Firearm Education versus Firearm Certification
Owning a firearm and having a firearm in your home are two different things. Owning a firearm is a bigger responsibility because not only must you understand the responsibility you must have a firearm certification. Having a firearm in your home means you should have some sort of firearm education, but you are not required to have firearm certification. This article is going to look at firearm education versus firearm certification.
Firearm Education
Any person who has a firearm in their home needs to have firearm education. Firearm education is all about being safe around firearms. One of the biggest tragedies related to firearms is accidental injuries and/or deaths. A person not understanding what a firearm is and does pick one up and accidentally discharges the firearm. The purpose of firearm education is to reduce or eliminate those accidents.
One option that is available for anyone living in a home with a firearm is to take a firearm safety course. The firearm safety course covers general information such as gun safety, loading and unloading, handling a firearm, and properly storing a firearm and its ammunition. This class does not replace firearm certification and it does not give the person the right to carry a firearm. This course is specifically designed to educate anyone who may encounter a firearm.
Firearm Certification
The purpose of firearm certification is to give a person the training in handling, loading, and shooting a firearm, properly and safely. A firearm certification course is going to go into much more detail than a firearm safety course. The course will cover topics like rules of firearm safety, components of a firearm, components of ammunition, learning how to load and unload a firearm properly, and the care and storage of that firearm.
At the conclusion of a firearm certification course, there will be a quiz that must be passed. Once the quiz has been passed there are other steps that need to be followed in order to get the firearm permit which includes:
- a completed, notarized application
- a money order or cashier’s check for $100.00
- a photograph meeting the necessary specifications
- a completed fingerprint card (to be obtained by a law enforcement agency)
- a photocopy of a government-issued ID
- and a self-addressed stamped envelope
Firearm Education versus Firearm Certification
Firearm education versus firearm certification basically boils down to the level of a person’s understanding. Firearm education is designed to give a person an overall understanding of firearm safety. While, the purpose of firearm certification is to make sure a person understands all the elements of a firearm, how to use that firearm and how to properly store that firearm.
Anyone living in a home with a firearm should have some sort of firearm education. Firearm education can keep a person from accidentally discharging a firearm and hurting or possibly killing someone. Anyone owning a firearm must have the proper firearm certification. Firearm certification helps a person understand their responsibilities as the owner of a firearm.