Anything and everything - getting a gun, carrying a gun, age to carry...

Welcome to the forum! I joined OCDO two years ago when I was 18. I have learned so much since then just by reading the forums. I don't post a whole lot, but I read just about every day. You'll learn a lot from the people on this forum.

So it's not illegal?
So but your post was a little confusing.

Thomasmcnlt6 said:

Thanks guys.
Yes, I am new to this, and I am also too young to buy or posses a gun, but I've made up my mind and when the time comes I will purchase. I don't want you think that this is a childish decision made by kid either. All of you are very knowledgeable and I thank you guys for that. I've been looking for a place to get a copy of the gun owner's guide, but if I can't find one I'll order it online.

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Since you must be under 18, you can talk to your parents about enrolling yourself in a marksmanship program or taking some air-rifle training. Shooting techniques are the same between guns and you can start now rather than waiting to buy a pistol. There is always paintball and bb/airsoft guns but they probably don't mimic real pistols very well.

So my point is you can start training now and preparing. I started my daughters shooting at 9 & 11. Asking your dad to take you to the range may work too. Typically they won't rent to someone under (18/21) so if your dad had a gun to practice with it would be best. You can also go to gunbroker.com and monitor prices to get an idea of how much things cost. budsgunshop is good too. Online you won't be able to purchase though until you are 21. If your parents aren't anti they can buy and take you to the range to practice. At 18 you can receive the gun as a gift from them.

The first thing you should learn is safety though. Read up, watch videos, etc. One thing you will notice in any good firearm video is that the take SAFETY very very very seriously!!! We are talking about a deadly weapon. http://www.youtube.com/user/nutnfancy (ignore the 1st video up right now)

Edited to add: I missed some of the above posts and just read the last two when the email link took me there.

45acpForMe said:

Since you must be under 18, you can talk to your parents about enrolling yourself in a marksmanship program or taking some air-rifle training. Shooting techniques are the same between guns and you can start now rather than waiting to buy a pistol. There is always paintball and bb/airsoft guns but they probably don't mimic real pistols very well.

So my point is you can start training now and preparing. I started my daughters shooting at 9 & 11. Asking your dad to take you to the range may work too. Typically they won't rent to someone under (18/21) so if your dad had a gun to practice with it would be best. You can also go to gunbroker.com and monitor prices to get an idea of how much things cost. budsgunshop is good too. Online you won't be able to purchase though until you are 21. If your parents aren't anti they can buy and take you to the range to practice. At 18 you can receive the gun as a gift from them.

The first thing you should learn is safety though. Read up, watch videos, etc. One thing you will notice in any good firearm video is that the take SAFETY very very very seriously!!! We are talking about a deadly weapon.

Edited to add: I missed some of the above posts and just read the last two when the email link took me there.

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Ditto what45acp
You can work on your shooting skills with one of the better airsoft pistols. I have a 1911 that operates, weighs the same and handles just like my real 1911's.

God help me for saying this....but you can also take your CHP classes now and in addition to getting your certification which you can use at age 21 (Trusr me, it isn'y that far away) but if you take one of the more involved classes, get a good basis in gun safety and handling.

You might want to PM Proshooter or VCDL president for details and see if they have a Junior rate.:lol:

peter nap said:

God help me for saying this....but you can also take your CHP classes now and in addition to getting your certification which you can use at age 21 (Trusr me, it isn'y that far away) but if you take one of the more involved classes, get a good basis in gun safety and handling.

You might want to PM Proshooter or VCDL president for details and see if they have a Junior rate.:lol:

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We do offer our Basic Firearms Safety class for half price for someone under 18, but they must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian who also registers and takes the class at the normal price.

Shoot my parents weren't anti and they still didn't want to be involved with guns. Dad wasn't convinced of the legality and wouldn't buy one I could use. So I got guns elsewhere and went on to fix the ignorance problem. Dad now owns a gun, and Mom is in the market for one.

I took my CHP class when I was 20. It sure did not feel like 21 wasn't far away.

IMO it's too early to start looking at handgun prices. I did when I was your age and it was only a tease. It is probably a good idea to start saving up money now however so you probably can't avoid it. Don't forget you're going to need holsters and as much ammo as you can afford.

Thomas you could also meet the requirements for CHP training by taking a hunter's safety course which discusses safe handling of firearms. Of course this will not result in a discussion of applicable firearm carry laws (except perhaps for hunting only), but you'd meet the CHP training requirement just the same.

To the OP: suggestions for helping your parents understand your POV

First of all, the best thing is that neither you nor your parents think the other is nuts. This also means that your most important job is to keep it that way.

