Req 1 — Safety and Responsibility Overview
Requirement 1 has ten sub-requirements (1a through 1j), and together they form the safety and responsibility foundation for the entire badge. Work through each one carefully before your first range session if possible.
These pages move from core firearm safety into laws, conservation, hygiene, and the wider shotgun-sports community. The knowledge you build here is the foundation for everything in Requirement 2.
The Ten Sub-Requirements
- Req 1a — Projectiles and Why They Demand Respect: Define what a projectile is and explain why high-speed projectiles demand careful handling and approved locations.
- Req 1b — Safe Gun Handling Rules: Learn and explain the universal rules of safe gun handling.
- Req 1c — A Friend Asks to See the Gun: Describe exactly how you would respond if a friend asked to see a firearm at your home.
- Req 1d — Eye and Hearing Protection: Understand why and how to protect your eyes and ears on the range.
- Req 1e — Gun Laws in Your Community and State: Research and explain the main points of firearms law where you live.
- Req 1f — Hunting and Wildlife Resources: Connect hunting to the responsible management of renewable wildlife populations.
- Req 1g — Hunter Education and State Hunting Laws: Complete hunter education or obtain your state’s hunting regulations, then explain key laws and list huntable wildlife.
- Req 1h — Hygiene on the Range: Explain the hygiene practices that protect shooters from lead and other hazards.
- Req 1i — Shotgun Sports and Local Opportunities: Identify three shotgun sports, find local places to practice, and explain how to get involved.
- Req 1j — Sources of Information on Firearms: Build a list of reliable sources for firearms information and discuss them with your counselor.
Planning Your Path
Most counselors work through these in order, but the sequence is flexible. If your troop has a range day scheduled and you have limited preparation time, prioritize 1a, 1b, 1d, and 1h—those topics directly affect your safety on the firing line. The research-based requirements (1e, 1f, 1g, 1i, 1j) can be completed before or after your range session.