Kids and firearms

[BrasilNuts]

I remember having my first BB gun when I was about 5 years old. I have a friend in Alaska who has two sons that have both shot and killed black bears with a 22/250 at the age of 5.

My question is, at what age do you think it is appropriate for a child to start learning about/shooting firearms?

I know it depends a lot on the child as well as the parents, but I would like to hear your opinions and experiences.

[Mike.357]

My grandson is pushing 6 years old. He has his own .22 single shot rifle. It is a real rifle not a cricket or whatever. He is very safe as far as 5 year olds go.

I guess being around me and seeing guns all the time it is natural to him. He does not pay any attention to any gun left sitting in the open. He knows that if he wants to handle (play with) a gun all he needs to do is mention it. I drop whatever I am doing and accomodate him.

I hound him about safety while we shoot and it has really paid off.

The key is to set the child up so they can be safe. Mine is sitting and using a bipod. He is not strong enough to shoot off hand and in so allowing him to do that would be unsafe.

I think 5 is old enough, maybe as young as 3 or 4. Exposing them to firearms very early on is the key.

[Guest Brian@GunDepot]

It really depends on the maturity level of the child, but ~5 years old isn't a bad age to expose to .22 caliber weapons in my opinion. I had a BB gun at that age, but also had a .22 rifle that was kept in a locked gun cabinet too. I could play with the BB gun anytime and all the time, but I had to be under supervision with the .22 rifle.

[Guest jdavis]

I have a six year old that has been shooting since he was four he is very respectful of any gun, i never allowed him to have any toy guns that even resembled a real gun i feel like that is the reason he has always been respectful of firearms ,(i let him have big water guns and things so he didnt get left out on the gun thing with the other kids so no im not badddd),i have always felt that toy makers make toy guns too realistic i feel that contributes to kids shooting kids more than any other excuse people use, he shoots very well and watches everything and always has, every time he shoots i drill gun safety in his head and he has learned very well sometimes he catches me doing something and reminds me, so in my opinion if they are prepared then there is no age limit get them started a.s.a.p. with adult supervision of course. they are like empty barrels at early ages just waiting for someone to fill them with knowledge.

[TripleDigitRide]

My daughter is 9. I'm gonna pick her up a pink .22 very soon.

[Guest jackdog]

started all my children between 4 and 5. with a single shot 22. Used to have competitions. winner got his choice of the movie or eatery.

[patbax2]

Start as young as you feel comfortable with. I had bb guns at five. Somewhere around seven I had my first "real" gun. A chepo .410 single shot shotgun. My granddad cut the stock off shorter for me and refinished it (Thats why its a different color). I actually still have that gun now.

[NuTcAsE]

My grandson is pushing 6 years old. He has his own .22 single shot rifle. It is a real rifle not a cricket or whatever. He is very safe as far as 5 year olds go.

I guess being around me and seeing guns all the time it is natural to him. He does not pay any attention to any gun left sitting in the open. He knows that if he wants to handle (play with) a gun all he needs to do is mention it. I drop whatever I am doing and accomodate him.

I hound him about safety while we shoot and it has really paid off.

The key is to set the child up so they can be safe. Mine is sitting and using a bipod. He is not strong enough to shoot off hand and in so allowing him to do that would be unsafe.

I think 5 is old enough, maybe as young as 3 or 4. Exposing them to firearms very early on is the key.

+1, I have always approached it as "Kid proofing my guns", not "Gun proofing my kids". Any time they want to see them, all they got to do is ask.

[Fivestring63]

As a matter of fact, I'm taking my 7 and 8 YO boys to the range right after I finish this response. I'm gonna rent them a 22 rifle to shoot. They've both shot a 22 pistol before at a range and loved it and actually were pretty accurate with it.

A guy at the range where they shot the pistol told me they were a little young to be shooting. I disagree.

A little story. When I was about 10 or so. I was curious about guns and was playing with my dads pistols one day. I had an AD and shot a whole in the wall. I was in big trouble. But the moral is, if I had been around them more and taught the rights and wrongs about them, that would probably never had happened.

[Guest AeroEngrSoftDevMBA]

I guess being around me and seeing guns all the time it is natural to him. He does not pay any attention to any gun left sitting in the open. He knows that if he wants to handle (play with) a gun all he needs to do is mention it. I drop whatever I am doing and accomodate him.

I am not telling you your business. Do whatever you like with your own kids, I don't care. You know your situation better than me. But there are others that may seriously have a problem with the idea of a gun left sitting in the open, even if you trust your child not to touch it. The pizza delivery guy, the plumber, whoever. Maybe you don't ever have strangers in your home or even near you door where they can see in. But there have been child endangerment cases based on weapons being available. So I only say that as a caution.

