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from experience because I was one of those curious children who would sneak shotgun shells
from my father's stash so I could cut them apart for salvaging the gunpowder to play with. Like
many other male children, I was quite fascinated with fire, guns, and explosives.
According to a review of self-inflicted and unintentional firearm injuries among children
and adolescents, written up in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, most guns in-
volved in preadult suicides and accidental shootings came from either the child's home or that
of a friend or relative, so easy access to guns is a major factor in gun-related tragedies in both
adolescence and childhood (Grossman, 1999). I also speak from experience on this one, as I
came very close to blowing my brains out with a family shotgun when I was only ten or eleven
years old, so don't assume that your innocent young child knows nothing about guns and might
not sneak into your stash of guns and ammo one day, tragically changing your life forever!
Having narrowly avoided tragedy on that one occasion, none of my family members ever did
suffer from a gun-related accident, but many other families have not been so lucky. I strongly
urge you to protect your guns and children, visiting or otherwise, by storing guns in a locked
location and your ammunition in a separate locked storage area. You may wish to purchase a
gun safe that also provides over one hour of protection from fire damage.
Gun Maintenance
Your investment in guns should be cleaned after each use and protected from corrosion, theft,
and unintended usage. A gun's barrel is “fouled” with deposits of carbon and other debris as a
natural result of shooting it. Buy yourself a gun-cleaning kit with rods, bore cleaner (solvent),
gun oil, metal brushes, and plenty of extra disposable gleaning patches. Make sure you have the
right size brushes and patches for each of your guns. The bore of the barrel should be brushed
with the metal brushes and cleaner to remove built up debris, then swabbed with oil-soaked
patches to leave a protective layer of gun oil. For wet climates, James Wesley, Rawles, the well
known proprietor of survivalblog.com, recommends using Birchwood Casey Barricade protect-
ive oil, and for long-term storage he suggests coating the bore, chamber, and breech face with
rust inhibitive grease (RIG).
Caution:
Grease must be removed from the bore and firing surfaces before use!
It is a good idea to stock a set of essential spare parts for your guns, such as a firing pin, ex-
tractor, various springs, etc. Check with a gunsmith for suggestions for spare parts for your par-
ticular model, and store these parts wrapped in an oily cloth to prevent corrosion.
Basic Self-Defense Philosophy
