Safety around a toddler

[theautobahn]

I am not advocating this by any means. But I have heard people storing guns until their children are about 2-3 with it just unchambered, operating under the assumption the a child of that age can't rack the slide.

I do. And until someone can show me a toddler capable of jacking a round into the chamber of a Glock 20, I won't worry one bit.

I'm pretty safety conscious, but was surprised by the following- A friend was over and we were looking at guns. My then two year old son had expressed an interest previously, so I had been working with him on the 4 rules and the Eddy the Eagle rules as modified by Cornered Cat - I helped him verify that my revolver was empty, then let him hold it - I turned my back for one second and he had thumb cocked it (two hands, gun on the floor). Since then, I make no assumptions about my kid's strength or tenacity when it comes to guns.

A friend's very young son used to rack his lever gun for dry fire practice by putting the muzzle on the carpet and basically hanging off of the lever.

 

[MachIVshooter]

These are rather foolish statements

Who gives you the right to judge? Do you even have kids?

It's an individual thing for everyone, and you need to know your own children. Regardless, the concept of secure storage around kids is a new concept in the firearm timeline, and I don't see that it's done anything to reduce accidents. To the contrary, kids that grow up not having been raised with firearms as just another thing around the house and knowing how to safely handle them and respect the power are the ones who shoot themsleves or their siblings/friends when they do gain access to that "secured" firearm.

We raised 5 kids........not one gun was kid-proofed when they were little. The word "NO!" seems to have had the wanted affect.

My dad never did any special securing of guns and ammunition, either. I was taught from a very early age (young as I can remember) that I was not to touch without him, and though he didn't believe in spanking, I knew that handling his guns without permission would probably result in a very raw posterior.

I also have several friends with kids ranging from the age of my girls (2-1/2) and younger to high school, and all have been brought up in households where firearms are a constant presence. Some of them like to shoot, some don't, but all of them respect the gun.

 

[robMaine]

I think most people are missing the "I am not advocating this by any means" line in my post. I just added it to offer varying opinions. I have a newborn and as soon as she is mobile, all firearms will be locked unloaded and a home defense weapon kept in a GunVault or similar.

 

[coolluke01]

^^^ I understood that. I think many are referring to that concept more than the author.

Who gives you the right to judge? Do you even have kids?

Yes I do. Today my 2 year old put his boots on himself, the wrong feet, but he did it. My 4 year old just started doing this about 6 months ago. Children are very different and have varying skill levels. They are not to be underestimated. Especially when death is involved.

I would also not tell you what to do with your kids or when they are old enough to safely handle guns. That's the parents job. This idea that children are incapable of loading a mag or racking the slide, is total foolishness and shows great ignorance. I don't know the mechanical abilities of your children and you don't of mine, so making that statement is not informed or a good blanket policy.

I would only caution safety and not underestimating their abilities.

 

[rskent]

OK, on the teenager thing.
While both of my kids have made it through the teenage years. Both of my kids went through a stupid phase. It amazes me how such smart
level headed young people can make such stupid choices. I don't know if its the social pressures of growing up or just simply hormones.
So in my humble opinion Lock um up

 

[bhk]

I locked up my guns when my kids were teenagers and I was gone from our house/property. The safe was generally unlocked and open when I was home. I locked the safe when I was gone because I was much more worried about the peer pressure my kids might face from visiting friends who just HAD to see my guns when I wasn't there. My daughter was quite upset that I won't give her the combination to the safe and told me she would never let anyone in it. I told her I would rather her be able to honestly tell her friends she didn't know the combination rather than lie about it or stubbornly refuse to open it.

I live in the country and my kids could, and did, shoot anytime the wished as long as I was somewhere on the property. They were trained to be safe shooters. As a previous poster said, all teenagers have 'stupid' moments. I did, and I think most of us on this site did at one time or another. Some of my teenage stupid moments involved guns (not in any criminal way, just very inappropriate 'playing'). Nobody got hurt, but I guess they could have. Kind of scary when I look back at it, and I didn't want my kids facing worse case scenerios.

One poster said he didn't see any drop in shootings since safes became the rage. In reality, the accidental firearms death rate has dropped very significantly in the past few decades.

 

[mcdonl]

Bhk that sounds like a good model to follow.