New Gun Owners Guide to Safety - rule 2

RULE 2: "NEVER POINT THE FIREARM AT ANYTHING YOU DO NOT INTEND TO DESTROY"

Rule 2 is very accurate and requires very little extra information. Don't point your firearm at anything you cannot afford to replace. This includes people, valuables and parts of our own anatomy. Easy, don't point it there if you don't want to shoot it.

One thing I like to point out to our students is that the world is three dimensional. When we are at the range, it is easy to see what is the appropriate direction to point firearms. In the real world, we have non ballistic walls, people in front of and behind a threat, or simply no good backstop behind the thing you intend to shoot.

We often load our guns on our home, meaning we have to be aware of what is on the other side of the wall, door or floor. Bullets can easily penetrate and harm people on the other side. If you need to shoot a threat to protect yourself, understand that none of the other bystanders deserve to be shot by you either. Be aware of where they are in relation to your target.

So, in the end the rule says it all: never point a firearm at anything you don't not intend to destroy. But it takes some exploring to see how it relates to the rest of the world.