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Airgun Safety
Always treat airguns in a similar fashion to how you treat a loaded firearm. Air rifles are not to be considered as toys. They are for adult use, not for use by children without close adult supervision. Even less powerful airsoft guns can cause damage to eyes. The more powerful air rifles are as dangerous as any firearm.
Never Point Any Air Rifle at Any Person
An air rifle can cause serious injury or death. Always assume that the gun is loaded. Air Guns are sometimes given to younger people to learn how to respect guns. This is a great idea to create good habits.
Adult Supervision
Airguns are adult equipment and not toys. They should only be handled by adults. Should children use it, it should only be under adult supervision. Even then, they should be educated on the proper handling, cleaning, storing and maintenance of the airgun.
Never Point the Gun at anything unless you can guarantee that is safe to do so.
It is a good idea to assume that the gun is loaded at all times. Pointing it at other individuals or animals is dangerous as you can never tell when the gun will accidentally misfire. Airgun misfires can cause grave injury and even death depending on the body part hit and the distance covered by the pellet.
Consider the Surroundings
Be vigilant when aiming. You should only aim at things that are safe to shoot. Airgun pellets can easily travel 500 yards. As such, you should give it a decent allowance. Carefully look at the things beyond and prior to the target. Likewise, consider the possibility of the pellet piercing the target or ricocheting off something. There might be someone nearby who can get hurt. One can never be too sure especially when firing a high speed projectile.
Choose your Targets Carefully
While there doesn’t seem to be any logical reason for you to shoot water, it is better to state it out loud. Shooting the water is dangerous as there’s a possibility for the pellet to ricochet off of it and hit something unintentionally. Rocks and other hard surfaces, too, should be avoided for the very same reason.
Protective Glasses at All Times
When shooting with airguns, you and your colleagues plus any other spectators should equip protective glasses at all times. This is to ensure no one’s eyes get hurt. Pellets are small and can penetrate the eyes in a painful manner.
Empty the Gun after Use
There should be no pellets in the chamber once you are done using the airgun. This is important especially when you are storing it in centralized locations or are handing it off to another person. You should also take note of this when loading the gun into your vehicle and also when cleaning it.
Familiarize Yourself with the Safety
Safety mechanisms are present in most airgun models. The effectiveness of it is dependent on your vigilance though. Likewise, one also shouldn’t rely entirely on the safety. Safe handling on your part is still the key to ensuring overall airgun safety.
Store the Unit Carefully
As owners of such items, it is your obligation to ensure it does not fall into the wrong hands. As such, it should be stored in secure locations where unauthorized persons, especially children, can’t get their hands on it. Leaving it unattended for even short periods of time is also not a safe practice.
Best practices dictate that the airgun should be emptied of all pellets and the pellets be stored in a different location. The use of additional trigger locks is also a good idea. There are tons of proprietary locks out there that can be put to good use.
Use Compatible Ammo
Pellets, the airgun ammo, aren’t really that expensive. Be sure to buy authentic ammo as they are sure to cause no issues with the gun. Possible complications that could arise include constant jamming, dislodged ammo, cartridge damage and many more.
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Stay that Trigger Finger
Sometimes our reflexes would get the better of us. That’s why it is important to keep your fingers off the trigger when you are not yet about to shoot. At the very least, be sure you have double checked the vicinity and have aimed correctly before considering putting your finger on the trigger.
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Don’t flaunt your gun in Public
Among your peers and fellow players, it’ll certainly be a common sight. With others though, it can raise an alarm. Confused people could end up calling the authorities or worse, the authorities may be on top of you in a flash. Airguns look very similar to the actual thing and no law enforcer will leave someone brandishing it unnoticed. There has been cases where police have been over vigilant and shoot some one who was holding an airsoft pistol
Protect it at All Times
Every time you drop the airgun or when someone elbows it, you are putting the internal precision mechanisms at risk. This can result in accidental misfires when not looked at as soon as possible.
Avoid Jumping or Climbing with Airguns
When you’re climbing or jumping over obstacles, you won’t be able to react correctly in the event you fall. This could lead to accidental misfires which is especially dangerous as the direction the muzzle points is out of your control when you are outbalanced.
Be Aware of the Muzzle Direction at All Times
When you are loading, cleaning or simply standing, be sure you point the muzzle somewhere safe. This also means not pointing it to the ground. It can ricochet off the ground, especially at point blank range, and hurt somebody.
Educate Everyone You Meet
The more people who know about airgun safety, the better it is for people who indulge in the sport and spectators as well. It can be as easy as correcting someone you see struggling or taking a little time off to relay what you know with others. Don’t assume everyone regards safety as common knowledge because you’d be surprised how negligent some people can be.
Airgun safety is a very serious matter. Violations can not only lead to accidents but even warrant legal action. By protecting yourself and others, you are ensuring that the use of such guns aren’t frowned upon by the community and ensuring its proliferation for years to come.