Teaching The Kiddos Gun Safety

[.38 Special]

Spats, that ETA is probably the most important point. The little yonker has to be ready and interested. Heck, my daughter wanted to know about my guns early (10-ish), but didn't get really interested until her 20's. Kids are individuals too.

-jb, like horseback riding. You're ready when you're ready

My older boy was eager to shoot at five years old, so in addition to the safety rules he has had a good start in things like range etiquette, hearing protection, handloading, trigger management, and some of the many other things that go into the game.

My younger boy isn't remotely interested and never has been. He has had the safety rules drilled into him but at this point has shown no desire to so much as look at a gun, let alone handle and shoot one.

So as far as I am concerned, every child should receive thorough instruction in gun safety as soon as they are ready. Anything above that is on a case-by-case basis.

 

[plainsdrifter]

I was taught gun safety with my toy cap guns and other toy guns that shot plastic bullets and BB guns way before I went to NRA Youth classes at the local range.

 

[taliv]

I’m a little skeptical on the no toy guns policy. I get the intent but the reality of everyone I hung out with growing up having toy guns BB guns and real guns seems to indicate it’s not really a problem.

granted none of our toys looked like real ones so I’m excluding airsoft stuff. I’m talking mostly cap guns and dime store cowboy and Indians stuff.

 

[.308 Norma]

I’m a little skeptical on the no toy guns policy. I get the intent but the reality of everyone I hung out with growing up having toy guns BB guns and real guns seems to indicate it’s not really a problem.

granted none of our toys looked like real ones so I’m excluding airsoft stuff. I’m talking mostly cap guns and dime store cowboy and Indians stuff.

Yeah, Dad was kind of that way about toy guns. Oh, he wasn't against kids having toy guns, and he indeed gave me toy guns for birthdays, Christmas and such. But he told me to not point them directly at my friends when we were playing "War" or "Cowboys and Indians" and other similar games.
Dad just didn't like it when one of us kids would point our toy gun directly at someone and holler, "Bang! You're dead!" And he told me about it in no uncertain terms. So I learned to not do that when Dad was around.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

Gun safety should be part of teaching kids safety, period. Teach them to handle power tools safety, make sure the stove is turned off, no toys or other obstructions on the stairs, etc.
Elmer Keith said he was against toy guns, cap guns, etc/, said they led to bad habits.

 

[AlexanderA]

A BB gun is not really a toy, since it shoots an actual projectile. Therefore, all safety precautions would apply.

A cap pistol is altogether different. The intent, in playing cowboys and Indians, is to shoot your opponent. Kids are not going to careful, in this kind of play, not to aim at the others directly.

In historical reenactments, we shoot blanks from real guns. This is not the same as kids playing cowboys and Indians. Adult reenactors make a fetish of never aiming at anyone directly.

Elmer Keith said he was against toy guns, cap guns, etc/, said they led to bad habits.

Exactly.

 

[BLACKHAWKNJ]

When I did Civil War re-enacting the rule was close than 30 yards you aimed over their heads-and NO paper!

 

[AK Hunter]

I taught both my daughters how to handle guns from their first cap guns.
They both have their CCLs & do carry every day.
My youngest entered the Army & has done two tours over seas in Iraq. Then has joined the Army Reserve & has been in it for years.

 

[AlexanderA]

When I did Civil War re-enacting the rule was close than 30 yards you aimed over their heads-and NO paper!

And no ramrods on the field! (I was at an event where the tip of a ramrod broke off in the bore and was fired accidentally. The ramrod tip was found imbedded in a kid's drum. The offender's entire unit was expelled from the event for not enforcing the safety rules.)

 

[.308 Norma]

The ramrod tip was found imbedded in a kid's drum.

 

[GEM]

Teach your kids to safely handle them. However, do not allow them unsupervised access to firearms. Despite your stern and/or loving lectures, studies pretty much show that significant number of kids ignore and play with the guns. Also, idiots have given kids too much gun and because of this, others or the kid have been seriously hurt or killed.

 

[TBL004]

If parents/adults have firearms in the house as responsible gun owners they should provide each child the age-appropriate gun safety education. The operative word is "responsible gun ownership".