You should always follow the basic rules of safety,check all fastners,string,etc.wax your rails,strings,cables.I shot a Barnett
for about two years and with all thefeedback and what has
happened to others,when shooting I always checked the limbs
with a cotton ball to catch any problems that might arise.I shot
that bow for about 18 months and had no problems,had the trigger
worked on and with my wifes prompting went to a different brand
of crossbow,use it to see if you like it,and if you do you might
look into another brand,try as many as you can,both recurve and
compound!Good luck enjoy,its a wonderful sport!