gun rose to an alarming @(+A, (-.L+ deaths per day . "o! allo! me talk a little bit about the year 2,,A. 8y 2,,A( the accidental death rate involving guns fell to .2, per *,,(,,, or about 2 per million. 2he 7.1. population rose to 2-/(@A2(-L@. In the year 2,,A the actual number of Americans !ho died due to the mishandling of a loaded gun !as AH2 and that is *.L+ deaths per day. If you !ere to take for a moment( the highest rate of accidental gun$related deaths in *-,H of @H per million and compare that to the 7nited 1tates

population in 2,,A( !e !ould have seen *,(*HH Americans dying as a result of a loaded and mishandled firearm. 8ut instead of *,(*HH accidental deaths in 2,,A( !e sa! 9ust AH2. 2hat is a rate that has fallen ninety four percent ($-HN . 2his phenomenal success ho!ever( is not being reported on in the ne!s. 2hus( !e have saved -(+,2 American lives in 2,,A( because accidental firearm related death has become so rare. #ight no!( as I type this in early 2,*,( the population of the 7nited 1tates 9ust !ent over @,/.L million. 1tatistics on accidental gun related death in the 7nited 1tates is maintaining a rate of 2 deaths per million. 2his huge drop in accidental death due to the mishandling of a loaded gun of about $-HN is a huge success story. 2his has occurred !hile both the population has gro!n tremendously and the number of guns in 7.1. homes has risen to about 2H, million and Americans add about H.+ million guns to their homes each year. .hat some reasons for this big drop? 1ome of this success is due to the free market. Beople have demanded safer firearms and the gun makers have responded. Beople have demanded gun safes( handgun safes( trigger locks and trigger locking cables and the manufacturing industry has responded. Firearm education in the 7nited 1tates has gro!n e>ponentially and there are more than AL(,,, "#A Certified Firearm Instructors teaching gun safety courses throughout the country. 2he "ational #ifle Association&s Jddie Jagle 3unsafe program created in *-// by past "#A Bresident Marion =ammer has been a huge success. 2he Jddie Jagle program has reached 2H million children in all fifty states and the program has been taught in more than 2/(,,, school systems( civic organi;ations and gun clubs. Another aspect of this truly successful story that is sometimes overlooked is the medical advances and the 0uality of care at America&s hospitals and the short reaction times of emergency medical technicians. 8ut one thing you can be absolutely certain of is if you kno! the child or the adult in the casket( at the funeral home !ho died due to the mishandling of a loaded gun( this success story !ill mean absolutely nothing to assuage your grief or console you. I !ant to reach out to you no! and thank you for reading this and paying attention to !hat I have to say here on this topic. An important step in keeping kids safe is to get a 'unior Membership to the "ational #ifle Association. 2o learn more about it( go to http566!!!.1ave2he3uns.com6nraQmembership.htm ?

"eal Guns or )oy Guns

1ome accidental gun$related deaths each year are due to young children !ho make the mistake of thinking that a real gun is actually a toy. I do not have statistics available for ho! common it is for a child to mistake a real gun for a toy gun( but I do kno! that is does happen. 2he parents or grandparents of a child that has been in9ured or killed by the mishandling of a loaded gun !ill not care about the success of gun safety training or the unlikelihood of a child mistaking a toy gun for a real gun. 1ome firearms today are made specifically for the licensed concealed carry permit holder or those in Permont and Alaska !ho can carry a gun !ithout a permit( !ho !ish to carry a small and very concealable gun in a pocket. Ees( some guns can fit in a pocket and !eigh less than a pound. 2he brand ne! #uger OC# is a five shot .@/ 1pecial revolver !ith a polymer (plastic$like frame that !eighs only *@.+ ounces. 2hat is only an ounce and a half more than a can of soda.

http566!!!.ruger$firearms.com6products6lcr6inde>.html =ere is a photo of a handgun that I&d like you to take notice of as !ell. http566!!!.naaminis.com6lrifle.html 2his is a revolver made by a company called "orth American Arms. It is a .22 caliber revolver that !eighs 9ust four ounces (H.+o; and is 9ust four inches (HD long. If you think you could very easily tell a real gun from a toy( maybe no! I made you think t!ice about that huh? 3enerally speaking there are a fe! !ays to tell !hether or not a gun is real or is a toy. All toy guns are re0uired by federal la! to have an orange or red plastic tip at the end of the barrel. Also most toy guns are made of plastic and have very little or no metal in them. If a gun that you think is a toy seems heavier and more solid feeling than you think it should be( it could be a real gun.

