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AhaBulb: Stuff Everyone Should Know · ahabulb.com/hunt-safety-can-fail

What is the right way to think about the safety on a gun?

It is a mechanical device that can fail, so it never replaces safe handling.

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  1. A mechanical device that can fail ✔
  2. A sure way to keep a gun from firing
  3. Only needed when the gun is in a case

Why: A safety is a mechanical part, and parts can wear out or be left partly on by mistake. Hunter education teaches it is a backup, not a substitute for muzzle control. You are the gun's main safety.

Huh, didn't know that: The NSSF warns never to set a safety between positions, because half-safe is unsafe.

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Why did the safety feel unappreciated? Everyone said it was just a backup.
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References

Answer: A mechanical device that can fail. A safety is a mechanical part, and parts can wear out or be left partly on by mistake. Hunter education teaches it is a backup, not a substitute for muzzle control. You are the gun's main safety.

  1. NJ Hunter Education Shotgun Practice Exam nj.gov/dep/fgw/pdf/hunted/shtgunexam.pdf
    The safety on a gun is: a. a mechanical device that sometimes fails to work
    Checked 2026-10-08.
  2. NSSF, Rules of Firearms Safety www.nssf.org/safety/rules-firearms-safety
    Never place the safety in between positions, since half-safe is unsafe.
    Checked 2026-10-08.

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Hunting SafetyUnder the primary rules of firearm safety, how should you treat every firearm?Hunting SafetyWhen carrying a firearm, where should your trigger finger be?Hunting SafetyWhen can you be absolutely certain a gun cannot fire?

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