It's a ten to twelve hour class .

In short:

• Always treat every gun as though it is loaded
• Always keep every gun pointed in a safe direction
• Always keep your finger outside (and not covering) the trigger guard until you are ready to shoot
• Always know your target and what is beyond
• Never handle firearms under the influence of drugs or alcohol
• Always store firearms securely to prevent unauthorized access
• Keep your firearms properly maintained so that they function as designed

The old rule was to keep your finger "off of the trigger" until ready to shoot, but we've learned quite a bit about biomechanics and reflexive actions since then. If you keep your finger up high on the slide or frame of the gun, you're much less likely to have a negligent discharge. Basically, if you should trip or start to fall, the sympathetic grasp reflex could cause you to pull the trigger inadvertently, even if your finger is outside the trigger guard but still covering it.

It's hard to find a perfectly safe direction outside of a range, so find the direction that will minimize the chance of damage to property or injury to persons.