If you or someone you kno! is handling a gun and you don&t kno! if it is real or a toy( you should remember !hat Jddie Jagle says. Oet&s go over it again shall !e? 12<B5 :<"&2 2<7C= I25 OJAPJ 2=J A#JA5 2JOO A" A:7O2 .=A2 .A1 F<7":5 It may not be as easy to tell a toy gun from a real gun as you might have thought huh? I 9ust !ant you to be a!are that sometimes there is very little difference bet!een toy guns and real guns to young people !ho are not e>perienced. 1ometimes even police officers cannot immediately tell the difference bet!een them and occasionally kids have been tragically killed by police officers !ho thought that the gun the child !as pointing at them !as real( !hen it !as only a toy. If you are not sure that a gun you have seen or found is a toy gun or a real gun( you are to treat it as if it is a real gun. 2hat message is one of the most important messages that you can take from this free e$book. ?

Ammunition Kno&ledge and Safety

First of all( let&s define !hat a gun is. A gun is a mechanical device that stores( helps to aim and discharges ammunition at the specific direction of the shooter !ho is using it. A gun that is not loaded !ith ammunition cannot hurt you. 7nless someone hits you !ith it( thro!s it at you or you drop it on your toes. 1o !hat is ammunition any!ay? Ammunition goes by many different names. 1ometimes they are called cartridges( some people call them 4rounds& and sometimes they are called ammo. <ther times( they are called bullets( but that is a mistake. Cartridges have bullets in them( but cartridges are not bullets. Cartridges consist of at least four different items. 2he parts of a handgun cartridge are the case( the gunpo!der( the primer and the bullet. =ere is an image that I made up of a .@+L Magnum cartridge that is completely taken apart for you to see.

<ne thing you should kno! about cartridges is that they are not to be played around !ith. If you put them in a fire or hit them !ith a hammer or rock( or if you put them in a vise or s0uee;e the cartridges !ith a pair of pliers they can e>plode and pieces of the cartridge may fly in any direction. 2he bullet !ill likely fly out of the case and hot gunpo!der !ill also fly out in any direction. Any of these things could cause personal in9ury and I very strongly caution you to treat cartridges !ith care. :o not mistreat ammunition cartridges. Blease hear me on that. .hen a cartridge is fired in a gun( the firing pin hits the top of the primer seen in the image above( !hich is in the hole in the bottom of the case. 2he primer sends a sho!er of sparks into the case( !hich ignites the gunpo!der. 2he gunpo!der then burns almost instantly. 2he gunpo!der generates heat and gases !hich very 0uickly e>pand !ithin the case and then sends the bullet do!n the barrel and on its !ay to the target. 2he energy developed by this process is enormous and it is important that you get a good idea ho! much energy is developed. 2he pressure inside the chamber is huge !hen the cartridge fires. Chamber pressure is typically measured in pounds per s0uare inch( designated as B1I. 2he .@+L Magnum cartridge pictured above generates about @+(,,, B1I. 2hat&s right. 2he chamber pressure of a .@+L Magnum is about seventeen and a half (*L R tons per s0uare inchFF 2he bullet that comes out of the cartridge comes out very( very fast as !ell. 8ullet velocity is measured in feet per second. Feet per second are designated as FB1. 2hat is ho! many feet the bullet moves in one second. 2he velocity of .@+L Magnum bullets that I have pictured above is typically one thousand four hundred fifty feet per second (*(H+, FB1 . If you&re traveling along at high!ay speed in a car( the ma>imum speed limit is usually A+ miles per hour. 2he .@+L Magnum bullets can move at a !hopping

