Toy guns and kids at outdoor range

[Fish Miner]

I was at the public range in Ocala over the weekend and saw a couple kids running around with what looked like airsoft guns pointing at each other and shooting.

The father person with them was not really paying attention, nor did he seem to care. As I was getting my gear out of the car and getting set up they started to leave, thus avoiding me discussing with him the con's of their playing.

Am I just over re-acting? There are so many range violations there anyway (sweeping, finger on triggers, no ear protection/eye etc.:banghead you are taking your life in your hands when shooting with that crazy group

 

[DoubleTapDrew]

I don't think that's an appropriate place to "play" with toy guns. Had the kids been adults they might find themselves looking at a lot of real muzzles in short order.

 

[hso]

The range is not a playground and it is inappropriate to allow your children to go unsupervised at the range.

 

[ArmedBear]

Hell no!

There have been enough close calls with the cops seeing kids playing with some of those toy guns in public places.

Now when I was a kid, no cop would have thought twice about my cap guns, but things are different now. Right or wrong, brandishing something that looks like a firearm is asking to get shot.

 

[Fish Miner]

Thanks- I hate feeling like an old fart- but I am on point when I go there anyway, I just saw a gun in the hands of the kid and he was pointing at someone's back- I looked close and saw it as a toy then, but not before my heart jumped.

I did see a few kids being taught the right way to shoot- which is a good thing, I only wish some of the adults were paying attention to the lesson....

 

[Cougfan2]

Hell no!

I was downrange one time putting up targets when I looked up to see a couple of kids with a Mariln .22 pointing it downrange in my direction. I hit the dirt and they started laughing.

I had a long and pointed conversation with their father who had sent them down to "play" on the rifle range as he was up shooting trap. After that I gave him back the .22 that I had confiscated from the kids and put in the trunk of my car.

 

[gravis86]

You definitely are not overreacting. If I were you, I would have informed the RO why I was leaving, and go somewhere else for the day. A gun range is no place to play. It's very hard to tell the difference between airsoft guns and real guns these days.

Some friends of mine when I was in high school were playing commando-style with airsoft guns in on of their backyards and got the SWAT Team called on them. On of them was hiding behind a bush when he suddenly felt a shotgun in his back. Luckily none of them got hurt, but urban areas are not the best places to play. Apparently a neighbor had seen them playing and called 911, and that was it.

 

[Novus Collectus]

At the range it is horrendous this happened, but that aside I am against toy guns for kids in general. I am not for a toy gun ban and people should be able to raise their kids any way they want to with toy guns or not, but I worry every time I see a kid with a toy gun because when they get ahold of a real one someday they may still treat it like a toy.
Of course, a responsible gun owning parent will teach their kid at a young age the difference between their toys and real guns, but to play with toy guns at a range without following the proper safety practices (pointing down range and treating like a loaded gun) is endangering everyone, lets kids learn improper handling and is irresponsible IMO.

 

[Cannonball888]

Kids should not be playing at the range at all.
BTW, I hate the Ocala range. Drive a little further to Lake City. You'll love it.

 

[finnerandr]

When I lived in Florida, I went to the Ocala Range a few times. NEVER go on the weekends unless you have a death wish! So many unsafe practices out there, its insane. I truly am suprised that noone has been shot there. I always went early morning on the weekdays. About half the time I had the range to myself this way.

 

[azredhawk44]

Yikes! That's just what we need... a kid messing with an airsoft AR, picking up a real AR by mistake and blowing away his buddy.

"Toy" guns shouldn't even be in the same area as real guns.

 

[Ragnar Danneskjold]

I agree that you should be concerned about them playing with airsoft at a range. But as for the fingers on triggers and such, I don't think it much matters. They are kids, and they are airsoft guns. If their dad is trying to show them about proper gun handling, that's one thing. But it looks like just some kids playing, just at the wrong place. It's OK not to be super uptight about procedures when your a kid playing army with fake guns.

I can see it now "Now Timmy, load 1 foam nerf dart and approach the firing line" That's sure to be a BLAST for an 8 year old.

 

[Big Boomer]

now I am not sure that this is actually the way to go about it but...most of my friends, including my mom, wife and many more have had their first gun experience be with a LARGE caliber handgun. I am not advocating this way of teaching I am just saying that it gave immediate results for respect.

They all shot their first handgun around 5 years old, old enough to remember, and if that didn't do it, to ask how they got the scar on their forehead

My mom, age 5, 45 1911 off the forehead, my wife age 5, 44 mag off the forehead. My neighbor 460 mag off the forehead, age 29

They all respect handguns after that first lesson! Amazing!

 

[OAKVILLE SHOOTER]

As already stated, the range is not an appropriate for children to play period. Especially with toy guns. I also feel that toy guns have no place at the range, unless maybe used as a "safer" alternative to a real firearm to teach a child the four rules. Then again with a child, not sure the range is the right place to do that.

I started my two year old out with a Henry Mini-Bolt .22 that I would hold and point at the target/safe direction and let him pull the trigger. (We live in the sticks, and shoot at home!) Now he is almost five and shooting off bags by himself. Yes I still stay VERY close at hand, but I do trust him. He has got almost 3 years of shooting under his belt and is a lot safer than some adults that I know.

