Since every gun is different, before handling any firearm you need to thoroughly familiarize yourself with that weapon. Even if you consider yourself an expert, before handling a new firearm, you need to understand the particular characteristics of that gun.

All too often, I see gun owners who let their ego get in the way of good common sense safety practices. These are guys who have been shooting for years, but are too proud – or too stupid – to ask for help. For instance, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen someone at the range take an unfamiliar firearm from a friend, without ever asking a single question about that firearm.