Is a BB gun the first step?
- Thread starter mr_dove
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AStone
Member
An understanding that cowboys and indians were a reality 150 years ago,
but are no longer; they are myths of the past.
And an understanding that Trinity and Neo now reflect "reality"
- such as it is - much more realistically than "cowboys and indians"
(at least to those who are paying attention).
And yes, in my case, my BB gun (a Daisy) was the first step.
Nem
ZeSpectre
Member
Funny, I never had a problem with that because I always considered it yet another lesson on fantasy vs reality.
It was very useful teaching my nephew that Hollywood is also fantasy and you should be extremely careful in taking any lessons from the movies.
1911 guy
Member
Toys and real
Don't blurr the line. Get him toy guns and get him a .22 when you think he's ready. When I was a kid, anything that fired any projectile, even little rubber darts, was never to be pointed at anyone. Cap guns were O.K. As soon as you get a projectile, enforce the rules.
Don't blurr the line. Get him toy guns and get him a .22 when you think he's ready. When I was a kid, anything that fired any projectile, even little rubber darts, was never to be pointed at anyone. Cap guns were O.K. As soon as you get a projectile, enforce the rules.
CountGlockula
Member
Yeah, first teach him discipline....from what the other members have said.
I did play with a lot of plastic toy guns and gun poppers around 5-7 years.
I started out with my first Marksman BB pistol when I was 9-10 years old. And at the same time my brother and I had sling shots too.
Then at around 12-13 I picked up a Crossman air pump rifle that took pellets and BBs...what was cool about it is that I sawed off the stock and sanded it down. I learned a lot of life lessons during that time.
Then at age 32 was when I purchased a Glock 35. My dad wasn't a gun nut or anything, it was mostly my brother and I that got into it and hassled my folks to get us one.
I did play with a lot of plastic toy guns and gun poppers around 5-7 years.
I started out with my first Marksman BB pistol when I was 9-10 years old. And at the same time my brother and I had sling shots too.
Then at around 12-13 I picked up a Crossman air pump rifle that took pellets and BBs...what was cool about it is that I sawed off the stock and sanded it down. I learned a lot of life lessons during that time.
Then at age 32 was when I purchased a Glock 35. My dad wasn't a gun nut or anything, it was mostly my brother and I that got into it and hassled my folks to get us one.
BothellBob
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He's 5, he's a boy, and he has a little brother. Whatever they have they are going to point and shoot them at each other. This is a great age for toys. At five he probably does understand the difference between a toy and a real gun, even if he does not fully understand the consequences. Get them cap guns and squirt guns and let them play.
-BothellBob
-BothellBob
ARGarrison
Member
Wal-Mart still has cap guns. The Nerf guns are great. I'll say I did have a BB gun when I was a kid, but I have an aversion to them now. I really think you should be 21 and have proof of a job to pay for all the damage you'll do. Far to many people think a BB gun is a toy. It has been a while now maybe, twelve years, we had an infant, in county, get shot in the eye by an older sibling who ended up being an organ donor.
Feanaro
Member
Well now how the hell can you tag Timmy with your Nerf gun if you can't point it at 'im?
I can understand that 'tude with a BB gun. You can get someone hurt with those. But are you going to deprive your kids of valuable Force-on-Force training?
xds&gsps
Member
Similar story not to far from me here a while back. They are definitely not to be treated as toys. That is one thing that is very important to impress upon kids that even though it feels & even almost looks like a toy it is not!
AntiqueCollector
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- 842
My first "gun" was an air rifle, .17 cal. single shot, full size though and probably too big for a 5yo as I got it later than that age because of my parents' attitudes towards guns. Still have it and will keep it, handy for little pests in my garden (when I don't have to worry about neighbors it will be anyways but that's another story...) and the pellets are dirt cheap, cheaper than .22's for that purpose. I had toy/squirt/cap guns a lot as a kid but I always knew there was a big difference btwn. those toys, and real weapons of any caliber. And even with the cap guns I was told not to point them at people. Water guns were different of course...anything but the face was fair game...
Get him a BB gun or small air rifle to start with. Just be sure he is well supervised when he uses it, be right there with him, and keep it locked up when you ain't with him using it, to avoid him sneaking into it...
And of course, though I make these suggestions, you are the parent and know your child best, go with your instinct on what you feel is safest with him...
