on children and firearms

[supraneurotoxin]

Hi everyone!
I've been reading this forum for awhile, and I decided it was time to get in on the action. I don't know if this is a controversal topic here or not, but as an avid gun enthusiast, and an avid parent, it was only a matter of time before my two passions collided.
My oldest child is five, and she is already able to plug pop cans at 15 feet with an old marksman BB gun. Without having to be reminded, she follows the safety rules better then grown men I have been to the range with.
my theory is, I can keep every gun I own under lock and key, but about her friends parents? I feel safer knowing I've given her the tools to handle such situations correctly, rather than shelter her from the rest of the world.

What are your opinions?

 

[General Geoff]

You're doing the right thing.


Keeping firearms a secret from children only results in its elevation to "forbidden fruit' status. By teaching your children proper gun safety and marksmanship, you're not only giving them a fun, interesting hobby they can share with their parents, but you're also removing the danger of an unfamiliar but intriguing object that they might otherwise have an unpleasant experience with.

 

[hankpac]

the key rule for your child when way from home, is:
If there is a gun present, and no responsible adult present, leave, and calll me. Immediately.
At 5 your child won't be going to anyone's home on her own, and you will be responsible for knowing the philophies and habits of the people who ereside where you are taking them. You are not out of line to ask someone, "What are your thoughts on firearms?". "How do you secure your firearms in this home?"
I nver once just dropped my kids at any home without being assured I know wether the guns in the home, if any, were secured.

 

[hankpac]

The key rule for your child when way from home, is:
"If there is a gun present, and no responsible adult present, leave, and calll me. Immediately".
At 5 your child won't be going to anyone's home on her own, and you will be responsible for knowing the philophies and habits of the people who reside where you are taking them. You are not out of line to ask someone, "What are your thoughts on firearms?". "How do you secure your firearms in this home?"
I never once just dropped my kids at any home without being assured I know wether the guns in the home, if any, were secured.

 

[Hoppy590]

you done good. but you can only prepare her so much. lets be honest, most of the time it isnt the kid whos holding the gun that gets shot. its thier friend/brother/cousin whos standing near by. your right to be concerned. the best thing i think you can do to help protect your daughter from the STUPIDITY of other children and the possible criminal negligence of thier parents to to teach your daughter its not ok to play with a gun at anytime. teach here it doesnt matter that is "unloaded" or "just a bb gun". and finaly NEVER LET ANYONE POINT A GUN IN HER GENERAL DIRECTION. again doesnt matter if its "unloaded" or "on safe" or if its a bb gun paintball gun or what ever.

people have been hit for sweeping me with a muzzle and i will continue this trend. if you dont care about my safety, i wont care if i bust up your nose.

 

[supraneurotoxin]

I have a great picture of her that my wife took, but for some reason I'm having trouble posting it.
stay tuned as this story develops.

 

[Dragoneye9]

Well your daughter is better off than mine at 5 I'm waiting til she's 8 or 10 then take her to the range and start her on a 22 rifle to see if she likes shooting.

 

[Black Adder LXX]

Check out Pax's website: http://www.corneredcat.com/TOC.aspx

It deals with this issue and many more in a very easily understood format. EVERY gun owner who has a family should read it front to back. It's THAT good.

 

[MrPeter]

Check out Pax's website: http://www.corneredcat.com/TOC.aspx

It deals with this issue and many more in a very easily understood format. EVERY gun owner who has a family should read it front to back. It's THAT good.

Definately +1

 

[supraneurotoxin]

I look forward to getting to that link, for some reason it's blocked here at work.
it'd be nice to have that literature to pass along to some of the more close-minded critics in my extended family who frown disaprovingly when my daughter proudly tells them how well she can knock pop cans over.

 

[Art Eatman]

If pax's website is blocked, it's been done by sexists who are unconcerned with the safety of women and children.

 

[BruceB]

Get their attention.....

