Priceville police officer Cpl. Herman Davis and Councilman Jerry Welch, seated from left, inspect a handgun for Burl Landers at the Firearms Safety Day in Priceville Thursday.

A Firearms Safety Day was conducted in Priceville Thursday to address the responsibility of owning and keeping a gun or guns in the home.

Priceville Police Officer Cpl. Herman Davis and Councilman Jerry Welch, a professional gunsmith, inspected all types of firearms on a first-come, first served basis, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the Alabama 67 parking lot at the Bill Dinsmore Community Center. They were assisted by Morgan County Sheriff Ana Franklin and deputies Tony Vest and Justin Powell.

The inspection and a safety lock for each gun were provided free of charge. They also collected old and obsolete ammo for disposal.

“We’re doing this as a preventive measure,” Welch said. “We check each gun for visual defects as well as the type of ammo the gun owner is using. If the ammo is old, we suggest the best type of ammo for self-defense.

“A gun can be dangerous to the shooter if it is not in good condition or if the wrong ammo is being used.” he added. “It can blow up in your face and cause serious injury or death.

“Every gun stored in the home for security reasons should have a safety lock and be inaccessible to children,” he pointed out.

“I brought in a pistol to make sure it’s safe to use,” said Burl Landers of Decatur. “I inherited this gun from my brother when he passed away and I’ve never fired it. Now I know it’s safe to fire if I have a need to use it.”

Sam Elleson stopped by with two rifles and a shotgun. One of the rifles was of pre-World War I vintage.

“I wanted somebody who knows guns to check them out,” he stated, “and advise me as to their condition.”

The National Shooting Sports Foundation offers the following safe home checklist for firearms:

• Firearms kept for security reasons are fully controlled at all times.

• Firearms are securely stored in a location inaccessible to children and other unauthorized persons.

• Sporting firearms are unloaded before they are brought into the home and never loaded while in the home.

• Sporting firearms are immediately cleaned and placed in secure storage when they are returned from hunting or target shooting.

• When firearms are removed form storage, they are always carefully checked to confirm that they are unloaded.

• Ammunition is stored under lock and key, separately from firearms.

• The owner’s manual that came with the firearm must be read and understood.