Safe Gun Ownership For Dummies

Introduction 1 About This Book 1 Foolish Assumptions 2 Icons Used in This Book 2 Beyond the Book 3 Where to Go from Here 3 Part 1: Getting Started with Gun Safety 5 Chapter 1: The Basics of Safe Gun Ownership 7 Common Reasons to Own a Firearm 8 Gaining a sense of security 8 Hunting and recreational shooting 9 Taking part in history 9 Things to Consider Before Purchasing a Firearm 10 How will you secure it? 10 Who will have access to it? 11 When will you attend a training course? 11 The Four Rules of Gun Safety 12 Rule 1: Treat all guns as if they are loaded 13 Rule 2: Never let your muzzle cover anything you aren’t willing to destroy 13 Rule 3: Keep your finger off the trigger until you’re on target and ready to shoot 14 Rule 4: Be sure of your target and what is behind it 14 Knowing other important rules to follow 15 Checking Whether a Gun is Loaded 15 Checking semi-automatic pistols 16 Checking revolvers 17 Checking rifles or shotguns with detachable magazines 17 Checking rifles or shotguns with internal magazines 18 Chapter 2: Legally Speaking 19 Understanding U.S Federal Gun Regulations 20 The Second Amendment and its interpretations 20 The National Firearms Act of 1934 21 The Federal Firearms Act of 1938 23 The Gun Control Act of 1968 23 The Firearm Owners Protection Act of 1986 23 The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act of 1993 24 The federal assault weapons ban of 1994 24 The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005 26 Breaking Down Landmark Supreme Court Decisions 26 United States v Miller 26 District of Columbia v Heller 27 McDonald v Chicago 27 New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v Bruen 27 Navigating State and Local Laws 27 Recognizing significant laws 28 Finding helpful sites and resources 30 Looking at Gun Laws Outside the United States 31 Canada 31 Switzerland 32 United Kingdom 32 Australia 33 New Zealand 33 Chapter 3: The Three Main Types of Firearms 35 Taking a Quick Trip through History: Cannons, Muskets, and More 36 Understanding early naming conventions 36 Sizing down for individual soldiers 37 Tracing 1800s innovations to today’s guns 39 Going the Distance with Rifles 42 Understanding bolt-action basics 42 Leveling up with lever actions 44 Gaining speed with semi-autos 46 Sorting Out Various Types of Shotguns 51 Simplifying shotgun shells 51 Breaking down break actions 52 Moving from levers to pumps 54 Sizing up semi-auto scatterguns 55 Getting Hands on with Handguns 56 Grasping the revolver revolution 56 Charting the rise of semi-autos 58 Chapter 4: Purchasing Your Firearm 65 Your First Trip to the Gun Store 66 What to expect from salespeople 66 Deciding on the type of gun to buy 67 Trying before you buy 69 Knowing the Purchase Requirements 72 Filling out the required paperwork 73 Understanding holds and wait times 75 Part 2: Building a Gun Safety Mindset 79 Chapter 5: Introducing a Firearm into Your Household 81 Having “The Talk” with Your Family 82 Addressing your partner’s concerns 82 Explaining gun safety rules to children 83 Teaching children what to do if they encounter a firearm 84 Entering those dreaded teen years 85 Letting Other People Know You Own a Gun 86 Understanding the Dangers of Overpenetration 87 Chapter 6: Safe and Secure Firearm Storage 91 Understanding the Locks (Sometimes) Included with Guns 92 The Child Safety Lock Act of 2005 92 How to use a cable lock — and why it isn’t enough 93 The problems with trigger locks 95 Investing in Sturdy Steel with Gun Safes and Vaults 96 Factoring in size, construction, and more 97 Breaking down the various lock types 100 Avoiding less traditional storage options 102 Grasping the Importance of Storing Ammunition Separately 103 Chapter 7: Manual Labor 105 Looking Inside Your Firearm’s Manual 106 Using the safety 106 Loading and unloading the gun 107 Disassembly made easy 108 Learning the warranty information 109 Watching Out for Other Warnings 110 Avoiding the wrong ammunition 110 Finding the right balance of lubrication 111 Keeping the Record Straight 112 Chapter 8: Cleaning and Maintenance 113 Caring for Your Gun between Trips to the Range 114 Gathering the right tools and supplies 114 Taking your gun apart 116 Scrubbing the barrel 116 Inspecting the interior 118 Adding lube and other finishing touches 118 Dealing With the Usual Wear and Tear 119 Identifying common wear points 120 Replacing parts — and knowing your limits 121 Troubleshooting Two Larger Issues 122 Clearing bore obstructions 123 Removing light rust 124 Chapter 9: Getting to Know Ammunition 127 Making Sense of Rifle and Handgun Ammunition 128 Getting acquainted with cartridge components and naming conventions 128 Looking at the basics of ballistics and barrel