nine hundred eighty eight miles per hour (-// MB= . Ees( that is almost a thousand miles per hour. Bretty fast huh? About the fastest bullets that are currently available are the .@,S4,A Accelerator( the .22, 1!ift and the .*L #emington. 2hey can fire bullets bet!een H*,, and H2,, feet per second. H2,, feet per second is the same as 2(/A@ miles per hour. 2he ama;ing part of the fastest rifle bullets available is that they can fly as fast as /6*,ths of a mile in 9ust one second. 2hat&s right. 2he fastest .22, 1!ift rifle bullet can fly .L-+ miles per second. 2he modern metallic firearm cartridge is an ama;ing device that can generate many( many tons of pressure and can make a bullet fly more than three 0uarters of a mile in 9ust a second. Ammunition should be treated !ith care. :o not crush an ammunition cartridge in a vise. :o not bang an ammunition cartridge !ith a hammer or a rock. :o not put an ammunition cartridge in a fire. :o not put live ammunition cartridges in the trash. Ammunition is to be treated !ith respect and handled only as it is intended. "o!( let me talk 9ust a minute about bullet energy. 2he speeding bullet has energy associated !ith it. 2he speeding bullet !ill hit a target and knock it over( or put a hole in it( dent it( damage it or even destroy it. 2he bullet !ill hit a target !ith this energy and the energy is measured in something called a foot$pound. A foot$pound is the energy it !ould take to pick up a one pound item( one foot off of the ground. 1o therefore( if I say that a .@/ 1pecial bullet hits a target !ith @,, foot$pounds of energy that means that the energy in the bullet is enough to lift @,, pounds( a foot off of the ground. A large rifle bullet like the .@,$&,A can move very 0uickly and the bullet can develop about 2(-,, foot$pounds. 2he energy of such a bullet can lift 2(-,, pounds( a !hole foot off of the ground. 2he bullet can fly as far as three and a half (@ R miles a!ay too. Ammunition cartridges are not toys and should never be played around !ith. ?

Su er(ised Gun +andling ,nly

I !ould like to take this opportunity to convey to you some of my o!n personal feelings on the matter of children under age eighteen handling a gun. It is my opinion that children under age eighteen should only handle a firearm under adult supervision. Ees( I kno!( some of you !ill disagree !ith me on this( but I&m going to take the risk of letting my feelings be kno!n on this issue( !ell( because I can.

2he child under age eighteen should be a!are that it is "<2 <IAE to seek out a gun in the home !hile unsupervised by an e>perienced and kno!ledgeable adult. =andling a gun should only be done !hile supervised by a trusted adult or parent. If you !ant to see or handle one of the firearms in the house( ask your parent first. 7sually( they !ill be happy to help you out. Almost all accidental gun$related deaths involving children under age eighteen occur !hen the child is unsupervised by an alert and e>perienced adult. All I am going to say on this sub9ect is that children under age eighteen sometimes think irrationally and I stand in disagreement that it is okay for parents to allo! children under age eighteen to handle and shoot real firearms on their o!n !ithout supervision. 2his is especially true if the child is not completely and appropriately trained. Ees( I kno! that even pre$teen children !ere out hunting for food many decades ago for the family. 2his is 9ust an opinion and I&ll let it stand right there( !ithout saying another !ord on the sub9ect. ?

Common 7uestions and Ans&ers

I have fielded 0uestions from kids for many years on my .eb site. 1ome of the 0uestions are serious matters and some of the 0uestions are interesting ones to ans!er. I !ill try to ans!er a fe! of the most common 0uestions that kids ans!er. 2ho in(ented the gun and &hen &as it in(ented? 2his is the most common 0uestion I get asked. At times( I&ve been asked this 0uestion three of four times a !eek. .e don&t kno! e>actly !hen the first gun !as invented( !here it !as invented or !ho invented it. 3un po!der originated in China bet!een the years /+, and -,,. 8ut it !asn&t yet true gunpo!der. It is likely that Chinese alchemists !ere attempting to make an eli>ir for the Jmperor of China to eat and drink( !hich !ould give him eternal life. At some point in this e>perimentation and formulations a po!der !as created !hich burned brightly. Oater it !as used in fire!orks to celebrate military victories and special occasions. 2his incendiary po!der !as likely made of a nitrate such as saltpeter( along !ith charcoal( sulphur and perhaps a fe! other ingredients. A po!der that appro>imated the recipe for gunpo!der is believed to have been first published in the year *,,H( but it !as not yet true gunpo!der. 2he first publications of true gunpo!der !ere !ritten and published by #oger 8acon in *2H/ and *2A/ and Albertus Magnus in Jurope around the year *2/,( but it !as 0uite clearly being made !ell before that.

