The post about when to start a kid on shooting made me decide to start a new thread.

I hope everyone has invested in a good lockable cabinet for their guns and ammo. Hopefully a safe. It's hard for children to do harm to themselves and others if they don't have access to something as dangerous as a gun. My son's 16 months old. I bought a gunsafe a year before he was born. I figured if I didn't get it then, I'd never be able to afford it. Now that he's here, and I look at his beautiful little face and CURIOUS hands, I realize that I wouldn't own a gun if I couldn't afford a good lockable cabinet or safe to keep it in!!! Hopefully, he will have the opportunity to go shooting and hunting with me and in the meantime, he'll be safe.

One more thing....PLEASE make sure that any household your child will be spending time in also has any firearms secured at ALL times.

If you have any good advice or tips that may help a new Dad like myself, please list them here. Thank you.

EDUCATE YOUR KIDS; HAVE THEM HANDLE THE WEPONS WHILE YOU EDUCATE THEM ON USAGE. THIS WILL KEEP THEM FROM BEING COURIOUS.

I have a gun safe, not to keep the kids out, to keep the guns safe from others. We handle fire arms regularly around here.. Even when they�re little, we teach them how to handle firearms safely. How ever you decide, I am sure your going to do a fine job. Always keep the ammo in a totally different area too. This also keeps things good....

Mauserkid

Let him know that he can look at them and touch them any time he asks you but not my himself. take him out shooting and teach him the safety rules from the get go. Buy the time he is 12 or so he well know how to get into you gun safe or be owning one or two of his own. the biggest trouble is when they don;t know how to handle them safely then start messing with them trying to find out what they can do not knowing.
<<>> I had may kids out shooting with my help soon after they could walk nothing like shooting a few pop cans that are full to get a kids attention. They real enjoy it get some valuable time togather and learn safety at the same time.

I agree with the two folks above who say to educate your children about guns, and do take them shooting at around age 7 to 10 (depending on the maturity level).

I grew up in a house with over 60 guns in it. Only about 8 of them were in the *unlocked* gun cabinet, the rest were in closets and under beds. (My dad was a gun trader).

My brother and I were allowed to begin shooting .22 LR's (supervised, of course) when we were 6 and 7 years old, and we were taught long before then to respect firearms, and never to touch them.

I still believe that keeping your guns secured is very important. You don't know when your child will have a friend over who has not been taught gun safety and respect. So keeping ammunition seperate from the guns, locked up as well, is a good idea.

This overlooks the perceived need of many of us to keep a loaded gun ready to defend the home. I believe such, and keep a .45 ACP (1911, what else) in a secret location with the chamber empty, but with loaded magazine in place. In the unlikely event that a child would find this pistol, he or she wouldn't have the strength or the knowledge to get it into action. Arguments could be comprised of "possibilities" and
"what if's," but I'm quite satisfied that I've chosen the best course. Besides, the "what if's" on my side of the argument are as compelling, and more likely to occur, I believe...

Dan Newberry
green 788

Nebraska - Certainly the things mentioned about educating kids about guns, powders, primers, etc. are good. But I think we need to take it one step beyond the obvious and adress some of the things THEY might think of. For example:
How many kids have had the bright idea of hitting on a live round of ammunition with a hammer and nail? How many kids have snitched a little of Dad's gunpowder to go out and try some of their own stunts with it?
What if a kid trades one of Dad's .308 loaded rounds to ANOTHER kid for a funny book or something? What's the other kid going to do with the ammunition?

In other words look at things from the kid's perspective and try to understand where THEIR minds lead and what trouble they might get into. There's all sorts of things they can think of that we might not...and most of them can lead to serious trouble.

My kids have all grown up and moved out, and have kids of their own. Of course, that means we have grandkids here, quite a bit.

Sam's Club sells a fire safe with an electronic lock for $149.95. With the combination, you can get in in about 3 seconds. Without the combination, you'd have to invest a lot of time to get in. That fire safe sits in our bedroom, and holds the handguns and some ammo. It's a pretty cheap solution that gives quick access in an emergency.

The long guns are in a locked cabinet, in my locked workshop.

My neighbor told me that he once found his 2 year old in the front driveway with his .357 and several cartridges. The kid had found the key to the drawer, and had gotten the gun and ammo out. The only thing that prevented catastrophe was that he couldn't figure out how to open the cylinder.

The story scared the bejabbers out of me. I quit thinking that my grandkids were too little to get into trouble with firearms, and started locking things up.

As far as scary experiences go, here's mine...

