How old is old enough?

[TheLastBoyScout]

How old is old enough to be trusted with unrestricted access to weapons at home?

It strikes me as kind of stupid that some parents, such as my dad, view armed home defense as a duty for them, while at the same time leave their older teenagers unarmed when they leave the house...

For the record, I have never done anything to warrant distrust. I am an honor student with an impeccable safety record on the range and the road. I can also handle the home defense weaponry almost as well as my father, and that difference is only because he gets more time to practice.

I honestly think that my mom is probably the problem, since she was disturbed to find out I knew where Dad's key was (He loans it to me fairly often, because I routinely handle the gun related gruntwork, i.e. stowing ammo, loading mags, cleaning, etc.). Knowing her attitude I don't think I'll ever have unrestricted access until I move out, but I still want to know how you handle leaving your kids... At what age do you leave them home alone, at what age do you allow them access to the HD weapons, and if you leave them alone and unarmed, what would you have them do ? 911, rely on dogs, neighbors, use less lethal/less effective weapons, run, hide, or something else?

 

[Ian]

Well, I had my AK and my .22 in my bedroom at age 16 (the same year I acquired them). In my opinion, age isn't an important factor - what matters if whether you are responsible enough to be safe with the guns at your disposal.

 

[Soap]

I had my very own Ruger Single Six + a holster/belt rig at age 12. It really depends on the child.

 

[TarpleyG]

I had a shotgun (the only gun in the house at the time) in my room from 14 on. My mom and dad trusted me with it although I didn't give any importance to that level of trust then I realize now what that meant. Maybe my parents didn't really know any different. In today's world they could have gone to jail for that which really stinks. Maybe that is what your parents are concerned about. Not you necessarily but maybe your friends gaining access. I would hope that you are responsible enough to not involve your friends in your fathers guns because it is none of their business. Maybe a sit-down with mom and dad and ask. You'll be suprised at the conversation that follows.

GT

 

[mercop]

Good question. I had full access to the gun cabinet after I passed my hunter safety test when I was ten. Dad said if you shoot it, clean it and put it back. If course I grew up in the woods. My kids all start shooting when they are three (Ruger MK II) For unrestricted access they are too young to tell. My 13th bday present was a Remington Rand 1911. Memories.

 

[El Tejon]

Agree with Ian and Just-call-me-Dan. Depends on the culture in which one is raised. Do not believe there is a minimum. Before '68, pre-teens purchasing firearms was common--my grandfather ordered his from the Sears catalogue at 9, my father purchased his first .22 rifle at a sporting goods store at 11 (slung it over his back and rode his bike to the city dump to sight it in).

I know a few people much older than Ian or Dan that I do not trust with vacuum cleaners let along firearms.

 

[Ol' Badger]

The younger the better. Wait were talking shooting here? Oh. Yea I guess the younger the better

 

[Smoke]

I don't know how old I was when I was shown the key to the gun cabinet......10 or 11 I'd guess.

It all depends on the kid.

I grew up an a ranch, guns were tools and toys. SPent a lot of time shooting old can and bottles at the dump. Shot turtles, snakes, rabbits, skunks, etc., for fun or necessity.

Mercop,

My 3 year old has no business with a gun. I thought he would be ready to start learning the basics of safe handling. Bought an airsoft. His attention span is way to short to follow directions yet. I'll wait until he shows me he is ready, at whatever age that is.

 

[Doc]

Smoke:

I know what you mean my twins are four years old and i am anxious to start gun safety, but unfortunately the maturity level is not there yet. They, guns and shooting, must wait until they can demonstrate maturity and anwavering obedience prior to being introduced to weapons of any kind.

 

[Feanaro]

Age isn't the determining factor. Maturity is the key. My father always had a shotgun propped up against the fireplace(and still does. Beautiful shotgun too, 40+ year old Remington 1100 20 gauge)

All he did until he deemed me mature enough to shoot and handle it(thirteen) was teach me the basic and told me "don't touch it". I never did for fear of hurting someone else or, even worse, what my father would do if he found out.

 

[Thumper]

Got my Grandmother's .410 when I was 6. It immediately found a home in the rack over my bed above my Crossman 760.