2he oldest gun that I have a picture of is the one in the photo belo! from about the year *@L@.

2he earliest recorded use of a gun in a battle !as likely at the Sie#e of Seville in 1pain in the year *2HL. 8ut there has been some skepticism among historians as to the validity of that fact( as the document that reported firearm use in *2HL !as !ritten many decades after the battle. =o!ever( it is pretty clear than incendiary po!ders !ere first used in bamboo poles to fire hardened clay pellets as early as *2+-. 8efore that( in the year **@2 the T7.An Shou /hh7n# $u( an account of the 1iege of :eTan records the use of devices called fire lances. A fire lance !as a tube filled !ith incindiary po!der at the end of a pole( likely bamboo. It !as used mostly to scare and intimidate the enemy. Jventually the percentage of saltpeter !as increased to make a bigger bang and a bigger flame on these fire lances. 2hen pro9ectiles like stones and hardened clays( sticks and arro!s !ere used at the ends of the fire lances to thro! pro9ectiles as !ell as flames. Oater( the si;e of the pro9ectiles !ere increased to fit the sides of the tubes( !hich created more pressure and shot the pro9ectiles out more efficiently. .e do not kno! if the very first gun !as invented in China or not for certain( but there has been a sculpture found in China that seems to depict a type of hand$held cannon that !as shaped kind of like a vase( called a bombard from the later **,,&s( perhaps made in the **/,&s. 2he sculpture depicted flames and a cannonball coming out of it. "obody kno!s for certain !hen it !as made. It !as the first depiction of the development from fire lances into hand$held cannons as far as I can tell. =istorians disagree considerably on the sub9ect and on !ho the actual inventor !as. 2he actual first inventor !asn&t recorded or the evidence has been lost. Many historians have arrived at the conclusion that firearms !ere invented in China( at some point after the year **@2 and before the year *2,,. .hen the efficiency and effectiveness of a fire lance officially became a firearm( nobody kno!s for certain( but it is fairly clear that it !as during the late **,,&s or early *2,,&s and in China. Firearm technology migrated from China( to the Middle Jast( then to Jastern Jurope( .estern Jurope and finally to America in the *A,,&s !ith the arrival of Juropeans( at 'amesto!n and the Bilgrims at Blymouth and the Buritans in the Massachusetts Colony. 8ut keep in mind that !hen Christopher Columbus discovered the Americas in *H-2( he and his cre! had guns even then.

2hat do &e ha(e guns for? .e o!n and use guns for many different reasons. It&s likely that the first true guns !ere used for battles in various !ars and conflicts. 2hey !ere also used many hundreds of years ago for hunting and they are still used for both !arfare and for hunting. 1elf preservation( other!ise kno!n as self defense is a natural right of all human beings. 3uns are used for defensive purposes about A(,,, times a day in the 7nited 1tates. <ver -,N to -+N of the time( guns used for defensive purposes are not even fired. 3uns are used for defense about *+, to 2,, times more than they are used for homicides. A homicide is another !ord for the killing of a human being. .e also collect firearms as a hobby( shoot them for recreation and family fun( target shoot in local( state( federal and international competition among other things. +o& many Americans are murdered each year &ith guns? 2here are about *A(,,, to *L(,,, murders each year in the 7nited 1tates. It varies from year to year( but generally speaking there are bet!een -(,,, and **(+,, murders each year committed by murderers !ho use guns as a tool. In *--*( there !ere 2H(L,@ murders !hich !as the highest number ever recorded for the 7nited 1tates( but only perhaps 26@rds of those involved the illegal use of a firearm. 2ill you con(ince my arents to get me a bb gun? Ees( it&s true. I&ve actually been asked by kids to e$mail their parents and try to convince them that a bb gun !ould make a great gift for their child. 2he ans!er to the 0uestion is no. I !ill not use my authority as a !ell$ kno!n gun safety and education advocate convincing anyone that bringing any gun into their home is a good idea. 2hat is entirely a decision for the parents to make. 2hat ty es of guns are there? 2here are generally three types of guns available to buy. 2here are handguns( rifles and shotguns. 2he oldest type of firearm !as probably most similar to a shotgun. It normally !ill shoot multiple pellets of lead or steel and is mostly used for hunting purposes. 2he rifle normally shoots a single bullet and is intended to shoot mainly at distant targets. A rifle has grooves inside the barrel !hich spin a bullet as it travels to!ard its target% much like a 0uarterback spins a football to make sure it flies straight. 2he term UhandgunU !as first documented in the year *@//( before that( they !ere kno!n as Uhand cannonsU. 2he semi$automatic metallic cartridge handgun( 9ust like !hat !e have today !as first invented in the year */-2 in Austria.