As for me, I've got a 2 year old and a 2 day old. The 2 day old I'm not worried about. The 2 year old is very curious. I have two safes in different places that have loaded guns inside, but I keep those safes locked at all times. Can I get into them (digital locks) quickly enough during a home invasion? I don't know. But I do believe that the odds of my kid accidentally shooting himself are higher than my home being invaded, and on that basis I choose to keep them locked. That may change when they get older and can understand the danger involved, but for now that's the way it is. I'll train them with a 22 probably at 5 or 6.

Carrying is another issue. I will be carrying as soon as my permit gets here. My wife is somewhat concerned about my carrying around my 2 kids. Brings up a whole other set of concerns. Can it fall out of the holster when I bend over? I've demonstrated that it won't happen. Should I carry with a round in the chamber? Seems rational but increases the risk of AD and my kids are by my feet. What about when my kid wants to wrestle or roughhouse? Do I take the gun off and go lock it up? Or do I set it aside for five minutes and put it back on the instant we are done playing? I don't know. These are the things I'm struggling with.

[Mike.357]

I hear what you are saying Aero. I am not to concerned with it.

Right now there are two rifles sitting on the bar. Ammo on a shelf nearby.

(yes there is liquor there too, gasp, I sure hope the rifles do not get drunk, thank goodness I do not have cigarettes anymore or the ATF would surely be at my doorstep)

We were out shooting a few hours ago and more than likely will go back out later on.

Myself, I am not too worred about someone thinking I am endangering anyone. If a plumber, delivery person, etc was coming to the door they would never see my stuff.

The oldest has been raised properly, the younger one is too young to worry about in this regard at the present time. But he will be brainwashed too, LOL, when the time is right.

and you are right in the regard that no one can see in here. Of all the driveways on this street, mine is the last one anyone wold ever pick to come down. It is like something out of a scary movie I would not blantanly leave a loaded gun laying around on the coffee table where he is playing with cars. Though I know he would not mess with the gun.

Train them correctly right out of the gate is the key.

I am too old and feeble to be wrestling around, but when I need to take the gun off for any reason I set it on a mantle or inside a closet, its never really been an issue.

The family is really starting to understand that we do not get to pick and choose the time and place where we may have an extreme need to defend ourselves. I think the church shooting here last week is driving that point home.

You are worried about carrying and the kids being underfoot. A proper holster will eliminate a lot of the problem. I am a firm believer in the fact that pulling the trigger is the only way a gun goes bang. Keep the gun properly holstered with a restraint device and the trigger is not in reach of little fingers.

[BrasilNuts]

My son is 2 1/2 and he loves to wrestle around with me...I carry every day, but when I come home the pistol gets put in its safe place.

[Oh Shoot]

For what it's worth, I was give a .22 rifle at 12 or 13 years old. For Christmas. That was in '60 or '61. Although I had shot my granddad's shotgun some a couple years before that.

Remington Fieldmaster Pump. I still have it, shoots fine.

I wasn't allowed to actually use it without my dad or granddad being with me until I was about 15 or so, when I started going hunting with friends. And yes, they both gave me plenty of instruction. Granddad strung wire on the Hindenburg Line with mules during WWI, and Dad was in 3rd wave on Omaha Beach, so they both had ample long firearms experience.

- OS

[DaveTN]

I think the most important thing is that the parent be able to recognize if a child is ready to be able to safely handle a firearm.

There are kids that can do that at a very young age and there are kids in their teens that can’t safely handle a firearm (We have all seen adults at the range that are just so clumsy or uncoordinated they shouldn’t be holding a loaded weapon). And your desire for your kid to be able to do it should not enter into it.

[NuTcAsE]

(We have all seen adults at the range that are just so clumsy or uncoordinated they shouldn’t be holding a loaded weapon).

I know police officers who shouldn't be handling one.......

[Guest readyornot]

My boys are 9 & 10 and my daughter is 13. They have all been shooting since they were about 7 or 8. I bought them a Browning semi-auto .22 rifle and and a Ruger Mark III .22 pistol about a year ago. My daughter enjoys shooting as much as the boys plus she's really good. We have regular family nights at the range with a friend of mine and his kids (wives too). I firmly believe that education and experience are the best prevention to someone making a mistake with a firearm.

You can tell them about how much they must respect them and how dangerous they are but until they hold a gun in their hand and pull the trigger and destroy something it just doesn't sink in. When my kids saw the destruction from their own hand, their attitude and level of understanding and respect changes immediately.

[Guest db99wj]

My 2 older, 9 and 7 (6 at the time) took a kids class at RangeUSA. Taught basics, safety and they got to shoot a Sig Mosquito, a .22 revolver, and a Cricket. Lots of fun, they learned a lot and they listened. We still go over the safety rules from time to time to reinforce what they learned.

[Guest readyornot]

My kids laugh at me, but we go over the safety rules every time we go to the range or anytime they handle a firearm. I keep telling them they have to have "a high tolerance for repetition"