Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Accurate Gun Storage Info Hard to Find on the Internet: Study

NBC

A new study found that gun owners who search online for firearms storage tips might not be getting the best advice. 

Only 2.3 percent of websites with information on firearms storage contained all the practices "shown to protect children and adolescents living in homes with gun," according to the study, led by Katherine Freundlich of the University of Michigan Medical School. 

The researchers examined 87 webpages found by googling the 10 most common search terms related to gun storage. Most of the websites were not easy to use or read, the study found. The sites also listed on average less than one of the four safety tips recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics: 

1. Keep guns unloaded.
2. Lock guns away.
3. Store ammunition separately from guns.
4. Lock ammunition. 

Overall, only two of the websites listed all four of the safety measures. 

"People who are considering turning to the Internet for guidance on home gun storage should be aware that the information they find is unlikely to give them all the advice they need," Freundlich said in a statement.

8 comments:

  1. Welcome back Mike,

    A very low information article. No examples of the search terms used and didn't even mention the two sites that hit all four of the recommended safety measures. You'd think they would want to recognize these sites in the interest of safety. Just for fun, I did a Yahoo search of the term "safe gun storage tips". After you get past the requisite ads at the top, the third real result from the top was Project Childsafe from the National Shooting Sports Foundation, or NSSF,

    http://www.projectchildsafe.org/news/ten-tips-firearm-safety-your-home

    Which listed these tips,

    "Firearms should be unloaded when not actually in use. Whenever you pick up a gun, such as when removing it from or returning it to storage, remember to point it in a safe direction and make sure it is unloaded."

    "Store your firearms in a locked cabinet, safe, gun vault or storage case when not in use, ensuring they are in a location inaccessible by children and cannot be handled by anyone without your permission."

    "Store your ammunition in a locked location separate from firearms."

    These three tips seem to cover the four recommendations in the article. Perhaps that's why the article didn't mention the ones that got them all. Cant be sending people to a site run by the evil gun industry.

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    1. Do you adhere to all those suggestions? I

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    2. I'd bet most people who consider themselves responsible, don't. They probably figure they can omit one or more of the recommended safety ideas and get away with it. We read about them every day.

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    3. "Do you adhere to all those suggestions?"

      No Mike, I don't. I keep my carry piece in a gun safe that's designed to safely hold loaded firearms.

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    4. "I'd bet most people who consider themselves responsible, don't. They probably figure they can omit one or more of the recommended safety ideas and get away with it."

      We've discussed this before in regards to safe storage laws. Like those laws, these safety recommendations are quite generic and while overall not a bad thing, they can sometimes run up against the real world.
      For example, in households where there are no children. Its also important to think on the intent of the recommendation, something I actually learned in the military. For example, many people use trigger locks to make their firearms safe. However, its very dangerous to use one on a loaded firearm due to the possibility of a negligent discharge.
      Since I've decided to keep a loaded firearm in the house for defensive purposes, I purchased a devise designed to secure it that avoids such hazards. Actually, it isn't even technically loaded because the chamber is clear and the magazine is not in it. But its close enough for my definition.

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    5. Right, the military that hasn't won a decisive victory since WW II. HA HA HA HA HA HA

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    6. Howdy Anon, Welcome back. It was sure quiet here without you. I also see you intend to use your standard debate tactic of not debating the topic.
      You might want to go easy on downplaying the effectiveness of the military. Every so often your side likes to comment on how citizens could never fight and win against our invincible high tech military.
      And here you go bringing up that that so far, the US military hasn't been able to win a decisive victory against two very low tech insurgencies. Perhaps we should keep in mind this strategic precept,

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWW6aDpUvbQ

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  2. I'm just glad that South Carolina residents are free from the lethal scourge of "safe storage" laws. That freedom may very well have saved the life of this courageous 13-year-old, and helped cleanse the gene pool of one sack of vermin excrement, while putting another in jail, where hopefully he'll be gang raped by dozens of HIV-positive 400-pounders.

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