rifling 132 Understanding today’s handgun bullets 134 Recognizing various rifle bullets 137 Sorting Out Shotgun Shells 140 Discerning shell components and naming conventions 140 Defining shotshells by use 142 Chapter 10: Today’s Firearm Accessories 145 Carrying Your Gun 146 Choosing handgun holsters 146 Selecting a sling for your long gun 148 Using Common Shooting Aids 150 Zeroing in with sights and optics 150 Holding steady with monopods, bipods, and more 153 Powering up with lights, lasers, and combination units 155 Customizing Your Gun 159 Upgrades you can do at home 159 Upgrades that require gunsmithing 161 Looking at Other Helpful Accessories 163 Chapter 11: Leaving Home with Your Firearm 165 Transporting a Gun in a Vehicle 166 Understanding relevant laws 166 Examining vehicle storage options — and their risks 167 Crossing State Lines with a Firearm 170 Traveling by road 170 Traveling by air 171 Carrying a Firearm on Your Person 173 Getting to know your state’s carry laws and off-limit locations 174 Recognizing common carry positions 176 Avoiding injury while unholstering 178 Part 3: Discovering How to Use Your Firearm 181 Chapter 12: Basic Training 183 Understanding Why You Need to Attend a Training Course 184 Knowing What to Expect from a Training Course 186 Breaking down the types of courses 186 Considering three major factors: cost, time, and format 187 Understanding common course requirements 188 Evaluating course options 190 Finding a Training Course Near You 193 Range Safety Fundamentals 194 Explaining common range rules 195 Dressing appropriately 196 Protecting your eyesight 197 Protecting your hearing 197 Preparing for All Types of Weather 199 Continuing Your Education 200 Chapter 13: On the Mark 203 Learning the Basics of Accurate Shooting 204 Establishing a firm grip on a handgun 204 Holding onto a rifle or shotgun 207 Getting into position 207 Sighting in 213 Breathing for better accuracy 217 Controlling the trigger 217 Practicing Your Shooting Skills Safely 218 Maximizing your range time 218 Diagnosing your results 220 Overcoming Cross-Eye Dominance 222 Chapter 14: Reloading and Clearing Malfunctions 225 Dissecting the Anatomy of a Detachable Magazine 226 Reloading a Pistol Three Different Ways 227 The empty reload 228 The speed reload 231 The retention reload 232 Safely Unloading a Gun 233 Troubleshooting Common Pistol Malfunctions 234 Clearing a failure to eject 234 Fixing a failure to feed 235 Dealing with double feeds 236 Diagnosing ammo-related problems 236 Part 4: Think Carefully before You Shoot 239 Chapter 15: Hunting and Sport Shooting 241 Preparing to Hunt with a Firearm 242 Getting to know your state’s wildlife agency 242 Attending a hunter education course 243 Becoming an ethical hunter 244 Breaking down various types of hunting 246 Gathering helpful hunting gear 249 Going for Gold at Shooting Matches 251 Learning popular shooting disciplines 251 Collecting helpful competition gear 254 Attending your first match 256 Chapter 16: Firearms and Self-Defense 257 Before You Reach for a Gun 258 Protecting your home from the outside 258 Protecting your home from the inside 260 Understanding the Castle Doctrine 262 Interpreting the castle doctrine today 263 Knowing the limits of the law 263 Creating an Emergency Plan 264 Understanding Self-Defense with a Firearm Outside the Home 266 Part 5: The Part of Tens 269 Chapter 17: Ten Common Myths about Firearms 271 Myth: “The Wild West Was Full of Gunplay” 272 Myth: “A Gun Will Make Me Safer” 272 Myth: “Guns Don’t Kill People; People Kill People” 273 Myth: “Polymer Guns Won’t Set off Metal Detectors” 274 Myth: “The Only Thing That Can Stop a Bad Guy with a Gun Is a Good Guy with a Gun” 275 Myth: “Millions of People Defend Themselves with Guns Every Year” 275 Myth: “Guns Can Blow You Away” 276 Myth: “Every Gun Sale Already Requires a Background Check” 276 Myth: “Blame Video Games, Not Guns” 277 Myth: “I Love Guns — They Make Me Who I Am” 277 Chapter 18: Ten (or More) Gun Terms You’re Using Incorrectly 279 Saying “Clip” Instead of “Magazine” 280 Bullets, Cartridges, and More 280 Accuracy versus Precision 282 The Two Meanings of Pistol 282 Semi-Automatic versus Automatic 283 Assault Rifles and Assault Weapons 283 Why Suppressors Aren’t Quite Silencers 284 Standard and High Capacity 285 Grip and Handle Defined 286 Chapter 19: Ten Steps to Restore a Classic Gun 287 Unload and Inspect the Firearm 288 Research the Make and Model 288 Decide What You Want to Do with It 289 Carefully Disassemble and Clean It 290 Remove Light Rust from Metal Surfaces 290 Replace Any Missing or Damaged Parts 291 Refinish the Metal — or Not 291 Restore the Wood 292 Clean, Lubricate, and Reassemble It 293 Have a Gunsmith Back Up your Work 293 Index 295