Can you hel me &ith some gun information for my school&ork? I certainly can. I have helped hundreds of children over the last t!enty plus years !ith their home!ork on the sub9ect of guns. I have helped them get information for classroom pro9ects( presentations and speeches. Actually to tell you the truth( I really en9oy helping young people like that. It&s one of the reasons I even have a .eb site to begin !ith. 2hat is gun o&der made of? 2he original gunpo!der( called 4black po!der& today !as made from three ingredients. 8lack po!der !as made from saltpeter( sulphur and charcoal. Another name for saltpeter is potassium nitrate. Modern smokeless gunpo!der is made from a combination of nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose. ?

4inal 2ords
In this final !ords section( I&m going to sum up the most important parts of this gun safety course for kids.

2he gun !as first used in battle according to at least one source( in the year *2HL. 2here is evidence that the Chinese first shot ob9ects out of bamboo tubes filled !ith gunpo!der attached to poles around the year **@2. 2here has been a Chinese sculpture found of a soldier firing a vase$shaped hand cannon called a bombard from around the last half of the **,,&s. 1o the point is that guns are nothing ne! to humanity. 2he Chinese supposedly first used gunpo!der to fire pro9ectiles in the year **@2( !hich !as eight hundred seventy eight (/L/ years ago at this !riting. :o not handle a gun like you see in the movies( on television and on cartoons. Most often( guns on television and in the movies are handled incorrectly and dangerously. <bey real gun safety rules and disregard !hat you see in the movies as reckless and careless gun handling. If you find a gun some!here( you 12<B( :<"&2 2<7C= I2( OJAPJ 2=J A#JA A": 2JOO A" A:7O2 .=A2 E<7 F<7":. 2he gun could be loaded and ready to fire and could have been used in a violent crime. 'ust !alk a!ay from it( remember !here you found it and make sure you tell an adult as soon as possible. 2hen bring a police officer or deputy sheriff to take possession of it properly. If your friend( neighbor or young family member brings out his parent&s gun( the same rule applies. 12<B( :<"&2 2<7C= I2( OJAPJ 2=J A#JA A": 2JOO A" A:7O2 .=A2 E<7 1A.. :o not stay there and argue !ith him6her. :< "<2 try to take the gun

a!ay. 2his is the most important information I !ant you to take a!ay from this course. Blease pay attention.

