Children and Loaded Guns

[David904]

I have 4 pistols and two gun safes. One is a Stack ON and resides up out of reach of little hands. It contains ammo, three pistols, and a few knives and sundries. Next to my bed, I keep a GunVault and store my loaded carry piece there.

I have a 1 yr and a 3yr old, and I expose them to my guns all the time - I let them handle them and teach them safety. I let them know that all they have to do to see the guns is to ask me. I'll make time for it. That way the whole forbidden fruit stigma is minimized or removed.

I'll get my kids their own guns some day, but they will always be locked up in my safe. And they will NOT have the combination. When they grow up and move out, they can take on the responsibility then. Hopefully I will have done my job well by that time.

 

[duck_god1982]

KIDS AND LOADED GUNS

I HAVE A GUN SAFE WITH JUST ABOUT 14 GUNS IN IT RIGHT KNOW. UNLOADED AND SET SOR STORAGE. I HAVE 2 IN THE HOUSE THAT ARE LOADED AND READY FOR USE. BOTH OF MY KIDS ARE UNDER THE AGE OF 6 AND KNOW WHERE THE FIREARMS ARE BUT NEVER TOUCH THEM. MY WIFE AND I HAVE BROUGHT BOTH OF OUR KIDS UP AROUND GUNS AND THEY HAVE SEEN WHAT IT WILL DO. THE BEST COURSE IS TO TEACH YOUR CHILDEREN WHAT A FIREARM IS AND WHAT THEY CAN DO. MAKE THEM FEEL THAT THE GUN IS NORMAL AND SHOULD NEVER BE PLAYED WITH OR TOUCHED UNLESS TOLD TO DO SO. WE START OUR CHILDEREN OUT EARLY ON GUN SAFETY AND RESPONSIBLE FIREARM OWNERSHIP. SO MY WAY OF THINKING IS TO TEACH THEM AND SHOW THEM HOW AND WHY WE HAVE FIREARMS.
DUCK_GOD1982

 

[PaladinX13]

There are no minors in my household anymore, however we have a pretty open house so we do get a lot of young guests... but in my case it's difficult to secure all the guns, so instead the ammo is kept separate and locked up.

That said, I've NEVER had a problem with kids touching or playing with the inert firearms, despite dozens of different children being in our house. Part of that is good parenting by their folks and part of that is I always go out of my way to demystify firearms (with their parents permission, of course) and impart responsibility. I always start with a BB or pellet rifle and as the kid shows maturity, step up to a air pistol, and finally a rimfire rifle (w/ CB caps).

Most of the kids like it (if they don't, I don't force it)... but the most surprising thing is the positive parental response. I get comments like, "That's the most attentive I've ever seen my son!" or "I didn't realize my girl could be so responsible!" CB caps on a steel reactive target are great at making a non-threatening introduction to firearms!

 

[Pro_Gun]

Yes

my grandchild, but I carry the gun on my body at all times concealed.

 

[f4t9r]

I have had loaded guns in the house in special places and have 2 children that are older now. When they were younger I made sure they understood the dangers of a loaded weapon and have preached and showed them what to do when someone else has a gun loaded or not in thier home. Not only telling them but also showing and going over different circumstances.

 

[zero_chances]

I am basically just a kid myself, but when i have young kids, i will keep a loaded gun in the nightstand for the duration of the night only. Then either carry it with me if i have a ccl, or i will lock it up. Then as my kids get older, i will gradually introduce weapons to them. and then when i feel it is safe, i may leave it in an unlocked place with a loaded mag next to it.

That is my plan.

 

[kungfuhippie]

No kids but

I still keep them locked up. Ammo it separate. I remeber when I was a kid, my parents were/are anti-gun (brainwashed in cali) and so never taught me much about guns. Only remember a story about my dad's childhood friend showing his dad's double-barrel shotgun to a kid who when left in the room, took off his shoes, loaded both barrels, put his toes on the triggers and the barrel in his mouth...Dad used this story to scare us kids from playing with guns at other's houses.

So I don't trust other prople with my guns. They are locked up under me bed and in the closet. My 9mm star is either on me or in a small lockbox, loaded.

When I have kids they'll be well educated on the subject but remembering back to the dumb things I did as a kid, a loaded gun won't be accessable.

-also in kommifornia if my gun is accessable to me kid and he uses it, it's legally as if I pulled the trigger...another reason to move.

 

[Evil_Ed]

2 children, both boys, 2.5 and 5 years old. All guns locked in safe except for one that stays on me at all times except when I am sleeping. I have a quick access safe within easy reach for middle of the night emergencies. I picked one of the electronic push button combo safes. You have to type in a multidigit code to make the door pop open but with some practice you can hit the code in pitch black really quickly. This way I don't have to worry about my children (or more likely a friend of my children) having any accidents. Best bet is to combine the above precaustions with gun proofing your kids as well. My 5 year old has been to the range with me in order to get the run down on safety as well as a demonstration on the damage guns can cause so he knows they aren't toys. I have tried to take the mystery/forbidden fruit draw out of them by allowing him to look at them whenever he asks me (obviously I am in control of the weapon at those times but he gets to handle it to some extent with supervision). I grew up with firearms unsecured in fairly obvious places as we lived out in the middle of the woods, my father showed me at the age of 4 what they could do and why real guns weren't for playing. I was shooting the shotgun we kept for killing dangerous animals (rattlesnakes, etc) by myself since I was the age of 10. My younger brother and I both survived fine because we were introduced to them and used them from an early age and as a result knew the safety rules.

 

[dbake]

kids and guns

i have guns and kids teach them at a young age i was and my kids are but every one needs safe guards..