Third Rule of Firearms Safety

Keep your finger off the trigger until your firearm is on the target and you have made a conscious decision to shoot.

Under no circumstances should your finger be on the trigger of a firearm at any time EXCEPT when the firearm is on the target and you have made a conscious decision to fire at that target. Any other time your trigger finger should be resting on the frame of the pistol or rifle, parallel to the barrel.

Modern firearms have been designed and constructed in such a way that ‘accidental’ discharges are virtually impossible. Most firearms manufactured in the last ten years have a variety of safety features built in that prevent the firearm from discharging when it is dropped. Virtually the only way to cause a firearm to discharge is TO PULL THE TRIGGER!

Placing the trigger finger on the trigger prematurely can result in potentially lethal and/or destructive consequences. Human beings are subject to what is referred to as the ‘startle’ response. Essentially this is an instinctive reaction to being surprised by something or to being confronted by sudden danger. The typical reaction of most people is to tense their muscles and make a clutching motion with the hands in preparing to defend themselves.

If this ‘startle’ response occurs when you have a firearm in your hands and if your finger is on the trigger, the clutching motion can result in the trigger being pulled and the firearm discharging. A similar type of response can occur if a person begins falling. In an attempt to catch themselves during the fall, their arm and hand muscles can contract with the same effect, again possibly resulting in a discharge of the firearm should their finger be on the trigger prematurely.

IT IS ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR FINGER IS NOT ON THE TRIGGER UNLESS YOUR FIREARM IS ON THE TARGET AND YOU HAVE DECIDED TO SHOOT.