2here are three rules of safe gun handling. .hen handling a real firearm under adult supervision at a firing range or other safe area( you should AO.AE1 point the gun in a safe direction. AO.AE1 keep your finger off of the trigger unless you are ready to fire. AO.AE1 keep the gun unloaded until you&re ready to use it. 2he 43olden #ule& of safe gun handling is to al!ays point the barrel in a safe direction. 8e a!are that there are many more gun safety rules and I&ve come up !ith about fifty of them. Brotect your eyes and ears% be sure of your target and !hat is behind it. "o fooling around( use the correct ammunition% avoid the natural tendency to place your finger on the trigger like you see in the movies and so forth. 1tay safe by obeying the rules. (see http566!!!.1ave2he3uns.com6safetyQrules.htm for more info 1tay safe !hile shooting at the gun club or shooting range. 8e a!are of all of the rules( kno! and use the range commands and have a safe attitude at all times. 8e a!are that the sub9ect of gun safety and accidental discharges that result in death is one of the most successful stories of all time. Jven though there is many more guns in the 7nited 1tates and a huge increase in population( !e have about five and half times (+.+? fe!er accidental gun deaths than in *-@,( !ith almost five and a half times (+.+? more guns. 1ince the highest rate of accidental gun$related death in *-,H( the American population has risen more than @.LH times( but the number of accidental deaths has fallen tremendously. 2he rate of such accidents has fallen $-HN since the highest rate in *-,H. 'ust be a!are that sometimes it&s not so easy to tell a real gun from a toy gun. If you think a gun might be a toy( but you&re not sure( you kno! the drill by no!. 12<B( :<"&2 2<7C= I2( OJAPJ 2=J A#JA A": 2JOO A" A:7O2 .=A2 E<7 F<7":. 2ry to remember !hat you learned about ammunition and ammunition safety. 2reat ammunition carefully. Cartridges are not to be played !ith or destroyed. Call them cartridges( rounds( ammunition or ammo and not bullets. 8ullets are 9ust one of the components of a rifle or handgun cartridge. :o not handle ammunition by yourself. :on&t hit the cartridges( don&t burn them( don&t crush them. Ammunition is not a toy.

#emember my opinion on gun handling. I don&t think children under the age of eighteen should be out shooting real guns on their o!n !ithout adult supervision. :o not hesitate to ask 0uestions. <n the sub9ect of guns and gun safety there are no dumb 0uestions. If your parent or teacher does not kno! the ans!er to a gun 0uestion( seek out the correct ans!ers from kno!ledgeable adults. 2here are guns in about H+N to HLN of all homes in the 7nited 1tates. :epending upon the study or the people being asked( or the area of the country( the number varies bet!een H,N and +,N of homes that have at least one gun in it. 2hat means that if you don&t have a gun in your o!n home( the chances are good that both of your neighbors do.

3un safety is a huge success story in the 7nited 1tates. 2he year 2,,A sa! the fe!est number of accidental gun related deaths ever recorded. Accidental gun related death is do!n about $-HN from its highest rate in *-,H. 8ut none of that success !ill matter one bit if you personally kno! the child in the casket at the funeral home. I hope you hear my passion on this issue. As I have said previously( I have been contacted by parents !hose children have died as a result of an accident !ith a gun and they&ve thanked me for my efforts in this regard. I have done the !ork to promote this information. All I ask is that you read it fully obey as much of it as you possibly can( take !hat I have to say seriously and pass it on to others. ?

!"A 8unior Membershi

2o get an "#A 'unior Membership for your child no!( you should visit this !ebsite. Membership in the "ational #ifle Association isn&t 9ust for gun o!ners. 2here are thousands of members of the "#A !ho do not even o!n( use or carry firearms. 'ust like Membership in the "#A isn&t 9ust for gun o!ners( it&s not 9ust for adults either. I think it is important for a child to get involved in the largest and most effective gun safety and firearm education organi;ation in the !orld and that is the "#A by far. Oearning about the important aspects of the issue( real gun safety information and ho! to stay active and involved in the shooting sports is

