Four rules. Every airgun. Every time.

The four non-negotiable rules

The rules overlap deliberately. If a pellet trap fails, muzzle direction and a secondary backstop still matter. If a magazine is believed empty, finger discipline still matters. No mechanical safety, holster, case or experienced shooter replaces all four.

Build a lane that contains a miss

A target is not a backstop. Use a pellet trap suited to the airgun's documented energy and a larger secondary backstop that covers realistic misses. Check seams, edges, doors and the route beyond the target. A pellet must not be able to leave the controlled property or reach an occupied area after passing through paper.

• Use one firing line and prevent anyone from crossing it while the airgun is handled.
• Remove pets, children, visitors and fragile objects from the entire lane.
• Wear eye protection; require it for every person inside the controlled area.
• Avoid steel, stone, tile, water and other surfaces that can ricochet or fragment pellets.
• Check the trap and backstop for damage before and after every session.
• Stop immediately if lighting, visibility, weather or another person changes the safe setup.

For a dedicated target lane, use the safe 10-metre home-range guide. If the available space cannot contain every reasonable miss, do not improvise—use an established range.

Loading, firing and clearing

1. Start clear. Read the exact manual, inspect the airgun and magazine, and put on eye protection before pellets or gas enter the lane.
2. Load at the firing point. Keep the muzzle at the backstop and the finger outside the trigger guard. Do not walk around with a loaded airgun.
3. Account for each shot. Stop if someone enters the lane, the target falls, the report changes, a pellet is unaccounted for or the action behaves abnormally.
4. Clear before leaving. Remove the magazine, follow the manual's unloaded check and deal with CO₂ exactly as instructed before anyone goes forward.
5. Return to locked storage. Do not leave the airgun or consumables on a table “for later,” even inside a familiar home.

Misfires, jams and CO₂ leaks

For a misfire, keep the muzzle on the safe backstop and the finger away from the trigger. Wait and clear only by the manual's procedure. Never look down the barrel, place a hand over the muzzle or push blindly at a pellet. If the procedure is unclear, stop and contact competent service.

For a continuous CO₂ leak or visible escaping gas, keep skin away from the discharge path and move other people back. Do not overtighten, heat, puncture or dismantle the capsule or valve. Follow the manual's emergency/removal instruction in a ventilated area and use the written support route. The RX Gen 3 first-100-shots guide separates normal cooling from stop-and-report symptoms.

Locked storage is a system

Store the airgun unloaded, dry and locked in a robust cabinet or case that children and visitors cannot access. Control the key, combination and spare key; a lock is ineffective when its key is nearby. Protect metal and seals from moisture and heat, and follow the manual on pierced CO₂ storage or removal.

Secure magazines, pellets and CO₂ capsules so an unauthorised person cannot assemble a usable setup. Keep the invoice, manual, serial details and warranty record in a separate known place. Periodically confirm that the cabinet, case, key control and contents remain intact.

Children, teenagers and guests

Never describe an airgun as a toy or use its unloaded appearance for play, photographs or jokes. A child should not know an accessible key or be able to reach the airgun, pellets or gas. If a supervised introduction is appropriate, a responsible adult must control the equipment, stand close enough to intervene and enforce the four rules without exception.

Supervision means full attention, not being in another room or using a phone. Use eye protection, one pellet at a time where the design permits, a stable firing point and an immediate stop command understood by everyone. Follow the manufacturer's exact age guidance, range rules and any applicable local requirements.

Transport: covered, controlled, uneventful

The official MHA NDAL-ALIS FAQ explains both the air-weapon licensing distinction and public-place restrictions for firearms. Exact application can depend on the airgun, circumstances and local orders, so this guide does not convert those provisions into a universal carry permission. Ask the relevant local authority when location-specific guidance is needed.

As conservative safety practice, transport only for a legitimate purpose. Remove the magazine and pellets, verify unloaded status, handle the CO₂ capsule as the manual directs, and place the airgun in a closed, padded, non-descriptive case. Keep it under responsible adult control, avoid unnecessary stops, and never handle or display it in public.

Carry the invoice and relevant product documents, know the destination's rules in advance, and secure the case against unauthorised access in the vehicle. Do not leave it in a hot parked vehicle, where temperature, theft and discovery create avoidable risks.

A safe-session shutdown

• Remove the magazine and personally verify the airgun is unloaded.
• Account for every person before anyone crosses the firing line.
• Handle a pierced CO₂ capsule only as the exact manual instructs.
• Inspect the trap, backstop and surrounding area for damage or an escaped pellet.
• Wipe the airgun dry, then lock it and the consumables away immediately.
• Record and report any leak, jam, damaged part or unexplained unsafe operation.