Children and firearm safety

@HKCarrier, that was a truly excellent post.

good job HKcarrier.

now like it says on the bottle rinse and repeat.

Don't hide your guns. My daughter (16) went to a women on target (NRA) class, and now wants nothing to do with guns. So I gave her a pepper spray for xmas (14 legal age in WA). My son (13 years) has a .22 rifle and has claimed my Hi-Point 9mm Carbine as "his". The other day when I mounted a scope on his .22 for his B-Day the first thing he did was to clear it. They are so used to me OC'ing and having guns around the house they no longer have that "curiosity". So don't hide them, make them knowledgeable to the point they don't care.

Why was your 16 put off by them?

lol, my 8 year old claimed my XD .40

It's never too early to start gun safety IMO. I started carrying my liluns around in a sling to gun shows as soon as they came out. It's about acclimatizing, and taking the novelty off. They get practiced at being around guns and not touching. I also took them with me to the range as soon as their ears would fit hearing protection.

As soon as they're old enough to know what a gun is is when I started them on more detailed safety. At 3ish, I could tell my youngest all day long "don't play with guns", but she wouldn't distinguish Daddy's revolver on his hip from a semiauto HG or a rifle. As soon as she could recognize when I asked her "What is that?" is when I started on why they are dangerous and why not to touch them.

I agree with Cornered Cat as a resource. I disagree on using toy guns for training. Like someone said, they learn "muscle memory". That means if they're used to running around with their finger on the trigger, that's the way they'll train. We don't allow "gun games" in our house. You don't practice/play pointing guns at eachother. I'll buy my girls all the real guns they want, but I significantly discourage playing with toy guns. If you can monitor them to make sure they practice muzzle control, that's great, but I don't like guns being treated like "toys".

I also disagree that a 6yo can't understand "death". It depends on how they're raised. Today's kids have certainly been desensitzed to violence and its seriousness and are sheltered away from a lot of unpleasantness. But if "death" isn't hidden from them, they can fully grasp its finality. My kids go with us to family funerals and understand what's happened. They've helped/watched me clean game since they walk. The oldest (6) was helping me with some pheasants recently. I showed her the shotgun damage and asked her what she thought a gun would do to her or her sister or her friends.

I took the oldest to a defensive pistol match and she didn't cope well with the .45s going off indoors. She'll build up to it. She's eager to learn, though. She's working with an airgun, but is still 2 years too young for 4H shoothing sports.

mahkagari said:

I disagree on using toy guns for training. Like someone said, they learn "muscle memory". That means if they're used to running around with their finger on the trigger, that's the way they'll train.

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Mine was taught finger off trigger with her toys. Im using an airsoft as a training aid right now, because she is still sweeping people with the muzzle. Im not ready to give her a handgun yet, when Im satisfied she wont sweep me or someone else, she can have her P-22. Toys are great training aides, but you have to parent them.

Hk: Understanding the concept of "Death" is a learned. If a child is introduced to it early, they will comprehend early. My dad was a Lutheran minister, he officiated at many funerals, and by the time I was old enough to go to school, I had probably gone to over 50 funerals.

Believe me, by the time I was 4 years old, I had a full understanding of what "death" was...(these funerals included my Grandfather (father's father) and my grandmother (mom's mom). I was 12 when my dad's mom died. The rest of the funerals were for members of his congregations, including one for a 16 year old that was killed in a motorcycle accident)

Interesting article relevant to teaching children about shooting

http://monachuslex.com/?p=92

Country music singer Craig Morgan taught his daughter, and wisely. She acted properly when a gun-wielding intruder entered her home.

Sorry that it's taken me a while to respond to everyone. I cut my hand really badly on some glass and I haven't been able to type until now. I sliced my right thumb down to the bone. This really rammed home the need to practice more with my non-dominant hand as I haven't been able to shoot with my right hand at all. Strangely enough, I have been shooting more accurately left handed (granted, I am not as fast as with my right hand). Maybe I'm just concentrating more. Who knows?