essential for any child !ho lives in a home !ith gun o!ning adults or !ho may eventually !ant to buy their o!n firearms. )here is nothing more im ortant in my o inion than teaching them gun safety rules correctly and getting them in(ol(ed in the !ational "ifle Association as early as ossible' .ithout the children of today being involved( getting trained( getting properly educated( learning the truth about guns( gun o!ners( hunting and the real history behind America&s right to keep and bear arms( our freedoms !ill suffer as a result. 2oday&s children !ho get involved in the "ational #ifle Association as a 'unior "#A Member are the 2nd Amendment protectors and defenders of tomorro!. I personally can trace my ancestral roots to not one or t!o( but three separate families !ho came to America on the Mayflo er in the year *A2, as the Bilgrims. Members of my family have seen every moment of American history. I take my freedom seriously. 2he freedoms and liberties that pre$e>isted our country( the liberties that !ere fought for and !on( the freedoms that are natural rights of all human beings and the freedoms embodied in the Constitution of the 7nited 1tates have been preserved and protected all of these years by past generations of Americans. "o! it&s our turn. It is essential and indeed fundamental to the future of human freedom in the 7nited 1tates( for the children of today to learn the truth about our rights and the inherent liberties of a free citi;enry. .ithout a sound and truthful kno!ledge of these freedoms( they !ill certainly fade a!ay and future generations of Americans !ill not even reali;e that these freedoms have been lost. 2he best !ay( in my opinion( to start any youngster out on the right track concerning guns( gun safety and our 2nd Amendment rights is to get them involved in the "ational #ifle Association !hen young and teach them properly. 9)o reser(e liberty it is essential that the &hole body of the eo le al&ays ossess arms# and be taught alike# es ecially &hen young# ho& to use them'''9 Richard Henry Lee (1732 17!"#$ %dditiona& Letters 'rom (he 'edera& 'armer$ 17)) .ith an "#A 'unior Membership kids !ill get a subscription to 8nsi#hts maga;ine. It is "#ATs monthly maga;ine for 9unior members and it caters to all ages and skill levels among them. From the youngster eager to learn gun safety and shoot his first 88 gun( to the high school smallbore

competitor on her !ay to <lympic 3old( young people turn to 8nsi#hts for its fun$filled( action$packed coverage of safety( achievement and e>cellence in the shooting sports. 2o learn more about 8nsi#hts maga;ine( you can visit the !ebsite. 2o get an "#A 'unior Membership no!( you should visit this !ebsite. <kay( you might say( but ho! much does it cost to get a kid started in the "#A? =ere&s the good ne!s. It is 9ust fifteen dollars ()*+.,, a year. Children !ho are under age fifteen (*+ get 8nsi#hts maga;ine only. Children( !ho are fifteen( si>teen or seventeen years old( get the privilege of choosing their o!n regular "#A Bublication. 2o learn more about any type of membership in the "ational #ifle Association and the fees and benefits( please click here5 http566!!!.savetheguns.com6nraQmembership.htm If you really !ant to make a difference( you can give a Oifetime 'unior "#A Membership for 9ust )++,.,,. .hen the child turns */( it automatically becomes a regular lifetime "#A Membership. A regular "#A Oife Membership no! costs )*,,,.,,. 1o you can save )H+,.,, by getting a child an "#A Oife Membership. 2o get any "#A Membership( you should visit this !ebsite. 9/et us contem late our forefathers and osterity and resol(e to maintain the rights be:ueathed to us from the former# for the sake of the latter' )he necessity of the times# more than e(er# calls for our utmost circums ection# deliberation# fortitude# and erse(erance' /et us remember that ;if &e suffer tamely a la&less attack u on our liberty# &e encourage it# and in(ol(e others in our doom'; It is a (ery serious consideration that millions yet unborn may be the miserable sharers of the e(ent'9 *amue& %dams s+eech$ 1771 ?

-isclaimer
I think it actually gives me physical pain to have to include a disclaimer !ith this potentially life$saving information( but legally speaking( it is the best thing to do. 2he tendency of supposedly intelligent people to file la!suits for some kind of !rongdoing or negligence prompts me to include a disclaimer statement. If a !oman can !in a la!suit against Mc:onald&s for serving her hot coffee !hich she proceeded to negligently spill on herself( 3od kno!s !hat is ne>t.

-ISC/AIM0"

