What a layman should know about Guns

It really does not matter whether the reader opposes or supports gun control.  In either case, there are some things that we all should know about guns – even as lay men.  I hope you find this article informative and enjoyable.

Guns are not toys

Guns are devices that throw out pieces of lead at supersonic speeds.  Guns may, in certain cases, be small, but they are not toys and should be kept locked and away from where children can reach them.  People, who feel that they lose their temper when angry, should also not keep guns.

Types of Guns.

First, there are long guns and there are short guns.  The long guns can either be a rifle or a shotgun or be a combination with one rifle barrel and one shotgun barrel.  The difference between a rifle and a gun is primarily in the barrel. 

The rifle barrel (see image on left) has long spiral grooves cut on the inside that spins the bullet.  For this reason, the bullet from the rifle is more accurate. Rifles can have a variety of bore sizes. 

The shotgun has a smooth tube-like bore and is usually utilized to shoot either a slug or a few small shots that shower the target.

Among the long guns, rifles are used for hunting and target practice, while shotguns are used for self defense or recreationally, for shooting skeet.

The handguns can either be revolvers or pistols.

There is a further classification based on the way a rifle / gun is loaded.  There is the single shot, double barreled, bolt action, lever action, pump action, semi automatic and fully automatic guns.   The fully automatic guns are banned in America.

The rules and  protocols of handling / owning guns

Rule 1.             Treat every gun as if it is loaded. Never point a gun at anyone.

Rule 2.             Never keep your finger on the trigger. 

Rule 3.             Check to see the gun is unloaded before handing it to anyone – even if you know that the gun is unloaded.

Rule 4.             Never keep a round in the firing chamber.

Rule 5.             Always use a trigger lock for rifle and guns and always keep handguns in a safe.

Rule 6.             Always keep the safety lever in the ‘safe’ position.

Rule 7.             Educate your family about these rules

Rule 8              Never keep a gun around if someone is emotionally / mentally unstable or loses his/her temper when angry.
Rule 9.             If you are a kid and see another kid with a gun, quickly put as much distance you can put between yourself and him and go tell the nearest adult you can find.

If you have kids with a thoughtful and serious temperament who are able to comprehend that the gun is a lethal weapon, it is best to teach them gun safety.  It is a good opportunity to explain that the way gun-handling is shown in the movies is not the way guns are handled in real life.  There is nothing very ‘manly’ or ‘romantic’ about them.

Once you present them with the safety rules and once they see you observing the protocols in handling the weapons, it immediately sinks in their minds that handling guns is a serious matter and they understand that the lock on the trigger is to be respected.  You must let them handle unloaded guns in a safe way and make them observe all the rules pertaining to the safe handling of guns.  Once they hold the gun their curiosity is quenched and a lot of their misconceptions get cleared.  First they wonder that if the gun is so heavy, how does Bobby Deol or Bruce Willis fire them while in mid jump with the gun held sideways in a horizontal position?!

Movies and Video games have done a lot of disservice to mankind by portraying guns as casual symbols of manliness or valor.  When you have bought ammo a few times, you realize that, as expensive as ammo really is, the rapid fire on the screen is either virtual fire of a videogame or taxpayer paid ammo being expended by the military.

Most people own guns for target shooting or hunting.  Guns are also deterrents to crime.  People don’t go harassing others in Texas because of the ‘conceal and carry’ law which lets you carry a gun concealed on your person - if you have had training in handling the gun, are familiar with the laws and have had a background check.  Guns have no doubt been abused by stupid and psychotic people, but if that excuse is used to yank the gun out of the hand of the law abiding citizen, then one must remember - the only segment of the society that will still be armed will be the crooks and the police – and the police can’t be everywhere all the time.