When my daughter was three or four years of age, I took her to the outdoor range, and outfitted her with glasses and muffs. Without making ANY visible preparations at all, I then gave her a fully-loaded, cocked-and-UNlocked .45 1911A1. WHILE HELPING HER HOLD THE GUN, I said, "Pull that!" (the trigger). BLAM! "Do it again." BLAM! Three or four rounds later, she said, "That's enough, Dad." After loading everything safely back into the truck, we headed for home. Just as we were leaving the range gate, she asked, "When can we go shooting again?"

The point of the exercise was to illustrate, and emphasize, that WHEN YOU PULL A TRIGGER, DRASTIC THINGS HAPPEN! She learned that lesson instantly and well, better than any .22 would have taught her. Even as a young child in later shooting outings, her muzzle awareness and caution put to shame the vast majority of adults who SHOULD have known better. She had a Cricket .22 rifle of her own the next year, and put the neighbor boys to shame when they "played guns", saying that guns weren't toys, and she shot REAL guns. Interestingly, this led to a bunch of range excursions with the neighbor kids, too. I believe we did a lot of good in that area.

Now she's 22, and still remembers that first day. She has several good guns of her own, rifles, handguns and a shotgun, and while she's not the gun-o-phile that I am, or her mother is, she definitely knows her way around them and how to use them safely.

I also sorta view it as a low-cost investment in maybe getting a son-in-law with whom I have something in common....she also likes 4x4 trucks, horses, airplanes, etc.

 

[svtruth]

Safety education

is essential. Even if you keep all your guns locked up, or don't even have them, she can run across them at a playmate's house.
Think of it like vaccinations.
Good luck.

 

[NavyLCDR]

My opinion is:

She should get a .22 for her 6th birthday!

 

[beaucoup ammo]

Sounds like you are right on course. With "Safety" being the glasses you view the gun world through, any chance of disaster is minimized.

As General Geoff so correctly points out, keeping firearms hidden or rarely discussed only heightens the child's curiosity. Hands on, supervised experience is the most effective means of educating a child. Once he / she is armed with the knowledge of what a gun is capable of, safety first will become 2nd nature.

Keep up the good work and enjoy shooting with your kids!

 

[budney]

+1 on the birthday present idea.

My son just turned 7. I gave him a Crickett several months ago, and he has a great time shooting it. He knows the four rules, plus the "kid rule" (stop, don't touch, tell an adult), and all guns are locked up when not in use.

--Len.

 

[Imaginos]

Another vote in your favor.

I started my daughter on learning the 4 Rules while watching John Wayne movies together, and she constantly comments on bad gun handling in the movies.

When she asks, she is allowed to handle my guns AFTER she recites he 4 Rules and we go through the safety inspection process together and both agree that the gun is unloaded.

I happen to agree with Elmer Keith who did not allow toy guns around his place. I feel it creates the wrong association in the mind of a child to have something that looks like a gun that he is allowed to point at people. Guns can be gresat fun, but they are never toys, so we don't treat tham as toys in our house.

As soon as my daughter is big enough, she will be given a .22 rifle and a Ruger Bearcat. For now we just focus on using the 4 Rules with her bow and arrows.


My daughter has seen me strap on a pistol every day and thinks nothing of it.
Not long ago she asked me if I remembered to take extra ammo as I was on my way out the door.

 

[RNB65]

My advice in regards to kids and guns --

1. Teach kids the basic rules of gun safety even if they don't show any interest in shooting. Help them to understand that guns are not toys and can be very dangerous if not handled safely. Tell them if they see one of their friends playing with a gun, to leave immediately and tell an adult.

2. Take kids shooting. Start with the .22lr rifle/pistol at a very short range. Move up in caliber and distance as they get older and gain experience. Stress the importance of eye/ear protection.

3. Make them clean the guns after shooting. Gun cleaning is work and teaches them that there is more to shooting than fun and games. Cleaning also takes away a lot of mystery of guns and reduces a child's natural curiosity to play with one.

4. Gun safety, gun safety, gun safety.