2nd Generation gun nuts in the making

[B1gGr33n]

This summer, I took my girls out shooting for the first time. I loaded up 5 rounds in 10/22, and let them each take a turn (after going through the general rules of gun safety, of course). I think it's safe to say that they were hooked immediately. They ended up plinking 300 rounds that day. I didn't get to do any shooting, but I had just as much fun helping them. After that, I bought another 10/22 to put in a pink Hogue stock just for them. Well, that struck another fancy of mine, so now I'm slowly recreating all of my plinkers, but with a more.... aesthetically feminine finish. Here's the latest one:

Ruger Charger, stock painted pink, pistol grip painted purple, pink SB Tactical brace, and a buffer tube I made myself.

 

[NIGHTLORD40K]

Yep my girls stole the Mossberg 377 Ive had since I was a kid and then the Marlin 80e I bought to replace it!
And now my youngest has taken a shine to my .410 Enfield!
Good grief, what's next- they're gonna steal my M1 Carbines, I just know it!

 

[kcofohio]

Way to go dad!

 

[jstert]

excellent, the more 2nd amendment folks, especially ladies, the better for us all! your daughters’ unborn children will relish their grampa’s pink guns.

we all should fondly remember our first time shooting. mine was in elementary school when my ww2 veteran but non shooter dad enrolled my younger brother and i in an on-campus nra rifle club at early 1960s umass (cant imagine such a thing today). warm memories of shooting 22lr single shot rifles in the cold basement range of the rotc building on dark winter nights, taught by ww2 veterans.

 

[Walkalong]

My wife wanted pink as well. And she picked out the kalashnikitty sticker.

I got my nephews shooting, and I'll help them get their kids shooting when they are old enough.

 

[doubleh]

Good for you. I'm working on a couple of fourth generation ones now. They are enthusiastic about it.

 

[bannockburn]

My daughter never cared much for the color pink but she did know what .22 she wanted for her first gun: a Beretta Neos. Now she could have had a colored grip section but good old basic black was fine for her. Actually she was more interested in how the gun felt in her hand and how it handled and balanced than how it looked.

 

[BSA1]

I am working on 1st, 2nd and 3rd Generations of shooters.

The Lady brought herself a S&W M&P 1.0 9mm last spring which she enjoys shooting. She just had rotator cuff surgery so hopefully come next summer she will be able to shoot without any pain at all. I plan on introducing her to the AR next year.

Generation 2 is my daughter who is taking a surprising interest in guns. She is a disabled Army vet Mom with two young children. She was home last week and I showed her a budget AR I built for only $430.00. Being Army trained she confidently handled it, commented how well she liked it and asked if it was hers. Later in the visit she made the comment that she was going to get all of my guns. (I guess that means her hubby will hide behind her skirt with the children while she takes care of business.)

Other Generation 2 is my East Coast Daughter-in-Law from a very Liberal family. Her Mother absolutely hates guns. I taught her how too shoot this summer and she really has taken a liking to handguns. We are working on convincing her to move to free America.

Generation 3 is the grandkids. I plan on having my oldest Grandson start shooting a 22 on his next visit. Other Grandkids will get trained when age and mature enough.

Oh don't mention Pink to my ladies. They are all business on the range and black suits them just fine.

 

[22250Rem]

If you look at the "for Christmas, anybody getting new or used firearms?" thread you''ll see the picture of the pink Savage Rascal .22 I recently purchased so the younger of my two step-daughters will have something to shoot that's more her size ( would be too repetitive to re-post it here). I think it's a great starter gun for kids - it fits them, it's single shot and has a nice aperture sight that's adjustable, along with an accutrigger. Not planning on her shooting it until at least May or June so wasn't really looking for anything like that yet. Then I saw that Savage had a $50. rebate on these and couldn't resist. Gonna be fun teaching another young one and having a rifle that actually fits instead of one with too much weight, too long a length of pull, etc. Yeah; it's pink but if that proves to be "uncool" the barreled action is easily removed and the appropriate color can be sprayed on that synthetic stock. I think most kids take to shooting better if whatever they start out with is comfortable, fits, and is light. I'm hoping this one meets all those criteria.

