Cub Scout BB Gun Safety

June 22, 2008

When it comes to BB guns safety is important issue. If you have been around BB guns you have been told they are not toys. And yet, many people still treat them as such. The ill-fated scene in the movie “A Christmas Story” where Ralphie fails to listen to the warning ”You’ll shoot your eye out?” with an obvious outcome reiterates the importance of BB gun safety.

Everyone who saw the movie remembers that he did practically shoot his eye out with his Official Red Ryder BB gun. If he had followed cub scout basic BB gun safety rules, been wearing protective eyewear, instead of just his glasses, he and his parents would have been much happier.

Safety truly is the most important aspect of using BB guns. Injuring someone (or even potentially kill someone) with a BB gun can easily become a reality for ignorant people. Whether it is a BB gun or any other type of gun the same gun safety rules must be followed.

When scouts and their families participate in BB gun shooting it is important to know and follow these rules. Make sure all learn BB gun safety, and basic gun safety, from the beginning.

Some of the most important BB gun safety rules:

Treat all guns as though they are loaded. Never assume that a gun is not loaded.
Never point any BB gun at anyone. Even if it is not loaded!
Check out local, state, and federal laws and regulations. States have different BB gun safety laws and regulations. Certain guns are not allowed in some places.
Do not fire at a target unless you know everything surrounding the target. Do not shoot if there is a potential that someone is behind or on the sides of the target… you might miss!
Keep your finger off of the trigger until you are ready to fire in a safe direction.
Always where protective eyewear. Also wear a protective mask.
Understand that BBs can ricochet. Be aware of the type of surface you are shooting at. BBs ricochet more easily off of flat surfaces, hard surfaces, and water surfaces. Angled targets ricochet BBs very easily.
It is a safe and good place to start to learn how to shoot is a shooting/gun range.
Any person under 18 years of age (minor) needs active adult supervision to shoot any type of gun even a BB gun.
Because some BB guns are made to realistic, they can be mistake them for real guns. This makes them potentially dangerous for BB gun users If someone including and especially a law enforcement thinks you have a real gun, you could be putting yourself and others in danger. Do not carry your BB gun in public places. In some states it is illegal to do so.
Do not paint or color of your BB gun. Fluorescent orange tips on BB guns are there for a reason! Policeman in the past have shot and fire upon children and adults who have removed the safety orange color from their guns. The policemen could no longer tell if the gun was real or not.
Operating a high velocity BB guns are not recommended for children under the age of 16. Examine the noted velocity type of your BB gun before using. High velocity warnings may say, “May be dangerous up to 350 yards,” along with other warnings. For safety sakes follow all warnings.
Checking to make sure all gun are not loaded should be the first thing checked when you first pick up a gun. Point the gun away from people, animals, or anything you do not want to destroy and squeeze the trigger. Be careful not to point at anything that may cause a ricochet.
Never carry a loaded BB gun when climbing over fences, up trees or even when jumping. Doing so may cause the gun to go off accidentally.
Take care of your gun by following the manufacturers recommended cleaning and maintenance procedures. Damaged and dirty guns are more likely to cause injury.
Always use new ammo in your BB gun. It does not matter if it is expensive. Reusing ammo is very dangerous and can damage your gun quickly.