I've always been fascinated with guns. Therefore, at 3-4 years old I knew EXACTLY were my dad CONCEALED his shotgun. It was in the basement workshop, slid into the ceiling panels where it couldn't be seen unless you were on a chair or latter. Needless to say, I got up there and pulled it out one day when he was gone. I dragged it up the basement steps(by the barrel because it was so heavy) and into the kitchen where I proceeded to tell my mom and aunt, "I'm goin' huntin'!" Well....after they were done screaming and snathching me up, they didn't even take me hunting. What nerve! I had worked SO hard getting to that shotgun too. Thank God it wasn't loaded!

What's worse is that they never did lock that gun up. They thought I had "learned my lesson". I hadn't. I took that gun out countless times over the years to fondle it when I KNEW I could get away with it. I learned how to work it on my own. I'm lucky and so are my parents that I didn't shoot myself. Pretty stupid on their part.

Nebraska, Do not take this any way, just a curious note.. Did your father ever sit you down and have you clean that shotgun with him on a winter night? Really tear into that shotgun? Oh, did you know where the ammo was for that shotgun?
Please do not take this in any way but a question.

Thanks Mauserkid

Mauserkid,

I understand where you're coming from. The answer to your questions are:

My dad let me watch him clean the shotgun when I was 10 or 11 years old. He didn't ever bother taking it apart so a WD-40 soaked rag on the outside and pulled through the barrel with a piece of twine was the extent of cleaning it.

I recall finding ammo when I was younger but I can't remember how old I was. When I was a little older(~14+), I would load it up in the basement and hold down the bolt release button and jack the shells out as fast as I could imagining what it would be like to be shooting it like they did on T.V.....YIKES!!!

As far as the ammo goes, even if it wasn't available to me in my house, it was still accessable at my friend's house who's father reloaded(and probably other's houses too). As a matter of fact, before I ever fired a gun, I knew how a shotgun shell worked because a friend had shown me how to make them into what we called "grenades"(more like a pop dart). We would run around the neighborhood and pretend they were hand grenades while we played "War"....again not to smart.

I think the advice about showing kids the guns and ammo in order to curb their curiosity is good advice. Letting them see and touch the guns whenever they want with an adult present goes a long way. My buddy has done that and has had no issues that (we) are aware of. That kind of experience in conjunction with a lockable cabinet or safe are a good foundation in my opinion. "In conjunction" are the key words though because I'm 32 years old and I still haven't curbed my love for handling guns!!!

Well, since were giving ages, I am 37 and still play with my toys. I just include my Four kids.... Oldest is going on eighteen.. Youngest is Four.. Last birthday around here was my eleven year olds. She got a BB gun.. She is pretty good.. Her form needs work, but I let her plink away. Hmmm I think I need to order a trigger for one of my Mausers.... Any way, we thought she was dominant left eye. I got a 788 Remington Left handed in Six Millimeter Remington..

Any way, we all do our best in teaching our kids. Some times we make adjustments and re evaluate our decisions. But we just do our best.

Mauserkid

Mauserkid,

You're right. All my dad's example did was make it clear to me that I needed to do something different. I can't wait until my son is old enough to come along!

Oh,, One other thing.. I do not allow my kids to let their friends over (in the house) without adult supervision.. I try to tell my oldest it is not him I am worried about, it is the world beyond these doors.

Mauserkid..

Two sons, a daughter and 4 grandchildren...I tought them to shoot and hunt from babies, gun safty was/is constantly preached, and they were constantly exposed to guns, ammo, reloading, hunting. It is a way of life in our house...

I didn't hide my guns from them, but they grew up seeing first hand what a bullet can do to an animal...They have access to their guns and mine, they show them to their friends but they have a hands off policy where friends are concerned and THEY enforce this policy and I am always within ear shot, but they don't know that (maybe).....

It makes me a little proud when I hear..."you can look but you absolutly cannot touch these guns, thats our rules around here, unless Papas around to let you hold them, I can call him if you want?".

I believe locking them up may be putting a child into a watermelon stealing mode, a temptation, and a show of distrust on our part...but one thing I insist on and that is that there is never but one loaded gun in the house and that's my pistol and no-one touches it and its out of sight and in my bedroom, where children cannot reach or see it... All my ammo is locked up in my shop.

we kept our guns in a sliding glass gun cabinet before you had to have a safe, my dad would tell me and my brother you know those guns are loaded don't mess with them if you do i will kick your ass no second or third chances we believed him he didn't mind trying to make us do the right thing, and i never once thought of carrying a gun to school because some punk said domething i didn't like.

No locks on my guns. But I'm retired, and no kids around the house. My idea of a "kid" is my nephew who is 33.

Low crime area. I've been here 50 yrs, and no break ins. The burglars head for the high end stuff down on the lake . . .

Kid safety though . . .

It's not a dirty secret, like sex . . . The kids get to be around the guns, the reloading, the cleaning, the shooting. The guns aren't taboo, any more than the car or truck is taboo. They know they're not ready to drive. They know they're not ready to handle the guns without some adult supervision.

