Things to remember when gifting guns

With Christmas just 5 days away, a local gun shop owner is reminding folks of safety measures if you are thinking about gifting a gun this year.

Shane Farren, owner of Shane's Firearm Destination, said the most important thing to remember is that you are giving a gun to someone who is legally able to own a gun.

In Virginia, felons who have not had their rights restored or found to not have mental competency in court are among those excluded.

Shane said above all when it comes to gun ownership, it's about being safe.

"You always want to treat a firearm as though it is loaded and always point it in a safe direction, don't point at anything you don't intend to shoot or kill, that's always the responsibility of any gun owner and handler is always to make sure the firearm is safe," added Farren.

For first-time gun owners, he said it's important to make sure you understand your gun.

He added, "The most important thing obviously is going to be safety with firearms, so the best rule of thumb as a new firearm purchaser or gifter would be obviously to take the time to look through the manual, and see how the gun actually functions and the safety parameters for that particular firearm."

Shane also recommended buying your gun from a store rather than online because of the ability to ask questions and get parts repaired.