This piece of advice is the most essential rule to know about firearms. Even when you are storing a weapon in your home, pointing a weapon’s muzzle safely prevents unnecessary disasters. Simply put, if everyone followed this advice, firearm accidents would be practically non-existent.

As such, never point your weapon at anything that you do not have the intention of shooting, particularly when you are loading and unloading your firearm. Should an accidental discharge occur during the reloading process, you will have no accident if your firearm is pointing in a safe direction at all times.

Safe direction means any direction where a bullet cannot strike anyone. However, you must also consider potential ricochets and that bullets are capable of penetrating ceilings, walls and other objects. Due to this, a safe direction will vary depending on your location and surroundings, but the one constant rule is never to point a weapon at anyone or anything that would not be intended as a target.

This is the case even when you are dry firing an unloaded gun. In short, it is always best to be as cautious as possible, so get in the habit of knowing where your gun muzzle points at all times. Along these lines, maintain control of your muzzle’s direction, even if you should stumble or lose your balance. When it comes to gun safety, maintaining muzzle control is always your greatest responsibility.