Thanks to all for your responses, there is some really good information in all of your posts. It looks like I will be teaching my daughter the four rules starting next week (I will also allow her to handle my unloaded firearms w/ supervision), followed by some actual shooting at the range. I wish I still had an air rifle to start her off with but a .22 LR will have to suffice.

As a side note, last week my daughter came home and said that while on a play date, her friend showed her where her dad kept his guns (we have a decent amount of hunters in Connecticut, which is great!). After a quick call to him, he confirmed they were locked and kept in a safe manner but this really brings home the point of teaching your kids firearm safety. I would much rather trust my kid's skill set rather than place my trust in someone else that the firearms are unloaded/locked.

Thanks again to you all.

Simply #9 again its sarcasm

zack991 said:

Simply #9 again its sarcasm

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Amen. Also #8 extremely important. Damn monkeys are dangerous....

stainless1911 said:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhxqIITtTtU

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As my wife was born & raised in South Africa and I've spent a lot of time there, I feel somewhat qualified to write that this is hilarious...!

Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. said:

Strangely enough, I have been shooting more accurately left handed (granted, I am not as fast as with my right hand). Maybe I'm just concentrating more. Who knows?

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Yeah, I am somewhat like that as well.. was surprised at how well I shot LH... Feels weird as hell, but I can do it ok... I agree though... you must practice weak hand draws, reloads, etc....

Sgt. Kabukiman N.Y.P.D. said:

I wish I still had an air rifle to start her off with but a .22 LR will have to suffice.

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I just picked up a crossman air rifle for $30... good for the kiddos.

Children and your firearms safety

Children are inherently dangerous to firearms. I keep children well away from my firearms in order to keep them safe from scratches, nicks, fingerprints, and having food particles stuffed into their orifices. Not only are children dangerous to my firearms, they also harbor disease that they often pick up from other children at goverment run indoctorination camps; AKA "schools".

I believe we need more regulations to keep my firearms and I safe from the scourge of children plaguing this once great nation. Because of this I will not vote for any candidate who uses phrases like "it's for the children" or "we must keep our children safe" as they are obviously nothing more than corporate shills for Gerber, Fischer Price, and Toys R Us.


Will you do your part to keep firearms safe from kids?
:lol:

Well said.

Sgt K. Sorry to hear you were so badly injured. Hope your hand heals quickly. My dad learned to do everything with his right hand, after he injured his left (he was a lefty).

Maybe you are left eye dominant? After the injury dad found he was right eye dominent even though he was left handed. Our oldest daughter is the same, left handed, but right eye dominent. She shoots more accurately right handed also. Happens.

hermannr said:

Sgt K. Sorry to hear you were so badly injured. Hope your hand heals quickly. My dad learned to do everything with his right hand, after he injured his left (he was a lefty).

Maybe you are left eye dominant? After the injury dad found he was right eye dominent even though he was left handed. Our oldest daughter is the same, left handed, but right eye dominent. She shoots more accurately right handed also. Happens.

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Thanks. It's mostly healed now, but I've lost a lot of feeling in my right thumb (I artfully severed some nerves at the absolute worst place on the underside of my thumb). Hopefully, the numbness will go away in time (it sucks for hitting the mag release as I can't feel what I'm doing).

I am certainly right eye dominant, but have always been able to switch between the two with very little effort. After your comment I noticed that I was sometimes switching my focus to my left eye, when I was shooting left handed. Weird.

Started my grandson out in Cowboy Action shooting when he was 10. Went to a lot of matches for several years. We did monthly 1 day shoots several times a month and a couple 3 day matches each year. He's 17 now and has other interests, but whenever I bring home a new gun, and hand it to him, he checks for clear first. At least I know that he understands safety. Anyone with children or grandchildren can find a local Cowboy Action match to go and watch. Someone will probably try to hand you guns to try it out, but that's just the Cowboy way. www.sassnet.com