Now more than ever, firearm safety is a critical part of home safety.
2020 has been unlike any other year in recent memory for firearm sales, with millions of Americans choosing to buy their first gun during the COVID-19 pandemic for personal security, target shooting, and hunting. Retailers estimated that 40 percent of their sales were to this group—equating to roughly 2.5 million new gun owners in a very short period.
That makes this a critically important time for existing and new gun owners to practice and promote firearm safety at home.
Families are spending more time at home than ever, and many children are out of school for the summer as their parents return to the workplace. It’s incumbent upon all of us as gun owners to protect our families and our communities by storing firearms responsibly when they’re not in use. It’s the best way to prevent accidents, thefts, and misuse of firearms.
Owning a firearm, whether for shooting sports or personal protection, is a right every law-abiding American enjoys. It comes, however, with an ongoing commitment to safety and responsibility that should be fully understood when buying your first firearm. We know that in order to keep new gun owners safe and active, they will need information on how to safely own, operate, transport, and secure their new purchase.
On behalf of NSSF and Project ChildSafe (NSSF’s firearm safety education program), I want to remind new gun owners of the many free firearm safety materials available to them. ProjectChildSafe.org has content made specifically for new gun owners, along with a robust resource library of safety videos, tips, quizzes, and other materials all gun owners can use, discuss with their families, and share with others.
The Project ChildSafe resources below are made specifically for new gun owners, and can easily be shared via social media:
It’s also important for new gun owners to feel comfortable going out to the range or field to gain practical knowledge about firearm safety, personal protection, and the recreational side of gun ownership. I encourage gun owners who pride themselves on knowing how to responsibly use and secure firearms to pass that knowledge on to others. If you know a first-time gun owner, invite them with you for a day at the range or a day of trap and skeet shooting. By mentoring a new gun owner, we can ensure that the legacy of safety and safe firearm handling and storage is passed on—this will make a lifelong impact, and will protect both the present and the future of responsible firearm ownership.
For more firearm safety tips and resources, visit ProjectChildSafe.org.
Bartozzi joined NSSF as President in September 2018, and added Chief Executive Officer to his title in January 2020. Prior to joining NSSF, Bartozzi spent the majority of his long career in the firearm industry with Mossberg, joining the company in 1986. Before becoming NSSF President, Bartozzi was Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sporting Arms and Ammunition Manufacturers’ Institute® (SAAMI®) and Treasurer and Member of NSSF’s Board of Governors. He is a Board Member and Chairman of the Governance Committee of the Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports (CAHSS); Committee Member for the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM); and Technical Advisor to the Association of Firearm and Tool Mark Examiners (AFTE). He is also certified as a Range Safety Officer (RSO) by the National Rifle Association.
NSSF is the trade association for the firearm industry. Its mission is to promote, protect, and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations, and publishers nationwide. For more information, log on to www.nssf.org.
NSSF, the firearm industry trade association, launched Project ChildSafe in 1999 (originally as Project HomeSafe). Since then, the program has provided more than 38 million free firearm safety kits and gun locks to firearm owners in all 50 states through partnerships with thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country. That’s in addition to the more than 70 million free locking devices manufacturers have included, and continue to include, with new firearms sold since 1998. While helping to prevent accidents among children is a focus, Project ChildSafe is intended to help adults practice greater firearm safety in the home. More information is available at www.projectchildsafe.org.
