Shooters with kids?: A chance to educate some newbies, need some good literature...

[Hand_Rifle_Guy]

Hey, anyone can chime in if they've got a good pointer or link, so everybody's invited!

Hokay, here's how it works.


I have some good friends who aren't gun people. They have an 8-year-old son, who is a great kid. In the course of doing some home improvements at their house, Julian (the squid-kid. ) found out that I'm into guns. With permission, I showed him a few of mine, and I've been answering his questions about what guns are all about, and dispelling a few Hollywierdisms. (He doesn't have too many. Kid's a realist.) So far so good.

The context: Mom is BRITISH. She's a great lady, but carries a few of the well-known pre-conceptions around with her, although she's open-minded enought to listen, and grew up with guns around her house before she came over here. She's shot a handgun before,and has even expressed a delightful interest in the prospect of going shooting despite her knee-jerk mildly anti-gun views.

Dad's a drum-major ex-musician who now runs a very successful party production company, who harbors no anti-ism at all, but he's not into guns, and is basically totally ignorant about 'em.

Enter Julian. The kid's brilliant. I explained the premises of gun control to him,and he thinks they're totally stupid. He recognizes that People have to activate the machine for it to cause harm, and understands the concept of personal responsibility. He even asked about machine guns, and thinks that California's Class III ban is a lot of hooey. He knows that guns, like knives, are not dangerous or criminal to own, unless you use them to commit a crime. Neat kid. (I'm priviliged to be considered his friend, by him AND his folks.)

Now, lately, Kiddo has expressed a keen desire to do some sort of shooting, including asking me about specific types of guns, and whether I've got kid-appropriate stuff he could use. I said "Sure, IF your parents are ok with it AND they have to go along and supervise."

Naturally, this provoked a storm of pestering, which got me in the hotseat, sorta. Dad's ok with the idea, and talked to me about a loan of a tired pump-air rifle I've got. Better 'n better.

Mom's another story. "He's too young!" she cried. I told her the best way to deal with "gun obsession" was to satisfy the curiosity, rather than forbid it. I mentioned that lots of folks start their kids shooting at age 5 or 6, sometimes.

I also told her it was ABSOLUTELY her decision as to whether Squid-kid starts now or later, as I wasn't trying to change her mind. BUT, I asked her to recognize that she was doing a knee-jerk thing to the "guns are dangerous" mantra, and that she was really making an uninformed decision. Additionally, I acknowledged that they weren't gun people, and that she (And Dad.) needed to read a stack of information about gun-handling, safety, supervision, The Four Rules, etc., and perhaps some kid-specific info as well.

So I need some help. The Four Rules I can get, but can you good folks point me at some threads, sites, literature, etc., that I can printout and hand over as "mandatory reading" for these folks so that they have a better grasp of what they're dealing with? Eventually I would like to move them up to real guns and a range visit. (I have all appropriate newbie/kid gun types, i.e. single-shot .22 rifle, .22 pistols, pistol-caliber rifles, but no shotgun stuff.) But for now, it's a low-powered air-rifle, and an afternoon with Me 'n Dad, with Mom and Sis helping if they want. (If AT ALL, initialy. Mom can say no as far as I care, and it goes nowhere. Like I said, not trying to change her mind, and it's her son.) Lessons about responsibility, and all that good stuff. When finished for the day, Dad's in charge of the gun, and I'm going to provide a trigger-lock.

I also would like some info regarding hunting, and hunting ethics,as Squid-kid expressed an interest in "bird shooting" outta nowhere lately. I don't hunt at all, so I need a stack of the correct attitude to take towards shooting vs. hunting/killing, so the parents can understand about it to answer Julian's questions the RIGHT way, as opposed to a "hunting is WRONG" way. (They're not anti-hunting, but I want to head off that knee-jerk thing again.)

I think this is a great opportunity for these folks to be introduced to guns in a positive way, and they want to be very responsible about it, which I like.

I also love this kid (And his older sister.) like they're my own kids. I would love a chance to teach him about guns, (And gun-proof 'em both.) and make a few converts to the cause while I'm at it. Who knows, maybe they'll actually get guns of their own, instead of smiling when I rib 'em (Gently! ) about it.

So please, some good references, that I may help out my good friends,and maybe our future, in the best way possible.

Thanks, all!

 

[whm1974]

Start out with a .22 rifle or pistol. Most people can shoot petty good with one after a few shots. Massad Ayoob has some good books on kids and guns. The kid may pick up firearms safety easyer then his parents.

On another note, when you let them handle your guns keep reminding them that guns are aways loaded and keep the finger off the trigger.

