Firearm Safety

Last reviewed October 31, 2026

Firearm Safety: Where It Stands in 2026

Firearm safety is the foundation of responsible gun ownership, and it has always been led by gun owners themselves. The NRA has promoted marksmanship and training since its founding in 1871, NRA’s Eddie Eagle GunSafe program has taught young children “Stop. Don’t Touch. Run Away. Tell a Grown-Up.” since 1988, and the firearm industry’s Project ChildSafe has handed out free safety kits through local police departments since 1999. None of it required a government mandate.

The results show. According to CDC data reported by Pew Research Center, accidental shootings caused 450 deaths in 2024, about 1 percent of all firearm deaths, at a time when Americans own more guns than ever. The National Safety Council reported that accidental firearm deaths fell 41 percent from 1999 to 2019. Every one of those deaths is preventable, which is why the four universal safety rules matter on every range trip and at home.

Safety and rights go together. Training builds confident, competent owners, and a culture of safety is the strongest answer to claims that ordinary people cannot be trusted with arms. Minuteman University.com encourages every owner to train regularly and to treat safety as a skill to practice, not a rule to memorize.

The Four Universal Rules

• Treat every gun as if it is loaded.
• Never let the muzzle point at anything you are not willing to destroy.
• Keep your finger off the trigger until your sights are on the target and you have decided to shoot.
• Be sure of your target and what is beyond it.

Key Facts

• 2024: 450 accidental firearm deaths out of 44,447 total firearm deaths (CDC data via Pew Research Center, April 2026).
• 1999 to 2019: accidental firearm deaths fell 41 percent, from 824 to 486 (National Safety Council).
• Project ChildSafe (NSSF, founded 1999) had distributed more than 41 million free safety kits with cable locks through more than 15,000 law enforcement partners as of June 2024.
• NRA’s Eddie Eagle GunSafe program, founded in 1988, had reached more than 32 million children as of September 2019.

What Gun Owners Should Know

• Get trained and keep training. Find courses and instructor resources at After Action.net.
• Ask your local police department or sheriff’s office about free Project ChildSafe cable locks.
• Learn the storage rules in your state; see Gun Storage and Guns & Kids.
• Wear eye and ear protection. Suppressors reduce noise and are now easier to own under federal law; see Suppressor Buyers Guide.com.
• Use only the correct ammunition for your firearm, and have a gunsmith inspect any gun that malfunctions.

Sources

• Pew Research Center: What the Data Says About Gun Deaths in the U.S. (April 28, 2026)
• National Safety Council Injury Facts: Guns
• American Rifleman: Project ChildSafe Program Celebrates 25 Years (June 2024)
• American Rifleman: NRA’s Eddie Eagle Reaches 32 Million Children (September 2019)