Nobody is born knowing how to handle a firearm safely. It is learned, and it has to be kept up.
Most firearm accidents are not mysteries. They come from a short list of habits: a finger on the trigger too early, a gun assumed to be empty, a muzzle pointed somewhere it should not be, a gun left where a child can reach it. Training exists to fix exactly those things before they cost someone.
The four rules
Everything else in firearm safety is built on four rules. Learn them until you follow them without thinking:
- Treat every firearm as if it is loaded. Always. Even when you just watched someone unload it.
- Never point the muzzle at anything you are not willing to destroy. Know where the gun is pointed at every moment, including when you are loading, unloading, and cleaning.
- Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and you have decided to shoot. Lay it along the frame.
- Know your target and what is beyond it. A bullet does not stop at the target. You are responsible for where it ends up.
If you follow all four, you close off nearly every way a serious accident happens.
Experienced shooters need this too
New shooters make new-shooter mistakes, and they are usually careful about it. Experienced shooters make a different kind: the habits drift. The gun gets handed over without being checked. The finger creeps to the trigger. Familiarity is comfortable, and comfort is where safety slips. Good training resets the standard, and a good instructor will notice what you no longer notice yourself.
Safe storage is part of safety
Safe handling does not stop when the range trip ends. Where the gun lives when you are not holding it matters just as much, especially around children, guests, and anyone in a hard moment. Colorado’s state safety course covers safe storage and child safety, and so does our permit class. It is a subject that should not be left to guesswork.
What training Colorado requires now
Two different laws now put safety training in front of a purchase or a permit, and they are separate requirements:
- To buy certain semiautomatic firearms, Colorado now requires a sheriff-issued eligibility card and an in-person firearms safety course (SB25-003), 4 hours or 12 hours depending on your background. I explain what the law does and does not cover.
- To apply for a concealed carry permit, you need 8 hours of in-person training from a sheriff-verified instructor. That is our Basics of Pistol Shooting class.
Having one does not replace the other. If you need both, we teach both.
What good training looks like
- An instructor you can verify. For permits, that means a sheriff-verified instructor with a published number.
- Standards explained before you start, so nothing is a surprise on test day.
- Hands-on practice, not just slides.
- No rushing. You should leave knowing more than when you sat down, and knowing what you still need to work on.
New and not sure where to begin?
Take a class first, then buy. You will make a much better decision about a firearm after learning how they work than before. If you are not sure which class fits, call 720-464-SHOT (7468) and we will tell you straight, even when the answer is the smaller class. Or reserve a seat and put your name on the list.
John Rader is a Douglas County verified firearms instructor (#25037), an NRA certified instructor, and a Colorado Parks and Wildlife verified instructor. Teaching since 1993. More than 30,000 students.