Rather than lecture them about the matter at hand, or even just expressing your thoughts, you may want to ask questions, questions that require thought and consideration. When your folks come back with a typical anti knee-jerk response, refrain from immediately pointing out the obvious-to-you logical fallacies. Let a few days or weeks go by to let them think about it, then ask the question again, perhaps in a different way, and/or ask for clarification, e.g. "I understand what you are saying, but this part of your answer doesn't make sense to me...can you explain?" Or, if their perspective is based on unspecified concerns, "how can I convince you that I can handle...?" Sooner or later either their logical house of cards will come tumbling down, or you will reach an impasse at a core belief you do not share. Either way both "sides" will be a lot closer to understanding the other. With understanding comes acceptance of, and sometimes, respect for another's perspective.

It is easier and more effective to lead someone's way than to push them in a direction they're reluctant to go.

I think ProShooter's class-with-a-parent suggestion is great. "I've already told you I intend to buy a handgun when I am of age, don't you want me to know how to use it safely?" Hopefully, you will get a "yes" to that. "How will you know whether I am handling it safely if you don't take the class too?"

Be patient, you have the advantage of plenty of time to let your situation mature to where you want it to be.

I'll try this

architect said:

First of all, the best thing is that neither you nor your parents think the other is nuts. This also means that your most important job is to keep it that way.

Rather than lecture them about the matter at hand, or even just expressing your thoughts, you may want to ask questions, questions that require thought and consideration. When your folks come back with a typical anti knee-jerk response, refrain from immediately pointing out the obvious-to-you logical fallacies. Let a few days or weeks go by to let them think about it, then ask the question again, perhaps in a different way, and/or ask for clarification, e.g. "I understand what you are saying, but this part of your answer doesn't make sense to me...can you explain?" Or, if their perspective is based on unspecified concerns, "how can I convince you that I can handle...?" Sooner or later either their logical house of cards will come tumbling down, or you will reach an impasse at a core belief you do not share. Either way both "sides" will be a lot closer to understanding the other. With understanding comes acceptance of, and sometimes, respect for another's perspective.

It is easier and more effective to lead someone's way than to push them in a direction they're reluctant to go.

I think ProShooter's class-with-a-parent suggestion is great. "I've already told you I intend to buy a handgun when I am of age, don't you want me to know how to use it safely?" Hopefully, you will get a "yes" to that. "How will you know whether I am handling it safely if you don't take the class too?"

Be patient, you have the advantage of plenty of time to let your situation mature to where you want it to be.

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Thomasmcnlt6 said:

I'll try this

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What architect says is very good advice that many people twice, three times your age find hard to follow.

Others responses are equally good.

Reading your posts here, I believe you'll do just fine.

Thanks

Thomas, I'm sorry you aren't closer to me. If you were, I would willingly meet your parents (and have my children meet them as well). My 19 year old got a .45 cal Glock 22SF for her 18th birthday. We had an OCDO Dinner on her birthday where she wore her pistol for the first time. She had learned to shoot it long before that so she (and I) would be comfortable with her carrying. Her 13 year old sister is a competitive shooter. She shoots Conventional .22 rifle in a local gun club. Without it going to her head, she's a pretty good shooter. I have difficulty even SEEING the sights on her Anschutz rifle, but she doesn't have a problem. My 11 year old son is the "newest" shooter in the family. He shot bb and pellet guns in Cub Scout Day Camp and Boy Scout Summer Camp the last few years.

I give you this short family biography to reinforce that we are just "An American Family". Not a bunch of gun nuts, but believers in our way of life and the U. S. Constitution. Your parents could talk to any of my kids (even the 17-year old that doesn't shoot, but is interested in CCing a pistol for self-defense when she's old enough). I became a military small arms instructor in 1986 and retired from the service in 2005. I still teach part time. I would gladly teach you and your family (first lesson free) a course in firearms safety and basic marksmanship.

We do make it up to NOVA once in a while to visit family & friends. I think we're about due for that trip pretty soon. My kids are interested in seeing the Holocaust Museum. I've seen it and it is pretty amazing. I will need to find somewhere to leave my pistol when we come up there, though...

I share everyone else's welcome and offer: Feel free to ask any and all questions. If we don't know the answer, we'll find out for you. We're always willing to help out.

Regards;
Mike

I tried to tell them that the people on here are very open and friendly, and from what I can tell, no stranger than our neighbors. Well, that's not a good example, but naturally they thought that I was naive and being taken advantage of by a group or rightwing nutjobs trying to force their opinion on the weak minds of the next generation. I in the rifle club at school because I enjoy shooting, and because of that I have two NRA qualifications. I'm not sure if that's actually worth anything, but they're displayed on my wall.

