child safe lock
Courtesy NSSF
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From the NSSF . . .

The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®) and its partners urge gun owners to keep firearm safety a top priority and are making safety resources widely available as gun and ammunition sales increase, especially among first-time firearm purchasers.

“During this stressful time and with children spending more time at home, the firearm industry reminds gun owners that protecting yourself and your family includes making sure your firearms are stored securely when not in use,” said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF President and CEO. “The last thing any firearm owner wants is to have their gun fall into the wrong hands, particularly those of a child or someone at risk of harming themselves.”

NSSF is working with firearm retailers nationwide to ensure they discuss safe storage options with their customers, whether they are new to gun ownership or experienced. Although safety is something firearm retailers regularly talk about with their patrons, the reminder by NSSF comes at a time when retailers across the country are extremely busy due to rising interest in firearm ownership.

For anyone considering buying a gun, Project ChildSafe®’s “Road To Responsible Firearm Ownership” tool discusses the basic safety steps a gun owner can take to ensure responsible ownership. Project ChildSafe’s “Many Paths to Firearm Safety” video series can also help gun owners understand how to determine the best safe storage device for their lifestyle, as can this Safe Storage Options infographic.

NSSF encourages gun owners and non-gun owners to use the library of firearm safety resources available on its Project ChildSafe website. These include the McGruff Gun Safety videos for young children and an educational video for parents on how to discuss gun safety with children of all ages.

“More parents are assuming the role of educators in their homes, so it’s a good to time have a talk with your kids about gun safety, even if you don’t own a gun,” Bartozzi said. “If you do own a firearm, be sure your family understands the safety rules regarding firearms in your home, and always store guns responsibly when not in use.”

Although the number of fatal firearm accidents is at historic lows, such accidents are almost always preventable. Proper firearm storage is the #1 way to help prevent accidents, as well as deter thefts. Secure storage can also play a role in helping to prevent access by persons going through a difficult time.

Since 2017, NSSF has partnered with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP) to educate gun owners about mental wellness and suicide prevention. In this recent blog post, AFSP discusses taking care of one’s mental health during times of uncertainty.

In addition, AFSP and NSSF have developed a Suicide Prevention toolkit to help firearm retailers, shooting range operators and their customers understand risk factors and warning signs related to suicide, know where to find help and encourage secure firearm storage.

Anyone needing help for themselves or others can call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK or contact the crisis text line by texting TALK to 741741.

For more information on firearm safety, please visit ProjectChildSafe.org.

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31 COMMENTS

    • tsbhoa, tired of hearing about Fudds. You guys act like they’re someone to look down your nose at. You know who I look down on? The guys with a six lb. carbine and 10 lbs. of shit on it doing a mag dump. I’m not afraid of him. I am afraid of the guy two lanes over that has a Remington model 700 in 30-06 with a Leupold 3X9X40 squeezing off rounds. Slowly. That guy will kill you.

      • a good shot is just that. deadly with whatever. i only have two rifles with a shouldered chambering (x39 is more for cheap fun) and i don’t miss much inside a couple few hundred (back) yards. so i agree.
        but i don’t hate on ar clowns. i don’t want one, however, i have an unbuilt parts kit because part time machinist. it’s kind of a lame round and the other rounds it acomodates are too short.
        the nssf comment is just me shite posting as usual. fudd guns are my favorite guns. but true fudds think it is all about hunting and home defense. in fact it’s easy to turn foundation into fuddnation.

        • tsbhoa, I didn’t mention ARs, but if the shoe fits kick yourself in the ass with it. Next I don’t hate AR shooters. I pity them.

        • steel toed flip flops year round.
          people who believe that no one needs whatever ‘cuz they don’t want it suck, especially when that attitude threatens your rights. if a cartoon character reference is cause for butt hurt, try soaking your charmin (if you can find any) in drano. it was good enough for gravel gurty.
          now give us the list of all the other 6lb carbines. i’ll bet most of them are pccs- yer fave.

      • Gadsden,

        What is a ‘Fudd’? Really. I read that word a lot on this blog and get that it has something to do with Elmer, and that it is not a compliment. But really, what makes someone a ‘Fudd’?

        • It’s a derogatory statement to belittle anyone you don’t agree with on the internet. It’s the same old garbage that exists everywhere on the internet.

        • a bit more specific than fat ass suggests. it’s the 2a guys who would let the commies take your black guns as long as they can keep their blued and wood. because nobody needs scary shit.
          call them 2a rev1 if you like. less butt hurt.

        • Tsbhoa,

          Thank you for that explanation.

          Recently, I was speaking with a co-worker about firearms for home defense. During that conversation, he said he was beginning to think we need more gun control to prevent mass shootings. He is a volunteer fireman in his rural town; I guess that makes him a first responder. He does not hunt, but it seems he may be teetering into Fuddism.

