CRFSC Safe Firearm Handling 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What does 'know your target and what is beyond' mean in practical terms?
- Confirm the species before pulling the trigger on a hunt
- Identify the target, ensure it is a lawful target, and know what the projectile will strike if it misses or passes through (Correct answer)
- Use a scope to magnify the target before engaging
- Only fire when the target is within a known safe distance
Correct answer: Identify the target, ensure it is a lawful target, and know what the projectile will strike if it misses or passes through
A projectile that misses or passes through a target continues downrange; identifying what lies beyond prevents unintended injury or property damage.
Question 2: Why is it dangerous to rest a loaded firearm against a vehicle or tree?
- The vibration can erode the rifling
- The firearm can fall, causing an accidental discharge (Correct answer)
- Metal contact can cause corrosion of the action
- It may void the firearm's proof-house certification
Correct answer: The firearm can fall, causing an accidental discharge
A firearm leaning against an unstable surface can topple, and the impact may cause it to discharge even if the safety is engaged.
Question 3: What is the safe way to store a firearm temporarily during a field break?
- Leave it loaded with the safety on, muzzle against a tree
- Unload it and lay it flat in a visible, safe location (Correct answer)
- Leave it in the vehicle with the windows cracked
- Hand it to the youngest member of the group
Correct answer: Unload it and lay it flat in a visible, safe location
During any break, firearms should be unloaded and placed in a secure, visible location so no one inadvertently handles a loaded firearm.
Question 4: When is it permissible to point a firearm at another person during handling?
- When showing them how to operate the action
- Only when dry-firing a confirmed-unloaded firearm at a proper backstop
- Never — the muzzle must never cover any person regardless of the firearm's status (Correct answer)
- When the safety is engaged and the magazine is removed
Correct answer: Never — the muzzle must never cover any person regardless of the firearm's status
Rule 2 of safe firearm handling (Control the muzzle) states the muzzle must never point at anything you are not willing to shoot, including other people, regardless of whether the firearm is loaded.
Question 5: What precaution must be taken before climbing a tree stand with a firearm?
- Engage the safety and sling the firearm across your back
- Unload the firearm and use a haul line to raise and lower it separately (Correct answer)
- Attach the muzzle to the stand so the firearm points upward
- Keep a round in the chamber but remove the magazine
Correct answer: Unload the firearm and use a haul line to raise and lower it separately
Firearms must be unloaded before climbing; use a haul line to raise and lower the firearm separately to prevent falls and accidental discharges.
Question 6: What is the correct response when your firearm fires when you did not intend it to (unintended discharge)?
- Continue shooting to avoid admitting the mistake
- Immediately engage the safety, point in a safe direction, unload, and report the incident (Correct answer)
- Field-strip the firearm immediately to find the cause
- Return the firearm to the manufacturer for inspection before doing anything else
Correct answer: Immediately engage the safety, point in a safe direction, unload, and report the incident
After any unintended discharge, the immediate priority is safety — control the muzzle, engage the safety, and unload; the incident should then be reported and the firearm inspected.
Question 7: Which of the following actions constitutes a violation of safe firearm handling at a range?
- Loading the firearm only after the range officer signals 'commence fire'
- Keeping the muzzle downrange at all times while on the firing line
- Walking behind the firing line while others are shooting without permission (Correct answer)
- Wearing eye and ear protection before going to the firing line
Correct answer: Walking behind the firing line while others are shooting without permission
Moving behind or across the firing line while others are shooting, without the range officer's clearance, creates a dangerous situation and violates range safety protocols.
CRFSC Safe Firearm Handling 4
What does 'know your target and what is beyond' mean in practical terms?