Kids and Firearms

[out2kayak]

Just curious when everyone started teaching their children how to correctly use firearms.

Thoughts?

[Sieg]

When we arrived home from the hospital after the birth of our first child, a son who's 14 now, there was a Daisy Red Rider BB Gun on our doorstep from his uncle.........so we started pretty early. :D

I'm sure there's thousands of metro's that think I should be jailed for exposing a child to this.........
http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-2MX848f/0/X2/i-2MX848f-X2.jpg
Doesn't seem to be bothering him though.

Daughter's first .22 being properly modified, she was 7 at the time.
http://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-hB2bdXD/0/L/i-hB2bdXD-L.jpg

Son with his Remington Model 34 Junior Target with factory peep sights.......one shot one kill at 25 yards, he was 9 at the time.
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Eastern-OR-08/i-BtbRFm4/0/XL/IMGP4053-XL.jpg

This is against the law now, she was fully capable of safely operating this quad solo at 7, took about 10+ hours of hands on training.
http://sieg.smugmug.com/Other/Eastern-OR-08/i-kmgvnK9/0/XL/IMGP3950-XL.jpg

Don't let other's opinions guide you or your children's desires. You can't find out if their interested unless you expose them and pay careful attention to their body language. :thumbsup:

[waynieZ]

:thumbsup: Agreed !

[renegade6]

I think I started at 4 or 5 with my son. Key is to teach them respect of them and that they aren't toys. I think a lot of kids get in trouble when they are trying to figure them out and don't understand them.

[Sieg]

Muzzle awareness/direction and finger off the trigger cannot be over emphasized. Those over-rule action open/unloaded/safety on IMO because when the guns being used it's in a hot condition. If the the muzzle is kept towards the sky or at the ground that minimizes the severity of accidental discharges.

I was a drill sergeant with them at first, kids tend to let that muzzle float all over

[camcojb]

I was a drill sergeant with them at first, kids tend to let that muzzle float all over
Unfortunately some adults tend to do the same. :rolleyes:

[GregWeld]

We asked our "uncle" to not get firearms etc for Alex's 7th birthday --- so he showed up with a bow and arrows...

hahahahaha --- Gwen wanted to use them on him!


I immediately went down and bought some hay bales and set up a great target backdrop in the backyard.... We had a couple acres. Was perfect! He still has his first bb gun and uses it! He's 26 now... still loves that little gun.


I agree with Sieg --- it's all about proper education --- and how you teach them and whether or not they show proper RESPECT. I'd rather have that around me than someone that's never had any weapons handling/training and is just curious but handles things wrong because they just don't know.

My kids know that weapons go in the safe unless being transported and used... and that is for the family's and others protection.

To me it's like teaching your kids to drive. You want them to drive = you want them to be safe -- you want them to respect that PRIVILEGE (it's not a right!).

[Sieg]

Unfortunately some adults tend to do the same. :rolleyes:
I was dove hunting with a friend, leaving the site I'm undoing a barbed wire wood post gate and .........BOOM! There's a 2" hole through the post 9-12" from my head. My "ex-friend" had put the gun over his shoulder rib down finger on the trigger safety off with his back turned to me.............last time I tolerated poor/sloppy firearm safety in my presence and I'm not shy if someone gets sloppy. :warning:

[Lowfast]

Starting now at age 6 with BB gun, will move "up" to more searious weponry when he shows responsibility and proficency at handling the BB gun. It is a kid by kid basis, safety is paramount.

[toy71camaro]

We just started with this a little bit this year. My son is 7.5 and my daughter is 4.

We went the "airsoft" handgun route. That way we could stay indoors at close range.

Teaching them the important rule about knowing your surroundings, muzzle location, trigger/safety, etc.

teaching them that it dont matter if its an airsoft, bb gun, or .45, its all the same. We dont "play" with them, and we handle them all the same as if they're loaded. More emphasis has been placed on it with my Son, he's more excited about it than my girl. Which i could expect. lol.

Airsoft's are in the safe at all times, just like any other gun would be.

[Che70velle]

We just started with this a little bit this year. My son is 7.5 and my daughter is 4.

We went the "airsoft" handgun route. That way we could stay indoors at close range.

Teaching them the important rule about knowing your surroundings, muzzle location, trigger/safety, etc.

teaching them that it dont matter if its an airsoft, bb gun, or .45, its all the same. We dont "play" with them, and we handle them all the same as if they're loaded. More emphasis has been placed on it with my Son, he's more excited about it than my girl. Which i could expect. lol.

Airsoft's are in the safe at all times, just like any other gun would be.



Well said. I will add to this discussion that I personally don't bring a new firearm into my home, without my 9 year old son getting the opportunity to look it over real well. This puts to bed his curiosity about the firearm, and mentally he's over it. My son knew at the age of seven to treat every weapon, as though it's loaded.
Take your kids shooting a lot. Practice firearm safety often, because practice makes perfect.