Gun experts provide tips to stay safe with that new Christmas gift

LAKE CHARLES, La. (KPLC) - When you think of items at the top of someone’s Christmas list, you might think of a puppy or a new TV, but Louisiana is a southern state known for hunting, so many had their hopes set on unwrapping a new gun.

When you hear the word safety for an item that comes with risks, those safety tips might seem like common sense, yet accidents still happen. In fact, when it comes to accidental or preventable gun-related deaths in the U.S., the National Safety Council said there were more than 500 people killed in 2021.

It’s been a busy week for an owner of the Lake Charles Gun Club, Lee Perkins, as gun enthusiasts headed to the range to try out their new Christmas gift.

“On Christmas Eve, we leave at about two o’clock in the afternoon, and by one o’clock Christmas day, we’re back here getting ready to let people shoot their Christmas presents,” Perkins said.

Perkins and his daughter are both certified NRA instructors. He said safety and ensuring a person can handle a gun correctly is most important. The National Rifle Association teaches three important rules when handling a firearm.

“Never put your finger on the trigger until you are ready to shoot,’ Perkins said. “Always keep the gun pointed in a safe direction, and keep the gun unloaded until ready for use.”

According to the NRA, guns make up about .27% of accidental deaths, but that number increases five times for children’s deaths, so storing a firearm in a safe, secure place is very important.

“Keep your ammunition and the firearm separate in an environment that is cool to where you don’t get any damage to the gun or ammunition,” Perkins said.

The most common mistake Perkins said he sees is what’s called ‘waving a person’. He said it’s typically a new gun user who swings the gun around in the direction of others.

“That’s one of your first no-nos,” Perkins said. “Always keep the gun in a safe direction, either at the full up or down ready.”