          Of course, I tried to dissuade him, but it was clear he felt uncomfortable with the conversation at that point. So, we went back to discussing the merits of a 9mm handgun vs. a 12 gauge pump as the first gun you grab when something goes ‘bump’ in the night.

          BTW, my choice is the pistol; his, the shotgun.

      • A fudd is a gun owner who supports gun control. The NSSF supports gun control. People have been talking about this for ages when ever the NSSF or Larry keane posts something.

        I’m switching over to just calling the NSSF anti Constitution tyranny lovers though. A long with gun owners who support gun control.

        We all know background checks don’t do shit. We all know how we would get around it if we were put on the nics list. It’s just to add risk to being a gun owner.

        • Blatec,

          Thank you for the explanation. Agree that NICS probably is not a good system, although the guys at the Army/Navy gun counter have a few good stories of having the cops show up to apprehend people waiting for their NICS check to complete.

        • Yes. Not saying it never stops a bad guy. Banning guns surely would stop some bad guys too. Does not make it Constitutional though.

          It’s still an infringement. I think the negatives far outweigh the positives. It’s so easy to get around it’s a joke and all the false positives too. It’s purely about control.

  1. Gun/valuables safe should be mandatory in all dwellings…same with locking medicine cabinets and locking cabinets for laundry, pool and other garage/household chemicals.
    Don’t want to use them? Fine. Sort of like seatbelts/airbags.

    • Leighton,

      What do you mean by “mandatory”? Criminal penalties for not having or using them? Home searches if there is “reasonable suspicion”?

      Or are you referring to an ethical imperative?

    • The problem with mandatory storage regulations of anything is every situation is different. Look at the issues of mandatory childproof caps on medications, folks with arthritis could not get to pain meds.

      Gun owners with small children have different requirements than owners with older children, teens, empty nesters, grandparents. Find what works best for your situation, be responsible, and we wont need regulations.

  2. What is the correlation between being confined in the home with one’s own children for an extended time, and suicide rates?

  3. I see our gov’t is using this alleged virus as an excuse to deny gun purchases. I tried to purchase a Ruger 10/22 and was told by the store clerk that my application was delayed for more research. I already own guns, I just wanted a 10/22. I’m a retired law enforcement officer and have a current concealed weapons permit. I truly believe this Corona virus whether it’s true or not is just another gun control attempt.

    • Don’t feel so bad, I’m ALWAYS on delay, from the very first gun purchase until I die…I’ve been told it was because I’m a veteran, whether that’s the case or not, I have no idea…

      There’s no “hurry”, it’s not a race…sit back, bide your time, and you’ll get your gun…

      • My oldest daughter has been delayed with every purchase she has made, myself I have not had a delay in the 40 years I’ve been eligible to purchase firearms.

  4. Rest assured…A kid gets shot in your home and law enforcement will swarm your home like angry bees. Heard it before…My kids have been taught about guns and know better than to touch them even though they know where I keep them. Well if you want sign off on making your kids the heads of the household then perhaps your kids can pay all the bills, etc. Make up your mind on who wears the pants and where the buck stops otherwise LE and CPS will do it for you.

  5. I watched a salesman in my favorite LGS last week selling to a newbie.

    His approach: “Here is the new (insert name here. In this case a – S&W 9 Shield EZ -) pistol you decided on. Let me show you how it operates and please note that there is an included locking cable in case you have young children at home. The best way to lock up this model is (demonstrated on said weapon). There is an included safety pamphlet and here are a number of YouTube addresses with well-done gun safety videos.”

    Low-key presentation and covers the bases without being condescending or arrogant.

  6. Our local Indoor Range requires a mandatory Free Gun Safety/Range Safety class for every first time attendee 4X/month (member/non-member is irrelevant). Because the range is an NRA affiliate and insured through that affiliation, the Gun/Range Safety class is an insurance requirement. Most of the local gun stores support the class by referring all 1st time buyers to the class. We’ve had higher attendance numbers in the last quarter than previous quarters. During the first four years of the Obutthead regime, attendance was higher then than previous years. Class duration is about 30 minutes, followed by a Q & A session. We present safe storage options based on owner needs and situations, and offer the attendees a discounted single gun lockbox for $17 (a couple dollars less than retail) or a cable lock for $5 (used purchase guns usually don’t have a cable or trigger lock with them unlike new guns).

  7. Wonder how many newbies, with a lot of time on their hands and not much to do when confined at home, start getting the itch to see just how that gun works. Maybe, boy, I’d sure like to fire it, you know, just to see if it works. Idle hands…please be careful out there.

  8. Grew up with guns in the house, I was taught at a very young age what a firearm could do. I taught all six of my children gun safety first then how to shoot early on. I have never lived without a safe in the house, or a large dog.

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