Choosing to bring a handgun or any firearm into your home for that matter is a very personal decision that should be !eighed very carefully and not taken lightly and !ithout deliberative thought. 2he images used in this e$book are the property of their o!ners and are used here solely to demonstrate to children ho! inappropriately firearms are handled in the entertainment industry. Fair 7se 7nder 2itle *L 1ection *,L of the 7.1. Code 1ection *,L contains a list of the various purposes for !hich the reproduction of a particular !ork may be considered fair( such as criticism( comment( ne!s reporting( teaching( scholarship( and research. 1ection *,L also sets out four factors to be considered in determining !hether or not a particular use is fair5 *. 2he purpose and character of the use( including !hether such use is of commercial nature or is for nonprofit educational purposes 2. 2he nature of the copyrighted !ork @. 2he amount and substantiality of the portion used in relation to the copyrighted !ork as a !hole H. 2he effect of the use upon the potential market for( or value of( the copyrighted !ork http566!!!.copyright.gov6fls6fl*,2.html 8ecause of the fact that the images in this e$book are strictly of a critical nature( the images constitute an infinitesimal aspect of this !ork and this e$book is completely free of charge( !e are !ell !ithin the traditional boundaries of Fair 7se doctrine in using those images. 8ecause of the fact that I cannot give complete( individual and hands$on instruction to the reader( I !ill not accept any responsibility !hatsoever for any use( unintentional omission or misuse of the te>t( pictures or any information contained on !!!.1ave2he3uns.com or contained !ithin this e$course. 2he reader( on behalf of himself6herself and spouse( children( heirs( e>ecutors and administrators hereby release and forever discharge any claim that !e or they might no! or in the future have either in la! or e0uity against Marc =. #ichardson( 1ave2he3uns.com( Click8ank.com( =ostCentric.com or Commission 'unction( Oink1hare( Ama;on.com( Berformics or any of their agents( servants or employees in any !ay relating to or arising out of either or both of us participating in any of the information or instruction or omission thereof contained on this .eb site or e$courses( no matter ho! said claim is designated. I have carefully read and understood this !aiver and its terms. I understand that I am assuming full and complete responsibility for any in9ury or loss occurring to either of us (spouse included or any of us arising in any !ay out of the above mentioned activities. I6.e have e>ecuted this !aiver voluntarily and !ith full kno!ledge of its significance.

V Copyright 2,,,$2,*, by Marc =. #ichardson All #ights #eserved "o part of this e$course may be reproduced or transmitted in any form( electronic or mechanical( including photocopying( recording( or by any by any information storage and retrieval system( !ithout the e>pressed and !ritten consent of Marc =. #ichardson( o!ner of !!!.1ave2he3uns.com. If you&d like to use it for anything( 9ust e$ mail me and ask first.
?

More Information
If you&d like more information on the sub9ect of gun safety and kids( I can suggest some books and videos for you to purchase to learn more about gun safety( firearm education and the truth about the 2nd Amendment&s right to keep and bear arms. 8n Search of the Second Amendment from :avid 2. =ardy. 2his is to date the best and most accurate documentary ever put onto the small screen on the sub9ect. (*** minutes. The Essential Second Amendment Guide from .ayne OaBierre( J>ecutive Pice Bresident of the "ational #ifle Association. (*+L pages Click here for more info

Click here for more info

Gun Safety ith Eddie Ea#le from the "#A. 2his is the videotape that is sho!n at the Jddie Jagle 3unsafe courses for children Bre$I through @rd grade. (L minutes

Click here for more info

Gun 9roof :our /hildren; Hand#un 9rimer from Massad Ayoob. Mas Ayoob is one of the top names in the country in the firearm training industry. (HL pages

Click here for more info

,-A Firearms Sourceboo6 from the "#A. 2his is the best source I have found for 9ust about everything you ever !anted to kno! about firearms. (+@H pages

Click here for more info

The <asics of 9istol Shootin# from the "#A. 2his is the te>tbook of "#A&s 8asic Bistol Course. (*2- pages

Click here for more info

The <asics of -ifle Shootin# from the "#A. 2his is the te>tbook of "#A&s 8asic #ifle Course. (*A@ pages

Click here for more info

The Founders Second Amendment from 1tephen B. =albrook. Mr. =albrook is one of the top minds in the country on the sub9ect of our right to keep and bear arms. (HH/ pages

Click here for more info

Blease pass this e$book onto a friend or family member. If you have any comments on this e$book( things you think I should include in it or anything that you&d like to see done differently( 9ust send me an e$mail !ith the sub9ect line 4A 3un 1afety Course for Iids&. I&m usually able to read and respond to e$mails !ithin a couple of days. 1end me an e$mail at ?.

2hanks for reading.