A great deal of firearm accidents are a result of the handler mistakenly believing the firearm is empty, or the safety is on, when in fact it is ready to be discharged. The rule of treating every firearm as if it is loaded is a matter of keeping a certain mindset. The purpose is to create safe handling habits, and to discourage reasoning along the lines of "I know my weapon is unloaded, so certain unsafe practices are OK." The idea that "the firearm is always loaded" is used as a rule of behavior, even though it may be assumed, or even positively known, that this is not true of a particular firearm. Not everyone has the education or …show more content…
The key to this rule is to control where the muzzle, or front end of the barrel, is pointed at all times. Always keep the weapon pointed in a direction that would safely stop the bullet should it discharge, and never point the weapon at a person. There are two naturally safe directions to point the muzzle: straight up in the sky or down toward the ground. The risk of firing straight up is that the bullet may cause damage when it falls down to the ground, and the risk of firing down at the ground is that the bullet can cause hazardous fragments to be flung at people or