Objective: Instruct students on the safe ownership, handling, and use of firearms, followed by student demonstration of knowledge of subject material through written test and actual handling--first with dummy ammunition, and finally in a live fire exercise.

1. 10 rules of firearm safety

a. 3 Cardinal rules for handling firearms

2. Basic overview of how a firearm operates

3. Parts, components, subassemblies and their nomenclature

a. Ammunition

i. Nomenclature and purpose of ammunition components

b. Firearms

i. Nomenclature and purpose of universal and significant parts, components, and subassemblies

ii. Nomenclature and purpose of action-specific parts, components, and subassemblies

4. Operation of different action types

5. Loading and unloading of firearms

6. Firing process

a. Grip

b. Sight alignment

c. Trigger control

d. Shooting positions

e. Building and maintaining proficiency

7. Cleaning firearms

8. Safe storage of firearms and ammunition when not under direct supervision/control of authorized user

9. Administer multiple choice test to demonstrate student comprehension of the material

10. Student demonstration of safe handling and use using dummy ammunition or dry fire (if appropriate for the specific firearm)

11. Student demonstration of safe handling and use of firearms via live fire exercise

Firearm Safety Syllabus

Rules for Safety

• Always treat every firearm as if it were loaded, whether you think it is or not.

• Each time you pick up, put down, or hand a firearm to another person, open the firearm’s action and physically and visually inspect it to make sure that it is not loaded. This is called a safety check.

  Safety Note: Never rely on memory to decide if a firearm is unloaded. Open the action and physically and visually check every firearm you handle during this course. If you touch it, first open the action and check it.

• Always point the muzzle in a safe direction. If a weapon pointed in a safe direction fires, it  causes no personal injury and minor, if any, property damage. The environment dictates what direction is safe. In a building, for instance, people may be above or below you.

  Safety Note: A safe direction is generally muzzle pointed down at a 45-degree angle away from your body with your finger outside the trigger guard.

• Never point a firearm at anyone or anything that you do not intend to shoot.

• Keep your trigger finger off the trigger and against the frame when drawing the firearm from or returning it to your holster.

• Never leave a loaded firearm unattended.

• Clean the firearm each time it is fired, and fully inspect the firearm once a week. Safety check  the firearm each time you use it.

  Safety Note: Before cleaning or handling a firearm, make sure that it is unloaded and is pointed in a safe direction. Never clean a loaded firearm.