There is a lot of gray area in the land of gun ownership. There is also clearly times when gun ownership should not be considered. If you are a convicted felon owning a firearm is not an option for you. There are many other times when gun ownership should not be an option.

If you have mentally unstable people in your home, gun ownership is a high risk proposition and should be avoided. If you have small children, the risks of having a gun for protection should be weighed against the possibility of your children gaining access and causing an accident.

If there are extreme difficulties in your marriage, a gun will probably not be your best form of self defense. Research has shown that a gun kept in the home is 43 times more likely to kill a member of the household, or friend, than an intruder.If you are afraid to fire a gun, it may not be in your best interest to purchase one. If you do not intend to take full responsibility for the safe guard of a gun then you should not own one.

If you suffer from anger issues or depression a gun may not be a good idea. Taking any mind altering drugs prescription or otherwise, is not a good situation for a gun owner. Residents of homes where a gun is present are 5 times more likely to experience a suicide than residents of homes without guns.

If you are overconfident in your gun handling skills, you may not be as cautious and take more risks. Horseplaying with weapons, can and does lead to trouble. You must treat your gun as if it were loaded at all times. If you do not intend to treat it as such, you should not own a gun.

Your gun should be kept secure and out of sight at all times. Those who do not intend to secure a gun should not own one.Gun maintenance is an area where owners make mistakes. Clean and inspect the gun regularly and carefully. A common safety practice is to check your gun twice before you clean it to be sure it is unloaded.

If your are going to own a gun, keep it in sight while you are cleaning it. If your gun breaks, do not try to fix it yourself. If you do not intend to take the necessary precautions do not own a gun.

Owning a gun requires that you observe all the applicable laws. These laws vary from state to state. Variations require that the gun owner be knowlegeable of current laws of all fifty states. Check with your local police department to learn the laws about carrying or transporting guns outside of your home.

Many guns bought legally are sold or stolen, and then used for crime. If you do not intend to become knowledgeable of gun laws do not own a gun.There are as many as 340,00 guns sold every year. Most are lost or stolen from citizens by criminals.

If 340,000 guns were never sold or owned in the first place, that would be 340,000 less guns in the hands of criminals every year. The consequences for mistakes with a gun are dire. But no matter why you own a gun, gun ownership is a serious and full-time responsibility. Fortunately owning a gun is not the only effective means of self defense.