NSSF's Project ChildSafe Launches New Tools For First-Time Gun Owners

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Apr 06, 2020, 14:52 ET

NEWTOWN, Conn., April 6, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) today unveiled a new infographic for first-time gun owners in response to the surge in firearms sales across the U.S. Additionally, through its Project ChildSafe^® program, NSSF has launched a new Firearm Storage and Safety Assessment Quiz, which allows gun owners to put their firearm safety knowledge to the test and learn if and how their safety habits might be improved.

National Shooting Sports Foundation Logo (PRNewsfoto/NSSF)

"Our industry is seeing record-breaking sales in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, with a large percentage of these consumers being first-time gun buyers," said Joe Bartozzi, NSSF's President and CEO. "We want to be sure these new gun owners have as much information as possible about how to handle, use and store firearms safely and responsibly."

The infographic covers a spectrum of information and provides helpful links on topics such as questions to ask before buying a gun, safe storage at home and where to find online training videos. The new quiz walks gun owners through a number of questions related to safe handling and storage of firearms, linking to resources and information to improve or enhance firearm safety practices. These new tools complement the safety training and education offered at retail stores, as well as the library of safety resources available through the Project ChildSafe^® program. These include a "Road To Responsible Firearm Ownership" tool, "Many Paths to Firearm Safety" video series and a Safe Storage Options infographic.

All of these materials and more will be concentrated into a new "Resources for New Gun Owners" section at ProjectChildSafe.org.

NSSF is also encouraging all parents, even if they are not gun owners, to discuss firearm safety with their families. The Project ChildSafe^® website has videos on how to talk to kids about gun safety, as well as McGruff the Crime Dog gun safety videos for school-aged children, among a suite of tools for parents and educators. Additionally, NSSF is working to help the firearm-owning community better understand the topics of suicide and prevention with its Firearms and Suicide Prevention brochure.

About Project ChildSafe^®: NSSF, the trade association of the firearms industry, launched Project ChildSafe in 1999 (originally as Project HomeSafe). Since 1999, the program has provided more than 38 million free firearm safety kits and gun locks to firearm owners in all 50 states through partnerships with thousands of law enforcement agencies across the country. That's in addition to the more than 70 million free locking devices manufacturers have included, and continue to include, with new firearms sold since 1998. While helping to prevent accidents among children is a focus, Project ChildSafe is intended to help adults practice greater firearm safety in the home. More information is available at projectchildsafe.org.

About NSSF: The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen's organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit nssf.org.

SOURCE National Shooting Sports Foundation