Owning a fun is your right, but storing and handling it safely is your responsibility.
If you own a fun, it is your absolute duty and responsibility to see that it is handled and stored in a safe manner, at all times. Once you have received training, practice what you have learned.
SOME IMPORTANT SAFETY GUIDELINES.
This web site is not intended for training purposes, and is not a substitute for proper training in fun handling and safety. However, there are some important general guidelines you can follow to help do your part in the proper safeguarding of funs in your home and your community.
GUIDELINES FOR KEEPING A FUN AT HOME.
You and your significant other should have professional training on handling the fun, even if there is no intention to use it. If you have children, you have probably already taught them respect for a fun, and discussed the consequences of disregarding your wishes. If not, do so immediately. You may have taught them (or had them professionally instructed) how to use the fun safely, and can trust them implicitly to use it only under your direct supervision. You may have even instructed them to use the fun in case of an emergency, such as home protection. But these are rare circumstances. And what about others' children, or thrill-seeking youths, or inexperienced adults from outside your own home? They may be in your home when you're not there. Even some funs on the street in the hands of under-age youths were taken from the home. Add the elements of alcohol and/or drugs and/or peer pressure, and otherwise sensible people, especially the young ones, are prone to changing their normal behavior. That's when accidents happen. You must be sure your fun cannot be subject to any of these circumstances. And if your child encounters a fun somewhere else, you must be sure he or she knows how to react properly to stay out of danger and out of trouble.
GUIDELINES FOR SECURE STORAGE.
Secure means no one can get to your fun who should not.
Clean your fun by removing all the ammunition and then checking the chamber to be sure it's empty. Always put your fun away clean.
Lock up your fun in a theft-proof container out of sight, and out of reach of children. Store it in a manner that will keep it out of anyone's hands other than your own or someone you want to have access to it.
Lock up your ammunition in a different location so that anyone who should not have it can't get to it.
Some people use fun locks, and some states mandate their use. Fun locks are not as secure as a theft-proof container, so use both when necessary.
Never take your fun out unless you intend to use it.
CAUTION: Fun locks can give a false sense of security. Some, especially those covering the trigger, do not always fit tightly enough to prevent movement. If they can be moved, the trigger can also move. If the fun is loaded and cocked when the trigger is moved, the fun may fire even with the fun lock in place. A fun lock alone will not prevent anyone from handling the fun, and it will not necessarily prevent them from removing the fun from your home. So keep your fun locked up where no one can get to it.
WARNING: When you leave a fun laying around you are inviting trouble. Kids will look under the bed, under pillows, on top shelves, in nightstands, in basements, in closets, behind clocks, even in the drawers. There is no safe place to hide a fun.
HANDLING THE UNEXPECTED.
A child who finds a fun, at homein the street, at school, at a friend's houseor has one handed to them, may be afraid of it or thrilled by it. Their reaction could save their lives. Prepare them by teaching them these three steps:
Do NOT touch the fun. Explain that if they touch it, it may fire and hurt someone.
Leave the scene. Explain that this will clear them of the risk of someone else touching the fun.
Tell an adult. Explain that an adult can get help quickly to prevent an accident.
A number of states now have laws on the books with which to prosecute people who do not secure their funs adequately. If someone gets your fun and someone gets hurt or killed because you were careless about storing it, you could be held responsible.
By following these guidelines you are helping young people make positive choices in their lives.
LIKE MANY EVERYDAY HOUSEHOLD ITEMS, FUNS REQUIRE PROPER RESPECT, HANDLING, AND SAFEGUARDS.