 

[WYO]

My son is 10 and I believe that he is mature enough now. He went through a hunter safety class when he was 8-1/2 and I have followed him around as he hunted small game. However, I have strong concerns about some of his friends, and I do not want him to be in a dilemma when someone won't listen to him and wants to play with the goods. (Some of these kids would probably disregard his admonitions.) So, for right now, his access is restricted.

 

[pax]

I think I always knew where the long guns were; ammo was on top of dad's side of the closet. Not sure how young I was when I first learned that the guns were there, but no one made a big deal of pointing it out.

First time Mom & Dad left me alone in the house overnight, I was in my mid-teens. Before they left, Dad showed me where his loaded handgun was stored. He was under the impression that I already knew, but wanted to make sure of it. He instructed me not to mention it to my little sister who would have been around 10 years old.

For my own kids, I really think that if they aren't trustworthy with a gun, they aren't trustworthy enough to leave at home alone. If I can't trust them with everything in the house, they don't belong in the house unsupervised. As others have said, this isn't so much a function of age as it is of maturity.

LastBoyScout, I dunno what to tell you about your folks. If you're living under their roof and eating their food, you gotta follow their rules even if the rules seem a bit paranoid to you. (Of course you know that already ...) You might be able to have a heart to heart with your dad about the situation and see what he has to say about it. But don't be too hard on him if nothing changes -- run a search on 'wife' or 'wives' and see how many threads on here deal with family members who don't see eye to eye about guns or gun use. It's a pretty common problem and there really aren't any easy answers.

FWIW, YMMV, etc.

pax

I’ve never understood why people consider youth a time of freedom and joy. It’s probably because they've forgotten their own. -- Margaret Atwood

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

Pax summed it up pretty good in her last paragraph. It's hard to argue with that. I was given my first centerfire at age nine, for my birthday. We lived in rural Alvin, TX. and I had access to 120 ac. of scrub land to hunt small game and birds on. I was very self reliant (for a nine year old) and felt "grownup" when I was able to help provide for my family. The question is maturity, and while you sound like a very mature individual to me, you may have to work extra hard to display this to "your" parents.

 

[keyhole]

Start them out young, teaching safety, and showing just what they will do against objects like melons, and water bottles. When you figure that they have matured enough, ( age is not a factor ), then decide if they should have un-restricted access. In todays world, many will disagree with that, but my sons, have had rifles in theior bedrooms since they were about 13. Just about the same age I was when I got my first .22 rifle.

IMO

 

[Ian Sean]

It all depends on the kid. They are all different. One of the old rites of passage was to take the kids out hunting. The other dads would talk about the boys, basically evaluating them.

If deemed mature enough, they got to do what the grown-ups did.

LastBoyScout, I think you should show your Pop this thread you started. You might be surprised at his reaction. Being a dad myself I am honest enough with myself for a little judgement by others. Good Luck, either way, I think your well on your way to being a decent MAN.

 

[treeprof]

My brother and I had access to the gun safe at about ages 9 & 10 or so, abt the time we got our first shotguns. I think we were 10 & 11 when we got our .22's. We were allowed to open the safe and handle any of the guns we wanted to with dad there, even his, but clearly understood from day 1 that the penalty of touching a gun w/out him present or w/out permission was going to be a major whupping unless it was a life-or-death situation. We could shoot BB/pellet guns unsupervised after asking permission abt the same time we got safe access. Those were always stored in our rooms, along with the BB's/pellets. We both took the NRA Hunter Safety course as soon as we could, were always responsible, and my dad was strict abt safety from the get-go.

 

[Mannlicher]

I really think that if you have to ask, you might not be old enough.

The decision is best made jointly within the family. The younger member demonstrating by deed, that he is mature enough for the responsibility, and the parents by demonstrating, training, observing, and discussing the progress towards safe gun handling and ownership

 

[Jim March]

Only the parents can make this call for each individual kid. Maturity varies all over the map.

An example in another area:

I've never had kids myself, but I used to have ferrets. I'd take the "skinnykitties" to the park to let 'em run around a bit, and since they're a novelty (not to mention misdemeanor) in California they tend to attract a crowd - and kids .