He does play cops & robbers/cowboys & indians with his friends using toy guns, just like I did as a kid, and probably most of you did too. But since he started shooting real guns before he had toy guns, he knows the difference between the two and there is NO playing around with the real deal. Kinda like the old bumper sticker, "When the tailgate drops, the bullsxxt stops."

 

[antsi]

------quote-------
"Toy" guns shouldn't even be in the same area as real guns.
-------------------

My grand dad was such a fanatic on this, he insisted no toy guns at all, anywhere, any time for his kids and grandkids. If we wanted to shoot, fine... he'd take us shooting with real guns. But he was always set on the idea that guns are not toys and if some activity or game is not appropriate for real guns, it shouldn't be done with toy guns.

 

[whitetiger7654]

Can someone tell me which Ocala and Lake City ranges?

 

[finnerandr]

Whitetiger, here is some info on the Ocala one:

http://myfwc.com/huntered/Ocala_brochure2.pdf

http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/florida/local-resources/images/maps/oca/oca_rec_areas_06.pdf

Never been to Lake City so I couldnt help you there.

 

[Ready2Defend]

I parent by the theory that play emulates life later. So my children don't point toy guns at each other. When we are handeling real firearms rule 2 has to absolutly be followed(all 4 rules actually). So we practice of not painting each other (not sweeping the barrel at/across) with toy guns.This helps them follow the rules with real guns. My oldest son got a single action 22 ruger bearcat for his 12th birthday last week. (from me). He watches me like a hawk to see if I check all the chambers each time I pickup the gun-even if he just checked the gun and then handed it to me. With the bearcat you have to open the loading gate and half cock to rotate the cylinder. Gotta do it every time. I hope to take him out to the range to shoot it this saturday.

On the original post: no toy guns at ranges!!!! NO pointing (at people) of realistinc toy guns if real guns are in the vicinity. It is comparible to dry firing. Too much risk of an accident/negligent event.

Don't stay in an unsafe enviroment. Either appeal to (or confront) the authority or leave.

 

[tkkr]

I stopped going to my range because it was always over-crowded with people standing in line to shoot, now i shoot by myself at the end of a dirt road in a safe direction thats well over 500 feet away from any residential area, i also disagree with useless range rule #355 'you can only shoot once per every 2 seconds'

 

[Dan-O]

If the range master was worth a bucket of coal, he would have nipped that in the bud had he seen that.

I would have been rude and told the dude to get his kids under control. Not like you could not have told him with your gun in hand. Probably the only place you could call someone out with a gun in hand and get away with it.

 

[starpuss]

i would also of told the dude to watch his kids (and be rude doing it)

 

[gunsmith]

the dad is a complete moron.

I would have asked him why didn't he drop the kids off on a freeway to play tag.

I worry every time I see a kid with a toy gun because when they get ahold of a real one someday they may still treat it like a toy.

No need for your worry, I and many others of my generation and older played with toy guns, you just teach them the four rules for real guns.
War games and toy guns are an important part of learning right from wrong.
By taking away toy guns you are telling little boys that they are wrong for simply being born, One of the Columbine killers mom was stridently anti gun and never let the kid play with toy guns "because guns are for killing only" he took his moms message to heart and as soon as he got a real gun he started killing, "because guns are for killing only"
The liberal experiment of feminizing boys has been a proven failure, boys play war games with toy guns and it is important for their emotional and spiritual growth.....

However, ranges are not playgrounds and there should be strict safety discipline

 

[qajaq59]

Too bad you guys don't live a little further south in Florida. Down in Indian River County there's a county range where that would never happen. The safety rules are enforced by the ROs all the time. I will say they are enforced very politely, but never-the-less they are always enforced.
And hitting the dirt was a good idea. Years ago, at a private club range, myself and 2 others guys were down range putting up targets when a idiot and his 2 kids opened up with some .22 semi autos. His excuse was they wouldn't hit us because we were several stations over.
And no, I didn't beat him to a pulp, but I was certainly tempted to do so.

 

[SteveS]

No need for your worry, I and many others of my generation and older played with toy guns, you just teach them the four rules for real guns.
War games and toy guns are an important part of learning right from wrong.
By taking away toy guns you are telling little boys that they are wrong for simply being born, One of the Columbine killers mom was stridently anti gun and never let the kid play with toy guns "because guns are for killing only" he took his moms message to heart and as soon as he got a real gun he started killing, "because guns are for killing only"
The liberal experiment of feminizing boys has been a proven failure, boys play war games with toy guns and it is important for their emotional and spiritual growth.....

Well said. I never understood the point of making kids treat toy guns just like real guns. Children are capable of understanding the difference. Would you make you kids obey traffic laws when they play with their hot wheels? Would you make your daughter treat her "baby" just like a real baby? The only rule I have in regards to toy guns is that my daughter can only point it at people that are playing. I don't want her running around the neighborhood, pointing a toy gun at random people. That is just plain annoying and could be dangerous, depending on the conditions (older kid...realistic looking toy).

As to your last point, besides being common sense, there has been research that tends to prove this. It applies to all children, not just boys, though.

As to the OP, no, I don't think the range is a good place to be running around playing. When I bring my daughter, I also bring a chair for her to sit in. She is with me the entire time. I don't want her bothering other people or causing any kind of disruption.

 

[Fish Miner]

Just for those few folks on this board who have not shot at Ocala, it is UNSUPERVISED- repeat- NO RO!!!! So you can guess what happens most of the time.