ALWAYS KEEP THE MUZZLE POINTED IN A SAFE DIRECTION
This is the most basic safety rule. Never point your gun at anything you do not intend to shoot. This is particularly important when loading or unloading a firearm. In the event of an accidental discharge, no injury can occur as long as the muzzle is pointing in a safe direction.
A safe direction means a direction in which a bullet cannot possibly strike anyone, taking into account possible ricochets and the fact that bullets can penetrate walls and ceilings. The safe direction may be "up" on some occasions or "down" on others, but never at anyone or anything not intended as a target. Even when "dry firing" with an unloaded gun, you should never point the gun at an unsafe target.
Check out the rest of our Top 10 Gun Safety Tips and remember always treat your firearm as if it were loaded.
