What three things must be present to make a gun safe or unsafe?

• A. Firearm, ammunition, and shooter
• B. Firearm, ammunition, and safety
• C. Firearm, target, and shooter
• D. Ammunition, shooter, and target

Answer: (A)

The safety of a firearm hinges on three elements: the firearm itself, the ammunition, and the person who would operate it. The firearm is the tool that could discharge; ammunition is what makes discharge possible; the shooter is the agent whose actions determine whether the gun is being used safely or unsafely. If any one of these is missing, the situation cannot be evaluated as unsafe in terms of potential discharge: a gun without ammunition can’t fire, ammunition without a gun can’t be discharged, and a shooter without a weapon or ammo can’t fire either. When all three are present, the status—safe or unsafe—depends on how the weapon is being handled by the person. That’s why the trio consisting of firearm, ammunition, and shooter best describes the safety state.