What are the four rules of firearms safety?

The four rules of firearms safety are critical principles that help ensure the safe handling and usage of firearms. The correct answer encapsulates these fundamentals: treating every weapon as if it is loaded reinforces the idea that complacency can lead to accidents, while never pointing a firearm at anything you do not intend to destroy minimizes the risk of injury to others. Keeping your finger off the trigger until you are ready to shoot helps prevent unintentional discharges, and ensuring positive identification of the target is crucial to avoid harming unintended targets.

These rules serve as a foundational framework for safe firearm practices, instilling a mindset of responsibility and caution among users. Understanding and applying these rules is essential for anyone who handles firearms, whether in training, law enforcement, or other contexts.