Rules of Airsoft Safety

Before I start with the rules of firearm handling I would like to preface it with some airsoft specific safety reminders.
With airsoft B-Bs there is not not much worry about serious damage to areas from the neck down. If a hit lands on bare skin from a reasonable distance, there will most definitely be a welt, possible some bleeding. Not a serious problem to most, and if your pain tolerance is lower then simply cover up more. Mil-Spec BDUs are good and thick, ABS plastic helmets are available, gloves cover hands and fingers, and a shemagh can cover your neck (and face if you don't wish to wear a mask).
The area that is most vulnerable to plastic projectiles is the head/face. Lips can be busted, teeth chipped, and most seriously eyes lost, if proper safety is not taken.
I prefer not to wear a mask myself, and I fully accept any consequences that happen from this (though in reality, certain incidents have me seriously rethinking my mask stance). For those of you under 18 and playing on an airsoft field, keep in mind that some of fields will require you to wear full face protection (both eye and mouth) for insurance reasons.
Above this article is an example of a form of face protection. They also make several varieties of mesh goggles. Mesh goggles are preferred by some as they do not have the same fogging issues as their lensed counterparts; though if you play at night with even average constancy, you might want to invest in some goggles with lenses. Personally the mesh makes everything seem twice as dark, twice as early for me when playing near dusk, and just makes seeing a headache.
Also important to note, some fields do not allow mesh goggles as they do not offer much if any protection in the event a B-B hits the mesh and shatters

4 Laws of Gun Safety

These laws are nothing new, nor, are they anything I have created. These laws have been taught to beginning shooters in one form or another since pretty near the invention of projectile weapons.
I have taken the liberty of writing these rules down in my own style with a little expounding, hopefully to make things more clear. I have by no means changed the basic nature of these laws.
If you keep these 4 laws in mind whenever you handle your weapon, your airsoft experience will most assuredly be both safer and more enjoyable; and as a plus, adhering to these things listed will make you seem much less like newb and more professional.

1st Law:

ALWAYS assume your firearm is loaded
No matter how certain you are that you did clear the chamber the last time you fired, always assume that you didn't, and handle it accordingly.
This applies every time you handle your firearm, whether you are cleaning it, visually inspecting it before a game (which is always a good idea), or simply showing it off to your buddy.
While an airsoft gun is nowhere near as dangerous as its real steel counterpart; taking care can not only prevent painful injury due to N.D. (negligent discharge), but also show others on the field that "Yes, I do know what I'm doing."

2nd Law:

NEVER aim at anything you do not wish to DESTROY
Now, if you have taken the 1st law to heart then you will, no matter what, assume that your weapon is loaded. As an intelligent person you should understand that if you shoot something with a loaded weapon you are indeed aiming to destroy/harm that target.
While we must accept getting hit on the field by the enemy, we should never consider it proper or even rational to fire on someone while he is off field, or to fire on a team mate while goofing off/not paying attention in game.
This should be kept in mind at all times when handling your firearm. If a brain fart should occur and a ND happens, injury could still be avoided if you had the presence of mind to keep your barrel aimed safely.

3rd Law:

ALWAYS be sure of your target AND whats behind it
With the real steel counterparts this law comes in to play not only for fear of rounds penetrating through the target and into whatever lies beyond, but, also because of possible friendly fire issues.
With airsoft, obviously we don't have to worry about penetration, but we still have many unique situations which require us to look twice before firing.
One possible scenario that comes to mind is this:

You get broken away from your team and are trying to catch up; your a bit worried and jumpy as hell because there has been enemy/s spotted near here recently. As you make your way along the tree line you come across the enemy/s; reacting purely of instinct you snap your rifle up to bear and blaze on the enemy/s full auto (why full auto does not apply to every scenario is a rant for another article) before they even have a chance to respond. Pure devastation. In more ways than you know.

Yes!!! You just had a hero moment, pwned the enemy/s, and got to feel like Rambo. WooHoo!!! Good job.
What you didn't get to see is that just beyond the enemy/s were the rest of your team, who had turned back around to try and find you and along the way your teams recon caught wind of the same enemy/s you saw. Naturally they decided to try and flank them.
What could have been a beautiful improvised pincer like maneuver if you had just paid attention and spotted your team, turns into a friendly fire massacre instead.
Even worse what you thought was an enemy, turns out to be a referee instead. Now your rash firing could very likely cause you to sit out for the rest of the game.

Another problem related to this law, and specific to airsoft, is "blind firing". For those

of you who are unfamiliar with this concept, it is where the wielder extends only his

weapon over, under, or around an obstacle and fires without being able to look down

his sights at the target/s.
Most people try this in an effort to lay down a sort of pseudo suppressive fire

without having to risk opening themselves up to any return fire.
This practice is not only unsafe, but unprofessional, and also strictly forbidden on

some fields; and really when you get right down to it, if your that opposed to getting

shot, then this is most definitely not the sport for you.



4th Law:

ALWAYS practice proper trigger discipline What I mean by trigger discipline is that your trigger finger should never touch on the trigger until you have positively A) identified your enemy, B) identified your surroundings, and C) and aimed your weapon
I often pass the time between games by watching peoples trigger fingers for control, and even carry this habit onto the field. I do this to get an idea of who is safe to be on a team with and who may be a safety issue waiting to happen. I look for these signs to give me an idea of a players knowledge, maturity, and level of safety.