You only get one chance when it comes to gun safety. A simple mistake can change your life or the life of someone around you in mere seconds. As such, it’s worth having a firm understanding of what can go wrong even when the most experienced shooters handle their firearms. A 2017 study by Concealed Carry sheds a lot of light on the subject of negligent discharges and how we can avoid them. Here are our key takeaways!
Who Gets Hurt During Negligent Discharges?
You may assume that negligent discharges occur at the range when new shooters make simple rookie mistakes. However, it’s much more serious than that. Of the 300 negligent discharge cases featured in the study, 94 of them resulted in death, and 195 resulted in injury. About half the time, the person holding the firearm was the one who was injured/killed. Innocent bystanders were injured/killed approximately 40% of the time. This should be a reminder that gun safety should really start with you. If you have a firm understanding of general gun safety and see someone else mishandling their firearm, you could save their life or your own by speaking up.
Who Discharges the Firearm?
The results of the study indicated that 200 adults (or 2/3 of all the cases) were the ones who directly caused the negligent discharge. You might be surprised to learn that a whopping 85 cases involved children causing the negligent discharge (note that the adult is still the negligent party here). Naturally, the children involved in these cases were not given adult permission to operate the firearm beforehand. This hopefully serves as a great reminder of why it’s crucial to securely store your firearm if there is any chance a child will enter your home.
How Can I Avoid a Negligent Discharge?
The thought of negligently discharging a firearm is scary, but there are steps we can take to make sure it never happens. The study revealed only two real causes for every single case involved: a lack of training and a temporary lapse in gun safety. Not only does training help you improve your shooting skill set, but it could also truly be the difference that keeps you or a family member safe from the threat of any negligent discharges down the road.
Develop Your Shooting Skill Set with Soteria Training Academy
Soteria Training Academy provides expert pistol training with an emphasis on safety. Whether you’re a beginner in the world of firearms or already have a wealth of experience, we look forward to helping your shooting skill set. Contact us today by visiting our website, or call us at (410) 216-3176 to learn more.