 

[jmorris]

I have seen kids that don’t like nuts at all, enjoy shooting, even if the colors were not associated with their sex through stereotypes.

 

[drk1]

Gentlemen....

Keep up the good work. Carry on!

 

[olafhardtB]

I am a 73 year old useless oldfot. I was looking for a 10/22 and got a nice discount on one I think, because it had a pink stock. I like pink. It is easier to find in the woods. This gun also seems to puzzle other shooters.

 

[rskent]

OK, that is about the cutest kid ever.

 

[Ks5shooter]

Well done

 

[AlexanderA]

What are the ages of the kids? Given that a lot of them go through a stage of rebellion in their teens, it may be a mistake to introduce them to guns too early (before they hit the teenage years). That would imprint on them that guns are something that their parents do, and then their nascent teenage rebellion would turn them into antigunners. You have to tread very carefully here.

 

[chicharrones]

What are the ages of the kids? Given that a lot of them go through a stage of rebellion in their teens, it may be a mistake to introduce them to guns too early (before they hit the teenage years). That would imprint on them that guns are something that their parents do, and then their nascent teenage rebellion would turn them into antigunners. You have to tread very carefully here.

IMO, who the kids hang out with in their teenage years, or later, is what can turn them into anti-gunners.

A parent might as well influence their own children while they still like to hang out with their parents.

In the theme of pink, my youngest when she was 12.

View attachment 772273

 

[jmorris]

What are the ages of the kids? Given that a lot of them go through a stage of rebellion in their teens, it may be a mistake to introduce them to guns too early (before they hit the teenage years). That would imprint on them that guns are something that their parents do, and then their nascent teenage rebellion would turn them into antigunners. You have to tread very carefully here.

Mine was two in the photo above and was introduced to them very early. Knew they were not toys and couldn’t touch them without an adult, just like the swimming pool or a hot stove.

I also never “stuck” her in a situation where she was not having fun. Like that photo above, she had a blast with her first hit, a few minutes later she was back to playing in the dirt.

I think a big problem with “driving” kids into things we like is trying to make them “a chip off the old block”, that they might push back on, once they realize they are their own person.

In any case it seems like if you waited until they turn into a rebellious teenager to introduce them to firearms...don’t know, not sure how that’s very productive?

Seems to me, that would be like not feeding them meat until they are a rebellious teen so they won’t become a vegetarian...counter productive.

 

[chicharrones]

Seems to me! that would be like not feeding them meat until they are a rebellious teen so they won’t become a vegetarian...counter productive.

Exactly. My step-son is a good example. He's been fed the usual American meat based diet his whole life. Bacon was his favorite meat. Then a couple years ago he got a high school job at a healthy juice bar type of place. He's a manager at one of those places now, but he won't eat meat anymore. He declares he is a pescetarian. Seafood only. He wouldn't eat jello yesterday because it's made from animal bones.

He's a good person, but he got his eating habits and other ideas from people he hung out with in high school and the place he works.

Out of my 4 kids, he's the only one that was never interested in actually shooting firearms. So, he has never fired a firearm even though I have offered it to him on many occasions through the years. Such is life.

 

[jmorris]

Yeah, key to me for shooting is Safe and Fun in that order, if I can’t get both out of you, I want neither, life is too short.

 

[BSA1]

What are the ages of the kids? Given that a lot of them go through a stage of rebellion in their teens, it may be a mistake to introduce them to guns too early (before they hit the teenage years). That would imprint on them that guns are something that their parents do, and then their nascent teenage rebellion would turn them into antigunners. You have to tread very carefully here.

I sincerely hope you forgot to add the to your comments.

 

[B1gGr33n]

My girls are 6, 4, and 2. The 2 year old doesn't like ear-pro so she doesn't get out of the truck, but the 6 and 4 year old love ringing steel with 22. We go over the gun safety rules every time we go out, and no shots are fired without dad or mom right behind them. If my girls decide later on in life that they don't like guns, at least they won't be ignorant of them.

 

[Rshooter]

Mine are now older and I enjoy shooting with my 24 year old son. He went through rebellion but as they say that if you raise them up right they should come back to you sometime. Teach them young.