The weinercats were very gentle and playful, but one thing a ferret won't tolerate is abuse. If a toddler really hurts one, they'll consider it an attack and the results could be VERY bad - a 3lb ferret can generally fight off a 50lb dog. Reliably.

So I always had to be careful around kids.

One day, this fairly small kid spots Felix when he'd gotten a bit ahead of me, and scoops him up. Kid turns out to be 4, which I'd normally say is WAY too young, but he's doing just fine, Felix is completely comfortable, properly supported, licking the kid's face, etc. I pointed out his maturity as his mom comes over, and it turns out the kid has a pet rat at home.

So if you ask me if a 4yr old can be trusted unattended with a ferret, my answer would be "heck no, unless he's had a lot of practice with small animals that aren't as capable in the self defense department and doesn't freak them out".

(Sidenote: yes, ferrets can deliver unbelievable violence levels for their size, like their wild cousins the badger and wolverine . But this also means they're not timid or fearful, so when they're NOT provoked they're gentle, friendly, playful and all-around cool. Unless messed with. At which point...look, push a rat too far and it'll "nip and run". Ditto a cat, ditto almost any small animal. Ferrets are lousy runners and they know it. Push 'em too far, they'll jump for the throat, lock on with the teeth, start ripping with all four sets of claws. I've never seen it myself, but I've seen pictures of the aftermath...the stitch count on anything that survives that is invariably way into triple digits. I've seen my ferrets back dogs down. I read an eyewitness account of a fight between a ONE pound ferret and a 120lb Great Dane. The fert won . Bit off half the dog's nose and ATE it. Happily. After rushing to it's owner's defense - the dog was attacking a human, not the houseweasel. The teeth and claws of a 2lb ferret are the same in size as those on an 8lb cat - except stronger. Yet you can wrassle around with 'em in play and unlike a cat, they'll moderate their clamp strength and never draw blood from tooth or claw so long as you've taught them what human limits are when they were little.)

 

[Chairman Meow]

Its my impression that a parent can be held responsible if their kid gets a hold of their gun and does something illegal with it. This puts parents in an awkward position that pits two important priorities against each other: the safety of your chldren from intruders and your own safety from the law.

I think the real question comes down to the responsibilities that accompany rights. A person has the right to defend himself or herself, but they are also held responsible for what they do in self defense. The problem here is that the parent is held responsible for the child excercising the right to self defense. Thus, any child that is granted the right to armed self defense by his or her parents MUST be educated about the consequences of thier actions every bit as well as a CCW holder would be. Same responsibility, same education. Legality is a key issue of safe and resposable firearm use and should be an integral part of the education we pass on to our children. As soon as they are mature enough to understand the resposibilities, they can be granted the right. Simple math.

 

[SquirrelNuts]

I was about eight when I got my first pellet gun, and 19 when I bought my first rifle. I was trusted with both as soon as I purchased them.

For me, age has always been a number. I work with kids for a living, and I trust some of my 15 year old kids than some 40 year olds I know. It is really the person, not the number.

-SquirrelNuts

 

[Bravo11]

I'm with Chairman Meow on this one.
Your parents are responsible for everything that goes on in your house. You might be resposible and safe enough to handle weapons but your friends may not be. If a friend of yours got hurt or worse in the house while your parents were gone, that would be bad. Strict(not abusive) parents are good parents. That means they are looking out for your well being. Talk to them and appreciate their wanting to keep you safe.
I'll get off my soap box now.

 

[themic]

think i was shown the key at about 10 or so. but i still knew where the loaded mag was (kept separate) for the 22 rifle my dad kept in the display case (no lock). which, for me, all i knew at the time was 22 bolt action rifles.

anyways, depends on the kid(s). by that age, my older sister was a pro marksman with air rifles and i was a marksman first class with 22 rifles.

 

[Urban Warrior]

Ditto on 10. I had full access to the guns @ 10.

Never had any trouble or the "show the friends" crap you see in the anti's commercials.

I was taught to respect and treat weapons for what they are : tools capable of really hurting someone. .....UW

 

[H Romberg]

Had rifles and shotguns in my room @10, my pistols were in parental custody till 16.

Second those who say maturity is key. I was a little gun geek, and I'd have done anything (including not playing with them) to keep Mom and Dad from having to take them away.