Get him a BB gun or small air rifle to start with. Just be sure he is well supervised when he uses it, be right there with him, and keep it locked up when you ain't with him using it, to avoid him sneaking into it...
And of course, though I make these suggestions, you are the parent and know your child best, go with your instinct on what you feel is safest with him...
Xenia
Member
My first gun was a BB gun. But I also sometimes shot my grandfather's shotgun or rifle starting at around five or so. (I might have been six or seven, the age itself is blurred.)
We had loaded ready to shoot guns in the house from when I was born until I went off to college (actually until my Grandfather was going to the nursing home as they were his guns and I grew up with him.) Gun safety was taught right along side things like brush your teeth and look both ways before crossing the street.
The rule was: touch the gun at all with out permission from Gramp (grandfather) or get wailed on.
But for shooting, I shot the BB first. Then sometimes got to shoot the other guns. There was more of an emphasis on learning to take the guns apart to clean and on how you never point it unless you are going to shoot it then even on the target shooting.
I would say therefore that a BB gun would be a good first one but only in a family dynamic where gun safety is a part of daily life. A BB gun can cause serious damage if handled without some safety training.... but worse, if the gun is treated like it is perfectly safe, the kid might think all guns do not need the proper level of safety.
BTW growing up, I was only allowd water pistols and my Gramp yelled and screamed that I was allowed that as he felt it might give me the idea that aiming a gun was ever ok and he was teaching me it was never ok .... "unless" and we went over what the "unless" was as was age appropriate.
But I still made toy guns out of sticks and such and I pointed them whenever he wasn't looking. Kids will be kids. (I also had toy "phasers" for Star Trek play too!)
We had loaded ready to shoot guns in the house from when I was born until I went off to college (actually until my Grandfather was going to the nursing home as they were his guns and I grew up with him.) Gun safety was taught right along side things like brush your teeth and look both ways before crossing the street.
The rule was: touch the gun at all with out permission from Gramp (grandfather) or get wailed on.
But for shooting, I shot the BB first. Then sometimes got to shoot the other guns. There was more of an emphasis on learning to take the guns apart to clean and on how you never point it unless you are going to shoot it then even on the target shooting.
I would say therefore that a BB gun would be a good first one but only in a family dynamic where gun safety is a part of daily life. A BB gun can cause serious damage if handled without some safety training.... but worse, if the gun is treated like it is perfectly safe, the kid might think all guns do not need the proper level of safety.
BTW growing up, I was only allowd water pistols and my Gramp yelled and screamed that I was allowed that as he felt it might give me the idea that aiming a gun was ever ok and he was teaching me it was never ok .... "unless" and we went over what the "unless" was as was age appropriate.
But I still made toy guns out of sticks and such and I pointed them whenever he wasn't looking. Kids will be kids. (I also had toy "phasers" for Star Trek play too!)
748
member
I got my first BB gun when I was 7 I think it was.
Before that I had suction cup dart guns.
When I was 10 I got my first pelet rifle. 12 we moved out of the city but not untill after the cops came to our house several times. Then at 13 I got my first 22LR. Then when we moved out into the woods of Maine when I was 16 I got my 30-30, 12ga, mini14 and 357mag revolver.
Now if I was out in Montana or Utah or some thing I would be saving up for some kind of 50BMG or a 20mm bushmaster. I have been to title II items for a while now and I am trying to get into destructive devices.
It kind of depends on where you live what they have and when they get it.
"Gun safety was taught right along side things like brush your teeth and look both ways before crossing the street".
That is how I plan to do it.
My kids first gun besides a Nerf foam dart shooter or sling shot will be a paint ball gun or an air soft gun.
Before that I had suction cup dart guns.
When I was 10 I got my first pelet rifle. 12 we moved out of the city but not untill after the cops came to our house several times. Then at 13 I got my first 22LR. Then when we moved out into the woods of Maine when I was 16 I got my 30-30, 12ga, mini14 and 357mag revolver.
Now if I was out in Montana or Utah or some thing I would be saving up for some kind of 50BMG or a 20mm bushmaster. I have been to title II items for a while now and I am trying to get into destructive devices.
It kind of depends on where you live what they have and when they get it.
"Gun safety was taught right along side things like brush your teeth and look both ways before crossing the street".
That is how I plan to do it.
My kids first gun besides a Nerf foam dart shooter or sling shot will be a paint ball gun or an air soft gun.
Dgindlesperger
Member
redrider bb gun
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