Bill Meadows

 

[Sisco]

http://www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie/

 

[The Reaper]

I'm biased, but I would get them the NRA Basic Rifle book. You do not have to be an instructor or even a member to order it. You could get the pistol and shotgun books also. If you are not an NRA instructor, tell the NRA you just want the student book, not the the student certificate. It's $6.00 for most of the books. The books cover all the basics, and are good for beginners. I also try to run kids through the NRA qualification programs. After they get their first level they get the patch, medal and certificate. When they earn a new level they get a rocker for their patch, rocker for their medal, and a certificate. It gives the kids some tangible feedback for their accomplshments and the cost is minimal.

There are other books and guides from the NRA as well:

NRA Junior Rifle Handbook 09450 $7.00
The Skeeter's Guide 09180 $2.50 (Shotgunning written by the NSSA)
The Hunter's Guide 06000 $10.00

800-336-7402 to order 8 AM - 11 PM M-F and 10 AM - 6 PM Sat-Sun

If your state has Hunter Education Training that is sometimes a good place to pick up good info on Hunting and Hunting Ethics. The guys and gals we have doing it in my area are very good, and here it is free. You may also want to check your state's department of game and inland fisheries, or natural resources department website. In VA we can get a lot of info free or very inexpensively through our state website.

Be safe and have fun.

 

[Zero]

I would add this from my experience.

Over the years I've known several families that were into what we can call "outdoor" type activities, ie: camping, fishing, shooting, etc. Thinking back now, I don't recall any stories of the children of these families getting into trouble at school or on the street. These children grew up around shooting, and were taken to shoot quite frequently. Therefore they didn't have a desire to "sneak" a peak at any of the firearms that were in the house. They enjoyed shooting at the range, and hunting, and knew that their fathers would take them shooting, pretty much whenever they wanted to go. What I'm trying to say here is that these children were some of the most well adjusted and stable kids i've been around. They had a healthy outlook on life, and were respectful of everyone. Not so with some other families I've known, where kids were left to raise themselves, or be raised by the television. These kids were disrespectful, got into trouble at school and on the street quite frequently. Some of them turned out to be real losers. Kids can handle more than we give them credit for, but they have to be taught.

 

[pax]

Probably the best book you can shove into their hands would be Mas Ayoob's Gun Proof Your Children. It's not very long, but it is worth the price.

pax

You can learn many things from children. how much patience you have, for instance. -- Franklin P. Jones

 

[FMarlon]

Hi!

Try this one.

Link to Oleg's site

Frank

 

[Standing Wolf]

If eight isn't too young to learn to swim, it's not too young to learn to shoot—and do laundry, and clean the garage, and ride a bicycle, and look after a pet, and spend an allowance, and all the rest of it.

 

[kudu]

The family that shoots together stays together.

There is nothing that will help a kid learn responsability as quick as shooting and what accidents can happen if guns aren't handled properly.

A kid that has that fascination with guns should be shown what a gun can do to a melon, to drive home the point of muzzle awareness. Show him one blown up by a rifle or large handgn, it will get his attention. Don't do it to scare him, but as a teaching tool.

There is probably no better instant gratification as shooting clay targets that are flying with a shotgun. If he's showing an interest in bird hunting finds a skeet and trap club to show him how much fun it is for the people that shoot there, and his parents too. Many families shoot skeet together and have a wonderful time. Shooting paper targets is fun but can get boring quick, a good way to get the basics down.

 

[Waitone]

If the kid is interested in guns to the point of talking with an adult, he will use them, with or without his parents approval. So now the question becomes how do you introduce the kid and parents safely.

Sounds like you've got a good plan.

My only advice is move past the air rifle as fast as reasonable possible. Use it to brand the 4 rules into the kids and his parents head, then move quickly to a .22 . Once they get used to the idea that guns are not evil, wicked, and that users are not psychotic move to a demo trip to the range. Big guns, little guns, long guns, short guns. Bust up a few melons. Tear up a few phone books, Hit a few shaving cream cans. If the games have be be on a clays range, so much the better.

Keep us posted.

 

[effengee]

kids and guns

As stated, you are certainly going in the right direction...
I have six kids.
They know I have guns and they know what they can do.
See about getting an airsoft spring action.
I've been using a full scale pistol replica to teach proper handling and with
no recoil and indoor velocity into a sticky target it really makes for some fun.
We don't need to even go outside to practice.

 

[Farnham]

I just want to say thank you, Hand_Rifle_Guy, you're doing exactly what most of us should be doing. Making more shooters! Help em out, if you need to borrow a shotgun or an M1A, give me a call, I'd love to help out. Teach 'em well, and thank "Mom" for letting them come shooting with you!