We do make it up to NOVA once in a while to visit family & friends. I think we're about due for that trip pretty soon. My kids are interested in seeing the Holocaust Museum. I've seen it and it is pretty amazing. I will need to find somewhere to leave my pistol when we come up there, though...

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Why do you need to leave your pistol somewhere?
Oh wait, the Holocaust museum is in DC right?
Yeah I've never been, the concept to me is just to horrible, the reminder that the evil that human beings are capable of disgusts me.

I went to Robinson in Fairfax and was also on the rifle team. (Shooting, not spinning like a cheerleader). I'm a firm believer that if we don't study history, we are doomed to repeat it. As reprehensible as it is, I firmly believe every American should visit a Holocaust museum and share the experience with others. Do you know there are acutally people around that DENY it ever happened?

How do your parents feel about the Constitution? I suspect they may be liberals and therefore have difficulty with the truth. Let me go out on a limb here and guess they voted for the resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave... I offer my children as examples of fairly well-rounded young people. They listen to music I really don't like (but I let them listen to it because it is their right). My oldest had a tattoo. I thought it was a silly idea when she asked for it, but I drove her to the place to get it and helped pay for it. My 17 year old has piercings. Not just in her ears. I think she looks silly, and I've told her that. I also allowed her to get them and even signed a permission slip for her because she was underage when she got her first one.

Hopefully, your parents are open-minded about your Constitutional Rights and will allow you to expand your horizons and exercise your rights.

Wow, I can't believe not all people think the same way I do!
I'm a democrat at heart, but I also believe that we should exercise our rights.
If I ever have a daughter (which I want to) I will never let her pierce anything but her ears. I think it makes a girl look...less respectable. Interesting though that the earrings don't bother me.

Thomasmcnlt6 said:

--Snip--
Oh wait, the Holocaust museum is in DC right?
Yeah I've never been, the concept to me is just to horrible, the reminder that the evil that human beings are capable of disgusts me.

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Thomas Welcome and good luck convincing the parents. Most of us here are level headed family people. My sons are grown and now we're teaching the grandkids together.

My parents weren't anti-gun but we never had any in my home when I was growing up. My dad had all the guns he wanted to deal with in the south pacific during WWII as a fireman's mate on an LST. The first gun I ever fired was a 22lr at a camp a friend of my mom worked at when I was 11 and I was hooked. the rest I learned from my older brother and brother-in-law and I am still learning.

As far as the Holocaust Museum, the evil that human beings are capable of disgusts me also, but sometimes people need to be reminded of the past to prevent it from happening again.

Again welcome and good luck.

I'm more Constitutionalist / Libertarian. I often think both major parties are wrong about things.

Back OT: There is a lot of experience & knowledge here. You would be wise to gather as much information as you can and share it with your parents. The Virginia Gun Owners Guide answers a LOT of questions.

Thomasmcnlt6 said:

Wow, I can't believe not all people think the same way I do!
I'm a democrat at heart, but I also believe that we should exercise our rights.
If I ever have a daughter (which I want to) I will never let her pierce anything but her ears. I think it makes a girl look...less respectable. Interesting though that the earrings don't bother me.

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I went to school with a girl who had purple hair and multiple piercings in her nose & ears along with a thin gold chain that ran from her nose to her left ear.

One of the most beautiful women in the school too. She was good enough to pull it off and still look classy. If I had had the nerve, I would have asked her out. But in my opinion, she was out of my league.

But how you choose to let your children express their 1st Amendment rights (or any of them) is up to you. Your kids and all. As my kids get older, we have been letting them have more and more say in their manner of dress, hair style, etc. They know we have final authority but as long as they make sensible choices appropriate for their age group, we'll approve what they choose.

That's the thing about rights... they are a package deal. As a parent, I'm the guardian and custodian of my chidren's rights until they are of the age of majority or emancipated. At that point, they have full control over their rights. It's part of my job to make sure they know how to properly, safely, and securely exercise *ALL* their rights. Yes that includes the 2nd too.

MSC 45ACP said:

I'm more Constitutionalist / Libertarian. I often think both major parties are wrong about things.

Back OT: There is a lot of experience & knowledge here. You would be wise to gather as much information as you can and share it with your parents. The Virginia Gun Owners Guide answers a LOT of questions.

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Outstanding book. I have the 2008 edition and it got read more than a few times in the first few weeks of owning it.