Worked for me and all the kids I grew up with. Works still with kids. Teach them to shoot, just like you'd teach them to drive.

Here's what I do.

Keys locked away, hiding place for key changed regularly.

My son is interested and knows various bits of the rifle. He knows he is never allowed to touch any part of the gun without asking EVER.
There are 2 major benefits to this a) he doesn't touch my rifle while it is out b) because I'm limiting his access he's interested in shooting.

I look at the kids whose mums have got horses for them in our yard. None of the ones with mums who got horses for them are interested. The ones who have to share or help muck out in order to ride are keen as mustard!

That's not to say that I don't encourage his interest. Around October time I'm allways coming home with my rifle around his bed time when I should be teaching him to read and count. Depending on the success rate counting is taught on the number or fallow spots and tines or the number of rounds I put back in the safe.

[ 07-08-2002, 13:57: Message edited by: 1894 ]

I keep my stuff secured, not for my kids, because I think I have broken any mystery they might have, but because kids will have friends come over.

I was never allowed to look freely at my dads playboys, did that stop me, no. I was curious. I drove my dad�s scout in the lower property when he was gone too. As far as your buddies shooting in the garage, did their father take them out shooting regularly? I am going to stick my neck out and guess no. A 32 is not a real good target gun as far as I am aware of. I consider it a rib gun. Real close range defense. Let me know, Thanks.

Mauserkid

Well in my case, I was give my first rifle when I was Six. I was required to keep it clean and well taken care of. I also was required to keep track of ever round of ammo for it too. When Shooting I had to turn in each empty case, I got a penney for each case I also got a 10 cents for each time I hit the X ring on a target. So happens that a box of 22's back then was 50 Cents. My dad had me shoot a watermelon with a shotgun and that taught me that while guns and shooting are fun they are not toys. I also commited the safty rules to memory over time. I still have that rifle, and I look back on those days with fondness.

Mauserkid,

He did take them out but I don't know how often. From what I understand, he was pretty overbearing and those garage shooting sessions were probably something along the lines of "stealing watermelons". I'm sure that story is an exception. Many kids I knew would never have dreamed of even touching a gun without adult supervision. It does show that some would if given the opportunity though.

I still agree with you that giving kids an opportunity to see and touch is the best approach. I bought a "hunting" sling-shot for my cousin's nephew yesterday. It's set on the lowest level so it isn't a big threat to rabbits yet but it's still serious business. He is a ball of energy(like most kids his age) and I thought that would be a good outlet. Along with the sling-shot, he got his first pair of safety glasses and lessons on what to do and when. Sling-shots are very dangerous so he will only be able to use it with adult supervision. If he were mine, I would even keep that sling-shot in the safe.

Good point Mauserkid!!

Thinking more about this safety thing...the change in mentality from just 20 years ago just blows me away. I had a "Wrist Rocket" sling shot, compound and recurve bows, and a Daisy 880 pellet gun. I was NEVER supervised and didn't ever where eye protection. We had BB gun fights, shot each other with the sling shots(using natures perfect ammo, crab-apples) and would fling arrows straight into the air for fun. I'm pretty sure Forest Gump had more sense than that!

Great safety advice from the posters. I now have a grandchild, and keep ammo (powders) in a locked room. Still have a 14 year old avid shooter/hunter at home. Most certainly I feel safer with him, than many many of the folks who shoot on our land. Besides the excellent hunter safety program all my kids went through, and the constant talk of gun safety I did a couple of other things.

One, my kids will answer the most dangerous gun in the world is an unloaded one when asked. Hence, that’s what most folks claim after an accident.

Two, at an age when they became curious, I took a broken VCR, Radio, or something they can relate too on a fun picnic type trip. We talked gun safety and some of the tragic results, and long term guilt which can be associated with disrespect for guns. I had each sit in my vehicle with ear protection behind me, but in view of my target. I then sent 6 rounds of defensive .357 into the target, and finished it off with 2 blasts of 12 gauge BB. We then looked at what was left of the appliance. Got the attention I wanted.

A plug for Marlin. I purchased a Marlin Youth Mod. 22Y in .22. (single shot .22 short capable too) What a fine rifle for kids to start with, including the thumb safety which is lacking on the Henry. It also comes scope ready for later shooting experiences. A great way to begin to train young shooters.

On gun safety, I hope I didn’t leave the impression I shot up things for fun. Shooting a VHS was very uncommon of my shooting habits. Got the attention of the kids though. One more thing, we have an informal clay range which most often is used on a one on one type situation.

The kids are diehards on gun safety, but my youngest walked in front of another shooter after all safe was called, and guns were on the table facing down range. A beloved friend, and respected by my son mentioned this to me. I told him to let the him know, which embarrassed him, but he’s never done it again. How many of our adult shooting companions should be cautioned?