NRA Gun Safety Rules http://www.nrahq.org/education/guide.asp
1. ALWAYS keep the gun pointed in a safe direction.
This is the primary rule of gun safety. A safe direction means that the gun
is pointed so that even if it were to go off it would not cause injury or
damage. The key to this rule is to control where the muzzle or front end of
the barrel is pointed at all times. Common sense dictates the safest
direction, depending on different circumstances.
2. ALWAYS keep your finger off the trigger